Ford Improves Gas Mileage
Fueleconomy.gov continues to release 2009 EPA estimates as we inch toward the new year. On average, we’ve seen slight gains from many existing models and larger ones for new models. Automakers are making modest changes to carryover models because buyers are demanding more fuel-efficient vehicles, and all-new models aren’t in the immediate pipeline for every car out there.
We’ve already mentioned fuel economy increases for GM, Chrysler and Hyundai products; now it’s Ford’s turn.
The all-new 2009 F-150 — the release of which has been delayed — gets a slight but vital mpg upgrade. Both the 5.4-liter and 4.6-liter V-8 receive three valves per cylinder rather than two; some models are also equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission. These features improve horsepower and help this all-V-8 lineup deliver a fleet-average 1 mpg improvement compared to the 2008 F-Series. This is better than the Nissan Titan, Toyota Tundra and new 2009 Dodge Ram; however, the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra have similar numbers.
The Ford Edge crossover remains relatively unchanged in most respects, but improves by 1 mpg in the city. It’s now equal to its larger crossover stablemate, the Flex. The large Expedition SUV also gets a fairly significant bump of 2 mpg in city and highway driving. It now competes toe-to-toe with the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban in fuel efficiency, and it bests the Toyota Sequoia and Nissan Armada. The Expedition’s V-8 is now flex-fuel capable.
We mentioned the fuel-efficiency bumps found on the related Escape, Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute SUVs in an earlier post.
Below is a table with some of the improvements made thus far. We can’t tell you exact figures for all F-150 models just yet, but we can tell you that the fuel efficiency of those models has also improved. Go to fueleconomy.gov to see more mpg updates as they become available.
2009 F-150 2WD 4.6-liter V-8 (three-valve): 15/20 mpg city/highway
2008 F-150: 14/19
2009 Edge FWD: 17/24
2008 Edge FWD: 16/24
2009 Expedition 2WD: 14/20, 10/14 with E85
2008 Expedition 2WD: 12/18
2009 Escape/Mariner/Tribute four-cyl. FWD: 20/28
2008 Escape/Mariner/Tribute four-cyl. FWD: 20/26
2009 Escape/Mariner/Tribute Hybrid FWD: 34/31
2008 Escape/Mariner/Tribute Hybrid FWD: 34/31
