I (foolishly) assumed that the tires would be inflated to the right pressure when I picked up my FWD SE Freestyle last month. I got 22 mpg in the first couple of weeks of mostly city driving. Then before a long road trip, I ckecked the tire pressure and found 7-10 psi underinflation on each tire. After overinflating all tires a bit (35-40 psi), I'm now getting 24-25 mpg in the city and 25-26 mpg on the highway.
Hi all, Our Freestyle is getting 18 city/23 highway. This is in line with Ford's numbers for the limited. We are happy with these numbers. Our 97 Honda CRV got about the same milage but offered far less in regards to comfort and space. I have computed the milage using both the computer and by hand. The trip computer is pretty accurate.
I've been hovering in the mid teens for city hiway driving since I got this thing a few days ago. Somewhat concerned given that I bought it with the exectation of fuel economy better than my 98 XLS Explorer 5-speed.
Motor Trend and Consumer Reports both report actual mpg far below epa numbers. Consumer Reports in another area describes the epa numbers as an anachronism from a different era, not really indicative of real world conditions or realistic driving conditions.
I haven't given up the numbers yet. I am going to purchase the AutoTap data recorder that interfaces a pc to the car data port and records all the data. I hope to get a clear picture of any anomolies and perhaps some information on improving my numbers.
I'm guessing (only a guess) that those getting the poor city mpg aren't used to the CVT initially slow get-up-and-go from a stoplight, so they press the gas harder than needed. It took me awhile to get used to the fact that when you press the gas, the Freestyle doesn't lurch forward, but gradually picks up speed. After a second or two it's not noticeable, but I think if you stop pressing hard and holding the gas down pretty far and getting up the rpms at every intersection, you'll see improved mileage.
We were only getting in the mid teems mpg at first, but now at 18K miles and being used to the CVT, we get in the low 20s for city and around 25mpg on the highway.
we have a FWD Limited from 06/2005 with now 3000miles. we got only 18-19mpg city and 25-26 highway (according to the trip computer). last week it was at the dealer for a ding fix and during a (free) multipoint inspection which is mentioned no the service slip they obviously changed the CVT setup (still have to check for the details). before this acceleration was nothing to write home about and in order to keep on par with the other vehicles we had to press the gas pretty hard and keep the rpm between 2000 and 3000 until city spped was reached. on the highway it rev'ed 2500 at 70mph. when i left the dealer lot after the inspection i right away noticed that acceleration was much better and it felt much smoother because it never needed to rev above 2000 to be on par with the other cars. on the highway it now revs 1700 at 70mph, that never happened before. i had to fill the tank after i left the dealer and now it is 3/4 empty and the mpg is at 21.3! same city driving as before when we only got 18-19mpg. i did not test the highway milage yet but i would expect that it got better as well.
That's another good test. How about if everyone posts what their 70mph RPM is for flat surfaces. I'll check this weekend, but I think it's about 2000rpm at 70mph on flat highways. I have SE FWD.
Our 05' SEL AWD Freebie has about 8500 total miles. We've been getting 14-15 mpg city and 18-19 mpg highway since we bought the vehicle in April.
We live in a *very* hilly area with big hills surrounding our house. I've been assuming the poor city mileage was due to the hilly terrain.
We took a trip to Florida from Middle Tennessee in July (2 adults, 3 kids plus luggage) and got about 19 mpg round trip. Odometer was around 2100 miles at the start of that trip.
Immediately after we bought the Freebie, we added a Class 3 HiddenHitch to pull a trailer (~600lb) with two motorcycles (~600lb each) and some riding gear. Altogether the loaded trailer was just under 2000 lbs. Our first trip to the Smoky Mountains pulling that load with two adults, two children and a reasonable luggage load for a weekend trip resulted in abysmal performance and gas mileage. Our poor little Freebie was just not happy to be pulling that load as evidenced by *highway* mileage of 13-14 mpg range for the trip. Never mind the engine being at 2500-3500 RPMs constantly on the highway. :sick:
Two weeks ago, I went out and traded another vehicle (my beloved Eclipse GTS, ) for a '00 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition with 5.0L V-8 for the express purpose of pulling the motorcycle trailer. The kicker? The V8 Explorer is getting *better* gas mileage than the Freebie for both city and highway driving!!! :confuse:
As expected, the Explorer pulls the loaded trailer easily, but that's why I bought the beast with gas prices over $2.25USD/gallon.
