I drive 95% highway, very mountainous, heavy winds. We put almost 50k miles on our 05 AWD. About the best I could do with the 05 on our usual route was 27 MPG.

We just traded the 05 for an 08, to get the new creature comforts and also hoping for better mileage. We decided we didn't need the AWD.

I estimated that I would get 3 MPG better -- 2 because of FWD and 1 because of better aerodynamics on the 08. I'm happy to say that I'm getting 32 MPG, 5 better than before, and that's after only 600 miles.

Of course, I don't know how much of the 5 MPG improvement is because of the switch from AWD to FWD and how much is because of the improvements in the 08 compared to the 05.

We also love the 08 style and interior improvements. With gas prices high and the $3,000 tax credit, I really don't understand why Ford isn't selling more of these. They're extremely well made cars and I'm proud to drive one.

Mark