DeepImpact15
Well-Known Member
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- #1
We all faced (or will be facing) the huge decision between the big nasty 5.0 or the technically astonishing 2.3 Ecoboost. For the majority it came down to performance versus fuel costs. But, just how economical is the 2.3 and is it really worth it to sacrifice over 100hp? I decided to experiment and find out just how "eco" the Ecoboost really is.
This test really came about because, after buying my new Mustang, money became a bit tight and I needed to stretch a tank of gas as far as possible. At first this was a reason for deepest sorrow because it meant short shifts and keeping well out of the fun side of the boost gauge. But after a few days it quickly became a cool little game with the consumption meter keeping score.
My route through Mesa and Phoenix mixed a bit of city work with long stretches at 65 MPH on the freeways. To maximize efficiency the windows stayed up and the AC (regrettably) stayed off. The car in question is a 15 Ecoboost manual
with a 3.15 rear end and optional 19 inch wheels with all season P Zeros. My general technique for hyper-miling the Mustang involved light throttle application and shifting around 2000 RPM. Like I mentioned earlier this is by far the least fun way to drive a Mustang. The engine really does turn into a typical four cylinder when the turbo is not force feeding it. But, like a typical four cylinder it returned some astonishing numbers. In city driving I was able to keep the car at about 25 MPG which is pretty darn respectable. Once I got on the freeway though the car essentially began pipetting fuel into the cylinders. I have been routinely seeing the car getting 38-40 MPG. I have gone nearly 400 miles on my last tank and still have about 60 miles of range left. My round trip to work is 34 miles and the car indicates that it only use 20-22 miles of range round trip.
So, in this humble old boys opinion yes go ahead and get over the V-8. The Ecoboost puts out 8/10ths of the performance with dramatically better economy. That GT power is only a tune and some bolt ons away...
This test really came about because, after buying my new Mustang, money became a bit tight and I needed to stretch a tank of gas as far as possible. At first this was a reason for deepest sorrow because it meant short shifts and keeping well out of the fun side of the boost gauge. But after a few days it quickly became a cool little game with the consumption meter keeping score.
My route through Mesa and Phoenix mixed a bit of city work with long stretches at 65 MPH on the freeways. To maximize efficiency the windows stayed up and the AC (regrettably) stayed off. The car in question is a 15 Ecoboost manual
with a 3.15 rear end and optional 19 inch wheels with all season P Zeros. My general technique for hyper-miling the Mustang involved light throttle application and shifting around 2000 RPM. Like I mentioned earlier this is by far the least fun way to drive a Mustang. The engine really does turn into a typical four cylinder when the turbo is not force feeding it. But, like a typical four cylinder it returned some astonishing numbers. In city driving I was able to keep the car at about 25 MPG which is pretty darn respectable. Once I got on the freeway though the car essentially began pipetting fuel into the cylinders. I have been routinely seeing the car getting 38-40 MPG. I have gone nearly 400 miles on my last tank and still have about 60 miles of range left. My round trip to work is 34 miles and the car indicates that it only use 20-22 miles of range round trip. So, in this humble old boys opinion yes go ahead and get over the V-8. The Ecoboost puts out 8/10ths of the performance with dramatically better economy. That GT power is only a tune and some bolt ons away...
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