Gas Mileage

ARN

Thanks the V-10 info was just what I was looking for. Now if anybody has similar info on the 5.4 in a 250 SD would also be helpful. Have order a v-10 but because of delivery problems I may have to take a 5.4 and am not sure if the improved MPH is worth the power loss.

philw1

I've got the F-250 v-10 4X4 sc lb 3.73 and am getting 14-15 mpg hiway, 12-13 city, 7.5-8 towing 38' TT w/slide-out.

sjb59

I have a 2 month old manual, 4.2 , 6 cyl.,f-150 with 3000 miles on it. I hve not managed to get over 15 mpg yet. I drive with a very light foot. I am quite disapointed. Does anyone have any info on why my mpg is so low?

Brutus

The engine might be underpowered for the weight of the truck, which would make it have to work harder than a V-8 to do the same work. I'm not sure what the 4.6L V-8 gets, but I wouldn't be surprised if the mpg is close to the V-6.

garthr

Check if overdrive is on or off,at 55mph,rpm's can run high if on or off,reducing mileage.I am test driving 99 F-150's right now with the 4.2 and 4.6,and a 3.55ltd. slip vs. 3.08 rear end.I live in hilly Ohio Valley area so I can really gauge these motors.I'd be happy with 15-20 mpg and hope to do so with the 3.55ltd slip,but am not sure if I really need it here.I plan too keep what I buy as long as possible,and it's a balance between economy,performance,price and....driveability...enjoying the ride while it's here.

lwf

sjb59,

I also have a '98 F150 with the 4.2L engine, and I still have the window sticker that came with it that says the DOE/EPA estimate is between 16 and 21 mpg. And that's about what I get. I had reported on this a couple of months ago when I just came back from a 5000-mile round trip (NJ-Arizona-NJ) and this weekend I did 447 miles of highway driving with 21.3 gallons which comes out just shy of 21 mpg. But my problem is that most of my driving is local, so I'm ususally either accelerating up to or braking down from 40-50 mph; therefore, I ususally get only 16-to-17 mpg. Mine's got an automatic, but the irony is I really would have preferred the standard transmission for a pickup and only selected the automatic because of the heavier towing capability. It would be interesting to hear from others with this engine and a manual transmission to see if they're having the same bad luck you have reported. If so, that might suggest it's the manual transmission, and that's something I would have never expected.

As far whether the 4.2L has too little power for this size pickup, I don't believe it. I gave that a lot of thought before I made my selection. We're talking about 205 vs 220 HP which is less that a 7-percent difference. I drove both before I bought and they felt pretty much the same to me. I know some will disagree with me on this, but I also think that many others, if they test drove both, wouldn't be able to discern a difference in power.

richflynn

Last weekend a quick trip to Las Vegas. Returning home on Sunday was the typical Sunday traffic to LA. I was doing a lot of 65 to 85 acceleration (Due to left lane bandits. Polite words) and then cruise for a few miles. That was 280 miles. Today I went to San Diego and back. This was much slower and quite a bit of 25, 40, 60 and back to 25 in North San Diego County. (Typical) Overall in the '99 SD 7.3L with A/T and 3.73 the mileage checked out at 16.9. No real complaints.
Rich

gfletchold

Thanks, Rich... anybody else's fuel mileage experience with 99 Ford F-250/350 Super Duty w/ 7.3L diesel; 4 spd A/T, and 3.73 axle will be appreciated. Will be pulling high 5th wheel weighing up to 10,000#... what kind of mileage can I expect with this trailer? Thanks.

Gary

gfletchold

Thanks, Rich... anybody else's fuel mileage experience with 99 Ford F-250/350 Super Duty w/ 7.3L diesel; 4 spd A/T, and 3.73 axle will be appreciated. Will be pulling high 5th wheel weighing up to 10,000#... what kind of mileage can I expect with this trailer? Thanks.

Gary

mharde2

gfletchold, With that combo you can expect around 12-14 mpg at 65 mph.

cadmann

I have a '98 ford f-150 xlt sc sb 4.6l v-8 with 3.55 axle and average 18mpg local and 20mpg on longer trips(have only taken one and it was all secondary roads). Quite happy with it. Have 12,000 miles on it.

