Fuel consumption from XR6 to XR8

Francis · 18-10-2006, 09:16 AM

Hi all, my first post in about a year, so sorry if it's been said and done before.

I have an AU XR6 UTE.

While I love it, I'm playing with the idea of up grading to either a latter model AU 3 XR8 or a early model BA XR8.

I use the Ute for work. I do a heap of Driving, at least 500kms a week, with a 50 50 mix of City and hwy driving.

What I'm wondering if anyone can offer any real word experience or advice on just how much of a difference I would notice in my fuel consumption by going to the XR8 either AU or BA.

I tend to get about 450- 500kms on a bad tank, and about 500 - 600kms on a good one.

DougM · 18-10-2006, 09:41 AM

I had an AU111 XR8 manual. I do a lot of driving. The XR8 was giving me about 350-370km a tank. Mostly suburban driving. After I got a custom tune , I got more power with similar economy. I now have a BA XR6 turbo auto and I get around 390-440km a tank. Again mostly suburban driving. My wifes AU 6 is only 30-40km a tank better than my turbo!! Long highway trips are much more efficient. The turbo is around 500-550km a tank. I do have a custom tune now on the turbo...Either way,if you give either a lot of stick(6 or 8) than the fuel just dissappears!! Good luck!!

MRJUCY · 18-10-2006, 10:07 AM

The difference between an equivalent 6 & 8 in fuel really isn't huge, maybe a couple of bucks a week. When moving there really is no difference at all it's sitting in traffic turning over a bigger motor that you notice it.

I just did an interstate trip with a couple of XR6 Turbos & a FPV & my AU V8 was much better on fuel.

james22 · 18-10-2006, 11:58 AM

Depends on the car, mine for example chews fuel real bad. About 18-20L per 100km, (300-350km per tank) town. Typically they use about 13-15L around town & 9-11L on hwy.
I just got a rich tune and a bit of a weighted foot

outback_ute · 19-10-2006, 02:47 AM

Francis when looking at km per tank figures (like DougM gave), don't forget the difference in tank size between sedans & utes - not to mention that people may fill up with different amounts of fuel left! I think on average you are looking at around 2L/100km more with a V8.

Francis · 19-10-2006, 08:34 AM

Thanks heaps guy's.

I am really keen to get in to a Manual V8 this time round. With all the info you guy's have given it does not sound to bad to go to the V8.

Falcon Freak · 19-10-2006, 09:03 AM

My manual V8 XT averages 16L/100km around town and 10L/100km on country roads.

FF

JC · 19-10-2006, 05:38 PM

In the "good old days", consumption for an would be around 20mpg, and a six may have been 28 or so. These days, with EFIetc, they are very simlar. I would say the proposed 2l/100km is about right.

HLC · 19-10-2006, 06:12 PM

BA XR8's are THIRSTY.

my old man has a BA 2 XR8 - sedan, and it drinks a hell of a lot more than his 5L EL- bad comparison i know, but it was a windsor like the AU's

wesomc · 19-10-2006, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HLC

BA XR8's are THIRSTY.

my old man has a BA 2 XR8 - sedan, and it drinks a hell of a lot more than his 5L EL- bad comparison i know, but it was a windsor like the AU's

yeah, I have an AU2 XR8 ute in a manual and that gets around 10L/100km open road (sometimes less, sometimes more depending on how it's driven). Prob about 15-16L/100km purely around town driving (can get a bit worse with more right foot!). Guys with BA XR8's around town are getting anywhere from 12L upwards at best! XR6 Turbo utes seem to be the go if you're looking at BA's with good economy and power compramise.

private9 · 20-10-2006, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HLC

BA XR8's are THIRSTY.

my old man has a BA 2 XR8 - sedan, and it drinks a hell of a lot more than his 5L EL- bad comparison i know, but it was a windsor like the AU's

Yeah, my brother's got one and while it's a great car, it is shocking on fuel (for a modern car). Driven reasonably sedately in mostly suburban driving, he cannot better 20l/100kms.

HLC · 20-10-2006, 12:28 AM

yeah my old man is sitting around the 15-16L mark/100km...

nothing an edit cant fix though

:

DOC · 20-10-2006, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by private9

Yeah, my brother's got one and while it's a great car, it is shocking on fuel (for a modern car). Driven reasonably sedately in mostly suburban driving, he cannot better 20l/100kms.

well then he needs to get it checked / tuned, driving hard i don't even come close to that.

MRJUCY · 20-10-2006, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DOC

well then he needs to get it checked / tuned, driving hard i don't even come close to that.

Must be the extra aerodynamic slip on yours from all that waxing etc

:

Francis · 23-10-2006, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wesomc

yeah, I have an AU2 XR8 ute in a manual and that gets around 10L/100km open road (sometimes less, sometimes more depending on how it's driven). Prob about 15-16L/100km purely around town driving (can get a bit worse with more right foot!). Guys with BA XR8's around town are getting anywhere from 12L upwards at best! XR6 Turbo utes seem to be the go if you're looking at BA's with good economy and power compramise.

So how many Kms per tank are you getting?

My XR6 takes about 70L every time I fill up, which costs so $80 with the current rate. ON a good tank I'll get around 600kms to a tank, on a bad I'll get about 480. So roughly what have you noticed on how many kms per tank your getting?

jonbays · 23-10-2006, 10:23 AM

Both the AU XR8 and BA 3 valve V8 will probably do almost 100km less a tank in the city.

