2.7 mpg/performance
10-21-2015, 07:44 AM
#711
On Sunday, 18-Oct-15, I came back from Michigan with the cruise set between 66 & 70 mph. all the way except where appropriate speed adjustments were required. I gassed up on Monday. My computer said I used 18.0 gallons for 24.7 MPG. The pump read 19.25 gallons for 23.17 mpg. Ran with A/C ON, in Recirc air and windows up. Different between computer and realty is 6,5%
Driving a XLT SCAB 4x4 with 3:55 gear (still have the front air dam in place), no cover on the bed. I am a happy 2.7 Liter owner.
Been tracking mileage with Pencil & Paper for last 4000 miles, averaging 21.7 mpg over that distance. Just changed oil over to Amsoil. Want to see if my mileage improves as it did on previous vehicles.
Driving a XLT SCAB 4x4 with 3:55 gear (still have the front air dam in place), no cover on the bed. I am a happy 2.7 Liter owner.
Been tracking mileage with Pencil & Paper for last 4000 miles, averaging 21.7 mpg over that distance. Just changed oil over to Amsoil. Want to see if my mileage improves as it did on previous vehicles.
You have a much longer track than me. Are you reporting to fuelly or another site? Are you seeing pretty consistent results in the gallons consumed error of the vehicle's computer? Sorry to ask if you reported somewhere else on the site. It's a big forum with lots of posts and hard to know what folks have stated elsewhere.
I'm running reg cab, SB 122" wb, 2wd, 3.31 axle ratio. I'm noticing huge differences in my average as my length of trips, terrain, weather and all of those factors change. Not used to all this mpg sensitivity as when I was driving a diesel car doing the same kind of driving and routes (yet not so careful on the accelerator when I drove the diesel with only 100 hp). In this truck, it seems it can hit you in the wallet if your foot gets even a little bit heavy; even if the tranny doesn't downshift.
I bought this truck with this engine, cab and axle combination, specifically for the almost-diesel-like low-end torque, the price, and hopefully for decent fuel economy even though reports have mostly been negative on that latter point. As a diesel fanatic since becoming an owner/driver of one, I couldn't give up my car for a pickup that couldn't get torque without high RPM, yet couldn't shell out $35K plus for a diesel-driven pickup that had more cab than what I wanted at too high a price.
The standard, naturally-aspired V6s of any brand with no low-end grunt would have driven me crazy going from a diesel car that peaked @ 1800-2400 RPM, and mpg in the teens would have driven me crazy with the gutsier V8s. I figured I could get the small EB, drive it around easily using the torque to trudge along. Hopefully put it in cruise on the highway and watch it push up hills in 6th gear and maintain speed and do a little better than the teens as has been reported by many reviewing editors. So far I'm ecstatic about the performance and as about as expected on the mpg front. It'll sometimes downshift to 5th on a 5% grade or so, but that still keeps it under 2000 RPM below 65 mph and that's pretty cool from a small gasser.
Before adding the American Tonneau cheap cover, I worried a little about how that might affect mpg as those reports are conflicting as to whether it hurts or helps drag and wanted to add nothing to the truck to increase drag. I inquired from some others and decided that in this regular cab, the wife and I really needed it to haul around groceries and other items to make the truck more usable daily. The 2015 reg. cab is about 4" shorter and that's good for driving around town and parking in my carport but virtually no room behind the seats for any substantial items. I've been watching the average mpg and comparing numbers and from what I can tell, this light-weight cover neither hurts nor helps mpg, and so as far as I'm concerned, I'm relieved. The tonneau was an el cheapo at only $249 and free shipping, but it's very light, easily removable, fits good, and user friendly. Some reports of this tonneau for the 5.5' bed not fitting just right, but for the 6'7" it does fit perfectly. Just hope it turns out to be durable.
Wife wants step bars or running boards or hoops to make it easier for her to get in it. Ground to seat height is a little higher than what we expected from a 2wd. But I'm holding out on the steps; not wanting to increase drag nor do I like the looks of them on a 2wd reg cab; teaching her easier ways to grab and pull and get herself in easily. I think I'm winning out so far, but she still would prefer them.
Last edited by gregsfc; 10-21-2015 at 08:18 AM.
10-22-2015, 08:34 AM
#712
LOL. Vehicle trip computers are notoriously optimistic. Every brand I've ever had is this way. Usually the computer is 1.5 to 2.5 mpg optimistic when compared to the actual miles driven divided by gallons to refill.
