I'm just wondering what people are getting for fuel economy on the 2008-2011 Focus?

This really isn't an official poll, but I"m just curious more or less. I get around 37-38 MPG highway (and I have an automatic) and that's driving about 65-70 mph with the AC on low.

Is this somewhat about what others are getting. I know that driving style affects fuel economy, as well as the type of driving too. I tend to drive as gently as I can (as in, smooth accelerations and try to do as smooth breaking as I can--without riding the brakes).

I know I get much better than my 2002 ZX5 on highway. I get about 33-35 average in my commute, mostly highway. The '02 would be maybe get 25-27, about the same as my old V6 Contour.

I know I get much better than my 2002 ZX5 on highway. I get about 33-35 average in my commute, mostly highway. The '02 would be maybe get 25-27, about the same as my old V6 Contour.

I'm just a little surprised that I can get over 35+ MPG, but then again, the EPA numbers are also estimates/averages, so some will get more ,and some will get less.

Nevertheless, I'm still pleased. I'm expect that as the car ages, and more miles are added ,this number will undoubtedly got down (to a more appropriate 35mpg or so where it should be). My 2008 Focus was still getting about 34-35 MPG highway even at 56,000 miles when I traded it in a little over a year ago). For the most part, I've been pleased with the Focus. Except for that Cruise control is not standard. At least for 2010 they made ABS standard.

i got 72,xxx miles on my 08 and i hate to break it to u, it doesnt go down. i still get 38 highway and 29-32 in the city ;)

I have a 2011 S Sedan, automatic. I've only got 2,700 miles on it. 80% freeway driving at 65-75 mph. with air on best I've gotten is 29.5mpg. going on a trip this weekend will update you when I get back.. I hope it gets 32-25 on a trip.

You will... just be patient... our 2011 has just over 5500 miles... filled up a couple of weeks ago... went straight out to the highway... set the cruise on 59.. and watched in amazement as the display continued to go up.. ended up at 40.7 MPG... a big improvement over our 4x4.

same here. I maintain a consistant 34mpg average all the time. that's mostly highway, but some city and a decent amount of idling. highway I'm usually doin about 75 with the windows down. I have noticed ablove 75 my ave will go down over time, but under 75mph it stays the same or slowly goes up. my current average is over the past 12k miles or so done for work. btw mine is a 09 5spd coupe with a few mods

on highway cruising i get around 35mpg. stop and go city i am 27-28mpg

my former 2003 lx was like 20mpg

I am going by actual gas used. I fill my tank until it's brim full right to the top of the filler neck and watch that the level doesn't go down. it takes a few minutes of playing around. but thats the only way to get an accurate MPG. The avg. MPG readout is way off it tells me I'm getting 30-32 mpg when I have really been getting 28-29.5.

I have a 2011 S Sedan, automatic. I've only got 2,700 miles on it. 80% freeway driving at 65-75 mph. with air on best I've gotten is 29.5mpg. going on a trip this weekend will update you when I get back.. I hope it gets 32-25 on a trip.


One question (and this isn't meant to tease or criticize) what is your driving style like? I'm more or less just curious? I can understand if we have to make panic stops or fast accellerations from time to time, but I'm a bit puzzled as to why yours is only getting 30 mpg best at highway speeds. Are your tires fully inflated (I think the TPMS lets you get down to about 22-25 PSI before it warns you. This could help improve your mileage if that's the case...

I mean, even if I drive like total idiot (fast accelerations, hard stops, etc), my car still gets at least 33-34 MPG on the highway. But in town, I get (at the very least) 28 MPG pretty much no matter how I drive. and I also have about 150 lbs of tools in my trunk at all times too.

same here. I maintain a consistant 34mpg average all the time. that's mostly highway, but some city and a decent amount of idling. highway I'm usually doin about 75 with the windows down. I have noticed ablove 75 my ave will go down over time, but under 75mph it stays the same or slowly goes up. my current average is over the past 12k miles or so done for work. btw mine is a 09 5spd coupe with a few mods

Well, I remember my 2008 Focus I could only get near 40 MPG if I went 40 mph or 45 MPH the whole time. In my 2010, I don't even have to try to drive it lightly (not neccesarily the speed, but doing things like fast stops, quick starts, etc, other things that can overstress the vehicle more than needed). Just normal highway driving I can get 35-38.

And to those who said it won't go down, I guess that will be shame because I'll have extra money left over from gas not used... :)

But it's nice to know that the car for the most part can get around 35mpg through a good part of its life. I'm sure that once the car hits over 100k, things may start to go down hill as far as MPG.