On the freeway about the same. If petrol is honestly a real business cost you need to consider you will pay extra every week for the privelige. A lot of people are happy to do that. A few also post up how great their fuel consumption is sometimes! not Always though Ford V8's are very thirsty when pushed. The LS1 is economical in comparison.

Francis · 23-10-2006, 12:10 PM

Thanks for that post. I really appreciate smart and honest replays like that.

Your spot on right about not being a wise business move to go for an 8.

I already have an XC V8 Falcon that I try to drive on the weekend, and while I should really think about selling it, I have often thought about how good it would be to drive around all day in a V8, hence why I was thinking about up grading my Xr6 to an 8.

But everything you have said is true. It is a lot of extra money for that privilege and at the end of the day, in a business sense it's money that wont make money.

I'm really not sure now what to do. I would really love to drive a modern Manual v8 around, just enjoy the sound and fell every day of the week, every time you hope in the car, as apposed to trying to find time on the 2 days off a week you get. That's why I was hoping that the AU V8 would be only a slight cost increase with kind driving.

I really have to 1 think about how much a week it's going to chew in to profits, and 2 I really should start thinking about selling my XC, which I really really don't want to see go, but it might be a smarter move to make.

Lukeyson · 23-10-2006, 12:56 PM

My AUII XR8 manual ute gets consistantly 640-650km with 98RON fuel with 50-50 driving, (and i dont drive like my mum would) then the fuel light comes on and its normally 71-72Litres to fill back to the brim, but i never have anything in the back.

Interestingly i tried 2 tanks of United 95, and the best i got was 540kms to the fuel light came on

Francis · 23-10-2006, 07:04 PM

Thats a great rate! I would be really happy with that. I just did one in mine. I got 544kms and it took 68L.

AUXRVIII · 23-10-2006, 10:32 PM

I have an AU1 XR8. I did a run up to shepparton, filled up in Geelong on way up, participated in a motorkhana for the day, got back to Geelong after covering 550kms with 1/4 tank left. Around town I can easilly achieve 400-450kms per tank.

XEESP_351 · 24-10-2006, 12:40 AM

my au3 xr8 gets nearlly 100 klms better than my eb xr6 around town but i run standard unleaded in the eb and bp98 in au
fuel price lot more though for au so averages out anyways 220 xr8's (unsure of others) u have to run premium 95 ron min so u have to factor that too

OzJavelin · 24-10-2006, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonbays

Always though Ford V8's are very thirsty when pushed. The LS1 is economical in comparison.

Yep .. my AU V8 (175kw) uses more fuel than my VY SV8 (235kw). Even on LPG the AU is more expensive to run!?

Francis · 24-10-2006, 06:09 PM

Gee, It seems like some people are getting great results and others shocking!

Well I'll keep my options open anyway.

If anyone see any AU 111's or cheap BA's around the Gold Coast area then keep me in mind.

I'm after a Manual, and if it's an AU I wanted Black, if it's a BA I'll look at almost any colour.

bencat · 24-10-2006, 06:34 PM

As a comparison mate, I recently sold my XR6 AU1 5 speed ute and bought a BA1 Auto XR6T sedan, I get about the same fuel economy from the Turbo as the Ute unless I give it a hard time. I drive a minimum of 80 Klm's a day, half traffic half expressway.

The naturally aspirated AU could be thrashed and use a LOT less fuel than the turbo, but for normal work and back stuff, traffic etc there about the same.

Bang for your buck I'd go a Turbo, there so cheap it's not funny, plenty of people trying to sell them for up to $29K, I paid $22.5K for one with 24k on the clock. Shop around and make people silly offers, in 10 weeks the calendar ticks over to 2007, and perception being what it is the 03 and 04 models will drop another $4k simply because another year has passed.

The XR8's hold their value better at the moment, but put 4 more years on the BA' and BF's and there all worth nothing, I'd say long run the T's will offer a better return for an 7 year old car.

XEESP_351 · 24-10-2006, 10:25 PM

Ls1 is better on juice than xr8 coz the factory tune is leaned to buggery

Francis · 25-10-2006, 06:08 PM

"in 10 weeks the calendar ticks over to 2007, and perception being what it is the 03 and 04 models will drop another $4k simply because another year has passed."

Thats a great point! I will hang off untill next year, as I would really perfer a BA XR8 anyway.

The Mighty Red · 25-10-2006, 07:33 PM

Our Blue XR6 avgs about 9L/100ks on average and thats 90% Highway usage between Landsborough and Nambour 5 days a week.

bencat · 26-10-2006, 01:04 PM

You won't regret upgrading, imho the BA is a huge improvement on the AU, and if you spend a bit of time in the car you'll truly appciate the effort Ford put in to the ergonomics side of the design. The first week I had the BA I was a bit 'undecided', the second week I was very very happy.

An '04 would possibly be better simply because, depending on the build month, you can get the Ford extended warrenty. Some will say it's not worth it, but for 3 more years and up to 160,000 klm's I feel it's good value.

The rules for an extended warrenty are:
No more than 90k on the clock and less than 3 years old. (I got mine extended in October, and she's a November '03 model, cost me $1200, shop around, all dealers will do it over the phone on visa, and there is a difference in price between dealers)

Bearing in mind a warrenty is only as good as the person negotiating the repair with the dealer, some people get stuff done that others can't just because of their approach - calm, reasonable, logical and persistant, if that dosen't work, go to another dealer, if it's a bona-fide problem you will get it fixed.