Possible '03 SVT purchase - MPG question

[Redhawkjrt]

I'm thinking of purchasing an '03 SVT Focus as a commuter car - I have a 90 mile round trip daily commute and I'm wondering what sort of Highway MPG to expect. I usually keep it right at 70 on the interstate. Thanks in advance for any input.

[SVT3658]

I get an average of 29 with a mix of highway, city, and rush hour traffic (mostly highway though, with an average near 80). As long as you don't floor it all the time, you should be ok. I usually shift before 4k rpm

My best ever was 35mpg, but that was with cruise set at 55 on back country roads and hardly any stops

[ViperThreat]

Really depends on a few things.. If you are high in altitude, your going to look at lowered engine performance, and likely worse mileage, The svt engine doesnt like low speeds, so if you can avoid any stop and go, your mileage will definately soar. Keep your rpms consistant, and you should see around 29-32 mpg.

A trip i did a while ago managed 35mpg, and i was on cruise control at 90 almost the whole way..

[blackbird]

The actual drive and your driving style will greatly affect what you average, but just for comparison, a few years back I was daily driving my '04 SVTF about 260 miles a day with a mix of higher speed highway and some city driving. It usually averaged 27-28 mpg for that mixed driving with pure highway a touch higher and city stop-and-go in the lower twenties. My first SVTF which was an '02 never saw much over 25 and averaged quite a bit lower that the '04 in mixed driving. The later calibration/tune Ford released seemed to help quite a bit. Aftermarket tunes can also give some small but noticeable gains for mileage and even better drivability than stock (something to consider if you're racking up a lot of miles).

[jerkeesvt]

N/A....the best I ever got was 36mpg all highway. With the turbo @10.5psi, I managed to get 37.5 all highway at between 65 and 70mph. That was without shoving my foot into it at all.(just easing it down) I have seen 19mpg in the city thrashing it.

[CT SVT]

city driving i get low low 20s maybe entering the teens but highway i know i get high 20s. it all about how you drive. if you want gas milage get a regulat focus.

[FORDSVTPARTS]

Average with mine is 27.5 and best ever was 31 but that was stuck in 60mph traffic on two lane highway.

If you just drive the car and make no effort at fuel economy you should get around 27, I don't beat mine and I don't try to get good mileage, I just drive it.

[240ZX34V8]

Filled up my first tank the other day and got 33.3 in mixed. Not to bad. I was expecting 25 after reading here.

[Nik33615]

I average 22mpg city/hwy mix. If I am doing only hwy I can get near 30 but have never got near what most of you guys are claiming.

[6spd_RS]

Agreed. I rarely see more than 25 mpg in mixed driving with mine.

[FORDSVTPARTS]

Originally Posted by 6spd_RS

Agreed. I rarely see more than 25 mpg in mixed driving with mine.

You're probably right, I haven't checked my city milage in a long time and now that I think of it the 27.5 I'd recorded was on the freeway with the cruise set around 80 mph.

I'd bet I am in the 25 mpg range in town.

[hermitmaster]

The lowest I've ever got was 25 and the highest was around 33. I average 28.

[Nik33615]

Originally Posted by hermitmaster

The lowest I've ever got was 25 and the highest was around 33. I average 28.

I wonder why there seems to be such a large difference from one car to the next? I don't think it's just the Ford tune I have tried both the stock tune and either the Diablosport tune or Toms tune (not sure which bought the tuner used was told it was Toms tune but not 100% sure it is) I get almost the exact same mileage with both tunes.

All filters and plugs were replaced a year ago so it isn't lack of maintenance. I always just attributed it to the performance engine and assumed the 25-28+ mpg other people claimed was exaggerated or incorrect but now I'm starting to wonder.

[WRCwannabe]

you guys are weak i think i have the all time high for a svt mpg's
right before my engine went, this was shifting grandma style and never getting it above 3k rpms.
i was running extremely lean i mean extremely lean.
i had got somewhere around 490 miles to a tank before the light came on.

