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Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Real World MPG

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Comments

  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,295
    one of the things i do is track my mileage in 6 month intervals. i live in new england. my explorer in odd number 6 months starting in august: 15.6/15.8/16.2/16.6 even numbered: 16.3/16.6/17.0
    i am not posting the numbers since my kid started driving the explorer. :cry:
    focus starting in may odd numbered: 28.8/30.1/31.9 even numbered: 27.6/29.3. fwiw. :confuse:
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • wiredpairwiredpair Member Posts: 25
    I have owned my car since 2/24 and just fueled it up this morning at 5692.8 miles per the computer. Overall, the computer is showing 28.5 MPG since new while my hand calcs show an overall average of 27.75 MPG - a difference of 0.75 MPG.

    Like I said, about 80% of my driving is highway and I have the SEL V6 model (no AWD). Also, I keep the cruise at 60 MPH at almost all times on the highway. I am happy with the MPG numbers.

    I plan on switching to full synthetic oil around the 10k mark (I've used the Motorcraft 5W20 Syn Blend that came from the factory and changed at 2,500 mile intervals thus far) and wonder if that will help the MPG.

    I'll update as I go along. I will be commuting less in the next few months so the miles won't be racking up as quick as they have been.
  • urnewsurnews Member Posts: 668
    Please don't fill up this board too. Everyone who drives a Fusion knows you are having gas milage problems.
    chevyk10,
    Yeah. But how come everybody else seems to be getting decent mileage with their Fusion when our 2007 SEL AWD V6 really sucks? 14.8 mpg at 3,000 miles is the pits. We are both conservative, gentle drivers. The terrain is flat. The climate is moderate. The tires are properly inflated. Do we have a mileage lemon or what?

    It's been two months now since my last rant. No improvement. Service manager at the dealership checked the car with a computer at 1,500 miles and said everything was according to specs, AOK.

    We should have bought an I4, I guess. The revised (downward) EPA estimate for this power train is 17 mpg. I would be delighted with that. The original EPA city rating was 19 mpg and most posters seem to be getting that, or better.

    We like and enjoy almost everything about this car EXCEPT for the rotten mileage.
  • mmcar2mmcar2 Member Posts: 6
    I am considering the Milan V6. I test drove it and liked it very much, also the reviews are mostly good. I am currently driving a 1993 Camry. It has been an excellent car but I have decided against the new 2007 Camry due to the reported transmission issues.

    My only concern with the Milan V6 is the city gas mileage. I drive approximately 70 city/30 highway. Most of the folks on this forum have reported mostly on highway driving. I would love to hear more from the owners, how is your mpg in the city after the break in period?
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    IMO, it is not very worthwhile to compare mpg from different drivers, driving under different condions. "City" MPG will vary a lot depending on how and where a car is driven.

    For most midsize cars CR will routinely gets 14-16 mpg in their city test. Meanwhile EPA will get 20-24, for the same cars in their city test. These large differences are just due to the way the car is driven in each test.

    The guy with Fusion mpg remorse, likely drives more like the CR city test rather than the EPA test. CR reported 14 mpg for "city" in a V6 Fusion. The I-4 got 15 mpg in that test.

    If you get less than the EPA figure now, expect to get about the same amount less with any new car. This will be more accurate than looking at what other drivers get in their Fusion/Milan.

    You can look up the EPA rating of your current car at fueleconomy.gov, if you do not know it.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    I have a 12 mile, 30 minute commute with some stop-n-go. I usually average around 24 mph. I typically get 20 mpg with a range of 18-22 depending on traffic. On a weekend with no traffic and favorable traffic lights I can get as high as 24. Throw in some highway driving and that would 2 or 3 mpg higher.
  • urnewsurnews Member Posts: 668
    I am currently driving a 1993 Camry. It has been an excellent car but I have decided against the new 2007 Camry due to the reported transmission issues.

    mmcar2,

    What transmission problems? I thought the Camrys were bulletproof. Is your '93 a V6 or an I4? What kind of mileage do get now?

    Based on our experience with a 2007 SEL AWD V6 Fusion (14.8 mpg city), I would not recommend the V6 if mileage is a big concern of yours. Obviously it is or your wouldn't have asked for forum input.

    Everyone's driving routes and habits are somewhat different, so for every "bad" mileage report there is at least one "good" mileage report, mostly.