The vehicle we traded for the Freebie was a '03 Ford Explorer XLT with 3.0L V-6 Automatic. That's the same engine as the Freebie, isn't it? I know that the Explorer's 3-speed automatic is a very different animal than the Freebie's CVT. However, the Explorer got similar city and highway mileage (without the trailer) despite being much heavier. it also pulled heavy loads with very little loss in mileage.
I love Ford's products. We've had a '97 Expedition, a '03 Explorer and now a '00 Explorer and the '05 Freebie. The Freebie is the only vehicle that I've had these kinds of issues with.
Any ideas on whether I'm getting reasonable mileage on my '05 Freebie?
Also, in another thread, someone mentioned some adjustments to the CVT that provided a considerable improvement in mileage. What do I need to know to ask my dealer for that adjustment?
I have a 2005 SEL 3.0 CVT AWD. Got it in Sept. 2005, and it has only 2,100 miles. I also was curious about the gas milage, and the rpms at higher speeds. In mostly city driving we are getting about 22 mpg. But I have totally changed the way I drive. By watching the mpg numbers in the info window, I have learned to use the gas pedal "lightly". In some PA tunpike driving last week, level road, crusie control on 70 for about 20 minutes the rpms stayed at about 1900, and about 25.3 mpg.
On a different subject: I have noticed that when I go ove rthe top of a hill at 50 mph, and start to "coast" down the other side, the speed is maintained. If the hill is steep enough, I may gain a little speed but if I do, the rpms also go higher. There doesn't seem to be the "free wheeling" of an "automatic" transmission like I expected. I am hoping this is just because it is new, and will "loosen" up at some point. I have learned how to "trick" the car into reducing the rpms as I go down hill, by just slightly pressing the gas pedal. Not enough to make it think I want to accelerate, but just enough to let it think i want to go faster, but since I am going down hill there is less resistance, and the rpms can go down, while my speed increases. Anyone else seeing anything like this?
You said your mileage was "14-15 mpg city and 18-19 mpg highway" and then when pulling a 2000lb trailer and fully loading the Freestyle the hwy mpg went from 18-19 to 13-14. To start with, based on my Freestyle (SE FWD) getting 20-25mpg city-hwy, and the posts from a lot of other people, it sounds like your Freestyle needed something adjusted, so the drop in mpg makes sense based on your based on your starting mpg. Plus from my experience and from what I've read from others here, it really depends on your driving style, maybe more with the CVT than an Auto.
Does anybody know if there is a Technical Service Bulletin associated with the reprogramming of the CVT for better fuel mileage? I want to get it done but the dealership is gonna look at me funny if I show him this forum thread.
Can carstenb call his dealership an ask them what they did?
As you may know electronics and the computer controls alot of your vehicles functions and this is one .Ford calls it Hill Calibration which was developed for downhill conditions .Basically if a descending grade is detected , the CVT adjust engine speed and drive ratio to hold a steady speed .
"the vast differences in mpg for this vehicle can not be explained by driving habits alone."
In fact, it can easily be explained by driving habits. Some people are simply atrocious drivers. Combine this with a lot of short-distance trips in a heavily urbanized environment and they will get significantly below EPA figures no matter what they drive.
Naturally they will blame the vehicle. They always do.
Yes, my gas mileage in winter is down due to the winter gas by about 2 mpg (from approx 22.5 avg to 20.5 avg mpg combined 50/50 city/hwy mix). I calculate my mileage based on actual fuel used and mileage when I fill up, because the mpg on the dash computer is very suspect, typically off by 2-3 mpg. This morning I confirmed something I have noticed. Miles travelled - 191. Actual fuel used - 8.3 gallons. Dash computer fuel used - 9.1 gallons. Dash computer mileage - 19.3 mpg (Ford math 191/9.1 = 19.3 mpg, should have been 21.0 mpg). Actual mileage 191/8.3 = 23.0 mpg). See what I mean. Let's hope that Ford engineers are better at design than they are at math. By the way, I installed a K&N air filter about a month ago, and find it is good for approx 0.5 mpg and a very slight - but noticeable - performance improvement by lowering the air intake restriction so the Freestyle can breathe better.