I have tried using the cruise and not using the cruise i don't see any difference in MPG. around town from lights I don't floor it but if I am 1st at the light I don't have an egg under my shoe either. I step down far enough that i feel the motor pulling good. Mechanic at the dealership told me these engines usually loosen up some around 3,000-5,000 miles and the mileage usually improve about 2 MPG. From what he has seen.

I've kept track of my mileage since I bought my 08 3 years ago. I've never gotten over 31mpg. Actually, I'm usually getting 26 - 28. Even when I try to drive a full tank conservatively to see what I can get, it is always under 30 (all city though). Honestly, the vehicle I traded in (2006 wrangler 4cyl) got about the same if not slightly less. I can't help to feel like I'm doing something wrong here.

I've got a 2008 SE MTX - ~38K on the clock. Can't wait to tint the tails and color match the badges...
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h250/D3thM3tal/2008%20Focus/640480.jpg

I drive 110 miles a day - 90% freeway. I drive from 6AM to 7AM on 35W from North of the split all the way down to Hwy 62. I cruise around 78-82MPH most of the way, in the morning I slow down to around 70MPH by the cities. The drive home is a bit different - traffic is a mess in Minneapolis and about half of the time I'm doing ~80MPH and the rest is mix between slow and sometimes bumper to bumper.

I have been getting around an actual 35mpg - twice now I've driven to work and back, with the A/C on and had the HUD say 37.2. I fill up to the auto stop and round to the closest even dollar, usually within 25 cents. I shift at 2500 like a religion and accelerate slowly - I slow down blocks ahead of red lights and slowly slow down in traffic - it all adds up quick.

with city driving I get about 32 and the most I got on the highway going 70 for 300 miles I got 41.6mpg and going 60 I got 44mpg,

'09 SES sedan here, lowered and with 36K miles.

I average 33 mpg in my mixed city/freeway commute, 29.5 in pure city stop-and-go, and see 37-40 mpg on long highway trips with extensive use of cruise. Turning on the A/C seems to lower the city mileage to around 27 mpg, while having little (-0.5 mpg, maybe?) effect on highway mileage. Speeds over 75 will lower highway fuel economy by 1-2 mpg, depending on conditions and throttle modulation.

Average: 37 MPG
Highest Hand Calculated: 42.5 MPG
Highest ECU Calculated: 47.5 MPG
Lowest MPG to Date: 30 MPG

I use only BP fuel (recommended by Ford) and I will only have it serviced at the dealer with Motorcraft/Ford products. I haven't had it long enough to have it serviced yet, though. I think if you keep up on all the maintenance like you are supposed to, you won't lose much fuel economy over the life of the vehicle.

On a sidenote about using only BP: Make sure you know where the nearest BP station is. They have a station finder on their website and you can type it into Google Maps if you have a smart phone (doesn't always give you every station, though). Yesterday, I had to drive quite a bit more than I expected to and there were no stations around. I thought I could get to the closest one but my "miles to empty" was trying to beat me. I made it to the station with only 4 miles left until empty, only to find that the station had lost power and the pumps did not work. There were no other stations nearby, so I just sat there. Eventually the power came back on and they had to mess with the pumps a little to get them reset, but I fueled up and was on my way.

i calculated 23.5 recently with mostly city & street driving. a few weeks ago i calculated 37.3 with mostly highway driving... - '10 SE MTX coupe.

Mostly stop and go when I head to work, so close to about 30mpg as I don't have a ton of highway commute. Rarely have the A/C on in the vehicle but that will change in the next few months if it actually warms up.

28-29 in the city, maybe 31-32 on the highway at 75mph.

I noticed that even when I drive faster, like 75-80, my fuel mileage doesn't drop much at all. I usually don't drive that fast though because I can't get pulled over again or my license gets revoked.

I have only been on the highway like twice in my car LOL, once was without my intake installed for a trip of 350+ miles...not sure what the avg was.... I know I get 27-28mpg in the city here, stop and go a lot! and a lot of harder styled driving because ppl are slow. LOL I am going on a trip 2nd week of july, I will try and see what my average will be then.

If I maintain my speed just right and traffic plays along I get great mileage - this week so far I'm averaging 38-39mpg.

These numbers are based off of my avg mpg gauge

My old focus (SES '09 mtx) best ever was 38mpg at 85mph. This was on a trip from southside of Chicago to Approx 1hr north of Madison Wi. Return trip got me 35mpg at 90mph. Sounds crazy I know, but those were the readouts.

Now my current focus ('08 SES mtx) the best mpg Ive had to date was 40mpg at 65mph. Avg highway mpg is in the 31-33mpg range befor and after mods. (see signature for mod list). And my driving style is aggressive in case anyone is wondering.