    In retrospect, I wish we had purchased an SEL with an I4 and 5-speed manual. Most of the people who have that power train combination seem to be satisfied with their mpg figures, if four forums are any indication.

    It's not very realistic of me, I realize, but I believe modern cars in today's world should at least deliver the EPA estimate. Ain't gonna happen in my lifetime, I guess.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    I believe modern cars in today's world should at least deliver the EPA estimate">

    Drive like this and you probably will get the EPA city MPG :)

    <img src=http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/images/cityTest.gif"
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    Get the 4cyl automatic Milan in the premier package.. Good MPG and a very nice car.
  • mmcar2mmcar2 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks everyone for your input. I have not calculated the mpg on my V6 Camry but I will check. The EPA is 18/24 so if I do get the Milan, as long as I can get the same or better, then ok. I was a little concerned based on a couple of the posts here, plus with the rising gas prices, but hopefully that is not the norm.

    Re: I am currently driving a 1993 Camry. It has been an excellent car but I have decided against the new 2007 Camry due to the reported transmission issues

    The Camry was redesigned in 2007 and I have read alot about issues here and on other sites. It is probably not the majority but based on what I have read I don't want to take the chance. Some are saying wait until 2008.

    If you are interested, this will give you some idea, or just check the Camry 2007 discussions and reviews:

    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f10b8bd
  • wiredpairwiredpair Member Posts: 25
    Ok, I crossed the 10,000 mile mark yesterday (4 months and 1 day after purchase) and filled up at 10,076.7 miles. The computer shows 29.2 MPG and my Excel calculations show 28.2 - so the computer may be a little optimistic or I am bad at math.

    I have an SEL V6 Fusion (no AWD) and keep the cruise at 60 MPH on the highway when possible. My driving is approximately 80%-85% highway and 15%-20% City.

    I am happy with the fuel economy thus far.

    Eric
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    There is room for variation in the manual method. Most folks find the computer accurate within 0.5 mpg so that's not too far off.
  • slowride022slowride022 Member Posts: 9
    I have an 07 fusion with V6 auto. I have owned it for 6 months and have 10000 miles on it. I make a 1600 mile round trip from Kansas City to Cleveland every other month. I watch the trip puter very closely and manually check my MPG every trip. I have found that my fusion gets any where from 25 to 30 MPG on interstate driving, depending on my speed. To get 30 MPG i have to put the cruise on 60 mph and leave it there. If i drive 85 mph the mileage drops to about 25 MPG. i generally drive about 75 mph and get about 27 MPG. I get around 450 miles out of a tank of gas on these trips. I have also found driving in the suburbs in stop and go traffic gets me around 15 to 18 MPG. I would also like to add that the my fusion handles and rides very well and is very comfortable on long trips. I have not had one problem with this car and am very pleased with it. The only negative thing i can say is if you are over 6'2", do not get the moonroof for head room is very limited.
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    I now have about 17,500 miles on my 06 SEL V6 Fusion. Average MPG per the computer is now 24.7. My commute is about 60% freeway.
  • wiredpairwiredpair Member Posts: 25
    My last fill-up was at 17,721.8 miles and I was able to squeeze out 30.04 MPG on my commute (150 R/T per day nearly 85% highway driving) at 60 MPH with cruise on. This would include no jackrabbit stops and driving like I have an egg under the gas pedal.

    Overall, the computer shows 29.1 overall (never having been reset) and my manual calculations are 28.4 at the moment. The computer was as high as 29.5 when summer traffic was lighter.

    Eric
  • justme13justme13 Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2007 Fusion s I-4 engine (manual) it has 6k in miles. Average 60% city 40% highway. Average is 22 mpg. engine has a slight knock when first started then goes away after engine warms up. Dealer says every thing is fine; give it untill 8k or 9k for the computer to adjust. Any one else out there have similar experience? :confuse:
  • urnewsurnews Member Posts: 668
    engine has a slight knock when first started then goes away after engine warms up. Dealer says every thing is fine; give it untill 8k or 9k for the computer to adjust.

    An engine knock doesn't sound normal to me. I think I would get a second opinion from another dealer.
  • cjones6cjones6 Member Posts: 7
    had 2006 fusion 2.3, 5-speed, got about 24mpg city, and once on the way to canada i got around 40mpg, but that was the only time i got anywhere near that. i noticed on the highway doing about 70mph im doing about 3k rpm, a 6 gear or a bigger 5th gear would be nice

    + the computer show you average, not current mpg.