My FS FWD has 4k on it. In the beginning we averages 17 MPG and I was upset. I was told to wait. After the first oil change the acceleration became much stronger . However I see that the mileage is slowly stabilizing in 12's. The computer is not that much off the manual calculations and do not accelerate like with a Ferrari and I know how to drive with a CVT and I use good gas and I reset my computer etc. The only thing I did not try is to take it to the dealer and ask to check the program in the CVT, which I will.
'05 Freestyle SE front wheel drive gets 25 mpg on the highway, 75% highway at about 65 mph average speeds.
The 12 mpg from the last post is disturbing. I wonder if the belts on the CVT can be too tight. Or manufacturing variations in the engine which produces more friction. Tire inflation pressure can influence it about 10% or so. Other people have mentioned high gas consumption. If the gas mileage does not improve, consider activating the Lemon Laws. These laws force a car maker to swap out a new car if they can't fix the old one. So, if you're getting 12 mpg, then carefully drive, no jackrabbit starts, air the tires up to 38 psi all around, and manually check the gas mileage over 3 or 4 tank fulls and document the results (the math). Then take your case to Ford if you get less than 23 mpg at an average 65 mph speed on the highway. Drive carefully and don't goose the engine during the tests. Actually, you may ask Ford technicians to check fuel flow rate graphs (ask them to get these from the OBD-II computer) while driving your car, and then do the same run in another Freestyle and compare the results. If the two cars are not much different (5 percent max difference) then there is probably no problem. But you can still prove your case with your own actual gas mileage results, carefully done manually.
Consumer Reports, Jan. 06 issue had 12 mpg for city driving, and 27 mpg for highway driving. The 12 had to be low!!! Thats wasting a lot of energy thats not just going into the brakes...... Low mpg might be a common problem in some Freestyles. In general, though, if you can get good gas mileage on the highway, its thought the car is working OK and there is no excessive internal engine or transmission friction causing the drop in gas mileage.
Don't forget that adding Ethanol to gas in the winter drops your gas mileage by about 1 mpg. The alcohol has a lower energy density than pure hydrocarbon gasoline.
Carstenb, In your last post, you said "...last week it was at the dealer for a ding fix and during a (free) multipoint inspection which is mentioned no the service slip they obviously changed the CVT setup (still have to check for the details)." Did you ever confirm or not if the dealer gave you a new software load to re-program the CVT speed schedules, or something???
With a range of 12mpg city and 27 hwy, it makes me think that because of the CVT, the testers really floored the gas after every stoplight. It just seems strange to me having such a large range in a test.
To give CR credit, if you look at the red/black circles for problem areas, it does identify the AWD transmission as having more problems than the FWD version, which matches the posts you read here. In general, when it comes to quality, I think they're pretty accurate. In general, I think the quality of Toyotas and Hondas is better than Kias. I know people who own Volvos, Saabs & VWs that think it's perfectly normal to bring their car into the shop every 6 months for something, so in this respect, CR is a good starting point. But just because Toyota might have the highest quality rating and Kia the worst (just an example), that doesn't mean that Toyotas will never break down and a Kia is always in the shop. But it's just a general comparison. So they're not too bad, but I wouldn't buy any car strictly on CRs recommendation (obviously because I own a Freestyle!)