Yesterday, I had to drive quite a bit more than I expected to and there were no stations around. I thought I could get to the closest one but my "miles to empty" was trying to beat me. I made it to the station with only 4 miles left until empty,

The "miles to empty" is a guesstamate at best. Pushed mine 15miles past 0 miles to empty with no problems and the pump at the station told me I put in 11.8 gallons. Not really a smart thing to do but I was in the same situation as you. Plus our tanks are 12.5 gal so running out of fuel is not a great danger if your in the red on your gauge.

The "miles to empty" is a guesstamate at best. Pushed mine 15miles past 0 miles to empty with no problems and the pump at the station told me I put in 11.8 gallons. Not really a smart thing to do but I was in the same situation as you. Plus our tanks are 12.5 gal so running out of fuel is not a great danger if your in the red on your gauge.

Well as much traffic as my area gets, it is still pretty rural and gas stations are spread pretty thin. The BP that is right down the road from me closed down for some reason, but I saw someone filling up a few days ago on a side pump. The next closest BP doesn't fill my tank up all the way and I didn't get good fuel economy when I used their gas. The other one is about 10 minutes away from my house and I am not up that way very often anymore. Luckily, it is right across from the college I go to so I will be good once Fall semester starts.

I haven't had this car very long so I am still getting used to its limits.

I live in my car. It sees a lot of city driving some weeks and other weeks it can get 500-600 highway miles.

On the highway, 55-60 it gets right around 40.
If I take state roads and drive it like a granny, hyper mile, I can get 43-46
Highway 75+ right around 35

In the city I get around 32-34

This is a 5 speed stick.

I live in my car. It sees a lot of city driving some weeks and other weeks it can get 500-600 highway miles.

On the highway, 55-60 it gets right around 40.
If I take state roads and drive it like a granny, hyper mile, I can get 43-46
Highway 75+ right around 35

In the city I get around 32-34

This is a 5 speed stick.

I get almost the exact same numbers as you do, mine is an automatic

We've had a used '08 2 door coupe for a month or so. Took it on a 160 mile round trip today, and re-set the mpg meter before leaving. Pulled back in this evening, and got 41.9 mpg round trip. So far, the meter is within < 1 mpg.

I recently did a trip 45-minutes each way, all highway, but one way was about half 45-mph limit, half 55-65, coming back was 55-65 limit

On the way down, with the cruise set at about 62, then at 50-55, she was showing an average of 44.6 mpg, and she was still climbing slowly [:)]

On the way back, I set the cruise at about 66-69 and she was still showing over 40 mpg average [headbang]



.

My Fofo used to get 30 or so in the city and 38 or so highway

Dunno what's up with it now, it's been hovering around 25-29mpg. But it has been in the city more and I've done less long trips.

I noticed I got better MPG with my 15" stock wheels and the OEM Hankook Optimo tires. After I put the OEM 17s on, I lost some and now that I run the Motegi 17s I lost about the same if not more.

I threw in a K&N air filter into my stock intake and took her for a two hour drive on roads that are 45-50 with maybe 12 stop lights (all were red, of course). I got back and recorded a 45 mpg average :D

My Fofo used to get 30 or so in the city and 38 or so highway

Dunno what's up with it now, it's been hovering around 25-29mpg. But it has been in the city more and I've done less long trips.

I noticed I got better MPG with my 15" stock wheels and the OEM Hankook Optimo tires. After I put the OEM 17s on, I lost some and now that I run the Motegi 17s I lost about the same if not more.

are they a wider tire? if so you will lose fuel economy. you will get better grip but that grip equates to friction which is the ememy of fuel economy.

^ never thought of it that way.. I thought it was the heavier rim and tire. I found the car more peppy spinning the 15s

That would explain it..

I found out the hard way on my chevy silverado I was getting around 19 mpg on the stock tires then I put a much more aggresive and wider all terrain and the fuel econ whet to the pooper. oh well I like being able to drive with peice of mind in the winter a lot better.

^ never thought of it that way.. I thought it was the heavier rim and tire. I found the car more peppy spinning the 15s

That would explain it..

the heavier rim will do it too, it looks like it was a combo of things anytime you add weight you are adding friction simple physics. the best gas milage would come from bicycle tires if they could support the weight, but you wouldn't get very good handling. it is a balancing act

the best i pulled off was 58.6 mpg[:0]
this was achieved by driving between 45 and 60 mph

the average for above 70 mph is 37 mpg

and my city driving is mid to upper 20's.

ive noticed in the winter that the milage drops and vise versa in the summer. humidity plays a big role. im not sure if the cold weather is to blame or if it is the winter fuel.

i have seen a 1-2 mpg uncrease when driving with the windows up and the roof in vent with the fan on low verses driving with the windows down.

