why does the aviator get such poor mileage?

[blacklsc1]

so me and my wife are considering buying a truck. Our requirements are 4wd and a 3rd row. I started looking at the mazda cx-9 and the subaru tribeca which i really like, but i dont like the 35k+ sticker, so then it dawns on me a lincoln aviator would be alot cheaper. so i started looking at 2005 aviator awd and there in the 10-14k range which is cool, but then i look at the mileage ratings of 11/16 mpg!!?? My wife drive 100 miles round trip for work, so it needs to get decent mileage, but the aviator is just abysmal. i know the aviator has full time 4wd/300+ horsepower/7100lb tow/ and 373's.....but The 05 expedition gets 13/17mpg is 4wd/5.4 liter/and can tow 8600/and has 373s and the 2007 mercury mountaineer which gets 13/18 which is full time 4wd/260 horse 4.6 3 valve/7050 tow rating/3.55 gears. And to add insult to injury the aviator needs premium fuel, where the other will run on regular!!! So in my opinion it seems the aviator is a really bad choice on paper. What do the aviator owners say?? what mileage do you guys get? is it worth it? I still dont understand how the aviator gets such poor ratings, it has a 5 speed auto, and you would think the 373s would help the city mileage.

 

[Flawsey]

I have had my Aviator for 5 years and no problems and now it's down with a engine problem. Which is a know fact with Ford but I think only with the first year which is 03.
The Aviator shares similar things with the Ford Explorer and Mountaineer but it has the same engine as a mustang cobra without a super charger or cast iron block . The way its tune with that engine is why it runs 93 gas. If your wife is going to drive the suv to work I say go with the Mountaineer or other choices . I brought the truck for what it is I could not afford it when it came out with the 45 thousand price tag ,with that price is why they didn't sell good because a few more thousand you could get a Navigator.
You have to understand the Aviator is V8 truck.When I was driving mine to work I was spending like $30 every 3 days in gas and I was get between 13 to 16 mpg .
If you decide to get a Aviator also get extended warranty for sure !

I loved it for it's midsize luxury and still has power with a V8 engine !

Either you are looking for reliability or luxury versus a vehicle that has both .

 

[T-Money]

If you do a cold air intake and some modding to the exhaust you can expect the 11/16 to go up to 13/18. I'm inthe market for one aswell. I've driven a few and even had one overnight. I was getting 14 driving in town.

I thought the window sticker said 13/18. Which is more on par with the 14 I was getting in town. If you really want one I'd test drive one and take it at least on a half hour cruise down the highway to see what it gets and then remember you can expect to see at least 2 more mpg with the cold air and exhaust mods. Alot of people on car domain have done mods that help the mpg's. With some work I don't think 19/20 on the highway is out of the question.

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

I do pretty well with our 2002 Mountaineer, 4.6L 2WD. I would get ~17.5MPG with mixed driving, and have pulled down 22MPG on an interstate run averaging 75MPH loaded with the family and luggage. It does pretty crappy with the limited driving it sees now, but still 13-14MPG.

 

[blacklsc1]

I have had my Aviator for 5 years and no problems and now it's down with a engine problem. Which is a know fact with Ford but I think only with the first year which is 03.
The Aviator shares similar things with the Ford Explorer and Mountaineer but it has the same engine as a mustang cobra without a super charger or cast iron block . The way its tune with that engine is why it runs 93 gas. If your wife is going to drive the suv to work I say go with the Mountaineer or other choices . I brought the truck for what it is I could not afford it when it came out with the 45 thousand price tag ,with that price is why they didn't sell good because a few more thousand you could get a Navigator.
You have to understand the Aviator is V8 truck.When I was driving mine to work I was spending like $30 every 3 days in gas and I was get between 13 to 16 mpg .
If you decide to get a Aviator also get extended warranty for sure !

I loved it for it's midsize luxury and still has power with a V8 engine !

Either you are looking for reliability or luxury versus a vehicle that has both .

as much as i dont want to admit it, its not a smart buy compared to what else is out there. Like i said above the mountaineer and the expedition both have v-8s and get better fuel economy AND on regular fuel. I still dont see how it gets such bad fuel mileage, the aviator and mountaineer both have a 5 speed auto and the expedition has a 4 speed auto. More the likely i will go with an 05-06 mountaineer, there only about 2-4k more then a 05 aviator. As far as mods i can add a cold air and cat back to the mountaineer and get 1 or 2 mpg better as well.

 

[Onefreshls]

wow i drive a 96 gmc suburabn with 3:42 gears and a 44 gallon gas tank and i get like 18 miles to a gallon and i drive her. plus i put a posi in and ew tranny and have a new motor for her but i dont get why the trucks get so bad of gas miles to a gallon

 

[AVEY10]

as much as i dont want to admit it, its not a smart buy compared to what else is out there. Like i said above the mountaineer and the expedition both have v-8s and get better fuel economy AND on regular fuel. I still dont see how it gets such bad fuel mileage, the aviator and mountaineer both have a 5 speed auto and the expedition has a 4 speed auto. More the likely i will go with an 05-06 mountaineer, there only about 2-4k more then a 05 aviator. As far as mods i can add a cold air and cat back to the mountaineer and get 1 or 2 mpg better as well.

there are key differences between the 05 and 06 mountaineers. 05 was last year for 2nd gens and had a 2V head and 5spd auto, while the 3rd gens cames with 3V heads and a 6spd auto. plus the minor differences in the exterior and interior.

blacklsc1 if i were you id go with a 3rd gen mountaineer, but im also biased. lol.
when comparing a 2nd gen mountaineer and a aviator everyone would take the aviator, but a 3rd gen vs a aviator, the mountaineer is the smarter and better choice.

plan on getting a 3rd gen premier soon and then do a ground up resoration on my 97' willow green 1st gen.

 

[Lincoln Luebbe]

+1 AVEY10,

We had a first gen 1997 mountaineer AWD and got around 12-13 mpg in town, then bought an 03 Navigator (in 2004) and got 11.5-12.5 in town. The Aviator was produced back when gas mileage was not as big of a concern as it is now. I remember back in 2004 when we bought the Navigator we had to fill up on the way home. Premium was 1.59 a gallon...

The marker shifted a lot between the time the Aviator was being conceptualized (2001-2002) and the other 2005-2007 models you mentioned were being preoduced. The small increase in gas mileage is a result of that. Also if you compare a same year V8 AWD Mountaineer or V8 4WD Explorer with an AWD Aviator in equal driving settings the gas mileage won't be much different at all. And I agree with many people on here the 2007+ Mountaineers are a really nice ride for the money, we took one out when we traded our Zephyr in.