The 12 MPG is mostly in city driving. I do not abuse my FS (currently the computer says 15 because I drove on the freeway a lot lately). Results from a test: I drove to Disneyland whit the cruise control on around 65-70 MPH. It's about a 45 m drive on a slight descent. I've got 26 MPG. On the same way back right before exiting the freeway the computer showed 24 MPG (combined). The less than 1 mile trip home on flat streets from freeway took it down to 22! In my opinion this is because of the power/weight ratio. I think the engine really has to work hard to pull the car in slow variable speed and stop and go. Because of the CVT it does a great job on the freeway at constant speeds where there is not much need for power. That's why the displacement system was invented. I think a bigger engine would yield better fuel economy in the city and if it has a displacement system it will be good on highway too.
My 2006 Freestyle FWD SE has averaged about 19.8 mpg in the period from 1000 miles to 1800. I didn't check its milage for the 1000 mile break-in period.
I haven't used the cruise control yet due to lack of opportunity. While my daily commute includes 10 miles one-way on the freeway (doubled), traffic on California Highway 99 from the Taylor Road on-ramp in Turlock to the 9th Street off-ramp in Modesto and back has always been too heavy during rush hour to use the cruise control.
I'll have to wait for a trip to see my sons in Santa Cruz and/or Santa Rosa to use the cruise control.
I just took my 2006 Freestyle SE on its first long freeway drive, from the Exxon station on Geer Road in Turlock, California to San Jose and back (Highway 99 to Highway 132 to Highway to Highway 580 to Highway 680 to Highway 880 and back). My wife and I picked up her mother at the airport and brought her home.
About 99% of the 206.5 miles round-trip was freeway or highway, and 90%+ of that was using cruise-control. I filled the Freestyle up at the Exxon station and again upon returning. My wife drove it to San Jose and I drove on the return. It was 65 degrees F on leaving at 10:45 am and 70 degrees at 4pm upon the return. The Freestyle used 6.42 gallons round-trip. Traffic varied from light to heavy - mostly light.
206.5 miles divided by 6.42 gallons = 32.165 miles per gallon. This is an enormous difference from my Freestyle's @ 20 mpg in local and freeway commute driving, in which I've never used the cruise-control due to traffic.
FWIW, my 2002 Camry XLE (4-cylinder) has averaged 30.8 mpg over 76,000 miles, of which a significant amount was driving children to and from college in Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa, or on long vacations.
"So, if you're getting 12 mpg, then carefully drive, no jackrabbit starts, air the tires up to 38 psi all around, and manually check the gas mileage over 3 or 4 tank fulls and document the results (the math). Then take your case to Ford if you get less than 23 mpg at an average 65 mph speed on the highway. Drive carefully and don't goose the engine during the tests. Actually, you may ask Ford technicians to check fuel flow rate graphs (ask them to get these from the OBD-II computer) while driving your car, and then do the same run in another Freestyle and compare the results. If the two cars are not much different (5 percent max difference) then there is probably no problem. But you can still prove your case with your own actual gas mileage results, carefully done manually."
Unfortunately, the EPA lists the minimum and maximum MPG for this class of vehicle. The only way a lemon law suit would work is if 12 MPG is below the lowest range. I can't recall what it was right now, but the low city value was around 12 or 14.
Replying to:"Unfortunately, the EPA lists the minimum and maximum MPG for this class of vehicle. The only way a lemon law suit would work is if 12 MPG is below the lowest range. I can't recall what it was right now, but the low city value was around 12 or 14."
I don't think that is an issue at all. If you're getting 12, then thats about half the mpg the FS should be getting. That's significant. There is a case if the mpg numbers done on a carefull, 3-tankful (at least) test are not good. The Lemon Law has independent arbitration involved, so you're not just at the mercy of Ford here.
"I don't think that is an issue at all. If you're getting 12, then thats about half the mpg the FS should be getting. That's significant. There is a case if the mpg numbers done on a carefull, 3-tankful (at least) test are not good. The Lemon Law has independent arbitration involved, so you're not just at the mercy of Ford here."
The point is that the EPA warnings, clearly posted on the window sticker, state they are for comparison purposes only, and then they give a very broad range of MPG values for city/highway that are seen in all vehicles of this (mid-size SUV) class. They also specically state that - here it comes - "your mileage may vary".
