Haven't posted here in a while... My 2011 XL Reg Cab 8ft bed 3.7L V-6 3.73 dif 2WD now has 10,200 Miles. The lifetime MPG (I track and record each fill-up in Excel) is currently at 19.9MPG. This includes a range of driving, in-town (yuck), highway, rural roads, towing, and hauling. It also includes all types of weather - snow, rain, dry, wind, etc. I do try to maximize my fuel economy whenever possible, so I rarely drive over 70, minimize idle time, and accelerate gently (when possible) and coast. If i drove it like I drive my '97 Accord (75-85MPH), I would probably get much lower mileage, like 18.something. Also, cruising at 40MPH you can get 32MPG, but it doesnt stay there once you actually start driving normal.

One other thing I'd like to point out is the hauling capacity of the 8ft bed. I hauled thirty 18ft (yeah, eighteen feet) pressure-treated deck boards 30 miles down the highway with no problem.

 

2012 stx 2wd ex cab truck 3.73 ls. Truck runs any where from 8l per 100km to 18 l per 100 km ( if I'm pulling my 5th wheel) if I just do my reg driven(10 to 15 min trips) I run 11 to 13 lper 100km love the truck its a little low on tq for pulling but I have pulled a 7000 lbs 5th wheel camper (not my camper I have a 4500 lbs 5th wheel) iv pull a car trailer about 12 time a year and the camper 20 time. If I could do it over I might have went to the 5.0 but I might have got a screw 4x4 to over all this truck does everthing I have asked it to and more best truck iv had since my 95 I6 f150 stick shift. This truck out pulls my old 5.0(push rod one) and my 2000 4.6 5 speed. O and better mpg than any of them lol some put together

 

I haven't posted in a while. I've got some mpg numbers to add but I don't have them readily available. Pretty good though. I'll get them here when I have them at hand.

I have often thought that I would be happier with a newer, better truck, but when I drive my essentially base truck, it feels good. Yeah, more power would be nice. Some added features would be nice. For what I'm paying though, it's a really good truck.

What I've said here, and what I tell people is, this is the most boring, basic truck I've ever owned. It's also the most reliable, comfortable truck I've ever owned. I use it. It's got some wear. Some scratches. I've been so apprehensive about "wearing" previous trucks. I don't worry so much about this one. It's been a relief to not be so "****" about using this truck to do what a truck can be used for.

Part of it is that I'm getting older. My priorities are changing. Part of it is, Ford has offered a decent truck for a decent price. If you need a basic truck, a 3.7 powered truck is a pretty good option.

 

Wow, time flies.

Life got pretty busy for me, so I don't have as much time to check in.

First off, as of last week I've had my truck for three years. That's not a big deal to most but for me that's pretty significant.

Like I said back in October, (I can't believe it's been that long!) I have some mpg numbers. I've got to bring them to the computer so I can post them. I've seen a slight decrease in mpg this winter over the last. Mostly in the 18's. One 16.xx and maybe a couple 17's. I'm in a hurry more often lately, which is probably why I've seen a decrease.

Still happy with the truck. I'm at the time when I usually think about trading up, but at this point the truck is worth more to me than it is as a trade. With just over 25K on the odometer, there's plenty more this truck can do for me.

 

Wittom,

I was very pleased to find this thread after a Google search. Kudos for you for even using a very clear, concise title. Google searches are very hard these days with such broad titles that don't have much to do with the content.

After a generally poor experience with our 6 month old(to us) 2010 5.4 King Ranch, we are very seriously considering trading it in, and our budget and personal conditions do not allow us the luxury of looking at another KR. And our life in general over the past two years has moved us (wife and I) to appreciate simplicity more than luxury. Truth is, we do use our truck as a truck, so a regular cab long box is much more useful for our situation then the crew cab with a 6.5ft box.

So we are looking at getting a very bare bones XL with the 3.7 V6 largely because of the good fuel economy and the price - up here in Canada, its the cheapest you can get a full sized pick up at right around $20k out the door. My only disappointment would be that you can't seem to add 4x4 to a base long box without making the price jump $8k and although I was impressed just how nice a bare bones model is, it is very evident that they skimped everywhere possible to get the price as low as it is, for example the xl's sound system does leave a little... a lot to be desired for someone who does like to turn it up on the highway and jam.

I am happy to see you are still content with it at 3 years. We want something with a good reliable engine so I'm also happy to see that you don't seem to be having any issues with the truck itself, unlike the gremlins that the other high dollar models seem to have lurking. The reason we are going new this time is for the 100,000km warranty, and we want to feel like after that warranty is up that there is a high likelihood that we will want to keep that truck, hopefully until it dies.

I see yours is a little fancier with the STX package and 4x4, it is tempting to move up to that (only about $4k more here but lacks the long box), but my thinking is that going to the bottom of the barrel will help take a lot of the 'emotion' out of buying and owning the truck, in turn, helping us stay content with the truck over a longer period.

Again, thanks for making this thread and keeping it updated, as was said a few times, there are people looking for real world info on the v6. It will certainly help us in our decision.

 

LRF150, good luck on your decision. I know it can be a tough one. Hope you can find that 4X4 long bed at a good price. There has to be a dealer willing to work with you.

