Gas Mileage in 2020+ Explorer

[Bburg Boy]

Anybody else experiencing poor gas mileage in the 2020 Explorer? I have the Limited 4WD version with 2.3 Ecoboost engine, 10 speed transmission (I guess they all have 10 speed tranny), and about 3,000 miles. Two 500-mile highway trips yielded 23-24 MPG, but most of my driving has been around town. Mileage is terrible; I average 14-16 MPG...in tank after tank. I get only head scratching from the dealer, which look at it and couldn't find any problems.

I kind of wish now that I'd purchased the V-6. At least I'd there would be an excuse for 1990s equivalent gas mileage. In the meantime, I am stumped. Ford says EPA/DOT mileage should be 20/27. I'm seeing 25% less than that.

 

[peterk9]

As posted in a reply to your other post, I got 18.5 mpg with the 3.0L in about 60/40 hwy city driving. I have less than 2k miles on it.

Peter

 

[KMB505]

I have an XLT and get mostly 19.7 mpg. No matter how many times I reset on the freeway, it always settles down there. My driving is rural and hilly. I would get better if I lived in the city where I work, or didn't have such a heavy foot.

Edit: 6.13.22. I've been able to maintain a 20.3 mpg since the new year without resetting. Lighter on the foot and running ECO mode helps.

 

[steweod]

Anybody else experiencing poor gas mileage in the 2020 Explorer? I have the Limited 4WD version with 2.3 Ecoboost engine, 10 speed transmission (I guess they all have 10 speed tranny), and about 3,000 miles. Two 500-mile highway trips yielded 23-24 MPG, but most of my driving has been around town. Mileage is terrible; I average 14-16 MPG...in tank after tank. I get only head scratching from the dealer, which look at it and couldn't find any problems.

I kind of wish now that I'd purchased the V-6. At least I'd there would be an excuse for 1990s equivalent gas mileage. In the meantime, I am stumped. Ford says EPA/DOT mileage should be 20/27. I'm seeing 25% less than that.

My experience with EB engines (and most Ford engines like my 5.0) is where you get gas matters. I see radical swings in MPG depending on gas station I use. BPs normally yield best for me.

For example my 5.0 F150 on a long road trip I went from ~20MPG to ~16MPG in one fill up going from a BP Station to a Pilot. Have seen the same issue in the last 3 3.5EBs we have owned (the new 3.0 only has had 1 fill up so far). Also, my experience you could still see another bumb after 5000miles and again after first oil change. I think it says something like that in the manual too, well I have seen it in a manual for at least one of the vehicles I have owned.

I found this. But, I couldn't find the one where it said the EPA uses something like 91 octane 0 ethanol fuel for testing.

Many Factors Affect MPG

 

[metroplex]

The problem with the 16-19 Explorers was the factory shift schedules were kind of messed up, causing the trans not to upshift into 6th until a much higher speed (and would frequently downshift on the freeway with cruise control). I cleaned up the shift scheduling and had it go into 6th gear as early as possible, and that helped immensely at least on the older ones. I bet there's room for improvement on the 10R60 shift schedule with the 2020s.

 

[2020ST]

Are you using auto-stop? That is how they get higher mpg listings. I don't use it and last tank I only got 13 mpg on my ST city driving. This tank I'm driving lightly in normal mode and still only getting 14.5 mpg. The one road trip I did I was getting 25 mpg.

 

[Bender953]

On my Limited with combination of freeway & in town driving and leaving the auto-stop on I have been averaging 21.5 mpg. That's running 87 octane and my lead foot.

 

[Bburg Boy]

Are you using auto-stop? That is how they get higher mpg listings. I don't use it and last tank I only got 13 mpg on my ST city driving. This tank I'm driving lightly in normal mode and still only getting 14.5 mpg. The one road trip I did I was getting 25 mpg.

Thank much to you and the others who have posted or responded to my inquiry. Sounds to me like you and I have had similar experiences. Yes, I am using auto-stop. Although, I must admit that its functionality is counterintuitive. One would think that all that stopping and started would decrease gas mileage, not increase it.

As for the other comments on this thread, I use both off brand and branded gas....mostly because my mechanic believes that off brand gas tends to have higher (than allowed) alcohol content, which screws up anti pollution devices. (I once paid about $800 to replace a fouled O2 sensor in my Audi.) I don't drive with a lead foot, but I do put a lot of around-town miles on the vehicle. I've not yet had an oil change. It remains to be see whether more miles will improve mileage.