^then i filled up later than weekend and started tp head home and my enigne just gave out.
had detonation in cyl. 1 and cyl 2 (piston completely broken)

but even with all my mods now i average high 20's for urban driving.
and around 33 for hwy (80mph, very windy day)

[carlingskie]

My average is about 26mpg. I check my MPG everytime I fill up the tank. The lowest I've ever had was 21.4mpg.

[FORDSVTPARTS]

Originally Posted by WRCwannabe

you guys are weak i think i have the all time high for a svt mpg's
right before my engine went, this was shifting grandma style and never getting it above 3k rpms.
i was running extremely lean i mean extremely lean.
i had got somewhere around 490 miles to a tank before the light came on.

^then i filled up later than weekend and started tp head home and my enigne just gave out.
had detonation in cyl. 1 and cyl 2 (piston completely broken)

So what does that tell you about running lean?

SVT's are not economy cars, trying to squeeze fuel economy out of one isn't what the car was designed for.

My mileage never varied much between the stock tune, Diablo tune, Toms tune or my current tune but the power and driveability sure did.

As it sits now my car is a blast to drive, FI would be nice but it'd probably just get me in trouble.

[SVT3658]

But they sure are economy cars going from a Mustang to an SVTF

I bought mine expecting better MPGs than the low 20s on a good day my Mustang gave me, but I never imagined I'd average almost 30 since the window sticker in the glove box said otherwise....but hey I'm not complaining

[SVTFucus]

I drive about 90 miles round trip every day highway driving and get about 28mpg per tank.

[shlbygt]

[6spd_RS]

How the hell do you manage that?

I'm lucky if I see 280 per tank, maybe 320 if I happen to get a lot of highway cruising in.

[zetec-j]

yeah i get 19-21mpg city... 92 octane, all stop/go.

The factory stickers say the SVT only gets 21 city 25 highway so I don't understand how people are getting 30+ either. I sure as hell don't.

[ViperThreat]

Originally Posted by zetec-j

yeah i get 19-21mpg city... 92 octane, all stop/go.

The factory stickers say the SVT only gets 21 city 25 highway so I don't understand how people are getting 30+ either. I sure as hell don't.

1. What altitude are you at? The more you go up in altitude, the more power-loss you have, and the harder you have to work the engine to get your car to go. Those of us at sea-level are going to see better performance and efficency.

2. How hard are you driving? Do you floor it alot? Where is your shift-point normally? Do you slow down for corners? Remember, keeping your rpm costant at the lowest point possible is almost always a surefire way to get the best mileage possible. Slowing down and speeding up is guaranteed to lower your mileage.

3. Do you wait for your engine to warm up before driving? SVTs stock tune blows until the engine is at operating temp, so during this period, your mileage is horrid.

4. Drag- is your car clean? a dirty car can drop your MPG by nearly 1mpg. Keep her clean. Do you carry around alot of crap? Clean out the car weekly, and store anything you dont need, extra weight is extra strain on the engine.

5. Maintnence - oil change recently? tires inflated correctly? etc.. You get the idea. If somethings wrong, so is your mileage.


Most of this is common sense. The SVTf is a fun car, and its easy to get carried away, but if you preservere, you can achieve good mileage easily.

[SVTADAM]

I get 28 MPG in the Powerworks 2004 on a regular basis. I would get 30, but I noticed the winter fuel MPG drop already.

My 2002 would get 34-36 before I started to mod her. Now she gets around 30-32.

I drive consistently and conservatively. You can expect around the 30mpg if you get an SVT depending on how hard you drive it.

[bullitt042001]

I think if you are looking for a great car as far as mpg this is not the one you need,yeah I used to drive a mustang the svtf was alot better on gas milage,now I drive an Integra big differnce,specially that I have to use premium gas on the svtf.
This is what you do buy the Foci and get a cheap civic drive the civic as dd,and pimp out the SVTf.

[ThomasA]

I've never gotten above 28mpg but then, I've never been able to keep my foot off the pedal. You'll very likely have the same problem I used to do all interstate commute 60mi round trip every day. I averaged about 290-300 miles per tank.