So the Freestyle is not "supposed" to get any particular MPG. The EPA tests, which are very artifical, rendered the number on the window. But they are not a guarantee, and I think it would be pretty difficult to get a court or arbitrator to declare the car a lemon. Maybe Ford would do something in the persuit of good customer relations, but that is different from a lemon law case.
The real issue is excessive fuel consumption, which is a symptom of excessive internal engine friction (valves, pistons, journal bearings), dragging brakes, or bad wheel bearings. Something is wrong when a car gets bad gas mileage. That is clear to any mechanic or Lemon Law arbitration board, just based on mechanical principles. The EPA ratings DO show that something on your Freestyle is out-of-spec. The disclaimer about "your mileage may vary" is solely meant to say that different driving styles and load conditions cause variable mpg. Its an interesting case, and if you show that your FreeS gets weird mpg when you're driving normally, over basically level roads, not driving crazy, with 1 or 2 people in the car, then the case is clear. I'm sorry I'm so disagreeable, but this is clear to me. Good luck, and go for their throats!
I'm amazed by some of the numbers for MPG I see posted here. I'm averaging about 12 - 14 mpg in suburban driving. When I get the car out for some highway miles, I see some better mileage, but not much. The highest I've gotten so far is 16.5 mpg between fill-ups. With these numbers, I could have gone for a more traditional SUV.
"I'm amazed by some of the numbers for MPG I see posted here. I'm averaging about 12 - 14 mpg in suburban driving. When I get the car out for some highway miles, I see some better mileage, but not much. The highest I've gotten so far is 16.5 mpg between fill-ups."
A couple of points:
1. The AWD is going to get worse MPG.
2. Are you driving conservatively? You can save a lot of gas by using basic techniques such as trying not to accelerate up to a red stoplight, but rather moderate the speed so as to arrive when it is green. There are a lot of other techniques, but I don't want to list them now, until I have had a chance to try them out in a Freestyle.
I just got my FS (SEL), so it is not broken in yet and I haven't been able to get know the CVT enough to figure out what works for MPG improvements.
As for other SUVs, the FS is 10" longer and 2" wider than a Ford Explorer, and has 4 star rollover ratings. Plus it is easy to get into and out of. I think it is better than an SUV.
It is interesting that Ford lists the Freestyle both as an SUV and as a car on it's website...
"The idea with asking the dealer to check the software in the CVT is good, but I made the mistake of buying from the biggest or number one dealer in the world."
Just out of curiosity, would that be Galpin Ford in the San Fernando Valley? I just got my 2006 there this week. Huge selection.
There is little point in comparing actual gas mileage figures for city driving because there is just too much variance between what people refer to as "city" driving. Additionally, (as has been pointed out by stevedebi above) there is a considerable variation in people's actual driving habits. Together these easily account for why some report 12MPG in the city, while others enjoy 20-21MPG city. Personally, I have no problem achieving my FWD SEL's ratings of 20MPG city and 27MPG highway. I drive sanely, intelligently, and allow my Freestyle to "coast" up to a red light rather than keeping my foot "on the gas" until the last second. Every day I witness people who stomp on the gas when the light turns green and who continue to accelerate all the way up to the next red light. These are usually the same people who are then interviewed by the 6-o'clock news filling up at a gas station and complaining about the price they are paying for fuel that they then foolishly waste.
You know, it's funny. I checked with my local Ford dealer. They said that in their experience the EPA estimates for the vehicle are way off base - too high. They told me that anyone claiming to consistemntly get at or above EPA estimates in gas mileage is essentially a liar.
The dealer is wrong, although I too sense there is something wrong with a bunch of Freestyles (possible causes: CVT belts too tight, brakes dragging, engine tolerances wrong to create excessive friction, etc.)
Over 3 tankfuls, which increases accuracy, I have 25 mpg on a Freestyle SE front-wheel-drive model. That actually corresponds precisely with the EPA numbers, as it is listed at 27 highway and 20 city. My driving is about 75% highway driving (fits EPA definition of highway driving closely), so 25 mpg is about right! The remaining 25% is definitely city driving, and I like to floor it when taking off from stoplights or merging on to the freeway, getting 3000 - 4500 rpm when doing them.