2008 SES Coupe 5spd

ive noticed in the winter that the milage drops and vise versa in the summer. humidity plays a big role. im not sure if the cold weather is to blame or if it is the winter fuel

that is because of the winter fuel aditives I can tell almost immediately when the gas station that I use switches.

I am only getting around 26 mpg according to the dash.. but i also have less than 2k miles on it..

wow you must really get on the gas. when I drive mine like a stole it I still get 30 on the dash

well for the first 5 mins your car will run rich. this is to heat up the converters and the block. after that the car will lean out and your economy should improve. the block will hold its temp for hours. i barely use the brakes and downshift to a stop. if your using the brakes you wasted too much gas getting there.

i can drive with a steady foot but choose to use the cruise control for anything over 45mph. my average trip right now is 15 min and 15 miles in a 55mph zone. but when i get on the expressway i am on it for at least an hour.

I actually don't though.. Its my first car i bought on my own so i rarely go over 3k rpm, don't usually use any a/c, and also like to cruise in neutral when i can... I only have 1900 miles in 5 months.. could it be the engine isn't broken in yet or what..

its crazy what you can do when your foot isn't beating up the throttle. doing a mpg run as we speak. i got the meter to go to 458 miles till E which was freaking me out because i had no clue i was capable of such a feet. and as of now the meter is say 28.1 mpg. not much highway driving mostly stoplights where i live

neutral will cost you more gas then just engine breaking. on a decel the throttle is closed and the fuel is shut off. all the engine is doing is pumping air. but when you are coasting in neutral the engine is at a high idle and is burning fuel.

a quick pick me up is a can of sea foam. $10 will treat a full tank and i have put it in at a 1/4 tank with no issues. dont bother with the lucus oil fuel treatment. my milage actually decreased on that stuff but it may have been the fuel i bought idk....

but i have never had any issues with the sea foam. its a tin white can with red lettering. you can also fog the engine with this stuff. find a small vaccum line behind the throttle plate that goes directly to the manifold. put that line into the can and allow it to suck the fluid out of the bottle. the idea is to let it suck 3/4 of it slowly so you may need to help meter it by pullin it out every so often. for the last 1/4 you want it to suck it all up in one big gulp so the engine stalls out.

[:)][:)][:)][:)][:)][:)]this may cause a code[:)][:)][:)][:)][:)][:)]

now let the engine sit for a while then start it up and drive the piss out of it. it will smoke like a mofo and im guessing its not the best for your health, so do this outside.

this is done to clean up the intake valves and is the only way to do so unless you are going to remove the valves and scrub them yourself.

I get 25 in the city and about 33 on the highway. This is with all my mods and cruising at like 80+. I can get 40ish something if I go 55-60.

I am only getting around 26 mpg according to the dash.. but i also have less than 2k miles on it..

You should start seeing an increase in a few more thousand miles (maybe around 4 or 5k). Mine was doing about 38 MPG on the highway and about 30 around town with 4,500 miles on it. Make sure that you're using a good quality gas (like BP, Shell, Mobil, or Marathon). That may have a little effect on your MPGs. Also make sure to check your tire pressure... that can affect your fuel economy more than you think.

26mpg seems a little low, but are you doing mainly city driving??? Do you reset the fuel economy/MPG meter when you fill up or go on trips?

I'll best honest, I'm quite amazed at how accurate it can be. For me, I've only seen it may be about 1 MPG off when I fill up, so it's pretty accurate. But as long as you don't drive 80mph everywhere and you drive like a civilized human, you should see about 28 in town, and around 35-38 on the highway (even with the AC on low and the windows closed).

Last tank was 27.5 mpg with the A/C on the entire time, all city driving. I'm up to 2700 miles on the car.

as of now the meter is say 28.1 mpg. not much highway driving mostly stoplights where i live

Mine's exactly the same. I live downtown so there's lots of lights, all my commuting is stop n go. I get about 32mpgs if I granny it, but I usually average around 28-30mpgs in the city.

Im gettin about 28.2 a gallon and I drive 80% highway. Its 106 on a usual day this summer tho, and I have about 92k miles on my car.

I am getting 32.5/gallon. I drive pretty aggressively. I'll say I drive 70% city 30% highway, with 9000 miles on my car.

If I can keep the car to 55, I can EASILY push 42/43 out of it. The most I've averaged was 46.

Usually, on the highway, traveling between 65 and 75 I get around 38 or so.

In the city, I get around 32.

I don't know how some of you guys say you get anything around 30 in the city ... other than accelerating by gravity and never pressing the gas pedal beyond 1500 RPM or so ... I'd HATE to drive behind that driver ... lol


I just drove my FoFo about 5 hrs round-trip, all highway, averaging about 68 mph and after doing the math, I came up with 34.6mpg, and this is now with the 215/50R16 tires [:)]. The dash readout was showing exactly 1 mpg higher than that at the end of the trip. This trip had a lot of hills/valleys.

