Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General Gas Mileage

I'm sure this has already been beat to death, but I'm new here. I recently bought a 1998 SE (Sport edition),2.5L with 5-speed manual, and I'm getting really bad gas mileage, around 18 in the city. More correctly, my lead-footed teenage son is getting that. I called the local Ford dealer and they suggested I change the fuel and air filter, which I did, and that didn't help. I don't have a "check engine" light on.

Is this about normal, or should I expect better mileage? Any suggestions for improving it?

Thanks.

I get between 18 and 22 around town. It's totally city driving though...all stop and go and much of the time idling in traffic. On the highway I've gotten as high as 32 and recently on a trip I got 28 moving with traffic at 80-85mph most of the way.

I would clean the throttle body and injectors, along with the upper intake manifold. If I'm not mistaken, I think the factory sticker was 19mpg city/28mpg hwy, so it may not be that far off. If the cleaning doesn't help, then I'd start looking at the sparkplugs and wires/ignition area. Of course, driving habits can play a part, but my car gets 24mpg city no matter how fast/hard I drive it. I do have modifications on the engine, so that's why mine is higher. Keep us informed...

Funny this came up. My wife told me she is getting 18mpg on her Duratec/mtx. She does all stop and go driving though. I'm getting much better than her on my SVT. I do about 50-50 hwy/city driving.
I'll look into her throttle body. Doesn't sound right does it

It does sound a little odd, even all stop and go. My wife is the primary driver of the Tour, and she drives in the crappiest traffic every day to and from work. Her 35 mile commute takes 1.5 hours (at least) every day. She still gets 23 and 24 MPG like clockwork. I've gotten 32 MPG on the highway at 80 MPH when driving up to Maryland. Maybe I just have a mutant or something. That would make both my vehicles a mutant. Cool

My '96 SE gives me about 21 mpg right now in about 60% highway driving. I have gotten as high as 25 mpg and as low as 18 mpg in the little over two years that I've owned it.

HTH

Mike

I average 24 MPG with X-way/suburban driving. City driving in downtown Chicago, it gets down to 19-20, but goes back up when I hit 45 mph.

I average 24 - 28 mpg mixed driving.

I get about 25MPG mostly highway driving. been down as low as about 21-22 for mostly city driving and as far up as 27-28 pretty much all highway driving.

whats the most accurate way to measure your mpg?