Trucks and fuel mileage

[randerson]

The trucks these days are claiming alot better milage than they get I work on them every day and don't see the #'s that the MFG are claiming but also the window sticker is very deceiving the new ford eco-boost claims 21 mpg and claims that it can tow 11,000 lbs but if you ready the fine print it gets 21 mpg with the 3.31 axle ratio and than only tows 6500lbs once you step up to the 3.73 gears the milage is much worse and is more like 15 or 16 of course that is mostly winter milage so lets hope it gets better, but from the customers I talked to that have 25k on theres are not that happy overall with the milage claims. there is alot of hype about these trucks getting great milage but what it comes down to is the major changes to get them is 6 speed tranny, lower axle ratios 3.31, 3.55 and 400 hp engines back in the day we needed 3.73 and 4.10 to move a truck down the road when we had 200 or 250 hp. I really think that the technology is there to get some real milage out of these engines but the oil companies are in the MFG back pockets.

[Dozer]

I think its all areodynamics, you can only get so much out of a big box.

[harvey lee]

Gearing has always been a key part to better mileage. The mileage on my pick up can vary from 15-20 depending on my foot. Then one must also factor in the wind.

Those sticker on the windows are under perfect conditions. We typically do not drive in those conditions but the vechile can get that mileage.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

I exceed that (21mpg) with my Ecoboost regularly. Now, that's not to say that it will be done in winter with 10-15 minute idles at least twice per day, winter tires, cold temps, etc, but I have averaged 16.5 mpg since 12/1, and that includes several long, heavy tows, and lots of idle time, and Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac's. I do about 50/50 highway/city.

I have 3.55 in my truck, and have all the power I would ever want, plus great gas mileage. It may not be rated to the full 11,000 pounds, but towing that much with a half ton is a really bad idea.

I'm certain that when I switch back to regular tires and get into the warm temps I'll be in the 22-24mpg range highway, and probably 19 or so with mixed driving. That is 5mpg better than I was getting with my 5.4L V8. Couldn't be happier!

[Jeremy airjer W]

if your buying a truck and worried about mileage than your buying the wrong vehicle. Trucks are a convenience or necessity depending on your situation. They tow and haul, that's what they are supposed to do.

My Truck is over 3 years old and I have yet to break the 30k mark. I use it to tow the boat and haul my ice fishing gear, camping gear, or whatever else I would need it for. Its nice to have If we get some snow, otherwise for daily driving I use my car. It gets double the gas mileage and has paid for itself in the gas savings. Do the math an the savings are significant even with the cost of the vehicle, insurance and maintenance!

I agree that cars accross the board could get better fuel economy but at what price? Would you pay double for a vehicle that gets double the fuel economy?

[randerson]

I'm just stating that the trucks or cars for that matter are not getting the advertised milage that they are claiming and alot of people are getting duked. Ford for one has mislead alot of people with there Eco-Boost claims. I for one own a Ram and I don't get the milage that it claims either but I think its much closer than what ford is saying. COnsidering how much vehicles have gone up in the past 10-15 years the milage should have doubled considering that the price has I can't believe that the make trucks or boats for that mater that are $70k MSRP and no I don't pay that either but come on its getting insane that the current technology we should be seeing increased milage with out having to get a hybrid and we shouldn't be forced into burning our food either with this ethanol junk either. Fuels use to be better before ethanol and ULSD which in turn resulted in better milage

[SkunkedAgain]

OMG! Until this moment I too believed every word that came from car manufacturers! Pretty soon someone will tell me that the 2013 cars aren't made in 2013! What is this world coming to? Car dealers/manufactuers bending the truth! Anarchy!

[thatoneguy]

My 2010 F-150 with the 5.0 gets about 21-22 mpg in the summer, 17 in the winter. Better than I had expected, actually.

[1johntimm]

It's always made me wonder how one person actually gets 15 mpg with the same truck someone else claims to get 20 mpg with? If people were actually getting 20 mpg with a V8 in their full size pickup, why all the hype about the eco-boost with it's lower 20 mpg claims?

