My 09 STX SCAB 4X4 with the 4.6 2V and 4sp auto and 18" wheels has 4400 miles now and the computer is showing an average of 20.3 mpg. My calculations come out around 18.5-18.7 mpg. No complaints from me on that as I figured when I bought it that if I got 18 I'd be lucky. My commute is 116 miles a day round trip and only 36 miles of that is highway with the cruise set at 65-67 mph. The rest is 2 lane and lots of hills. I have been driving it real gentle, never floor it, easy acceleration from stops and all the other things I've learned over the years to get the best mpg's possible. I don't always like driving like an old fart but it saves gas and with my weekly mileage I need to get as much as I can. If you take off from stop lights like it's a drag race then you can expect the mpg's to go down. If you hammer the throttle when getting on the highway then you can expect the mpg's to go down. The way you drive it really makes a difference.
I think the area I drive in has a lot to do with it also. I only have 3 stop lights to deal with and no real traffic. I know it would be a lot worse if I had to deal with the stop and go traffic. I've also seen the mpg's climbing with the acculmulation of miles, at 4400 it's starting to break in and the mpg's are getting better.

 

When I got mine it had 9 miles on it. I drove it soft for about 50 miles and then started raggin on it. I did about 10-15 full throttle romps from 40 mph to 90 mph in a 2 hour span. Since then it has spent most of it's time between 65 and 85 MPH. This is how I treat my new motors. I usually don't see "max" fuel economy until 15,000 miles. I will apologize in advance - I don't want this to turn into a "break in" thread, but it may play a factor in ex10psi's mileage dilemma.

Great points "REAL", I practice those fuel economy tips out of habit, my dad preached those to me 20 years ago when I got my DL. I remember him sayin' if you are on the gas and then the brake with no delay in between then your "eye lead" is lacking. Unlike my wife I coast to the red light, whereas she accelerates towards them :-) Which is probably why her 4 banger fusion is getting mileage not that far off of my F150. LOL

Good luck, let us know if an issue arises. Maybe try a different dealer?
Would disconnecting the battery for 5 minutes reset the computer? Maybe you can get a fresh start by doing this...?

 

It's all good Smokewagun; you summed up rather nicely what I was trying to say

 

Only run the truck downhill with a strong tailwind to get fuel economy.

It's a truck. Wind direction and speed have a direct impact on your fuel economy so does the weight being hauled and towed along with the terrain.

 

We do not have gasahol / ethanol (E85) here in SE Michigan. I made a run to Cincinnati & back over the labor day weeekend, just about 500 miles round trip just under 23 mpg, I do admit it was the LABOR day weekend so I kept the cruise around 68 (OHIO is 65 mph) and the trip is 99% expressway.

back & forth to work since I average just over 18 (mostly country drivin.. not much I-state)

09 XL 2WD reg cab 8' box, 3.55LS rear, 4.6l 3V, 6 spd tranny, 50# tires I added a tonneau cover before the Cincy trip. (2600 trouble free miles so far)

the MPG beats the heck out of "Big Red" (aka the 'clunker' I got $4500 for) my "former" 92 XLT SC long bed, (302V8) that barely got 13mpg on a good day, and routinely got 10-11mpg.

 

for those getting +13-14 mpg with city driving count your self lucky, with 90% city driving i am averaging 12-10 mpg. i don't lead foot it and try no to idle it for no reason.

i love my truck but i got rid of my 04 because of the increased fuel economy claims, which have proven at least in my case false by Ford. the poor fuel economy has been a big disappointment for me because when it gets to -25c i am going to be getting 10-7 mpg and thats just wrong. and based solely on fuel economy i can't say the F150 will be at the top of my list when its time to get rid of the 09.

And so you know Ford will not address poor fuel economy concerns with out multiple fuel logs and with less than 10k on the od and even then their position is customer driving habits are the result of poor fuel economy with no diagnostic related info to prove something is working incorrectly, so even if the system says all is good but your truck doesn't meet their claims its you not Fords concern.