    - had some engine knock when i would lug the engine, but that was it, i guess it is normal on the fusion, could just be spark knock or the VVT working
  • bali_i4_manualbali_i4_manual Member Posts: 3
    2008 I4 5 Speed Manual, 600 miles total. Drove from Austin to Dallas and back and got 30 mpg. This was mostly highway with about 10% in town.
  • urnewsurnews Member Posts: 668
    A cause for celebration.
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    First do you know what knock is? not being sarcastic here.

    most people define knock as premature ignition of the air fuel mixture in the cylinder. ON TODAYS CARS, KNOCK IS NOT NORMAL if that is in fact what you have. Knockis caused by: cheapo gas, not haveing enough octane in the gas, ie 86 octane is not regular, or in a car with lots of miles on it, there is carbon build up in the cylinder that retains heat from combustion and causes premature ignition.

    A bad O2 sensor could cause knock also as it causes the engine to burn too rich.

    If you do have knock then you probably also have a bad sensor some where. ANY KNOCKing would trip the "check engine light". A bad sensor would trip the check engine light.

    I'm inclined to think that you don't have knock and that you should get your dealer to test drive it because if you are telling him you have knock but your check engine light isn't on then I could see why you are being told some BS story about the computer breaking in.

    Cars that do knock really only tend to do so when under load such as passing or getting on the freeway etc. If you have knock at idle, you have BIG problems and your check engine light absolutely would be on.
  • cjones6cjones6 Member Posts: 7
    well its not knock when idles, its under load

    example: manual fusion on hill, you lug it a bit and it knocks
  • justme13justme13 Member Posts: 4
    It knocks when cold. After warm up it goes away. I use only BP, 87 octane. can't use anything higher as per the owners manual. The biggest reason for my concern is that my freind has an I-4 engine in his mazda( yes he beats his car) and it started with a knock before it blew. Temperature is not a factor because it was doing it during the summer. Also as for my gas milage I went the long way to go to a meeting (all Turnpike) and I got about 32 mpg. I guess in the city driving it literally sucks gas.
  • justme13justme13 Member Posts: 4
    I posted a message a little while ago about my 2007 ford fusion's horrible gas mileage. lately I have been getting over come with the fumes and the gas milage has gotten worse not better as the dealership suggests it will. It now currently has 7,000 miles it has the I-4 engine and a manual trans. This is the first year that the ford did not put on a fuel filter in this model. I'm wondering if there is any one else that has this experience. Also i pulled it in where i work, put it on the lift and we found no leaks, but we still smell the fumes and the fuel pump runs constantly at idle. Am I alone in this? :sick:
  • fomoconafomocona Member Posts: 19
    I monitor webpages on behalf of Ford and I just recently saw your posting. If you smell fuel, I'd recommend that you take your vehicle to your dealership. The 2007 Fusion has a lifetime fuel filter that is integrated with the fuel tank. There is no maintenance required. Also the pump is designed to run continuously but there shouldn't be any fuel smell. If you have more questions, please contact your dealership or visit CustomersAskFord.com. Thanks again for buying your Fusion.
  • justme13justme13 Member Posts: 4
    When I pulled the car in to the garage we checked every thing. We expected the sending unit to be leaking. All was dry and the fumes were gone. I did take it back to the dealer and they could not find anything either. All we can figure out is that some gas may have gotten into the emissions canister. I've stopped filling up all the way. as for the gas milage I stopped using the floor/defrost ( which also turns on the a/c ). Now the gas milage has improved and there hasn't been any fumes.
  • g_alleng_allen Member Posts: 15
    I am considering the purchase of an I4 Milan with automatic. I drive 85-90% highway and drive about 67-72 mph. My commute is 144 miles round-trip. Right now, I get about 27+mpg with my '02 Maxima 6-speed manual. What could I expect with the Milan?
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    According to EPA, you should get about +2 mpg with the Milan.

    http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/sbs.htm
  • g_alleng_allen Member Posts: 15
    I was hoping I could get some "real world" numbers since that is the purpose of this thread. I have seen some members reporting numbers around 32-34mpg and I just wanted to see if they are just exceptions or if those numbers are consistently attainable.

    Thanks anyway though, :)

    Gary
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    I did not even notice the forum title :) . But I do think you will get a more accurate estimate by comparing what you get now to what EPA test shows and then assuming a similar relationship for the Milan.

