I have been hunting for a newer vehicle for a bit to replace my 2004 FX4. I am traveling a bit and want a vehicle that is better in gas mileage than my FX4. Here are my criteria:

1. Gives highway gas mileage of around 22 - 25 mpg
2. Able to tow about 5000 lbs
3. Have 0 - 60 of 7 sec or less

So far, I have narrowed it down to....

1. BMW X5 (gasp! anyone need a kidney?!)
2. Ford Explorer sport (local dealer has a nice 2013 with only 28k miles, epa mpg is towards the lowest end of my spectrum)
3. Toyota Highlander (not too fond of the looks)
4. The new 2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk with the V6 (like that it is smaller - we are empty nesters - but towing is 4500 lbs only, which is ok)

It appears I gravitate towards ford a lot. Had a 96 contour, then a 2002 Mustang and now the 2004 FX4. So, taking a hard look at the 2013 Explorer sport. It will replace my truck () - so want to make sure I am making a sound decision. Any thoughts?

 

Does the X5 do 25 on the highway?

If I were shopping for a midsize SUV dare I say it on a ford site I would go Grand Cherokee all day. Co worker has a '13/14 (?) with the hemi and 8 speed and man does that thing haul the mail and on top of the speed still get's over 20 cruising on the highway if you stay out of it can tow 7,000 lbs and wheels better than any truck you listed.

 

And would guess the hemi gets about 13 around town (if that much ) and must have premium IIRC ?

The wife uses her 13 Sport as a daily commuter here in the dfw area and, according to the car's calcs, averages 20 mpg.... on regular...

we just took it on a 1000 mile round trip and averaged a bit above that...

BUT:
1) we weren't towing (unless you count the weeks worth of hanging clothes and 3 or 4 suitcases and pounds of other stuff she MUST have !)
2) we were never able to see a speed limit sign so we didn't observe it
3) it handled the storms and bad weather well except for one time when we rounded a curve and hit water @ speed with the cruise on it - skeered me when it ACCELERATED trying for traction ! but never lost control...
4) was the best looking car on the trip...

The only problem we had was having Texas plates in Baton Rouge, La when LSU was playing A&M

She has roughly 15k miles on it and the only issue has been the MyFordTouch system - it is Microsoft based, so it is a mess and we still put a Garmin on the dash for navigation...

be ready when hitting it hard - that twin turbo 365 HP will rip the steering wheel out of your hands from the torque steer at the 1-2 shift if you are not fully focused.

 

Finally got a chance to test drove a 2013 Explorer sport - it is so much better ride than my FX4 with the stiff 10 ply tires. The power is exhilarating.
One other one I am considering is the Audi Q5. The premium model is close in price to the Explorer sport, albeit less power. The interior seemed nicer, but do not have some of the bells and whistles of the Ford unless I cough up north of 50 grand ones. I am just not sure of how expensive these vehicles are IF something is to happen outside of warranty.

 

We traded in a 2011 Q5 Premium+ for the Explorer Sport - no comparison in our humble opinion --- especially for the wife as her daily driver... she likes the sport much better !

And the Q5 called for premium fuel only whereas the Sport can run on regular...
Audi service is much more expensive than the sports,
the navigation systems are a wash - both are horrible - MFT is microsoft - nuff said - NEVER got a map update on the audi and the maps were 3 yrs old when I bought it !

 

We've got 10k on our '13 Sport. It's been as expected, flawless. Love the truck. The only downfall is towing. I put 4k lbs behind it, and while it tows it, it gets very hot doing so(egt wise). If you have plans on towing long distance, I wouldn't recommend it.

 

Well I am still on the fence about selling my 2004 fx4 and getting the explorer... If I do keep it, I need to tune it up. Dreading those spark plugs though.

 

Sure wish I could get the kind of fuel mileage everyone else gets. I have a 2014 Explorer Sport. On regular I get 12 - 13 mixed city streets and parkways. If its only city driving I get about 11. On the highway (NYS Thruway), with the cruise glued on 65 I'm able to squeak out 20.5. Haven't towed yet but I can imagine it would be a lot worse.

But then for 8 years I had an F350 Diesel. Seems like everyone on the associated forum was getting 20, 21, 22 mpg. I was lucky to get 11, most times got 9 - 10.

