JAZ

Yes, I have navigation and it's been flawless in the 100 miles I've used it, lol.

I just checked my version on an SEL built on Feb. 7, 2013: Sync VersionGen2 - V3.5.1

Couldn't wait to drain a whole tank so on the new MAX with only 40 miles on the odo did a 49.9 mile trip today on flat roads with temp at 40, winds at 20 and only touched 70mph once to see how it handled: 42.2mpg.

6 months, Rachel...and when I told my son about haggling for a better price when the subscription expires he cautioned me saying that once they have your credit card number, forget about trying to get a better deal.

I've used these on and off for decades and they work very well when a wet wash isn't practical. http://www.autogeek.net/kozak.html?gclid=CPXNhp__vLUCFcdDMgoddRIAVQ

One consideration affecting mpg I don't recall seeing mentioned is wheel alignment. Just because the vehicle is brand new doesn't mean it's correct. Alignment can be checked as part of your warranty.

Perhaps not so much of a concern on a new (and presumably clean) fuel tank, but from Bankrate.com: Little driving tics and quirks you've had for years could be hurting your car and costing you some serious cash. Here's a closer look at some common driving no-nos and the damage they can do to your car and your wallet. Driving on empty Do you pride yourself on getting every last drop of gas out of your gas tank before filling up? Cut it out. Sediment from gasoline settles at the bottom of every gas tank. When you let your gas level run low, you force your car to use the dirtiest gas in its tank for fuel. The lower your car's gas level sinks, the more the dirt gets stirred up from the bottom of the tank. Drive on a near-empty tank and you risk this dirt getting into your car's fuel line and even into the engine. There's a good chance your car's fuel filter won't be able to catch all of it, especially if you drive with a barely filled gas tank on a regular basis. "You're going to pull the heaviest sediment into the fuel line," says Karl Brauer, editor-in-chief at Edmunds.com. "If it gets all the way to the engine, it could scar or damage internal parts of the engine." If this happens, you're putting extra strain on the engine. And you'll need to flush the entire fuel system if it clogs up with dirt. "You're talking a minimum of a couple of hundred dollars if it really jams up the system," Brauer says. At the very least, you'll need to replace your car's fuel filter more often. That will run you about $100. And if sediment deposits or sludge form on your fuel injectors, you won't like the way your car drives. "The car will run funny," says Tony Molla, a spokesman for the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence. "It will feel like the car needs a tune-up." The best advice? Never let your gas level dip too low. "It's a good idea to keep your tank half full," Molla says .http://www.bankrate.com/finance/auto/bad-driving-habits-can-wreck-your-wallet-1.aspx

My dealer is located about ten miles from the factory and I've been waiting over two months: sales rep surmises Ford is focussed (pun) on supplying both coasts at the expense of mid-America.

Two things: all recent Ford models I've had were festooned with wires and electronics under the driver's and passenger's seats and the owners manual cautioned against storing items which might damage same. Additionally, if storing anything under the driver's seat be certain it could never roll or travel forward and possibly lodge under the brake pedal. And please wear your hat, scarf and mittens and wait at least two hours after eating before swimming.

I reckon these videos go a long way to explain why some of us are waiting so long for delivery of our vehicles: they're being consumed in crash testing.

Eddy, I'm an avid bicyclist and I must disagree with you. I subscribe fully to the following: "For every uphill there's a downhill and for every headwind there's another headwind."

The 0W would only be thinner when the engine is cold, so it should have minimal benefit. Exactly: it would slightly mitigate the mpg loss at cold temps (1 or 2% perhaps) for those squeezing the last mpg out of the tank. BTW, I've used the 0w-20 only in engines that specified 5w-20 weight oil. Mobil says the 0w-20 is suitable in such applications, but I concur on following Ford recommendation.

From the Mobil 1 website: One of the myths surrounding synthetic oils is that new engines require a break-in period with conventional oil. The fact is, current engine manufacturing technology does not require this break-in period. As indicated by the decisions of the engineers who design the high-performance cars listed above, Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil can be used starting the day you drive the car off the showroom floor. Additionally, why no mention of Mobil 1 0w-20? I've used it for years and over hundreds of thousand of miles in 4 and 6 cylinder engines with no issues, including annual trips to Houston with its Hades-like temperatures.

4 Use of synthetic or synthetic blend motor oil is not mandatory. Engine oil need only meet the requirements of Ford specification WSS-M2C945-A, SAE 5W-20, GF5, and display the API Certification Mark. 5 Your engine has been designed to be used with Ford engine oil, which gives a fuel economy benefit while maintaining the durability of your engine. Using oils other than the one specified can result in longer engine cranking periods, reduced engine performance, reduced fuel economy and increased emission levels. Above from page 349 of downloaded Owners Manual.

I know of no other publication with the reliability, objectivity and accuracy of Consumer Reports...and I've been reading and subscribing for over 50 years. I began driving about the same time I began reading the magazine and in all that time I've always been able to easily better their mileage figures in comparable vehicles, as well as exceeding the EPA figures ever since they were published. Perhaps they just drive differently in the northeast and I know the traffic there isn't comparable to my flat-land Detroit-area travels so I don't concern myself much with those numbers. I've always been much more interested in mpg than 0-60 times and am looking forward to delivery of an SEL sometime within the next month or so. Perhaps I've learned a thing or two about mpg in a half-century of driving...

http://news.consumer...max-energi.html

For those of you too young to know about an automobile's break-in period: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/saturday-mechanic-blog/how-to-break-in-a-new-car. Living near a big city, 'break-in' has a couple of different meanings, but the included link is the one you need.