I think it's hilarious that so many people are just figuring this out. DOH!
I think it's hilarious that so many people are just figuring this out. DOH!
The following users liked this post:
Forrest48 (10-22-2015)
11-02-2015, 06:26 AM
#713
Someone else can probably say for sure if the following is true regarding a way to keep from having to turn off the auto start/stop each time one operates the vehicle if he or she wants to never use it: It seems like that if the defrost and climate control are left on, even in the lowest fan position, that the engine won't shut off at stops. Looking at the manual and the list of things that will keep the auto shutoff/restart from activating, it lists defrost in the on position. Since the climate control will remain in the position it was left in when the engine is shutoff, it won't reset like the auto shutoff button does.
I was out driving one day and the engine never shut off; couldn't figure out why; thought something was wrong with the truck. After parking, I looked at the manual and wondered if their was some setting I had the truck in that could have overridden the shutoff system unknowingly. Right on the enumerated list in the manual, it states that if the defrost is on, the auto shutoff/restart will not activate. When I got back in the truck, I tried it out with and w/o the defrost on, and it seemed to work. This may be easier to manage that hitting the override button every time if it's true that it can be overridden this way.
I was out driving one day and the engine never shut off; couldn't figure out why; thought something was wrong with the truck. After parking, I looked at the manual and wondered if their was some setting I had the truck in that could have overridden the shutoff system unknowingly. Right on the enumerated list in the manual, it states that if the defrost is on, the auto shutoff/restart will not activate. When I got back in the truck, I tried it out with and w/o the defrost on, and it seemed to work. This may be easier to manage that hitting the override button every time if it's true that it can be overridden this way.
11-02-2015, 09:28 PM
#714
Someone else can probably say for sure if the following is true regarding a way to keep from having to turn off the auto start/stop each time one operates the vehicle if he or she wants to never use it: It seems like that if the defrost and climate control are left on, even in the lowest fan position, that the engine won't shut off at stops. Looking at the manual and the list of things that will keep the auto shutoff/restart from activating, it lists defrost in the on position. Since the climate control will remain in the position it was left in when the engine is shutoff, it won't reset like the auto shutoff button does. I was out driving one day and the engine never shut off; couldn't figure out why; thought something was wrong with the truck. After parking, I looked at the manual and wondered if their was some setting I had the truck in that could have overridden the shutoff system unknowingly. Right on the enumerated list in the manual, it states that if the defrost is on, the auto shutoff/restart will not activate. When I got back in the truck, I tried it out with and w/o the defrost on, and it seemed to work. This may be easier to manage that hitting the override button every time if it's true that it can be overridden this way.
This happens to me as well, but as the truck warms up, it will eventually start using the start stop feature again. I think there is a point where it's not "warmed up enough" and it uses too much energy or something and needs the engine running to operate at the capacity selected on the climate control. Once it hits that magic point where it's warmed up enough, it's starts shutting off at stops again. I think it's a cool feature, because why waste the gas? I hate sitting at idol wasting gas. Some seem to not like it at all but I actually look at it as a positive feature!
11-03-2015, 06:33 AM
#715
This happens to me as well, but as the truck warms up, it will eventually start using the start stop feature again. I think there is a point where it's not "warmed up enough" and it uses too much energy or something and needs the engine running to operate at the capacity selected on the climate control. Once it hits that magic point where it's warmed up enough, it's starts shutting off at stops again. I think it's a cool feature, because why waste the gas? I hate sitting at idol wasting gas. Some seem to not like it at all but I actually look at it as a positive feature!
It could have been that the battery charge state was low but can't see how that could have happened, since I'm always conscious of how I'm treating the battery and turn off all accessories before I shut down the engine.
I like the shutoff feature too but only when I know I'm going to be stopped for say, 15 seconds or more. The problem is in rural areas and even in heavy traffic there are many, many times that one simply has to stop and go or stop and creep in traffic and non-traffic situations, or stop for only 5 seconds or less, and in those situations, I don't like it starting and stopping as it can serve only to add wear to the system and couldn't possibly save fuel. I also don't like that the day-time running lights stay on when the engine shuts down (XL model). I'll reach over and shut them off when I think about it and then back to auto when the engine restarts, but that's sort of a hassle.
