Is it just me or does Ford kind of rule in as far as domestic

[fosterzcj]

I use 91 as I'm high altitude and we only have 85, 89, or 91. I was always told premium for anything boosted.

 

[sidecarnutz]

Letting the tank run down to 25 miles of range can harm the fuel pump in the tank itself. It'll be sucking air, cavitating and wearing itself out. Remember that the gas in the tank cools and lubricates the fuel pump! It's a poor engineering practice to let your tank run low on purpose.

In my own case as an old mechanical tech, I'd let it get down to under 1/4 tank, then fill up with super premium. Give it a few miles to mix and to clear the regular from the gas line. Then put it in sport mode and go try that swervie uphill entrance ramp near my home.
Murphy's Law says I'll be stuck behind a loaded semi on the ramp, but that is life. ;-)

 

[BrooklynBay]

Since it could work with a low grade like 87 or 89, and you can't drive more than 25 MPH on most streets unless you're on the highway, then I don't see the point of using 93 unless you plan on taking a trip with all highway driving. Even then, the engine puts out a lot of power even with a low grade so it might not be a noticeable difference between any of these grades. The fuel still contains detergents, and winter mix fuel doesn't give the same mileage or power as summer mix fuel.

 

[CDW6212R]

Congrats on your new 2025 Explorer, and I hope it makes you smile forever.

If you want to try premium fuel, don't expect any noticeable gain until you refill it the 2nd time, or the 3rd. Run it until it's near empty on the gauge, then change to premium.

 

[CDW6212R]

BTW, if you like the new vehicle performance these days, check out this video on the Corral forum. A member bought a new 2023 F150 and slowly upgraded the acceleration, nothing internal to the engine. His latest new best is a 11.70 @119mph. That's a basic new 5.0 automatic 4WD, just hit the gas and count the gear changes.

This thread began in November 2023, the last video is in post #78;

My delivery truck (smirk)

Abominable My daily driven race truck! Best time: 11.68 @ 118 5.0/10 speed, 4x4, 3.31 gears Engine: Preaux Tune (93/E85) via SCT X4 Whipple air box & 5” CF tubing GT350 intake Mighty Mouse catch can exhaust: 1. No cats 2. Vibrant Ultra Quiet resonator 3. Magnaflow 12249 muffler 4...

www.corral.net

Also to go straight to youtube if it's easier;

 

[peterk9]

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. I have owned the 5th gen Explorer and the latest Aviators and while they have been great vehicles, I wouldn't go as far as saying they are the best vehicles on the road.

Best SUVs of 2025 and 2026 - Expert Reviews and Rankings | Edmunds

Edmunds expert reviewers rank the best SUVS of 2025 and 2026 on a 10-point scale that includes performance, comfort, interior, technology, and value.

www.edmunds.com

https://www.caranddriver.com/rankings/best-suvs

Peter

 

[Rick]

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. I have owned the 5th gen Explorer and the latest Aviators and while they have been great vehicles, I wouldn't go as far as saying they are the best vehicles on the road.

Best SUVs of 2025 and 2026 - Expert Reviews and Rankings | Edmunds

Edmunds expert reviewers rank the best SUVS of 2025 and 2026 on a 10-point scale that includes performance, comfort, interior, technology, and value.

www.edmunds.com

https://www.caranddriver.com/rankings/best-suvs

Peter

When those media outlets stop accepting advertisements from vehicle manufacturers I might trust their reviews.

 

[410Fortune]

My blood
Bleeds
Blue

I inherited a $500
Bronco ii because I needed a car. Two weeks later after driving it around and going in the dirt I was hooked.
Before that I was into water cooled vw’s

Bronco changed my
Life…
Will never own another car

 

[2020FordRaptor]

Any ideas for cool accessories? Who do you prefer or like or recommend for aftermarket parts for the explorer ??