The EPA runs a website to see what people are posting for Freestyle gas mileage. I hope some of you put their experience in there, since the sample size is currently extremely low.
Somewhere I remember reading that the main complaint of both Hummer owners and Toyota Prius owners is that their vehicles don't get anywhere near the mileage that is suggested by the EPA on the vehicles window sticker. If you are one of those not getting the "rated" mileage figures with your Freestyle, be assured that there is absolutely nothing unique to your experience. The problem does not lie with your vehicle, but rather it is in the way the vehicle (and all vehicles) are measured and rated by a gov't agency. To it's credit, the EPA actually does state on every window sticker that "Actual mileage will vary with options, driving conditions, driving habits, and vehicle condition." Unfortunately, people tend not to read this all important message, and instead fixate on the large font mileage figures only.
The EPA disclaimers above merely reflect the obvious secondary effects of mpg. However, any Freestyle, when driven reasonably over relatively level roads over a long period of time, should be getting mpg in the twenties. If it doesn't, something is wrong mechanically. With airliners, fuel consumption is monitored closely in flight. The turbofans differ by about +/-4%, and if they don't, we find out why. Car engines are similar in that internal friction can vary based on mechanical tolerances inside. Thats why racing engines are "blueprinted". Believe me, its not just fate that some FreeS eat gas.
Well a liar I am. We have a AWD FreeStyle Limited and get very close to the EPA milage. The greatest variance is in city driving depending on traffic etc. Our highway milage is consistently near or above the EPA numbers.
Woah, the Freestyle is offered in three different Pollution classes? Does this mean that the FS sold in the "LEV II" states (All states that follow the California CARB standards) get worse MPG due to the higher standards, or at least have a different program in the engine ECU?
Comments
Our Freestyle is getting 18 city/23 highway. This is in line with Ford's numbers for the limited. We are happy with these numbers. Our 97 Honda CRV got about the same milage but offered far less in regards to comfort and space.
I have computed the milage using both the computer and by hand. The trip computer is pretty accurate.
Motor Trend and Consumer Reports both report actual mpg far below epa numbers. Consumer Reports in another area describes the epa numbers as an anachronism from a different era, not really indicative of real world conditions or realistic driving conditions.
I haven't given up the numbers yet. I am going to purchase the AutoTap data recorder that interfaces a pc to the car data port and records all the data. I hope to get a clear picture of any anomolies and perhaps some information on improving my numbers.
Paul
05 sel fwd 20900 (new)
We were only getting in the mid teems mpg at first, but now at 18K miles and being used to the CVT, we get in the low 20s for city and around 25mpg on the highway.
Carsten
I get 2000 rpm at 70 mph . . . and at that speed (A/C on), I got 24 mpg (over 7 minutes with cruise control on).
We took a trip to Florida from Middle Tennessee in July (2 adults, 3 kids plus luggage) and got about 19 mpg round trip. Odometer was around 2100 miles at the start of that trip.
Immediately after we bought the Freebie, we added a Class 3 HiddenHitch to pull a trailer (~600lb) with two motorcycles (~600lb each) and some riding gear. Altogether the loaded trailer was just under 2000 lbs. Our first trip to the Smoky Mountains pulling that load with two adults, two children and a reasonable luggage load for a weekend trip resulted in abysmal performance and gas mileage. Our poor little Freebie was just not happy to be pulling that load as evidenced by *highway* mileage of 13-14 mpg range for the trip. Never mind the engine being at 2500-3500 RPMs constantly on the highway. :sick:
Two weeks ago, I went out and traded another vehicle (my beloved Eclipse GTS,
As expected, the Explorer pulls the loaded trailer easily, but that's why I bought the beast with gas prices over $2.25USD/gallon.
The vehicle we traded for the Freebie was a '03 Ford Explorer XLT with 3.0L V-6 Automatic. That's the same engine as the Freebie, isn't it? I know that the Explorer's 3-speed automatic is a very different animal than the Freebie's CVT. However, the Explorer got similar city and highway mileage (without the trailer) despite being much heavier. it also pulled heavy loads with very little loss in mileage.
