Turbocharged Cars Don’t Live Up to Fuel-Economy Hype Says Consumer Reports

[Ernest]

Did you really think that ecoboost was anything more than marketing.

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[quentinberg007]

Originally Posted by gggplaya

I don't have a login for CR, and for good reason.

Ok they did test towing but it's completely idiotic because they have the lowest rear end ratio in the ecoboost. 3.31 is for the buyer who only tows a garden utility trailer or simply doesn't ever tow with their truck and wants the best possible unloaded mpg. For people that tow on occasion or moderate 3-5klbs loads, they would get the 3.55 rear end. For people that tow often or heavy loads >5klbs you would get the 3.73 rear end.

The fact that they would do comparisons in towing using the worst possible rear end to tow 7500lbs is beyond me. Shows you how flawed this test is using max tow ratings by optioning the trucks with different rear end ratios in an effort to make an apples to apples comparison is just silly. It's called "consumer" reports, and any buyer knowing they'll be towing 7500lbs more than a few miles is going to opt for the 3.73 rear end with either engine. With those rear's they chose, they should have used a more realistic weight like 3-4000lbs.

An yes, i would like to see the towing mileage and unloaded mileage in the report. Consumers can make better decisions knowing how often they use the truck for either situation. They would opt for the engine based on their lifestyle.

Wouldn't the gas mileage be even worse if the Ecoboost had the shorter gearing to make it tow better than the selected 5.0? I think it was a pretty good apples to apples comparison. They picked trucks towed about the same, performed about the same (0-60, 1/4mi, etc), and got the same mileage.

[Paidfor]

So.............if you drive your turbocharged vehicle aggresively......it gets worse gas mileage?
Dammit
Dammit
Dammit

[gggplaya]

Originally Posted by quentinberg007

Wouldn't the gas mileage be even worse if the Ecoboost had the shorter gearing to make it tow better than the selected 5.0? I think it was a pretty good apples to apples comparison. They picked trucks towed about the same, performed about the same (0-60, 1/4mi, etc), and got the same mileage.

I wouldn't think so. The higher rear end ratio gives you more leverage making it easier for the engine to do it's job. Which means less load for the engine and it can jump to a higher gear faster, it can also stay in that higher gear on the highway keeping engine revs lower.

I never towed with the 5.0, but my friend's hemi stays in 4th gear(out of 5) all the time on the highway towing his travel trailer. The ecoboost stays in 6th unless it hits a hill, then jumps to 5th or 4th when going uphill. That's with a heavier trailer on the ecoboost.

Tow ratings are also not dictated by engine power, much of it has to do with the chassis, brakes, wheel base and the strength of components. Tow 7500lbs with either engine, other than a WOT test, and you'll see the difference. In WOT other than the initial short lag in first gear, the engine stays in it's powerband the entire time, which when comparing towing is really dumb.

Basing your review and comparison on max tow ratings and WOT testing is no way to judge a vehicle, especially when one vehicle is handicapped.

So towing MPG comparison between the two vehicles set up like this is worthless.

[Rootus]

Originally Posted by Paidfor

So.............if you drive your turbocharged vehicle aggresively......it gets worse gas mileage?
Dammit
Dammit
Dammit

I'm pretty sure their point was that if you want exactly the same performance, you'll end up with exactly the same mileage, or worse. In other words, turbocharged smaller displacement engines are not a panacea as some people like to suggest.

[sxotty]

Originally Posted by Rootus

I'm pretty sure their point was that if you want exactly the same performance, you'll end up with exactly the same mileage, or worse. In other words, turbocharged smaller displacement engines are not a panacea as some people like to suggest.

That is simply not true.

The point is you stick a driver in a car with a turbo and they drive more aggressively and do not get better mileage. If you drive the same velocity profile you do better on MPG.