Blue07stx has a 5.0

 

I've got a 4X4. The sticker says 16/21. The 4X2 says 17/23

I posted this an the towing section, but I believe that it's relevent to this thread as well:

In addition, I believe the tuner did help. There were times when the truck did have to downshift one or two gears, but it would hold pretty good before it gave up to a downshift. I had the cruise set at 70, even though the owners manual says not to. I lost some speed but I figured that while towing something, this isn't the worst thing. There is also better power onset to merge, which I felt was a good thing considering that I'm new to towing, and didin't want to be a hazard on the highway.

 

That's a neat little trailer... is there an intake mod like the gotts for the v6?

 

I fueled up the other day before the hurrica..... I mean tropical storm hit. Wanted to avoind the possibility of longer lines if things actually got bad around here.

I'd used just over a quarter tank, I think about 170 miles and got (if memory serves, too lazy to go to the truck and check) 17.2, with a 16.9 on the lie-o-meter. I wish the numbers were going back to what I'd seen earlier this summer, but I've pulled the little trailer around a bit and the tunes are on there. I'll need to get some miles without the little trailer to see if I can get at least a 21 before it starts getting cold around here.

The truck is all good.

Last week, we had to bring one of our company E250's in for warranty service. They gave me and EB XLT Crew for a service loner. Nice truck, and I think that even in that Crew I could get 20+mpg. It's a shame that they don't offer the EB in a regular cab short bed. I liked this service loner but it was just too damn big. I don't need four full doors. I like that I can fit my truck into parking spaces.

 

I know that this thread is getting kind of long and people might not want to go through pages to find something. I do know that when I do a search, it's often threads like this one that give me the information that I'm looking for.

This thread is pretty long so I think that I'll start a new one for the next phaze. I'd like to hear from more people with the 3.7. It'll help people using the search feature to find out if they could live with a base V6 F150.

Anyhow, fueled up again today. Just so you know, I usually fuel up when I've gone through a half tank. I really don't drive this truck much and to be honest, this truck has really good range.

I went 270mi in just under a half tank. Pen and paper (actually, cell phone calculator) got me 21.00, with a reading of 20.5 on the lie-o-meter. I was really starting to worry that I wasn't going to see numbers like I had. I'd really like to see that 22 again. Don't know if that'll happen till next spring.

I've got to tell you, after towing that little trailer around a bit, the truck seems to run stronger without it. I think that this adaptive strategy stuff really plays a big part in how our trucks run. I found that the truck pulled better up hills than it did before I towed the trailer, and loaded the tunes. I also think that the tunes are hurting my mpg, but only by a little.

Really, this truck is a pleasure to drive. Would I like the power of the 5.0? You bet I would, but honestly, how often do we really need that power? I'm getting older, so I'm mellowing a bit. I've also been obsessed with watching car crash videos on YouTube, and I'm making myself scared to drive. Don't ask me why I watch these videos, but they make me MUCH more aware of the consequences of reckless driving. This V6 works just fine.

 

Eben though I don't always post, I like to see your feedback. Seems like a great little motor

 

Yeh, but your 4.6L 3V hp came in at a lot lower rpm and 4.6L 3V had 42 lbs more torque. Mine in my 2008 Sport Trac pulled my midsize, full weight, travel trailer easily.


However the 3.7L has a great torque curve peaking out at 278 lbs, so in a light truck, it could be fun to drive. It has the torque curve of a high reving V8. In fact, if you never want to tow more than 5000 lbs, the 3.7L seems to be a great motor, just get it with the highest ratio axle as you need to get that engine spinning to tap all of it's resources!

 

You make a good point, this base V6 is a good engine but it is a V6. Comparing the numbers for the 3V 4.6 and the 3.7 doesn't tell the whole story. The two engines operate differently. I am actually more accustomed to a V8 with the torque down low. I have been driving Fords with modular V8's for the last ten or so years. This 3.7 is not like a V8, but for many people who use their trucks more like a car, it is a good alternative to a V8 which may require more fuel. Although, I've seen several reports of people with the 5.0 F150 getting the same mpg numbers as I am. Perhaps not as consistantly.

I do believe that for people who intend to use their truck lightly, meaning rarely loaded, and rarely towing light loads, a look at, and test drive of a 3.7 is warranted.

 

I have noticed that I get better mileage at the Shell station next to my house (19.1 mpg avg) compared to the one near work (18.6 mpg avg). The E10 blend really kills our mileage...

Great post.

 

Nice reports, wittom. I wish we could transplant a 3.7L in my truck or even a 3.5L

 

Wittom- thanks for all the info and any more you want to tell. I got my $750 coupon this week with the brochure from ford.com that i heard about. Im just looking for a truck that i like thats in stock with-in 250 miles of D/Fw. thanks

 

Hello Wittom. Have you made your camping/hiking trips to Maine yet? I have made three payments on truck and have 7000 miles. I wait for the low fuel light to come on most of the time before I fill up. Use regular Irving most of the time. 21.9 on the lie-o-meter and 22.4 the old school way. I have had my 800 pound 4 wheeler in the bed a few times around Maine and the truck works fine. Can't see out the back, but the side mirrors work OK.

 

Hey Dave,

Haven't made it up to Maine for hiking, except for a quick one on Pleasant Mountain in Freyburg on our way home from the wifes family gathering in Harrison. It may be the next year, or two. I'm hoping that our little trailer makes it easier to extend our hiking area.

You're racking up the miles a little quicker that I am. I've got just over 5k.

Since I only drive my truck on weekends, for the most part, I like to have the truck fueled up and ready to go. That's why I fill up before the light comes on.

Sounds like you're getting the same kind of milage that I am. Maybe even a little better. I've seen a slight dip since uploading the tunes. I'm hoping I can turn that around at some point. I've got to say, with tuning the throttle response and shift points are improved which give the truck a smoother, more linear driving feel.

Just curious, what does your onboard display read going up I95 to your place in Maine? My mpg's don't climb much on the highway. The truck seems to do best on the rural roads where the speed limit is 50-55 and I can maintain a steady 50-60. At 70 the rpms just seem too high to get good mpg.

 

For a 700+ mile tank, 500 miles on I95 doing 70-73 MPH with the ice on it's showing in the low 21s to the high 20s. The other 200 is going to work on Rt128 and the expressway doing any where from 77-20 MPH and it shows high 21s if I keep the speed down.

 

Good reporting guys. I think the 3.7l will be the motor for me. It just gets me that I can't get the supercab XLT with the 5.5 bed and THE 3.7L unless I opt for the Raptor... yeah right. lol