I love Ford's products. We've had a '97 Expedition, a '03 Explorer and now a '00 Explorer and the '05 Freebie. The Freebie is the only vehicle that I've had these kinds of issues with.
Any ideas on whether I'm getting reasonable mileage on my '05 Freebie?
Also, in another thread, someone mentioned some adjustments to the CVT that provided a considerable improvement in mileage. What do I need to know to ask my dealer for that adjustment?
Thanks!
On a different subject: I have noticed that when I go ove rthe top of a hill at 50 mph, and start to "coast" down the other side, the speed is maintained. If the hill is steep enough, I may gain a little speed but if I do, the rpms also go higher. There doesn't seem to be the "free wheeling" of an "automatic" transmission like I expected. I am hoping this is just because it is new, and will "loosen" up at some point. I have learned how to "trick" the car into reducing the rpms as I go down hill, by just slightly pressing the gas pedal. Not enough to make it think I want to accelerate, but just enough to let it think i want to go faster, but since I am going down hill there is less resistance, and the rpms can go down, while my speed increases. Anyone else seeing anything like this?
Can carstenb call his dealership an ask them what they did?
http://www.fordforum.com/ford/make_FORD/year_2005/TSB.htm
Power train : automatic transmission : control module (tcm, pcm) TSB (12/13/2004)
In fact, it can easily be explained by driving habits. Some people are simply atrocious drivers. Combine this with a lot of short-distance trips in a heavily urbanized environment and they will get significantly below EPA figures no matter what they drive.
Naturally they will blame the vehicle. They always do.
The computer is not that much off the manual calculations and do not accelerate like with a Ferrari and I know how to drive with a CVT and I use good gas and I reset my computer etc.
The only thing I did not try is to take it to the dealer and ask to check the program in the CVT, which I will.
The 12 mpg from the last post is disturbing. I wonder if the belts on the CVT can be too tight. Or manufacturing variations in the engine which produces more friction. Tire inflation pressure can influence it about 10% or so. Other people have mentioned high gas consumption. If the gas mileage does not improve, consider activating the Lemon Laws. These laws force a car maker to swap out a new car if they can't fix the old one. So, if you're getting 12 mpg, then carefully drive, no jackrabbit starts, air the tires up to 38 psi all around, and manually check the gas mileage over 3 or 4 tank fulls and document the results (the math). Then take your case to Ford if you get less than 23 mpg at an average 65 mph speed on the highway. Drive carefully and don't goose the engine during the tests. Actually, you may ask Ford technicians to check fuel flow rate graphs (ask them to get these from the OBD-II computer) while driving your car, and then do the same run in another Freestyle and compare the results. If the two cars are not much different (5 percent max difference) then there is probably no problem. But you can still prove your case with your own actual gas mileage results, carefully done manually.
In your last post, you said "...last week it was at the dealer for a ding fix and during a (free) multipoint inspection which is mentioned no the service slip they obviously changed the CVT setup (still have to check for the details)." Did you ever confirm or not if the dealer gave you a new software load to re-program the CVT speed schedules, or something???
Results from a test:
I drove to Disneyland whit the cruise control on around 65-70 MPH. It's about a 45 m drive on a slight descent. I've got 26 MPG. On the same way back right before exiting the freeway the computer showed 24 MPG (combined). The less than 1 mile trip home on flat streets from freeway took it down to 22!
In my opinion this is because of the power/weight ratio. I think the engine really has to work hard to pull the car in slow variable speed and stop and go. Because of the CVT it does a great job on the freeway at constant speeds where there is not much need for power. That's why the displacement system was invented.
I think a bigger engine would yield better fuel economy in the city and if it has a displacement system it will be good on highway too.
I haven't used the cruise control yet due to lack of opportunity. While my daily commute includes 10 miles one-way on the freeway (doubled), traffic on California Highway 99 from the Taylor Road on-ramp in Turlock to the 9th Street off-ramp in Modesto and back has always been too heavy during rush hour to use the cruise control.