989

What gas mileage can I expect on 99 Dodge Ram 5.2 4x4 quad cab, short box?

ChipGleas

I own a 99' SD 250 with the 5.4, a/t, 4x4 with 3.73. After a lot of research, trying to decide between the V-10 and the 5.4, I chose the 5.4 and I am very satisfied with the engine. The majority of the time, I drive with the bed less than half full, so heavy hauling is not my concern. I do tow a 6x12 utility trailer when fully loaded is less than 5000 lbs. My mileage in town, driving "normally" is 13-14 mpg. I have taken the truck on 2 hunting trips, with my ATV in the bed, and my trailer fully loaded. Pulling up steep grades at 8000-9000 ft. elevation, at highway speed, I get 11-12 mpg. The slowest I have bogged down to, while fully loaded, on a steep grade is 50 mph. I have heard a lot of people give advice that prospective buyers should absolutely not consider the 5.4 engine. I am very satisfied with the V-8, and with its performance and mileage. I think people considering the SD who aren't going to pull a 5th wheel, or a horse trailer, or a loaded form trailer are doing themselves a disservice by not considering the V-8. I could have afforded the V-10 or the 7.3, but if you don't need it, why buy it? For most truck buyers who want a truck that's more heavy duty than the standard truck, the 5.4 SD is a good combination.

EdBedsworth

My Dodge RAM 1500 4x4 QuadCab just passed the 5000 mile mark. I've been averaging 10-11 mpg for city driving (I live outside Washington, DC) and 16 for trips (driving through upstate NY).

1. Is this typical mileage?
2. What's the "break-in" mileage for a RAM 1500?
3. I'm getting a Tonneau Cover should I expect gains in MPG?

Thanks
Ed

KCRam

Ed,

1. You didn't say which engine or axle ratio you have, but for either the 5.2 or 5.9, you're in the ballpark. On the high side, a 5.2 might get 12-18, and on the low side, a 5.9 might get 10-14.

2. If you've had the first oil change and no problems were detected (excessive shavings, burnt oil, etc.), you're broken in pretty well. Another 5000 miles of shakeout and everything will be pretty much where it will always be.

3. The tonneau cover might gain 1 mpg, but don't expect Cummins-like numbers.

EdBedsworth

Sorry, 5.2L V8.

First oil change was at 2600 miles. I know that is early, but the next day I left on a 1500 mile trip through the mountains of Pennsylvania and New York and on up into Canada. Didn't want to deal with oil change on the trip nor wait till after.

I'm not expecting Cummins-like numbers, nor really any gain. I'm getting the cover so I can use my bed more like a trunk from day to day.

Mostly I'm making sure all is good and right with my truck. It's a big investment and I knew that gas mileage would be miserable compared to my old '93 Chevy S-10 with it's 2.8L V6. But then again look at that WIDE OPEN SPACE!

bigmax

a 99 2wd chevy silverado 6000 auto is rated at 12 city 16 hyway with 3.73. With a 4.10 l would say 11 and 14. lf you have a 4x4 drop down to 10 and 13.
A taller tire will be like dropping down to a lower ratio say from a 4.10 to a 4.00. How much? depends on how much taller.

stanford

Rated by who? I didn't think that the EPA published ratings for anything over 1/2 ton. Those numbers sound similar to the Ford V10 -- I'm getting 10/12.5 with the CC DRW 4X4 and 4.30 gears.

KCRam

stanford,

EPA ratings are based on GVWR. If you're at 8501 or higher, you're NOT rated.

stanford

Er, yes. That was pretty much my point. So who rates the mileage on the 2500 Chevy (over 8500 gvwr)?

KCRam

ok, misread you there.

Manufacturers are allowed to publicize road estimates of what they got in their own testing, but since it is not an apples-to-apples comparison like the EPA test, it's pretty useless in terms of comparing makes and models.