    I don't have a Milan but do drive a Mazda6 automatic, with the same 4 cyl and I have gotten 32-34 mpg in pure freeway driving at 70-75 mph.
  • g_alleng_allen Member Posts: 15
    This is precisely the data I am seeking. I know EPA estimates are just that...estimates. I like getting real-world feedback from owners like you because again, I am looking at 85-90% freeway driving and I would like to find a midsize car that will get me around 5-8 mpg better than my Nissan Maxima 6-speed. My Maxima gets good mileage considering it makes a cool 255 HP and with a 6-speed, will outperform pretty much any other mid-size car in its class. But at this point, I am looking for MPG above all else, including performance since that is usually the trade-off. However, I am not looking for a death-trap either. You know, life is a compromise. There are cars that get better MPG than the 4cyl. Fusion/Milan/Mazda6, but they are often smaller in size and lack content. There are cars that are certainly faster (my Maxima) but that comes at a price---MPG. I think overall, Fusion/Milan/Mazda6 is the best compromise, especially in 4 cyl. guise. I just need to collect info. on real world MPG.

    Thanks for your contribution, I encourage others to chime in with their thoughts as well. ;)

    --Gary
  • wiredpairwiredpair Member Posts: 25
    Yet another update. I crossed the 25,000 mile mark today and the computer shows 28.2 MPG and my hand calculations are slightly above 28.0 MPG so we're splitting hairs. Bear in mind, I drive about 80%-85% highway with a FWD V6. This MPG has been achieved driving at 60 MPH with cruise control and mostly avoiding hard accelerations. The car does get warmed up until the tachometer drops to normal idle speed, which may take a few minutes in winter.

    There is a noticeable difference with the winter blend fuel here in the Northeast, deducting about 1.5 MPG.

    I did hit the magical 30 MPG mark on two tanks during the summer when traffic was lighter but am struggling to get to 28 MPG now. I am hoping to see a rebound to a high average of 29.5 per the computer six months from now.

    Until next time,
    Eric
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    Driving about 85% CITY and not babying the car getting 25mpg combined.
  • fredvpfredvp Member Posts: 5
    I have had a 2008 SE with the AWD and 6 cyl since last year. I do
    about 40 miles a day. About 25 % city.driving. Average so far is
    22 mpg combined with about 4000 miles on it.
    The AWD system is great. Like my 4wd truck in the snow!
    I was thinking of getting a Subaru before I got this, but then I found
    the 6cyl in it took Premium gas! No way.
    Fred
  • sikes30sikes30 Member Posts: 1
    Hey Gary,
    I know you want the real world milage on a V6 Fusion, but ill give you mine in the 4 banger version. i just bought an 08 fusion/160 hp 4 banger. it now has alittle over 1000 miles on it. i took it from Central Mississippi to Southeast Tennessee. a total of about 416 miles. 90% was interstate. i crused at 78 mph,,,,and i got 35+ miles to the gallon. i was used to filling my 99 tahoe up several times in a trip. with 26 gallons each time. we left Ms with about 3/4's tank. drove to warrior Al and filled up on about 12 gallons. we didnt need to but it was getting late and i hate to run at night on less than a full tank. drove 3 days in the town we went to and then filled up before we left. we drove 420 miles to my drive way and had alittle less than a quarter of a tank left. the little info bar in the dash said i had 65 miles left to E. so you can do the math. i figured close to 35 miles to the gallon maybe a tad more. i am just thrilled i dont have to pull in to a station on this trip i make once a month. not only that,,, i love the car,,,,i swore i'd never buy a ford,,i have been a GM or Toyota person all my life. the car rides, handles, drives like a dream. looking for some bolt on performance for it next. cold air induction, exhaust, and a strut tower bar. and if i can find a chip,,,maybe that.
    i hope this helps alittle
    glenn
  • g_alleng_allen Member Posts: 15
    Yeah, actually I am seeking info. mostly on the 4 cylinder. A lot of the review sites say there is not much difference in hwy mileage between the I4 and V6. They are of course, basing their opinion on the EPA ratings which we all know are not necessarily accurate. Most naturally aspirated 4cyl. engines outperform 6cyl. engines which is why manufacturers make them in the first place. I'm not sure that I whole-heartedly trust on-board car computers either, but I don't doubt the 4cyl. Fusion/Milan outperforms a 6cyl. Fusion/Milan by a nice margin when it comes to mileage. I have just been trying to obtain real-world hard numbers to see exactly what the margin is. At this point, I have learned that the V6 pulls about 26-27.5 hwy vs. the I4 at 30+ hwy with several owners reporting 32 MPG. Any other 4cyl. owners want to chime in?