[Scott K]

I think everyone I have talked to about the EB, are getting close to the advertised mpg, or more. Lets not include winter time in these results. I have several friends with the EB, and several customers with them, and if anything, they are bragging about the millage they get. If I had the money, and the need for a new truck, I would be all over getting a new EB. So far, very minimal complaints at all on them, and if there were many complaints on them, I would here about it, I am in the complaint department.

[candiru]

The sticker in the window is the EPA estimated mileage, so I assume it is the Gov't. that comes up with those numbers. I don't really have a whole lot of faith in them.

There is a HSOforum called fuelly where people post the real-world mileage that they get. Not perfect but it is a resource. they don't always give you all the info you want.

I am starting to look at vehicles myself now. Ideally I would like a truck and a car but unless I run into a real good deal on a used car I trust, that is not going to happen. The difference between 14-16 mpg and 20-22 mpg is pretty significant. My boat and snowmobile trailer are not that heavy, and I generally don't go that far, so that leaves me a few more options.

[Pistol Pete]

I have an 2011 F-150 with ecoboost, 3.55 rear end,crew cab, 6' 6" box. I almost have 22,000 miles on it. Had it for just over a year. Trip this summer mostly interstate driving averaged 19.98 mpg. Thats pump not truck computer. Just now averaged 1982 miles out, it came to 18.7 mpg, just driving around. I had a Chevy crew cab 5.3 before this truck and a 5.4 F-150 before that truck. Both pulled the same 18 foot glass boat that I have now and both got 10.5-12 mpg. The ecoboost get 15.5 mpg. The Chevy just driving around got between 13.5 and 14.5 mpg. And I always called the Chevy a guttless wonder. These numbers are all numbers figured at the gas pump and not the trucks computer milage, although all have been close. The ecoboost has way more power than either of my two previous trucks and way better milage. Darn right I'm bragging milage, never been happier.

[1johntimm]

Pisto Pete, it's good to hear an honest mileage report. Them #'s are what I hear from the people I know that don't lie about their 5.3's and 5.4's.

[harvey lee]

My 5.3 will get 20mph on the HWY if I keep it at the speed limit. If I have to buck a high head wind, why off course the mileage will drop.

Now, thats with syn gear oil in it, correct tire pressues and everything tuned correctly.

Many people have mileage that drops due to lack of maintaince to thier vechile. Heck tire pressure alone can kill the mileage.

[MNice]

Yep, I agree Harvey. I've got the little 4.8 in a 01 Silverado, I can get 20-21 driving 55 or a touch over, or I can get 15-16 driving 75-80 on the freeway. The biggest mileage maker is your right foot!!

[SkunkedAgain]

...and for city driving it's all about how fast you accelerate. Take-off like a teenager and you'll have bad mileage. Slow foot it like your grandfather and you're numbers will be much higher.

[Sonicrunch]

Yep, I agree Harvey. I've got the little 4.8 in a 01 Silverado, I can get 20-21 driving 55 or a touch over, or I can get 15-16 driving 75-80 on the freeway. The biggest mileage maker is your right foot!!

+100

[BobT]

2009 F150 5.4L V8

@ 55mph - 22mpg

@ 70mph - 19mpg

Something else to remember. When you are idling at a stand still your gallons per hour rate is a negative number. City driving where there is a lot of idling at stop lights, stop signs, rush-hour traffic are mileage killers.

Hard to believe but at 45-60mph your vehicle probably gets much better mileage than it does at 30mph and the difference is bigger than you think so city driving will also produce a lower average mpg.

[harvey lee]

Since you mentioned this Bob, I have done some testing on what speeds my 2007 5.3 chevy trucks gets at different speeds.