When on the stock 15's, driving about 68 mph the dash readout showed about 40-41 mpg, and this was on a flat surface / highway.

I don't know how some of you guys say you get anything around 30 in the city ... other than accelerating by gravity and never pressing the gas pedal beyond 1500 RPM or so ... I'd HATE to drive behind that driver ... lol


I just drove my FoFo about 5 hrs round-trip, all highway, averaging about 68 mph and after doing the math, I came up with 34.6mpg, and this is now with the 215/50R16 tires [:)]. The dash readout was showing exactly 1 mpg higher than that at the end of the trip. This trip had a lot of hills/valleys.

When on the stock 15's, driving about 68 mph the dash readout showed about 40-41 mpg, and this was on a flat surface / highway.

I have a stick. I can coast up to stop lights. No jack rabbit starts and trying quarter mile times between stop lights. No problem at all keeping up with traffic.

Before my intake and exhaust I got 38-45 Highway and around 35 city, after the mods it gets around 34-36 highway and 32 city. I also have a manual 5 speed, AKA gas savers

Gabe, with the Hankook 15s I was able to get higher MPGs I lost a teeny bit when I went to better 15" tires and a whole bunch after I went to 17s @ 215/45/17

I noticed when I swapped back and forth between 15s and 17s a year or so ago too; car was more peppy with the 15s and was sluggish with the 17s lol oh well.

Gabe, with the Hankook 15s I was able to get higher MPGs I lost a teeny bit when I went to better 15" tires and a whole bunch after I went to 17s @ 215/45/17

I noticed when I swapped back and forth between 15s and 17s a year or so ago too; car was more peppy with the 15s and was sluggish with the 17s lol oh well.

Yeah, I figured some of my loss would be due to the new heavier/bigger 215/50R16 tires ... I didn't think I'd lose about 5mpg's like it seems I did.

With the 15's installed, at about 68-70mph average, the dash display was showing 40.something .... this time it showed 35.6 after 5+ hrs of constant driving ... I did have more hills to deal with than that other trip, but still kinda disappointed that I didn't get something closer to 40 ... lol

did some driving today

this was at 72 mph
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65735427@N08/6051843220/in/photostream

and this was at 55 mph
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65735427@N08/6051287033/in/photostream/

sorry if the photos dont load but they can be seen at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65735427@N08/6051287033/in/photostream/

Wow not bad. And it makes me happy to see them running so well at higher miles. I have 40K on my 08.

I installed a K&N drop in filter and increased my tire pressure by 5lbs and I can get ~42 when cruising ~80mph. The highest Ive seen it cruising at ~75mph was 42.3.

I installed a K&N drop in filter and increased my tire pressure by 5lbs and I can get ~42 when cruising ~80mph. The highest Ive seen it cruising at ~75mph was 42.3.

see yours gets better mileage than others like mine does. some motors just run better and more efficient from the factory it seems. i know when i had my truck and ran with an exact match both new mine easily pulled on the other guy. there have been several tests and vids made on this type of scenario and it comes down to luck of the buy lol

see yours gets better mileage than others like mine does. some motors just run better and more efficient from the factory it seems. i know when i had my truck and ran with an exact match both new mine easily pulled on the other guy. there have been several tests and vids made on this type of scenario and it comes down to luck of the buy lol

Good to know, lol. I still need to replace the fuel filter (looks kinda difficult) and track my MPG's. I'm very happy with the MPG's I get driving the speeds I do - CC is set to 78mph for ~40 minutes at a time. I don't drive slow, but I also don't brake if I don't have to and don't accelerate any faster then I have to.

I'm hoping I'll get even better MPG's after I lower the car...

yeah thats the next thing on my list

2008 SES, 35k miles, Auto, no sunroof, BONE stock with 205/50/16 Yokohamas...

Clocked this today about 20 miles of 75 mph highway, then being behind some people on a 60~ mph highway for 15 more miles. I ain't mad. :)

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w262/Slo86GT/Focus/dbc8f210.jpg

The further you druie the better it gets. I installed a k&n and my mpgs went from 36-37 to nearly 40. I didnt want to get one as I wanted a cold air kit, but this is totally worth it. Stuides show warm air is better for mpgs anyway, less dense air, less fuel needed.

yeah thats the next thing on my list

Just so you are aware we (2010) do not have a serviceable fuel filter! Ford was kind enough to give us a lifetime filter in/on the pump and its in the tank!!!
If you go to the parts store, they will sell you one but good luck finding a filter under the car, took me a few days to figure out we can't change it.
[???:)][???:)][???:)]

I think the majority of you are way to hyped on your computer read out. Unless you are driving as a hyper-miler you will not see anywhere near 40mpg.