Check out my modding guide for the ST trim, most parts except the powertrain stuff will directly transfer over to the regular Explorer's:

Explorer ST Modding 101 Guide

Hello everyone: As much as I know @UNBROKEN loves answering questions about "is an intake worth it" or "what exhaust system gives me the best gains" I have pulled quite a bit of information regarding aftermarket parts for the 2020-2024 Explorer ST. I hope this helps everyone and this would be...

www.explorerst.org

Yes I was thinking of just a bolt on kit
Nothing too invasive
I’m open to recommendations

What is the best boost/tuning company for the explorer?

You can't tune the 2025s yet, they haven't cracked the ECU yet.

Also again - what octane do you recommend for a 2.3L i4????

When does break in end so I can start to push it and play in sport mode when I’m alone?

And recommend any aftermarket turbo kits you found to be great and simple to install please

No aftermarket turbo kits are available for the 2.3L Explorer. I am superstitious and I didn't stomp on my ST until after 1,000 miles and after an oil change. Fact is, break-in periods are purely imaginative, and doesn't matter on these vehicles after 100 miles (once the engine has sealed correctly).

Livernois is who I’m gonna. I’m from

2025 codes will probably take until summer to crack huh

It is going to be a long time until the ECU is cracked. It has been talked a lot on the ST side of things. HPTuners and Cobb, the two main tuner devices for our vehicles, aren't prioritizing cracking the Explorer's, they are prioritizing the S650 Mustang and F150s. It is going to be a long time.

I wonder if I did let it go to like a gallon left (25 mile left to empty light) and filled it with premium if the timing and stuff would change just with that one tank of 93 and put in some fuel cleaner first. Ooooo that’ll be fast

Has anyone done that.?

Bad idea. That will be useless, and horrible for the fuel pump. The fuel pump could overheat, and it'll also be picking up all the crud on the bottom of the tank. You can mix as many pump gas octanes as you want, these cars are smart enough with all their knock sensors and widebands to adjust to that. You don't, and shouldn't, run that car that low to get the regular octane out of the system. You aren't going to notice a difference between premium and regular on the butt dyno.

 

[2020FordRaptor]

When those media outlets stop accepting advertisements from vehicle manufacturers I might trust their reviews.

This. Exactly how I feel.

 

[yellow eyez]

Years ago (I think that it was back in 1989 or 1990), I saw something in an auto parts store called octane booster. I was a new driver, and thought that these additives worked. I tried it, and put it into the gas tank. The car was a Mercury Sable with a 3.0L. This additive reduced the pick up, and it felt like it was working on 2 out of 6 cylinders with hardly any power. I mentioned this to somebody, and they told me to put in dry gas. It helped a little until I eventually filled up with fresh gas. The car drove okay with new gas. The strange thing is that it started to blow out a lot of smoke from the tailpipe on the highway, and it went through a whole tank of gas very quickly. I think that this additional octane threw off the mixture of the fuel. Sometimes too much of a good thing is no good.

Hey my homie
I forgot what neighborhood and what mpg do you get?
I’m in NORTHERN (west) most part of Bronx so it’s all hills and lights and red light cameras every two blocks
I’m getting 17mpg without using cruise control
With cruise control it looks like it’s much better
I honestly haven’t hit the highway much since getting the car; maybe like 6 times
All local mostly.

I wanna open this thing up somewhere a camera won’t flash

 

[yellow eyez]

Check out my modding guide for the ST trim, most parts except the powertrain stuff will directly transfer over to the regular Explorer's:

Explorer ST Modding 101 Guide

Hello everyone: As much as I know @UNBROKEN loves answering questions about "is an intake worth it" or "what exhaust system gives me the best gains" I have pulled quite a bit of information regarding aftermarket parts for the 2020-2024 Explorer ST. I hope this helps everyone and this would be...

www.explorerst.org

You can't tune the 2025s yet, they haven't cracked the ECU yet.

No aftermarket turbo kits are available for the 2.3L Explorer. I am superstitious and I didn't stomp on my ST until after 1,000 miles and after an oil change. Fact is, break-in periods are purely imaginative, and doesn't matter on these vehicles after 100 miles (once the engine has sealed correctly).