So, let's see; I had a 7,000 lb. truck with a diesel that got 11mpg on fuel that (around here) cost $0.20 a gallon MORE than Premium Gas. Now I have a 4,700 lb. SUV that gets 12 mpg on Regular. And they are both rated within 5 horsepower of each other. Torque, of course is another matter.

I'm not saying that anyone's MPG claims are incorrect but you shouldn't take them as gospel. Find someone with the same vehicle you're thinking about and ask them in person.

I'm really not complaining though. This thing is a blast to drive and if you want power you'll pay for it at the pump. I knew that going in. My biggest fuel mileage related complaint is an 18.5 gallon tank in a vehicle that gets 12 mpg. I've had to fill up 3 times in one day!

 

Well, pup, driving in New York is not driving, is it ?
I think they call it parking for the most part...
and at zero mph it's hard to average anything much over 0 mpg

I can tell you that the mpg for both the sport at 20 mpg (the wife chides me all the time how my driving drops her average below 20 mpg!) and the 350 at 16 mpg around the dfw area are what the displays show, but we are not in stop and go traffic 90% of the time... nor do we double check the displays since we really don't care about mpg or else we would have neutered ourselves and just got a prius !

 

My Wife drives hers down the dallas north tollway (AKA Texas Autobahn) at 80+ and she's averaging 18. She's got a lead foot and after having so many V8's she can't stay off the thing. I average 19-20 running the roads in a more "civilized" manner but on the highway I eek out 23

 

I guess what they say is true about everything being bigger in Texas - including a gallon of gas Not disputing your mileage, but I just returned from an 800 mile round trip - all of it interstate, all with the cruise set on 65 - 68. The Lie-o-Meter said 21.4 mpg. Actual calculated mileage was 18.6. This was on regular. The one time I tried a tankful of premium I found no measurable difference.

It is what I expected. I didn't buy this vehicle for its fuel mileage but rather for its power and handling. I've always believed that if you wanna play, you gotta pay.

 

You are probably correct if you checked the mpg by hand, but I've never nor will I
it is what it is...

that 0 to 60 in a 5k+ lb vehicle will not give great mpg... but it's fine for us !

 

I used the computer to measure average mileage so I did the hand calculation and got 22 on the highway and 18 in town. Now I owe the Wife a tank of gas

 

For consistency the query was "known issues Dodge Durango, rinse repeat for Highlander Infinity JX35, Lexus etc.
The CVT tranny for the Infinity and Pathfinder was problematic and customer service worst for both. Durango seem dodge left out quality in the inspection criteria. For us it comes down to Explorer Limited, Mazda CV9 or Lexus RX350.
All other issues for most all models were personal preferences about nav, seats harsh rides etc. I only cared about mechanical issues.

Only a test drive will tell for shure.... but I'm leaning towards the Explorer Limited over the Lexus only because Austin is about 75 miles from home...sigh....

 

We have a 2013 Explorer Sport that just turned over 26K miles.

We have measured the mileage manually, and found it to be within .2, so it isn't worth the time and effort and making sure you go to the same station all the time, to do.

We have found the EPA average for city to be spot on. Our city driving is worst case scenario, being a small town, as the engine has a hard time warming up in the distances traveled. There are stop signs and lights and if you miss the first light, you are screwed. Once in town, hops from place to place are only a few tenths of a mile. Again, worst case scenario.

For highway mileage, we have found the EPA average to be a bit low, as long as we drive sanely. Once a week the hubby has to drive 120 miles, one way, to get to work. This is from 5000ft, down to 1300ft, up to 4500ft, and back down to 1100 feet, with a lot of up and down in between. Then back home is just that in reverse. We set the cruise at 69 to 72 depending on how we feel (I end up going to the Valley quite a bit also). Typically she will come home sitting right on 22, or just a hair below, or a hair above. One time, when actually trying for mileage, she got home sitting on 24.6. These are hard climbs at 6-7% grades, and long.

We have only run premium in it once in 26K miles.

I will say, if you get on it a lot, you are not going to be happy with the mileage. However, if you get on any vehicle with a lot of power, you are not going to be happy with the mileage. These Sports are very fun to drive, so it does not surprise me that folks are hotdoggin around. As the EPA mileage stickers say, "your mileage may vary."

We love this vehicle, and anyone we have been able to talk to, with one, loves it. The combination of fantastic looks, great power and handling with a good ride, plus very good fuel economy (when you try), plus great utility and features (many of which some luxury vehicles don't have), makes for a very compelling product. We are starting to see Sports all over the place.