If you want to see some realistic readouts go to a website such as fuelly.com and look at the model year averages. I've kept track of my 07 for over 18k miles and average 31.7mpg.

The way I check my reading is I tend to use the exact same gas station and pump at the same time of the day and fill to the first click so I'm at the same exact amount of gas I started at.

I just filled up and the readout said 40.0 mpg and the math said 38.87mpg. I don't drive slow...

I just filled up and the readout said 40.0 mpg and the math said 38.87mpg. I don't drive slow...

I am getting very similiar numbers to yours. I find it is usually 1.5 to 2.0 MPG higher than the actual number. I don't baby mine either

If I baby it I can get over 40 mpg real numbers not digital read out. I have a long commute at 60 mph though so its a little easier for me to get those numbers... problem is I get bored and drive a little faster and pass a little more than I should

i also get my numbers by hand figuring it. i drive the crap out of mine and still get at least 35mpgs... i use fuel amount off of my receipts to the hundredth of a gallon.... cant get much more precise

Just so you are aware we (2010) do not have a serviceable fuel filter! Ford was kind enough to give us a lifetime filter in/on the pump and its in the tank!!!
If you go to the parts store, they will sell you one but good luck finding a filter under the car, took me a few days to figure out we can't change it.
[???:)][???:)][???:)]

And thank you st!!!

even with my 18"msr wheels and 215/35/18 tires which the wheels weigh 23lbs each alone, i got 36-37mpg my last 3 fill ups and i floored it alotttttt lol and alot of 80+mph speeds down a 15 mile stretch of highway daily to work.... when i switch to the slipstreams(16" 14.5lbs) next week i should without a problem easily get 43+... once again this is hand figuring it and my dash compute is within +- 1.5 mpgs....

What the heck are you guys doing to get mileage that great?

I've been driving my 2010 SES for a few days now and my car is telling me it's getting on average about 15L/100km when I converted that online it said its was about 35mpg.

Any suggestions on how I can up this number a little? When I fill my tank to the brim the car says it's got about 435km until empty (270 miles).

main difference to be honest in my opinion is wheels and under suspension weight. did your ses come with the 17" wheels? for every 3lbs unsprung or under the suspension it is equal to 30lbs above or in your car. i looked for that forever before finally finding a scientific test on a site to back to up conducted by a company. that means that when i go from my msr wheels 23lbs to the rotas 14lbs that i will free up approximately 360lbs and that's not including the weight ill lose from going to the smaller tire.. that amount of difference in a 4 cylinder car like ours makes a huge difference. as for the fact of a few of us still getting better mileage as i am right now even with the heavy wheels it goes back to what i said earlier in this thread, some motors just perform more efficient or better than others from the factory even though they are the same motor and car.. when my car gets its lowest miles at fill up it says 360+ miles to e, and when i have lighter wheels its easily 425+ miles to e

as for ways to increase mpg its actually simple and comes down to 3 things: aerodynamics, weight, and the way you drive. you can lower your car for better aero and ive seen people get 1-3mpgs improvements simply by keeping the windows and moonroof rolled up. weight is easily done by how i mentioned above. and a vacuum gauge is one of the best instruments you can buy to help better watch the way you drive and increase mpgs. ecomodder.com is full of useful information on improving stuff and little things that add up to make a huge difference. sure one little thing may only increase it 1 mpg but when you do 10+ things that do that it can really add up fast! feel free to ask me questions and if i dont know an answer ill do my best to find it(=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhbBx-2hXH0
he's actually very right and this helped me!

and as simple sounding as grill blocking is there is a reason ford put the closing grills on the new focus(=

The EPA estimates that an extra 100 lbs can mean a 1-2% increase in fuel consumption, with smaller vehicles affected more than larger ones.

Crice - It does have the 17 inch stock rims on it - I had no idea a little bit of weight below would have such an impact!

All your information was extremely helpful, thank you. I may look into some lighter rims, geez [confused]

yeah it really suprised me when i put these msr wheels on here. they looked great but i immediately noticed less acceleration and lower mpgs. this was with only my cai. i cant wait to see what my car can do now that i have all the mods in my sig with some wheels that are even lighter than the stock 15"!!!!

Current Mods:FS Werks CAI, Custom Exhaust, SCT xcal 3 with Custom 93octane Tune, Light wheels, Header

Sweet... [woot]

PS an intake and exhaust help with mileage if you can stay out of the go-pedal, haha.