    -Gary
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,295
    we have an '04 escape with a 3.0 duratec and also a focus with a 2.3, manual trans (at least until tomorrow), so not exactly the comparison you are looking for.
    my experience is that they can be thirsty in city driving, but have no problem exceeding the epa highway mileage on a trip.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • g_alleng_allen Member Posts: 15
    I assume you are referring to the V6 as being thirsty in the city as it is my understanding that the 4cyl. is quite frugal in city driving environments. I think most owners are reporting 21+ MPG/cty for the four.
  • fritzyfritzy Member Posts: 12
    My odometer just turned 30K. I average 27.5MPG mixed mountain/city/highway driving with studded snow tires. I noticed that my front snow tires were wearing unevenly on the edges (all the curvy mountain roads) so I recently increased the tire pressure from 33psi to 36psi. My last tank averaged 29.7MPG buy my grip on packed snow and ice is not as good. I average around 29.5MPG with all season tires last summer inflated at 33PSI. I may increase the PSI to 35 when I switch over to all season tires the last week of May. Most of my driving is done at high altitude: 7,000ft upto the altitude of my house, elev. 9150ft. The fusion gets around great in the snow and Ice with studded snow tires. Drives through 12" snow without any problems.
  • g_alleng_allen Member Posts: 15
    As far as I can tell, particularly with the Milan, it can be essentially a 4cyl. Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ (although FoMoCo. will have you believe otherwise) save for a few goodies and pull around 30 MPG or so on the highway. I must say, that is pretty appealing these days with $3+ per gallon gas.

    -Gary
  • dumbledoredumbledore Member Posts: 3
    I have the I4 with 7600 miles on it and average 28.9 mpg. 60% highway 40% city
  • focus090focus090 Member Posts: 85
    all city driving i get 17.7 mpg. i have the se v6. currently have about 2700 miles on it tho. :D
  • malagenmalagen Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone here tried using the K&N Air Filter for the Fusion/Milan? I have had good success with them in the past my last car got a 5mpg increase after installing one, it was used however. Just curious to see if anyone else got their money's worth, or not.
  • elkeinelkein Member Posts: 19
    Brand new owner here...
    Car SEL /w AWD
    city only so far.
    19.8 mpg on the display.
    This car was purchased used with 3512 miles on it.
  • urnewsurnews Member Posts: 668
    Brand new owner here...
    Car SEL /w AWD
    city only so far.
    19.8 mpg on the display.
    This car was purchased used with 3512 miles on it.

    Boy are you ever lucky. We purchased a new 2007 SEL AWD in December 2006 and our all-city gas mileage is still only 14.8, constantly. We now have 7,300 miles on the car.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    The difference is probably because elkeins average trip is longer and/or his "city" is less "cityish" than yours.
  • urnewsurnews Member Posts: 668
    The difference is probably because elkeins average trip is longer and/or his "city" is less "cityish" than yours.

    There is a lot of stop 'n' go, short trips, in our city driving. Salisbury, Md., is only 50 feet above sea level and the terrain is as flat and level as a pool table. It's a moderate climate and my wife and I are conservative drivers. Our SEL AWD has always gotten poor gas mileage, from the git-go. It was 13 mpg for the first 3,000 miles or so, so the 14.8 mpg is an improvement.

    Hindsight is always 20-20. We love the Fusion but probably should have purchased a four-cylinder, manual transmission FWD model. However, even our four-cylinder 2.0 Zetec Focus station wagon only averages about 20 mpg in our city driving.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    This is like Deja-Vu all over again.......

    (hi Boz!)
  • urnewsurnews Member Posts: 668
    This is like Deja-Vu all over again.......

    (hi Boz!)

    Hi Allen. Nothing has changed in the last 2,000 miles or so. That's for sure. Still love the car but hate the poor mileage, especially since gasoline will be at $4 per gallon very soon.
  • goodgradesnowgoodgradesnow Member Posts: 6
    My Ford Fusion SL V6 model gets about 21 mpg
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