My best mileage comes at 30mph and I have tested this mileage on the same 7 mile stretch of road from 25mph to 70mph. I realize I went off the mileage reader on my truck but it was used for all the tests going the same direction with no wind. At 30mph on cruise control in 7 miles, it says 25.3 mpg. 55 mph gets me 20.8

When I go from 58mph to 70mph on the interstate, I lose about 2 mpg.

These figures are towing nothing.

[311Hemi]

Since you mentioned this Bob, I have done some testing on what speeds my 2007 5.3 chevy trucks gets at different speeds.

At 30mph on cruise control in 7 miles, it says 25.3 mpg. 55 mph gets me 20.8

When I go from 58mph to 70mph on the interstate, I lose about 2 mpg.

These figures are towing nothing.

So what is the actual hand calculated after filling up after driving these speeds? Do you ever actually achieve 20.8 mpg....or is your point more referring to getting better mileage at slower speeds?

[BobT]

The experience I have had came from a 2001 Chrysler Concorde. The on-board computer not only provided the average mpg but also provided and instant mpg rate. With the cruise set at 55mpg it would show instantly around 34-35mpg on a level road. Holding it at 30mph such as driving in town it would usually show something around 24-26mpg. That car was powered by a small V6 (2.4L I think?).

Naturally, I never drove it on a long trip at 30mph so I don't have any real world data to back up the computer but I did take it to Granite Falls and back once with my cruise set at 55 all the way there and back even when I drove on MN23, which had a 60mph speed limit. I wanted to see what it would do. When I refuelled at home it took just under 5 gallons (194 miles round trip). I calculated my mileage at 38mpg give or take. I was surprised and thought that was pretty good especially since there were three of us in the car.

In my current truck there is a bar graph for instant mpg and not a numeric value so I don't know what the value is but I do know that the graph indicates about 20-30% lower mileage at 30mph than at 55mph.

[Powerstroke]

Each vehicle based on the gearing in the tranny, rear axle and the power of the engine will determine the optimum speed for best MPG. Unfortunately that number is usually somewhere in the 50-60 range.

We all want the best fuel mileage out of our vehicles, but we are all more than willing to sacrifice a few bucks in fuel to get to the lake 20mins sooner and to not get passed 30 times on the highway. Those things are trying mentally and sometimes going slow is harder to deal with then spending a few more bucks on gas.

[TMF89]

Here's a question for you guys (not to jack the thread). On a hill when the truck kicks into a higher gear and shoots the RPMs up, is it better to accelerate quicker and try and get into a higher gear and bring the RPMs down, or does that waste more gas than staying at a lower gear as long as possible? With my 04 F-150 I get 1500rpm at 55, but when I hit a hill (with my boat) it'll jump up to 22-2500. So would I do better by accelerating quickly (up into the 3000s) and trying to get into a higher gear to bring the RPMs down, or should I just let it sit in the mid 2000s? Keep in mind that I know virtually nothing about mechanics, so I'm not sure if getting into a higher gear would even bring it back down below 2000, or if that's just how many RPMs that gear uses lol.

[Scott K]

The load is what is going suck your gas. The load would be something your pulling, or the hill, or you trying to increase speed. If your truck shifts on the hill, it is because the load was to large for the gear you were in, and the computer made it shift so the engine runs faster to have more power. You would only suck more gas trying to go faster. Slow, or no pedal movement, and not using the brakes will save you a lot of gas. By not using the brakes, I mean, plan your stops coast to a stop sign, stop light, everytime you step on the break, you are wasting energy.

[BoxMN]

Wandering, I do that (try not to use brakes) as much as possible, and also to try to never let the wheels stop. I took a Smith's System Driving Course years ago, and it claimed by just changing driving habits (like you mention) a fleet can get up to 10% fuel saving if done right, and save on maintenance. It might be kind of boring to some (slow and steady) but I found it really works in my personal driving.

For whoever goes up 169, I LOVE those yellow lights they have now that warn when the upcoming lights will turn red. Helps a ton, and I found they are very accurate when driving the speed limit(ish).