It is going to be a long time until the ECU is cracked. It has been talked a lot on the ST side of things. HPTuners and Cobb, the two main tuner devices for our vehicles, aren't prioritizing cracking the Explorer's, they are prioritizing the S650 Mustang and F150s. It is going to be a long time.

Bad idea. That will be useless, and horrible for the fuel pump. The fuel pump could overheat, and it'll also be picking up all the crud on the bottom of the tank. You can mix as many pump gas octanes as you want, these cars are smart enough with all their knock sensors and widebands to adjust to that. You don't, and shouldn't, run that car that low to get the regular octane out of the system. You aren't going to notice a difference between premium and regular on the butt dyno.

Great post and reply send thanks for replying to all my questions.


One more - WHEN do you fill the tank up then? 50miles light or sooner ?

Letting the tank run down to 25 miles of range can harm the fuel pump in the tank itself. It'll be sucking air, cavitating and wearing itself out. Remember that the gas in the tank cools and lubricates the fuel pump! It's a poor engineering practice to let your tank run low on purpose.

In my own case as an old mechanical tech, I'd let it get down to under 1/4 tank, then fill up with super premium. Give it a few miles to mix and to clear the regular from the gas line. Then put it in sport mode and go try that swervie uphill entrance ramp near my home.
Murphy's Law says I'll be stuck behind a loaded semi on the ramp, but that is life. ;-)

super premium huh?
You know what , I think it’s like 3.29 - why not?!
Oooo I can’t wait

 

[Dale5403]

I tend to fill up before I get to a 1/4 tank. Never has the low fuel light come on.
One reason the fuel pump is cooled by the gas and if run low often it can cause the fuel pump to fail early.
Second reason is a number of people have had a no start after running the fuel real low,

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Ditto. 1/4 or sooner. Preserves the fuel pump. And if you park on a hill nose down you can get a no start (happened to me once haha jacked up the front enough to get it urnning and coast down)

 

[CDW6212R]

Spreading wrong information, crazy; but knowledge, priceless. I have owned about 21 running vehicles in my life, all but six with EFI. Stop worrying about when you fill your tank, the fuel level is insignificant to the pump's lifespan.

I have always run the fuel tank to whatever level I felt like, usually within 2-3 gallons of empty. I have had to replace about six fuel pumps in total, not counting the one in my first 72 Gran Torino. I have never had to replace a pump twice in any vehicle*, and my vehicles usually have 100-175k miles on them when I buy them. Driving likely about 700k miles among all of them, that's good life from used fuel pumps.

You would have to run an EFI fuel pump with virtually no fuel, dozens and dozens of times in very hot weather, to reduce their lifespan noticeably.

My * caveat is that my current Explorer had a bad inertia pump switch connector that made me change the fuel pump a month after I bought the truck. I didn't check the power at the inertia switch(both wires), which was on my route at work. So I assumed it was the pump because I couldn't make it create noise. I had it towed home and borrowed a truck to finish my route, and I changed the pump when I got home, so I could work the next day. I discovered the connector issue after doing the pump. I'm not perfect, but I try to learn a lot.

 

[yellow eyez]

This. Exactly how I feel.

Also those Edmund’s and car and driver and motor trend have explorer at 20/20 on the list or not even on the list

They’re nuts - I still say best suv is explorer. (And bronco for super offf road)



And as far as fuel goes; I’m going to throw in that premium to see what happens .

I have 679 miles on my brand new

2025 2.3L i-4 TURBO 300hp/310tq

I can’t wait to open her up

HAHAHHAHA

 

[yellow eyez]

Damn - gotta be honest my ford brethren

Why 17mpg

Where my Brooklyn homie at?!

What you get again in what hood?

 

[BrooklynBay]

I'm in Midwood near Nostrand. My van doesn't get good mileage but I'm glad that it goes. In the winter with winter gas I would estimate around 70 cents per mile.

 

[yellow eyez]

Hey, that’s the price to pay in Riverdale
::shrugs:: oh well , life costs

 

[sidecarnutz]

I'm surprised your old van is still on the road what with all the salt on the roads up there! You must have cared for it well! I grew up in SW PA. where cars could wind up in junkyards due to rust after just 7-8 years.