Holy cow! 18.6 mpg with 2004 Crown Vic

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18.6 sounds about right. Regardless of cylinder count, you're hauling around 4,200 pounds and that takes a certain amount of power. The weather has been nice lately, which improves it. I'd expect lower in the summer with 100*F temperatures and lower in the winter with colder starts.

That's right at what our Acura MDX gets in town. It has fewer cylinders (6) but it weighs more (4,500 pounds).

Mom had a '92 Crown Vic with the 4.6L, and she got upper teens in town as well. It'd get 24-26 mpg on the highway.
 
Your mileage is right on the mark. I have an '08 Grand Marquis that consistently returns 18 to 19 mpg around town. Glad you joined the club! I sure love mine.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
18 MPG beats or equals my old volvo 940 wagon.

Similarly, my 530i won't do better in pure city driving either, despite having fewer cylinder, less weight, and no slushbox.
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: bepperb
That's about what I would have expected a few years ago... but... since then the BITOG cult following has led me to believe it would do just short of 30mpg in any environment while providing sports car handling and all terrain capability... of course with a minivan size interior and a trunk that can hold a 4 x 8ft sheet of plywood.

Seriously, though, that's a good looking car... doesn't look like a beat to death police interceptor by any stretch.


High teens are decent for a full size sedan.

By comparison, my 180 mph luxury sedan has averaged 17+ mpg across 100k miles, including all dragstrip and road course miles as well...






Hehehe. Yep.


I've had mine doing 160mph and the car was registering 16mpg on the digital readout.



People can run their mouths all they want about dodge but the reality of the MDS equipp hemi is nothing short of a miracle.
 
Originally Posted By: Clevy
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: bepperb
That's about what I would have expected a few years ago... but... since then the BITOG cult following has led me to believe it would do just short of 30mpg in any environment while providing sports car handling and all terrain capability... of course with a minivan size interior and a trunk that can hold a 4 x 8ft sheet of plywood.

Seriously, though, that's a good looking car... doesn't look like a beat to death police interceptor by any stretch.


High teens are decent for a full size sedan.

By comparison, my 180 mph luxury sedan has averaged 17+ mpg across 100k miles, including all dragstrip and road course miles as well...






Hehehe. Yep.


I've had mine doing 160mph and the car was registering 16mpg on the digital readout.



People can run their mouths all they want about dodge but the reality of the MDS equipp hemi is nothing short of a miracle.



I assure you it wasn't getting anything remotely close to 16 mpg.
 
Originally Posted By: expat
Originally Posted By: G-MAN
Anybody who thinks 18.6 mpg is "horrible" in nothing but short trip, around town driving from a 4.6 V8 in a 4200 lb car needs a serious reality check.
smirk2.gif



I guess that's why I would never want to drive a 4.6 V8 in a 4200 lb car around town.

Sorry 30 years ago that might have been considered acceptable. But not (for most people, including the Police) today.



Not exactly true. Police departments know larger, rear wheel drive cars are better suited for police work. I drive a 2011 Crown Vic PI at work and so far the lifetime mileage average is just under 15 MPG. Mine is a little better than most as I get more highway miles than most. That is with just a little over 40,000 miles. The department heads are fine with these mileage numbers.
 
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Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
A shop here that works on CV taxis sez 18 is what careful cab drivers get and 12-15 is what the hard drivers get.


Sounds pretty accurate to me.
 
Had fresh plugs put in this morning. From the look of the old ones, they were the original plugs from the factory. Which means I got 18.6 mpg on ten year old plugs with 140,000 miles on them.
shocked2.gif


With the new plugs, the 4.6 is noticeably more peppy off the line.
 
Originally Posted By: G-MAN
Had fresh plugs put in this morning. From the look of the old ones, they were the original plugs from the factory. Which means I got 18.6 mpg on ten year old plugs with 140,000 miles on them.
shocked2.gif


With the new plugs, the 4.6 is noticeably more peppy off the line.



Don't forget about the fuel filter. I think it may be serviceable still.
 
Originally Posted By: G-MAN
With the new plugs, the 4.6 is noticeably more peppy off the line.

That's good to know since I'm only about 5,000 miles behind you. As far as I know my plugs are original as well. I passed Ca smog last year with no problem at all but I have noticed it seems a little less responsive lately. I have new plugs sitting on my work bench just haven't gotten around to changing them.

Originally Posted By: beast3300
Don't forget about the fuel filter. I think it may be serviceable still.


Good point. Yes the fuel filter is replaceable on the 04 models. The one thing I should warn about is it does NOT use the same clip as older models. The clips that come with most aftermarket filters for this car will have a clip that is too big. I went to Ford and paid through the nose for the correct clip, but later found out Napa has them for much cheaper.

Edit: Before anyone asks - according to two different Ford dealerships, the OEM fuel filters do NOT come with clips.
 
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Originally Posted By: klt1986
Originally Posted By: expat
Originally Posted By: G-MAN
Anybody who thinks 18.6 mpg is "horrible" in nothing but short trip, around town driving from a 4.6 V8 in a 4200 lb car needs a serious reality check.
smirk2.gif



I guess that's why I would never want to drive a 4.6 V8 in a 4200 lb car around town.

Sorry 30 years ago that might have been considered acceptable. But not (for most people, including the Police) today.



Not exactly true. Police departments know larger, rear wheel drive cars are better suited for police work. I drive a 2011 Crown Vic PI at work and so far the lifetime mileage average is just under 15 MPG. Mine is a little better than most as I get more highway miles than most. That is with just a little over 40,000 miles. The department heads are fine with these mileage numbers.

The car is a tool .
 
My Crown Vic consistently gets 18-19 mpg in mixed driving and it is the police package. There are some tanks where I let it idle more than normal and it only drops to about 17.

GREAT cars!
 
G-MAN,

I hope you used anti-seize when you did the plugs! I didn't on my old Mustang, and lost a plug to the infamous 4.6L spark plug blow-out.
 
Originally Posted By: Jakob_1992
G-MAN,

I hope you used anti-seize when you did the plugs! I didn't on my old Mustang, and lost a plug to the infamous 4.6L spark plug blow-out.


You can lose one with or without anti-seize. I used it on all of mine and still launched #4.
 
Originally Posted By: Jakob_1992
G-MAN,

I hope you used anti-seize when you did the plugs! I didn't on my old Mustang, and lost a plug to the infamous 4.6L spark plug blow-out.



One has nothing to do with the other.
 
Originally Posted By: slug_bug
Horrible? I'd say that's pretty darn good for a 10 year old heavy V8 boat of an automobile in mostly city driving!


Fixed for you.
laugh.gif
 
The spark plug problems were reportedly fixed for the 2004 model year.

I had a Lincoln Mark VIII that would get near 29 MPG on a long cruise. I once had the opportunity to drive it across Montana, and loved that trip! I wish my son hadn't destroyed it. Anyway, my next car will be a Vic. Between my MINI and a Vic, I think I will spend less on the Vic when you consider fuel and repair costs.
 
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Jakob_1992
G-MAN,

I hope you used anti-seize when you did the plugs! I didn't on my old Mustang, and lost a plug to the infamous 4.6L spark plug blow-out.


You can lose one with or without anti-seize. I used it on all of mine and still launched #4.


Luckily the newer taps and inserts make repairing this a simple task! whenever i change plugs on any modular i also put pb blaster in every hole and wait 10-15 minutes before i try to remove them, even then i always have a tap and inserts ready if needed.
 
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