 

That is strange. I have essentially the same truck and I am showing 12 to 13l/100km. It works out to between 21 to 23 mpg.

 

your right it is, but as this thread has shown everyone's results are different. every truck i get in my bay at work the first thing i do is check the avg fuel reading, and for the most part it is a range of 15-19 l/100km.

personally i have given up trying to figure it out i have tried everything i can think of, from driving like a granny to staring at the sensor values when driving.

the sad part is about a month after i got my truck when it got real cold for the first time -30c is when my fuel usage really showed itself, at one point i was getting 30l/100km, one tank a fuel i only got 352km, i eventually replaced all the 02 sensors and maf sensor which helped a lot but for me my overall fuel usage is way higher then my 04 which had a smaller fuel tank, and not driving my 09 like i drove my 04, which was like i stole it.

i guess the marketing disclaimer your results may vary is the truth.

 

You can make a big difference in your winter fuel economy by blocking most of the air flow into the front grill. When it's that cold out you hardly need any cooling air entering the front. You will know you have gone too far if the electric fan needs to come on. If you will be towing heavy loads in the mountains or four-wheeling in low range you might want to remove some or all of the blocking.

This mod will make the most difference for people who combine a lot of shorter trips (<30 miles) in cold weather but will also help on longer trips.

The money you save can be spent on


The benefits are so great it's amazing more people don't do it.

Your cab will heat up more quickly and remain warmer between stops.
Your engine will remain warmer and burn cleaner (less deposits).
Your oil will last longer (less water emulsification).
Saves $$.
Less time spent freezing your butt off filling the tank.

 

it's good to know that i'm not alone! frankly... i'm a bit tired of people "claiming" 21 mpg in their 5.4 09 F150s but for those of you who are getting 20+ mpg in your V8 F150's, wow, i envy you!!!

for the rest of us "common folk" i'm right with you. i'm at about 11-12 MPG mixed driving of about 40% city, rest being wide open stretch of hwy. and I DO NOT hammer the throttle and take it quite easy trying to be concious of the fuel consumption.

i had the truck at the dealership for readings... deano like you mentioned they hooked it up to a computer and took readings from the sensors, checked for codes, etc... and the conclusion: nothing wrong with truck, 12.5 MPG is normal.

i had a 07 chevy tahoe (1/2 ton suv) v8 engine about the same torque/hp/curb weight and i drove that thing like i stole it (it was a lease!) and i got a good 13-14 mpg. when i drove it normal, like i drive my current F150, i was about to get 14-15 mpg.

 

Actually, Ford doesn't determine the listed mileage. EPA does. They use a battery of standard tests, but there is obviously variance. If you ever looked it up, it says 'Actual mileage WILL vary.' Not can, but WILL. It also says - "the EPA ratings are a useful tool for comparing the fuel economies of different vehicles but may not accurately predict the average MPG you will get."

I know it doesn't make you feel any better, but you can't really blame Ford.

 

its printed on the sale sticker of the truck so that makes it Ford's problem, no matter who comes up with it. Ford advertises it making people think thats what the truck should get.

 

Untill I added bigger tires and wheels, my truck actually got better mileage than the sticker said, both highway and around town.

 

My point is, if you want to complain about your mpg, go ahead and blame Ford. But if you want to complain that you aren't getting what's on the EPA sticker, you can't blame Ford. Ford is mandated by law to include that information on the sticker and the EPA, not Ford, determines those numbers.

BTW, there are wide variances with any manufactured product. Just based on what I've seen in this forum, for everyone complaining about getting 12 mpg there is someone bragging about 21. If the EPA says 17, that's right about in the middle.

BTW, I get 16.5 with is about 1.5 more than my 05 got, about what I expected, and I'm content.

 

just filled up my tank again 2 nights ago... hand calculated 12.88 MPG. that was on Chevron fuel, same scenario as my previous fill up with 76 gas which got me 12.53 MPG.

i just installed my bakflip F1 last night... so i'll basically have a full tank of gas to calculate MPG with the cover on. i'll update you guys if i see any MPG improvement with the cover.