On a good note about these systems, my wife has an '07 Saturn Aura Greenline Hybrid. It's 8 1/2 years old. It's not really a hybrid though as it has no electric motor and does not get hybrid-like fuel economy. It's a mid-size car that averages around 31 mpg. It has a series of 3 small, nickel cadmium batteries on a 36-volt system that serves only to run an auto start/stop feature and add just a little torque to the drive belt (supposedly). That system auto shutoff/restart has been flawless so far; no starter problems, etc., except that the regular battery had to be replaced after only seven years and less than 100K miles, but I don't think that's too odd for an OEM battery replacement, and also, considering that the Saturn, like the F150, likes to leave lights on when entering and exiting the vehicle and while in shutoff mode, which I hate but is part of newer autos I guess. Unlike the F150, that car will shut down almost every time one stops after only a very short warmup unless the regular a.c. button is pushed instead of the "hybrid a.c.". The latter shuts off the compressor when the engine shuts off; whereas the regular a.c. will keep the compressor and engine running just like a normal system. I think that the 2.7 system auto shutoff override button serves this same function regarding the a.c., but has the added convenience of not activating the shutoff in very hot conditions automatically, which is irrelevant at the time of this post where I live as temps are pretty moderate.
11-03-2015, 10:17 AM
#716
I'll have to check this out more to see what's going on. I'm still new to the truck. The drive I had where the engine shut off did not activate was after I had driven a 14-mile highway trip and then entered city driving. Even at long red lights, after it had warmed up in regular drive mode (not sport or tow haul), the a.c. off, the shut-off in the automatic position, not on a steep incline, it did not shut off;not even once on many, many stops. Did quite a bit of city driving that day shopping. The climate control fan position was at the lowest setting and only the defrost position was set. Nothing else was on.
It could have been that the battery charge state was low but can't see how that could have happened, since I'm always conscious of how I'm treating the battery and turn off all accessories before I shut down the engine.
I like the shutoff feature too but only when I know I'm going to be stopped for say, 15 seconds or more. The problem is in rural areas and even in heavy traffic there are many, many times that one simply has to stop and go or stop and creep in traffic and non-traffic situations, or stop for only 5 seconds or less, and in those situations, I don't like it starting and stopping as it can serve only to add wear to the system and couldn't possibly save fuel. I also don't like that the day-time running lights stay on when the engine shuts down (XL model). I'll reach over and shut them off when I think about it and then back to auto when the engine restarts, but that's sort of a hassle.
On a good note about these systems, my wife has an '07 Saturn Aura Greenline Hybrid. It's 8 1/2 years old. It's not really a hybrid though as it has no electric motor and does not get hybrid-like fuel economy. It's a mid-size car that averages around 31 mpg. It has a series of 3 small, nickel cadmium batteries on a 36-volt system that serves only to run an auto start/stop feature and add just a little torque to the drive belt (supposedly). That system auto shutoff/restart has been flawless so far; no starter problems, etc., except that the regular battery had to be replaced after only seven years and less than 100K miles, but I don't think that's too odd for an OEM battery replacement, and also, considering that the Saturn, like the F150, likes to leave lights on when entering and exiting the vehicle and while in shutoff mode, which I hate but is part of newer autos I guess. Unlike the F150, that car will shut down almost every time one stops after only a very short warmup unless the regular a.c. button is pushed instead of the "hybrid a.c.". The latter shuts off the compressor when the engine shuts off; whereas the regular a.c. will keep the compressor and engine running just like a normal system. I think that the 2.7 system auto shutoff override button serves this same function regarding the a.c., but has the added convenience of not activating the shutoff in very hot conditions automatically, which is irrelevant at the time of this post where I live as temps are pretty moderate.
It could have been that the battery charge state was low but can't see how that could have happened, since I'm always conscious of how I'm treating the battery and turn off all accessories before I shut down the engine.
I like the shutoff feature too but only when I know I'm going to be stopped for say, 15 seconds or more. The problem is in rural areas and even in heavy traffic there are many, many times that one simply has to stop and go or stop and creep in traffic and non-traffic situations, or stop for only 5 seconds or less, and in those situations, I don't like it starting and stopping as it can serve only to add wear to the system and couldn't possibly save fuel. I also don't like that the day-time running lights stay on when the engine shuts down (XL model). I'll reach over and shut them off when I think about it and then back to auto when the engine restarts, but that's sort of a hassle.