I'm glad that I've been able to help people out. I don't want to steer anyone wrong. I understand what Ford has to offer, but for people like you and me, who are price conscious, as well as seeking a good truck, the base F150 deserves a look. When I walk though the dealer lot, the prices of these trucks are so high, I can't imagine being able to afford another, without a mortgage.

As I've said before in this thread, and have told many people, this is the most boring, plain, reliable and functional pick up I've had this far. It's perfect for what I need it for right now.

 

So, I admit I trolled this thread before I posted. Just bought a 13 SCAB with the 3.7. Rolled the ODO over to 500 yesterday. Still on my first tank of fuel. I think it had 150 miles on it when I took delivery. I'm averaging 16.5 mpg right now on the first tank with dealer gas in it and some heavy foot action in the getting to know you phase. I plan on filling up with non ethanol gas tomorrow and really testing my mpg capability in this new rig. wittom, thanks for the awesome thread and honest assessment on the truck.

 

Congrats on the new truck my'08f150! Hope is does what you want it to do for you.

 

Congrats! It will serve you well.

 

I think the 3.7 is the best V6 engine Ford has come out with!

 

Thanks wittom! So far, so good. My first fill up (I can't remember the mileage exactly) my hand calculated mileage was pretty right on with the on board. I think the on board told me 16.5 and by hand I got 16.4xxx, so pretty close. Filling up with the ethanol free gas definitely helped. My drive to work is about 20 miles one way of mixed driving, and with the mixed driving, I was averaging 18.5 by the on board. Over this weekend, we moved my girl in with me. Her old place was about an hour away, straight shot down I-20 with a couple of small hills along the way. On the trip there, cruise at 73ish I got 19.5 by the on board, 20 by hand. Return trip pulling a small (8ft) utility trailer loaded with her household stuff and the bed full of more of said household stuff, I was at 18 and change, cruise set at 70. I'm also very impressed with the way the truck pulled and hauled probably in the 1500 pound range. I didn't eve really know the trailer was back there. Although, now I HAVE to get Line-X done!

 

Ok so here is my opinion about the 3.7L f150, Ive had lots of f150s in my past and to date, had a 2003 crew cab with the 5.4L put around 215000 miles on it with 1 rebuilt trans and your normal wear and tear, towing was ok, not that fast towing, lots of body roll, but lived with it, then when the new body styles came out in 09 I picked up a 2009 f150 with the 5.4L and it was a noisy motor, lots of valve train noise, but I loved the truck and it towed like a dream, Fast, towed my race truck easy, my toy box, everything I towed was nice, was not a fan of the motor at all but it didn't do me wrong never left me stranded, put around 50,000 miles on it with no issues, then in 2013 traded it in for a new 2013 f150 Raptor! I love my raptor, 6.2L, fully loaded, pulls great, inside and out looks ****, but that's my weekend/family truck and don't drive it to work, I do construction (pipeline) so I put my trucks to work, Ive been in a 08 ranger 4banger and it just got old, was too small, too slow, couldn't tow ****, so last month I decided to get a 2014 XL f150 ex cab short bed 3.7L, not too base model, has the nice sound system, power everything, steering wheel controls ect. 3.73 limit slip rear end, and im surprised with the power the motor has, not race car fast, but faster then any v6 truck ive been in, I haven't towed nothing big yet so don't know how it is towing yet, my gas mileage is around 15mpg right now, I drive a lot of city miles, and drive fast, and idle sometimes a lot, truck has almost 1,100 miles on it, but I think ford did a great job on this v6, its about the same power has my 03f150 had, perfect motor choice for a work truck / someone looking for good MPG in a 1/2 ton truck, I know im gonna love this truck, I love f150s and how far they have came, I have friends that are into Chevy's and Toyota tundra and let me tell you they feel like a toy car inside, from switches to door panles, Ect.... no truck I've ridden in comes close to FORD trucks

 

Great truck, great engine, good gas mileage, I'm very happy with mine!

 

Glad to see others with the 3.7 giving their experiences. All this info is helpful to anyone searching the internet for real world experience with the 3.7 F150.

For a while I'd been posting my mpg with every fill up. I just can't spend as much time in front of the computer these days. I do still keep track of my mpg. I have not calculated an average recently. The last time I did I was averaging 20mpg. I'd guess it's there, or perhaps high 19's.

I saw a drop in mpg this past winter, which is common, but as many know, it was a long, cold winter. My average took a hit over the past several months. It's been gradually climbing over the past month or so. This past weekend, we took a trip with the little trailer. Did some hiking in the Catskills (NY). A bit of driving around with and without the trailer, over many bad roads and hills. For the first time this year, got a 20 mpg, with an onboard of 19.3.

It is possible to get decent mpg with these trucks. You just have to work at it. If you end up needing to hurry up more often, like I have, you're going to take a hit in the mpg.

 

I guess I'm getting old... I don't feel the need to "hurry up" that often anymore. Did a weekend trip to Charleston last weekend (about 120 miles one way), per the on board, I was getting damn near 20 on I26, cruising at 75ish. With the in town and driving around Charleston, was getting 18. On the way home, that went up to 18.5 and has stayed the same with my commute to work this week. The low fuel light came on today with 50 to empty. My only complaint is the lag wittom talked about, there is a definite moment of hesitation if you nail the loud pedal... It is a little disconcerting sometimes. I'm debating on whether a tune is worth it. This motor does rev like nobody's business though.