Help with mileage

[mikelipke]

The other day, temp in N Minnesota was 14 below, F.
I'll use my Ford Flex AWD as an example, though my OB would be the same.

Parked on a driveway that is uphill. Ford started, whistles, whines, strange noises. Put it in reverse. It just sat there. Put in in neutral. It just sat there.
Put it in reverse again, slowly applied throttle. It began to move. Let up the throttle, and it stopped. That is how cold affects bearings and moving parts running in grease and oil. Very very stiff.
I backed out onto street, and power steering felt like it was broken. Got to stop sign at end of block, and the brakes were hardly needed, thats how fast it slowed down. Oh yes, in summer, it is in 3rd or 4th gear by the time I get to the stop sign. That day, it was racing in 2nd.
That engine is running rich, and pushing hard against grease that is thicker than peanut butter. It is going to affect mileage.
Other sites for Audi, Hyundai, Ford, etc, all have threads like this.
I know 14 below is colder than most of you get, but it is all relative.
Cold weather increases gas consumption remarkably. Synthetic oil in engine is a good idea, but you have transmissions, power steering pumps, cv joints, transfer cases, alternator bearings, wheel bearings, etc, all have friction resistance way up there when temps get cold. Yes, even 50 degrees F.