On a good note about these systems, my wife has an '07 Saturn Aura Greenline Hybrid. It's 8 1/2 years old. It's not really a hybrid though as it has no electric motor and does not get hybrid-like fuel economy. It's a mid-size car that averages around 31 mpg. It has a series of 3 small, nickel cadmium batteries on a 36-volt system that serves only to run an auto start/stop feature and add just a little torque to the drive belt (supposedly). That system auto shutoff/restart has been flawless so far; no starter problems, etc., except that the regular battery had to be replaced after only seven years and less than 100K miles, but I don't think that's too odd for an OEM battery replacement, and also, considering that the Saturn, like the F150, likes to leave lights on when entering and exiting the vehicle and while in shutoff mode, which I hate but is part of newer autos I guess. Unlike the F150, that car will shut down almost every time one stops after only a very short warmup unless the regular a.c. button is pushed instead of the "hybrid a.c.". The latter shuts off the compressor when the engine shuts off; whereas the regular a.c. will keep the compressor and engine running just like a normal system. I think that the 2.7 system auto shutoff override button serves this same function regarding the a.c., but has the added convenience of not activating the shutoff in very hot conditions automatically, which is irrelevant at the time of this post where I live as temps are pretty moderate.
There is also a humidity sensor that will determine if the defrost still needs to run or not. This is why some people, like myself, will still have the engine shut off after running a while with the defrost on because I live in a dry area. If you live in a damp climate, or you drive with your window open, the sensor will always detect the humidity and continue to try defrosting the windshield.
There is also a temperature sensor for the cab which will determine if the engine needs to stay on depending on what your climate control settings are. If it's very cold and you have the heat on, it will only shut down when the temperature in the cab is warm enough. You can test this by putting your temp to a middle setting, then when the engine shuts down, turn it to a warmer setting, or increase the fan speed and the engine will start up again. It also does the reverse in hot weather when cooling the cab as you mentioned.
As far as headlights staying on, it's never bothered me and I doubt it would do anything bad to the battery. I even set my headlights to stay on for 2 minutes after I park at night and I'm not worried about it. If you do several short trips at night on a regular basis, then that's a reason to be concerned about it I guess, but other than that, it shouldn't be a problem.
11-03-2015, 02:33 PM
#718
^ feel the same way.
I like the mileage, it's not the reason I got the truck though. Small things add up. I couldn't believe how much more fun the 2.7 was over the 5.0. Honestly, after day driving a 14 mustang gt for a while, the 5.0 in the 15 150 I drove was completely underwhelming, which I'm sure a tune would fix. But damn! The 2.7 has power right away and until recently I hadn't explored sport mode and wow! It's everything I would ever need in a truck, granted I'm not hill climbing or towing anything. I just wanted a spacious, practical, yet somewhat efficient DD, and well... This fits the bill. According to the trip computer I'm at 20.4 mpg lifetime and 23.1 on this tank. Even subtracting 2 (which mine has been accurate) this would be good MPG for a full size crew cab pickup with the capability to hit 0-60 in 6 seconds and have loads of power down low in the rev range. Made the 5.0 (f150) feel sterile, and it hurts me to say that..
I like the mileage, it's not the reason I got the truck though. Small things add up. I couldn't believe how much more fun the 2.7 was over the 5.0. Honestly, after day driving a 14 mustang gt for a while, the 5.0 in the 15 150 I drove was completely underwhelming, which I'm sure a tune would fix. But damn! The 2.7 has power right away and until recently I hadn't explored sport mode and wow! It's everything I would ever need in a truck, granted I'm not hill climbing or towing anything. I just wanted a spacious, practical, yet somewhat efficient DD, and well... This fits the bill. According to the trip computer I'm at 20.4 mpg lifetime and 23.1 on this tank. Even subtracting 2 (which mine has been accurate) this would be good MPG for a full size crew cab pickup with the capability to hit 0-60 in 6 seconds and have loads of power down low in the rev range. Made the 5.0 (f150) feel sterile, and it hurts me to say that..
With the power of 2.7, i might just get it!
11-03-2015, 03:22 PM
#720
I also drove a 5.0 and 2.7 when I was shopping. I had driven an 3.5 ecoboost in a 2012 previously.
I drove the 2.7 first and punched it on the Frontage road back to the dealer. I was very surprised in the acceleration. I test drove the 5.0 on the same route. The 5.0 wasn't a slouch, but it had to be revved much more even with the 3.55s vs 3.31s in 2.7.
I drove the 2.7 first and punched it on the Frontage road back to the dealer. I was very surprised in the acceleration. I test drove the 5.0 on the same route. The 5.0 wasn't a slouch, but it had to be revved much more even with the 3.55s vs 3.31s in 2.7.