2003 focus are gas guzzlers

I have a 2003 ZTW 2.0 zetec automatic and I can't do better than 20mpg I do mostly highway driving in the winter I do a mere 17 mpg

some of you claim 30mpg with manual transmission. Car and Driver reported 25mpg after a long term roadtest of automatic 2001 SE Wagon

I think these numbers are BS

bottom line is I think people can't calculate MPG properly

Reply to
corra
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I rented an automatic Focus 2.0 SE last year when visiting Canada. I beat the crap out of it in a mixture of mostly back-road driving and some highway and still averaged 7.5 - 8.0 l/100km, which is 29 - 31 USmpg. The calculation wasn't too difficult for someone with a PhD in mechanical engineering, so I have some confidence in my figures :-) Are you sure your handbrake isn't on? Seriously, those figures are way too low and point to an unhealthy car.

Reply to
Stephen F.

actually 7.5 - 8.0 L/100km is 28.39 US/mpg and 30.28 US/mpg

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Reply to
Jim

Just passed 72,000 miles on my '01ZX3 5-speed. I keep a spreadsheet for mileage calculation by tank and overall. My driving is about half highway and half country roads. Overall mileage is 30.9 mpg.

R**2

(Ron)

Reply to
ronrut

what would an automatic do?

20mpg?
Reply to
corra

There is something seriously wrong with either your driving habits or the condition of your vehicle. It's silly to say that you are the only one who can calculate gas mileage.

Reply to
Dave Gower

nothing wrong with my driving......I'm no angel but not a leadfoot either.

I'm pointing out that some people over exaggerate their fuel economy. also you can't compare auto to manual......fuel economy is different

Reply to
corra

Just done 18000 miles in my 2001 Focus 1.6 Zetec Automatic. My petrol consumption has averaged out at 29.7 m.p.g. (UK gallons) And yes I do know how to calculate my petrol consumption.

Reply to
MCC

Reply to
adcb

"corra" wrote

According to such respected authorities as Edmunds, automatic Foci get about

2 mpg less than equivalent manual ones. Look it up.

My 2000 SPI gets close to the EPA ratings in when I convert from Canadian to U.S. measurements, except in winter when of course it drops off a few mpg. I am a fairly conservative driver and keep my vehicles in good shape.

Reply to
Dave Gower

Cruise was rarely on. Not very useful on the highways near the city; too much traffic. And I don't baby the car, I love to push it with "frisky" driving. Fun to toss around when the opportunity arises.

Other things of note, since they have been hashed around here. I'm still on the original brakes, front and rear. The original Firestone tires gave me

61,000 miles. The only problems either not covered under a recall or normal wear and tear were a new clutch (I destroyed the original....) and the thermostat housing cracked. Nice of them to make it out of plastic!

R**2 (Ron)

Reply to
ronrut

I know you can calculate your petrol in UK mpg

but did you calculate your petrol consumtpion in US mpg you get 24.5mpg.......

where you fuel economy now?

and one other thing the topic concerns 2003, 2.0 zetec auto wagon..........not 2001, 1.6 zetec

Reply to
corra

In message , corra writes

Please...... just because you are suffering from crap fuel consumption, don't accuse others of exaggerating theirs because it is a totally groundless assertion.

Reply to
Paul Giverin

If Your mileage with automatic transmission is less than 25 then something is wrong!

Reply to
Kjell Harnesk

In alt.autos.ford.focus corra :

17-20 mpg (11.7-13.8 l/100 km), for sure this is possible if not a little more, on an almost empty highway it just takes about half an hour.;)

My 2.0l manual usually guzzles about 9-9.5 l/100 km (25-26 mpg), the mentioned 30 mpg (7.8 l/100km) should be possible with a little care, not much more then 80 mph (130 km/h) on highways and not much city. But then you could have bought the 1.4l engine in the first place...

Reply to
Michael Heiming

stick to the Jet engines Paul........this stuff is way over your head.

Reply to
corra

That sounds about average for US cars.

No they aren't - it's about slightly below average.

I use a spreadsheet to calc :-)

My 2004 ZX5 (.36 CD compared to .31 CD for the sedan means poorer mileage) and yet I am still getting 33.3 mpg (imperial gal) with about 60% highway mileage, air conditioner usually on or the moonroof open, speed of 120 kph (75 mph) -- yes I am a bit of a lead foot even on some of the shitiest roads imaginable and Canadian winters. I also have about 50 extra lbs of gear in the back on a permanent basis. This works out to roughly 27.7 mpg US so I would say C&D is *** CONSERVATIVE *** in their road test.

If you can't get AT LEAST that on good roads doing 65 mph in the US, you do indeed have a serious problem. Either with your car or your arithmetic.

My other experience with the same engine (all manuals): '98 ZX2 30.9 mpg '00 ZTS 29.4 mpg '03 ZX5 30.7 mpg '04 ZX5 33.3 mpg (more highway miles this year)

I usually use 87 octane but for the first three cars I used a fair bit of

89 octane 5-10% ethanol added which means a LOWER gas mileage; Canadian winters mean 5 minute warm-ups to clean the snow/frost off, -35*C so I've got the seat heaters on and use the 4-season tires on snow.
Reply to
Roarmeister

I have a 2001 Ford Focus , 2.0l Zetec engine, automatic transmission.

I "drive" my car because I find that the Zetec with the Auto transmission is a bit sluggish unless you keep the revs up. I am getting 28-29 miles per imperial gallon around town and I have got as high as 40 mpg on the highway through BC last month.

I did have a problem with lousy gas mileage about 2 years ago, took it into Ford dealer and they found a problem with one of the emissions control devices.. The fuel consumption does go up in the winter ,when it gets cold, but that is understandable. I did find that if you stop fuelling the car when the gas pump first clicks off, as Ford recommends in the handbook, you will be short fuelling the car by about 3 litres of gas. To do a proper gas mileage test I found that I had fuel the car till I could not get any more in the tank and do it over 5 - 6 tanks. That's the way I see it.

some of you claim 30mpg with manual transmission. Car and Driver reported 25mpg after a long term roadtest of automatic 2001 SE Wagon

I think these numbers are BS

bottom line is I think people can't calculate MPG properly

Reply to
Gino
[snip]

^^^^

[snip]

But your first post in this thread mentions a 2001!

I have a 2001 wagon, automatic. US. Getting 25 is low, 27-28 is typical, and occasionally I get 30 mpg.

Reply to
Tony Wesley

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