 

[blwnsmoke]

Thank much to you and the others who have posted or responded to my inquiry. Sounds to me like you and I have had similar experiences. Yes, I am using auto-stop. Although, I must admit that its functionality is counterintuitive. One would think that all that stopping and started would decrease gas mileage, not increase it.

As for the other comments on this thread, I use both off brand and branded gas....mostly because my mechanic believes that off brand gas tends to have higher (than allowed) alcohol content, which screws up anti pollution devices. (I once paid about $800 to replace a fouled O2 sensor in my Audi.) I don't drive with a lead foot, but I do put a lot of around-town miles on the vehicle. I've not yet had an oil change. It remains to be see whether more miles will improve mileage.

Gas is gas.. the only difference is the additives added at the time the tanker is filled at the terminal. We all buy from the same stations at the terminal.

Example, in Boston, MA, there are 3 brands at the terminal. All mom and pops including all name brands buy from the same 3 brands. Their additives are added when filling to meet their claims.

 

[metroplex]

Brenner Transport provides the local gasoline here in SE MI for the Meijer (not Top Tier) gas stations, as well as Costco (Top Tier). I asked the Costco person about this, and he said that Costco has different additive tanks at each gas station. The base gas is the same as the stuff that goes to Meijer.

 

[imanony]

I'm also getting very poor mileage around 17-18. but i only had 2 tanks filled so far: first one was some cheap gas that my dealership filled my ST with and second one was 92 octane from costco. And so far my driving has been 80-20 highway-city.

 

[2020ST]

I've been using Exxon 93 octane synergy supreme+

 

[NCcarguy]

I had a limited loaner for about a month.....it mostly got driven around town in stop and go traffic. It was closer to 20mpg. I have an ST that Ford has agreed to buy back and one of the issues is that it's not running quite right. I originally thought it was a turbo, but they swear it's not....but bottom line, it's not running right and there's no code thrown, so they can't fix it.

 

[fast_dave]

@Billy Dunwoody - I've added you to this question/quasi-poll because I've read from your posts that you have a 2.3 XLT and you're in Southern Cal PRK which is a majority of city driving. The OP has a 2.3 as well - so it would be great to compare figures. I'm also interested to hear what kind of MPG you're getting especially since you are a former Gen5 owner (I don't remember if that had a 4 cyl or 6 cyl).

 

[rpmgolfs]

I have a 2020 Platinum that has only 3,000 miles on it. Currently getting 17 MPG for mostly in town driving. I try to get most of my gas at Casey's 91 octane with no alcohol.

 

[Campersam9]

Anybody else experiencing poor gas mileage in the 2020 Explorer? I have the Limited 4WD version with 2.3 Ecoboost engine, 10 speed transmission (I guess they all have 10 speed tranny), and about 3,000 miles. Two 500-mile highway trips yielded 23-24 MPG, but most of my driving has been around town. Mileage is terrible; I average 14-16 MPG...in tank after tank. I get only head scratching from the dealer, which look at it and couldn't find any problems.

I kind of wish now that I'd purchased the V-6. At least I'd there would be an excuse for 1990s equivalent gas mileage. In the meantime, I am stumped. Ford says EPA/DOT mileage should be 20/27. I'm seeing 25% less than that.

The mpg will be about the same from a 2.3 to a v6. The v6 costs more and has more HP.

 

[hbalek]

The mpg will be about the same from a 2.3 to a v6. The v6 costs more and has more HP.

My 3.0 ST on recent road trips got 24 MPG on a tankful of mostly highway at an average speed of 43 MPH and 19.5 MPG on a mixed driving tankful averaging 32 MPH. So now at almost 10,000 miles on the odometer I am pleased with my gas mileage. With bad traffic in my area, my typical driving average speed since purchasing the vehicle a year ago is only 25 MPH and only about 17 MPG.

 

[Vash610]

I averaged 15mpg city before my tune and then 13.6mpg city after my tune. Heavy foot. I have a ST though.

 

[Spacey]

I have been averaging 19.8 MPG in my ST, city driving with hills.

 

[asc325is]

Avg. 25-26 actual, about 70% highway speeds in my XLT. The on board calculator shows about 2 MPG higher than actual. I use 91 oct exclusively from Costco.