I'll have to wait for a trip to see my sons in Santa Cruz and/or Santa Rosa to use the cruise control.
About 99% of the 206.5 miles round-trip was freeway or highway, and 90%+ of that was using cruise-control. I filled the Freestyle up at the Exxon station and again upon returning. My wife drove it to San Jose and I drove on the return. It was 65 degrees F on leaving at 10:45 am and 70 degrees at 4pm upon the return. The Freestyle used 6.42 gallons round-trip. Traffic varied from light to heavy - mostly light.
206.5 miles divided by 6.42 gallons = 32.165 miles per gallon. This is an enormous difference from my Freestyle's @ 20 mpg in local and freeway commute driving, in which I've never used the cruise-control due to traffic.
FWIW, my 2002 Camry XLE (4-cylinder) has averaged 30.8 mpg over 76,000 miles, of which a significant amount was driving children to and from college in Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa, or on long vacations.
Unfortunately, the EPA lists the minimum and maximum MPG for this class of vehicle. The only way a lemon law suit would work is if 12 MPG is below the lowest range. I can't recall what it was right now, but the low city value was around 12 or 14.
I don't think that is an issue at all. If you're getting 12, then thats about half the mpg the FS should be getting. That's significant. There is a case if the mpg numbers done on a carefull, 3-tankful (at least) test are not good. The Lemon Law has independent arbitration involved, so you're not just at the mercy of Ford here.
The point is that the EPA warnings, clearly posted on the window sticker, state they are for comparison purposes only, and then they give a very broad range of MPG values for city/highway that are seen in all vehicles of this (mid-size SUV) class. They also specically state that - here it comes - "your mileage may vary".
So the Freestyle is not "supposed" to get any particular MPG. The EPA tests, which are very artifical, rendered the number on the window. But they are not a guarantee, and I think it would be pretty difficult to get a court or arbitrator to declare the car a lemon. Maybe Ford would do something in the persuit of good customer relations, but that is different from a lemon law case.
Oh, no big deal, it's just that I've seen these cases come up on the Hybrid message forums, and no one has gotten lemon law relief.
BTW, Consumer Reports got 12 MPG in town during their testing...
A couple of points:
1. The AWD is going to get worse MPG.
2. Are you driving conservatively? You can save a lot of gas by using basic techniques such as trying not to accelerate up to a red stoplight, but rather moderate the speed so as to arrive when it is green. There are a lot of other techniques, but I don't want to list them now, until I have had a chance to try them out in a Freestyle.
I just got my FS (SEL), so it is not broken in yet and I haven't been able to get know the CVT enough to figure out what works for MPG improvements.
As for other SUVs, the FS is 10" longer and 2" wider than a Ford Explorer, and has 4 star rollover ratings. Plus it is easy to get into and out of. I think it is better than an SUV.
It is interesting that Ford lists the Freestyle both as an SUV and as a car on it's website...
Just out of curiosity, would that be Galpin Ford in the San Fernando Valley? I just got my 2006 there this week. Huge selection.
Over 3 tankfuls, which increases accuracy, I have 25 mpg on a Freestyle SE front-wheel-drive model. That actually corresponds precisely with the EPA numbers, as it is listed at 27 highway and 20 city. My driving is about 75% highway driving (fits EPA definition of highway driving closely), so 25 mpg is about right! The remaining 25% is definitely city driving, and I like to floor it when taking off from stoplights or merging on to the freeway, getting 3000 - 4500 rpm when doing them.
To add your own, register at:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do
And to view the Freestyle data, you can use:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm
Our highway milage is consistently near or above the EPA numbers.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do?action=mpgData&vehicleID=21290&browser=tru- - - e
The 2006 is not listed yet, and not a lot of users yet.
Number of Vehicles: 2
Average User MPG: 25.4
Range: 24 - 27 MPG
Updated On: 02/13/2006
AWD:
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do?action=mpgData&vehicleID=21394&browser=tr- ue
Number of Vehicles: 2
Average User MPG: 19.1
Range: 18 - 21 MPG
Updated On: 02/13/2006
About 50 / 50 highway.