Truck gas mileage question

[big musk411]

I am in the market for a new truck. I am looking at getting a 04-06 Ford or Chev full size. What kind of mileage do you guys get with the various engines? I get about 16-17 in my 2000 Ford Explorer and think I can deal with 13-14mpg but not much less than that. I tow a relativly small boat, but will hopefully be upgrading the the next 2-3 years to a medium sized one[17-18footer]. I drive mostly highway.

Thanks in advance!

[Duffman]

The way a person drives has a huge effect, no doubt about it. I've gone thru tanks where I don't let the RPMs get above 2000, get some great mileage. Other tankfulls where I've stomped on the gas quite frequently, my mileage will drop by 2-3 mpg. What fun is all that horsepower if you don't use it at times.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Quote:

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The way a person drives has a huge effect, no doubt about it. I've gone thru tanks where I don't let the RPMs get above 2000, get some great mileage. Other tankfulls where I've stomped on the gas quite frequently, my mileage will drop by 2-3 mpg. What fun is all that horsepower if you don't use it at times.

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LOL! 2-3 mpg? My V6 Accord will do 32 mpg on the highway, but I drop it 10-12 mpg when I get a bit over-zealous with the throttle. It always amazes me how I can go 450 miles on one tank and less than 350 miles on the next tank.

Like you said, though. Why have the HP if you can't use it?

[JohnMickish]

I just get amused when people start taking trucks and mpg in the same sentance. If you need a truck then buy a truck and live with what you get, if you need the millage then get something that gets 50mpg and be happy. If you want a truck that gets the best millage you will probably end up under powered, under geared and unhappy. You tried to make a compromize between all the things you want and will end up with a truck that dosen't do anything well.

I'm not singling this out to anyone it's just my observation thru life up till now. If you want the best mpg truck out there purchase a 2WD, manual trans work truck with roll up windows, cheap seats and no A/C (the lighter the vehicle the better the mpg's).

[Macgyver55]

I'm old school, or maybe I just have too much time on my hands. I track my mileage ALL the time, every tank all year long. Its the best and most efficient way to know if my truck is running to its optimum. I can figure it on a yearly, quarterly, monthly, or per tank basis and know what it is. 97 Chev Tahoe, it has sufficient power to pull anything I need to pull with a 3.42 ratio. On a yearly basis it gets 15.6 mpg. Thats about as average as you can get taking into account all different types of driving including the occasional heavy footed trip, the casual cruise trip and frequent trailering. I've gotten as high as 18.5 and as low as 12.6 on a per tank basis. The yearly average has held between 15.1 and 15.7 since the day I bought it in 98 and it has about 140,000 on it now. Like

MNFishinguy said, I bought it to do what I want to do and pay the price for it.

[HarryG]

I have to agree. I have an '95 P/U and get at best 18/14. I used to drive a Denali and it got 12/14. Even the most efficient trucks don't get more than 18. I just can't see it.

[knoppers]

04 F-150 with the 300hp 5.4, 17-20 in summer with no load. 12-15 towing my 18.5 ft skeeter deep water. I seem to get much better MPG with this over my last truck when towing. my last truck was a 01 F-150 with the 260hp 5.4

I think the higher HP you can get, the better towing MPG. becuase the motor works less hard.

winter gas is another story, 15-16 without any load.

[upnorth]

Let's face guys the trucks of today get better gas mileage than the truck of yesterday. I have had a few of the old dodge power wagons and the best you were gonna get with those things was about 12-14 and that was going downhill at 55 with the wind at your back. I have an 05 F150 with the 4.6(280 ci) and get 17-19 and that motor develops 230 hp. The 318 ci motors I had in those old power wagons only developed 225 hp. The motors of today are just that much better tuned. And that will make them that much more efficient.

[Flatlander]

Nope. 89' F-150, 4x4 that got a god's honest 20 mpg. When I sold it to a buddy, it had 185,000 miles. Not the most powerful motor in the world, but it made a half dozen trips to ND, and at least 2 doz. back home to northern WI. Without a doubt, the best mileage, longest lasting motor ever made. Never had 1 engine related problem with that truck. Maybe that's why Ford quit making them.

[knoppers]

what motor? was it the 300 inline 6? I had that in my 93 F150, but the best that ever got was about 16 going downhill with the wind at my back

lots of tourqe thou, good pulling power, and the best motor ford ever made.

[federline]

99 Chev Silv w/ 4.8 L here, I get 17 in spring, summer fall - then I get 15 in winter, and I get 12 towing anything of substance. I get no better than the 5.3L with less power. If going 1/2 ton Chev, get the 5.3L, no question, you'll get better towing MPG.