PS an intake and exhaust help with mileage if you can stay out of the go-pedal, haha.
lol which is a very hard thing to do at first haha

The cooler 75-85 deg weather has my gas mileage back up to 29-30mpg range in the city.

still 100+ here my friend and im getting the mileage posted earlier(=

PS an intake and exhaust help with mileage if you can stay out of the go-pedal, haha.

lol which is a very hard thing to do at first haha

Is it EVER... [:p]

I get my MPG's by accelerating slowly and braking as little as possible. I coast a lot in gear, I used to coast in N but the motor idles high and wastes fuel.

In traffic I'll drive slower with further gaps so I don't have to stop and start, I just coast/drive at a slower speed. I am now shifting at 2K RPM without even thinking about it - when I'm driving, I probably don't push the pedal down any further then 1/2". I can go 2 or 3 tanks of fuel without breaking 2200RPM - once in awhile I lay down some rubber at the top of first and into 2nd to clear the motor/exhaust out.

I'm using the recommended Motocraft oil and a Wix/Motocraft filter - I run 87 octane fuel. I did install a K&N drop in panel and immediately noticed a little power, but also 2mpg's. I'm not afraid to run the A/C and cruise at speeds around 80MPH - my round trip to work and back is ~100 miles, that is how I achieve my mileage, long distances of low engine RPM.

All this talk of wheel weight has me worried - I want to go with the SVT EVAP's but I think they are heavy... Anyone know what the stock wheel weighs?

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h250/D3thM3tal/2008%20Focus/640480.jpg

@kyleq Dont do it lol

Wheel Weights:
Standard Focus:
15X6 - Alloy 15.2lbs
16X6 - Alloy 19.1lbs

SVT Focus:
2002-2003 - 5 Spoke 21lbs
2004 - 6 Spoke 20.5lbs
Euro - 15 Spoke 20.3lbs

@kyleq Dont do it lol

Wheel Weights:
Standard Focus:
15X6 - Alloy 15.2lbs
16X6 - Alloy 19.1lbs

SVT Focus:
2002-2003 - 5 Spoke 21lbs
2004 - 6 Spoke 20.5lbs
Euro - 15 Spoke 20.3lbs

Ouch - well this was my second choice. I'll rock these then-

http://www.tirerack.com/images/wheels/motegi_race/swap/motegir_mr121d_mg_ci3_s.jpg

Montegi Racing MR121's

Size: 17x7
Offset: 40mm
Backspacing: 5.55"
Bolt Pattern: 4-108
Rec. Tire Size: 205/45-17
Weight: 17.9lbs.

They weigh even less - sweet. I'll wrap them in some ExtremeContact DW's, my current tires are loud as [:)][:)][:)][:)]. I'm mostly after ride comfort and noise- I have a set of SVT E1's with Blizzaks for the cold and slippery stuff :)

Hopefully these will clear the the FRPP lowering kit - I know the offset is a bit different then the factory wheels. They will stick out a little more correct? I'm after that look anyway...

I have the standard 15x6 steel wheels but since I am not to worried about mileage I am gonna be running SVT 5-Spokes.

put on the rotas today and got some brand new 205/60/16 tires at sears. lol i squaled the tires when i was leaving not meaning to because the wheels are so light compared to the msr. dang did it get faster even with the other wheels and tires in the back seat!!! will give a mileage update at the next fill up(=

^Yea weight is such a big factor. I have been rolling with three 18 inch Scion wheels, three jacks, two jack stands, a whole tool box, and tool kit, an random junk in my car. Took most out and I forgot how she feels when she is empty haha.

^Yea weight is such a big factor. I have been rolling with three 18 inch Scion wheels, three jacks, two jack stands, a whole tool box, and tool kit, an random junk in my car. Took most out and I forgot how she feels when she is empty haha.

I can tell a difference with a passenger, shift points are all different, lol. I sure hope my stereo doesn't kill my MPG's - gota have my subs...

Once I took out my 2 12" Rockford t1s I noticed a major 5 mpg increase. Boy does subs weigh down vehicles. My system weighed around 140 lbs. Now all I have is my jvc DD
Posted via FF Mobile

haha slammed you sound like me bro. i had 2 12w6v2 subs and damn did they hit hard but i took them out one day and saw a notable power difference and i sold them the next week!! lol now i have a single jl 12 loaded enclosure(= may be trading that tomorrow

That's another reason I don't like stereos.

Sent to here from there

Yeah- I'm sure adding my two subs and three amps would be like having another passenger all the time, but a loud one :)

I could always cut back to one 12" and sell my two 300 watt amps for a single 500 watt and pound just as hard. Meh - I'll take a 1mpg hit for my stereo. I miss it - Infiniti Kapp 6.8's being fed 100 watts a channel. It was so loud and crisp your ears would hurt, I never could get it loud enough to distort, it was amazing.

