Rocky Mountain Mileage Report

Before buying our 2012 Ford Flex, we went back and forth again and again on whether to go with the Ecoboost turbocharged engine which would have cost about $6000 more than the normally aspirated engine. Our biggest concern was whether we’d need the Ecoboost for pulling the Escape 19 through the Rocky Mountains, particularly getting through the Eisenhower Tunnel at the Continental Divide. Almost any trip west from Nebraska requires passing through the Eisenhower Tunnel to get to “the good stuff.”

As it turns out, we did not cough up the money for the Ecoboost engine and we are thrilled with the performance we got with our first Rocky Mountain tow:

Vail, CO (elevation 8380 feet) to Frisco, CO (elevation 9042 feet) including the climb through the Vail Pass (elevation 10,662 feet) -----16.1 mpg, done at 4250 rpm and 40 mph, which is near peak torque for the engine

Frisco, CO (elevation 9042) to Denver,CO (elevation 5280)-----20.4 mpg, including the climb to the Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnel (elevation 11,138 feet). During the hardest part of the climb, we achieved approximately 8 mpg. at 40 mph. The rest of the drive was typically 60-65 mph.

This is very impressive performance, we think. The Flex transmission has a “grade assist” feature that enhances engine braking on descents, and keeps the transmission in a lower gear during ascents. This worked very well, reducing the need to brake during descents, and reducing the amount of up and down shifting during ascents. The burning brakes we smelled were definitely not ours.

Here is some extra data once beyond the mountains:

Denver to North Platte, NE – 17.5 mpg at 60 mph

North Platte, NE to Kearney, NE – 16.7 mpg at 60 mph