5.4 Fuel Mileage?

[DaBigBone]

I'm looking for a new daily driver and would love to get a 06-07 F150 XLT with the 5.4

I do a lot of commuting for school and work, about 60 miles a day and its 98% highway. My question is, do you think it's possible to do some modifications to get around the 23 - 25mpg range?

I was thinking maybe an intake, exhaust, tune, etc etc should do the trick.

Thanks!

 

[Nocturnal'14]

NO...I get 17PG on a good day

Still don't have a Tuner yet though.
Running with K&N Drop in and Dual exhaust, 3.73 gears.

With teh tuner I am guessing I'd get another 2mpg. Still not what your looking for though, but mine is an extended cab 4x4.

 

[SID297]

NO...I get 17PG on a good day

Still don't have a Tuner yet though.
Running with K&N Drop in and Dual exhaust, 3.73 gears.

With teh tuner I am guessing I'd get another 2mpg. Still not what your looking for though, but mine is an extended cab 4x4.

This is pretty much it, but I wouldn't expect 2mpg from a tuner. For better mileage I'd look for a 09+ F-150 with the 6R80 tranny.

 

[mustangc]

I got 17.2 mpg from my 2005 4x4 SuperCrew 5.4 on the way home from Detroit to southern Indiana. I averaged 18.2 on the way up to Detroit. The truck was rated 18 highway, so I'm pretty close to that even after 115k miles.

The modifications usually don't increase mileage very much. Sure, they make it easier for the truck to breath, but that improves horsepower more than mileage. Think about it...You are cruising at part throttle, so the throttle blade is the restriction at that point, not anything else. The tuner may help a little, but it will gain you less than if you simply slow down and drive very conservatively.

20 mpg is the absolute best you could get with the 5.4 in optimum conditions, but that isn't a reasonable long term expectation. My truck averages around 15-16 mpg in combined highway / city.

 

[DaBigBone]

Thanks for the input guys!

 

[Zlow28]

not sure if theres much of a difference enginewise, but we rented a 09-10 f150xlt crewcab 5.4 for a trip a while back. I forgot the exact mpg but it was a little over 20mpg. Probly like 22. And I had 3 passengers and a moped/scooter in the back.

 

[mustangc]

not sure if theres much of a difference enginewise, but we rented a 09-10 f150xlt crewcab 5.4 for a trip a while back. I forgot the exact mpg but it was a little over 20mpg. Probly like 22. And I had 3 passengers and a moped/scooter in the back.

Most of that is probably from the 6-speed automatic in the '09 and up trucks. The older models had a 4 speed. 22 is still very optimistic and probably would not represent a long term average.

 

[meaty mac]

I forgot the exact mpg but it was a little over 20mpg. Probly like 22.

Must of been going downhill alot lol.

 

[ghostrider164]

Ok, need some insight on what can be done to increase the mileage on a 06 F 150 Lariat Crew Cab 4x4 with 5.4 and automatic. Stock at present. Can't really get better than 16mpg. We also have an 06 Chev Silverado 4x4 Club Cab with 5.3 and can consistantly get 20-21 on it on the highway. Any ideas?

 

[mustangc]

Ok, need some insight on what can be done to increase the mileage on a 06 F 150 Lariat Crew Cab 4x4 with 5.4 and automatic. Stock at present. Can't really get better than 16mpg. We also have an 06 Chev Silverado 4x4 Club Cab with 5.3 and can consistantly get 20-21 on it on the highway. Any ideas?

Are you comparing apples-to-apples? Is the 16 mpg an instant reading on the highway, or is it the average? You should be getting better than that on the highway, but 16 mpg is a good average for highway and city combined, but your truck should knock down at least 18-20 on the highway.

You didn't mention how many miles are on your truck, but perhaps it is time for a tune up: Plugs, air filter, oil and filter change. Also double check your tire pressure. Give them an extra 5 psi. That can make a 1-2 mpg difference. Don't drive around with your tailgate down... that actually reduces your mileage.

You probably won't be able to get over 20 mpg without a tuner, but I haven't confirmed that will help either (my truck is completely stock). Just remember, that Chevrolet probably weighs several hundred pounds less than your Ford. The 2004+ F-150's were a lot heavier than the competition because of the fully boxed frames and several other 'heavy duty' upgrades. Plus, the Chevy you are talking about is not a Crew Cab. I'd guess the Ford is hauling an extra 350 lbs around when empty.

 

[ghostrider164]

5.4 mileage

Mustang, thanks for the insight. Truck has 83,000 on it and I will follow your advice and get a tune up and new filter. Thought I would also make sure that all fluids are synthetic. Appreciate the help. Tell me about your Mustang.

Ghostrider