I'm downsizing to a single 12 possible ported for weight reasons. Just dunno how much boom I want. 250W rms or 400w rms.
Posted via FF Mobile

I'm downsizing to a single 12 possible ported for weight reasons. Just dunno how much boom I want. 250W rms or 400w rms.
Posted via FF Mobile

this is what i did. i have the ported prowedge box with the 12w1 with the grill on it, its just enough bass to if you want to jam and feel it you can or if you want to ride mellow you can so that also(=

Well I just got back from a 1500+ trip and got an average of 35.3 there, driving around, and back

Well I just got back from a 1500+ trip and got an average of 35.3 there, driving around, and back

Nice - I've had my car since March and I've put on a little over 12K on it and I'm easily averaging 35.5-36mpg.

With my rotas on this week I've gotten 39mpg avg this tank hand calculated with calculator lol and that's all city constant stop and go without any highway(=. Can't wait to test out my highway mpg.

With my rotas on this week I've gotten 39mpg avg this tank hand calculated with calculator lol and that's all city constant stop and go without any highway(=. Can't wait to test out my highway mpg.

And this is with the jl loaded enclosure in the trunk. Which weighs at least 50lbs

Caught this MPG on the highway after a fillup yesterday... at 59 MPH with the cruise on...

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k156/custodian7138/GetAttachmentaspx.jpg

I remember those days!

gettin' 37 - 39 on the highway. NOT TOO SHABBY

Hey everyone... I am so so glad to hear about the good MPG's that many of you are getting! Yesterday I agreed to purchase a Vista Blue Metallic and Tan interior 2009 Ford Focus SE 4dr with 9900 miles!! They gave me the right trade in on my 07 SES w/ SAP!!

Don't get me wrong.. .I loved my little SAP ZX3 because the little hatchback look is clinch but many of you all have confirmed to me that these newer version Focuses are getting AT LEAST 8 mpg better then what my MTX 07 is getting!!!

I was double thinking about getting rid of my car but I cam in here looking to see what kind of MPG's people were getting and MPG's alone are worth the added costs for getting a newer car.

All I do is get on the interstate and set the cruise to go to work every day. That is it. From the people that responded... it would seem if I do that with the 09 version. I should be getting close to 35-37mpg... on average. I get 27mpg in my 07 on average... and when hyper-miling... I have got to 29.99 (Never got a true 30MPG out of it.). So if I hyper-mile this car... I could get like almost 40. I am sitting here in disbelief... thinking just four years ago I was driving a 93 Caprice LTZ (which I still have and enjoy) that was getting 12-15mpg!!! Now I am looking at nearly 30mpg better then where I was in that car! LOL... I am going to start laughing at gas pumps when I drive by a gas station for now on...

[giggle]

Hi, I haven't been on here in awhile, just thought I would update everyone.
I live in Phoenix AZ. I got my car in March, I now have 9,200 miles on it. Since I have had the air on all summer I have l been getting 26-27 mpg combined city/highway (around phoenix area). I took a trip to Omaha Ne. and back, the best I got was 32mpg, again with the air on. The worst I have gotten it 22mpg. I am getting just about what the EPA said I would get, I am sure I am a little heavier footed than they are when they test and I don't believe they have the air on all the time. I don't go by the readout on the dash it isn't accurate. I take the extra 5 minutes messing around to top my tank to the brim of the nozzle and watch that it doesn't settle, and then fill it the same way at the next fill up. That is the only way to be accurate when checking mpg. the weather will be cooling off soon and I can shut the air off so we shall see what that does for the mileage. All in all I am a little disappointed in the mileage there is no reason Ford couldn't have gotten closer to 35 combined and 40 highway in real world driving, but it is double what I get in my f-150 4x4 so I can't complain to much.

My gas mileage really sucks 28 to 33 Autobahn... but then im in germany and its never running under 120 mph lol

that's good to here and sounds about right, i seam to get around 33 when doing 85 (Legally) on the interstate in Nevada at 2000+ feet

that's good to here and sounds about right, i seam to get around 33 when doing 85 (Legally) on the interstate in Nevada at 2000+ feet

Ya I know just being a smart @SS. Cant realy drive 55 or 60 around here to see what I could max at even if I could I would find myself in the twisties

I just got my 09 Foci SE and have been maintaining about 33-34mpg between work and home for the last few days! Way better then my MTX 07 Foci SES with SAP!!!

For the record... I am SO GLAD I got rid of the MTX car... loved the 07 2 dr. euro body style with the SAP and the handling of the car overall was great... I really did like the car... but the MTX was killing me.. I got so sick of it... and after about 4 years I had enough!!!!

Much happier that I got the 09... and even more glad I didn't buy the 12 model too... considering that these models get better gas mileage and don't have the tranny issues the new 6 speed dual clutches do.