On the Dodge Ram page of the Cummins website, there's an FAQ section where the question is posted, "what's the mpg?" Cummins smartly responds by saying "drivers have reported" anywhere from 12 to 25, with most averaging 17-22, and major options like weight class (3500 over 2500), transmission type, and 2wd vs 4wd will affect mileage.

Me, I have a 96 Ram 3500 Club Cab, Cummins, 4x4, automatic, and 3.54 axles on stock (215/85) tires. My best tank is 22 mpg (on its first birthday), but if someone asked me my average, I would tell them 13-16 city and 18-20 highway.

The truck rags (Open Road is my personal fave now, wish it came out more than 4/year) are probably the only reasonable source for mpg of over-8500 trucks, as they will drive it the way most people would, and give a real-world figure. In fact, it was Open Road's test of the Ram/Cummins back in their premiere issue that solidified my engine decision.

KCRam

by the way

The Silverado 2500 falls on both sides of the 8500 barrier. The 2wd trucks with the 6000 engine ARE, in fact, rated by the EPA, as their standard GVWR is 7200.

fish6

Anyone know what the 4.8 liter will get for mileage??

stanford

In what vehicle?

fish6

4.8 liter mpg in a Silverado club cab 4x4?????

blaster1

In looking to order a 1999 F350 crewcab 4X4 7.3L, I have the option of a 4.10 or 3.73 ratio rear. Which will get me better MPG. I do mostly in city driving and carry heavy loads seldom. I plan to buy a camper in the future for it and tow a boat. So, which would be better? I currently have a 1996 F250 SC 4X4 7.3L that gets on average 16/20 empty or loaded. They both pertain to Automatics.

stanford

The 3.73 ratio rear end should do better for you. The Dodge folks reporting the best mileage are even running 3.55:1 ... but 3.73:1 works very well with that engine.

KCRam

nitpick - Dodge runs 3.54s with the Cummins

Anyway, because the Ford's tires are taller than the Dodge's, the Dodge with 3.54 and the Ford with 3.73 have the same effective ratio. Likewise the Ford 4.30 vs the Dodge 4.10.

With 500 lb-ft of torque at your disposal, the 3.73 will do just fine unless you are regularly dragging small buildings behind you.

stanford

Right, but the duallys didn't until this year. Sorry, that's what I meant. Are we talking SRW or DRW for the Dodge?

KCRam

The Dodge runs 245/75R16 on the 2500 SRW and 215/85R16 on the 3500 DRW (same tire height).
Ford runs 215/85s on the 4x2 DRW and 235/85s on the 4x4 DRW, and 235/85 or 265/75 on the SRW (the 235/85 and 265/75 are the same height, and the 235s are optional on the 4x2 DRW).

ddorff

One other thing not taken into account is how broken-in the vehicles were. From the sounds of it that makes a significant difference as well.

bunkski

nice job on collecting the data. Trying to make a decision on the v-10 vs diesel has been driving me nuts. this has come in very handy although that 55gal drum of salt is also good advice. like any analysis the output is only as good as the data input, and..... how well it is understood.

question,

has anyone provided comparison information on the dodge v-10??? i still like that published torque curve much better than the curve for the ford. i wonder if the magnum is any better (or worse)than the triton. considering all the other disadvantages previously discussed on any of the diesels this has just about confirmed my decision on the benefits of the v-10's. thanks for your effort.....

davidmcm

I'm trying to decide between the new Silverado or Sierra 4x4 Ext. Cab pickup and a Tahoe. Gas mileage reports seem to indicate pickups with the same engine and axle ratio don't do nearly as well as SUV. Why the difference?

Brutus

I think it's a good point that we should mention the miles we've got on the truck. My mpg continues to improve. I've only got about 2,500 miles on my truck. I just took a trip to Austin this weekend (to go to the Texas/Texas A&M game). It was about a 400 mile round trip. On the way down, I set the cruise control at 65 for part of the trip and got just over 12.5 mpg. Then, I set the cruise control at 71 and averaged 11.5. On the way back, I set the cruise at 80 and got around 12mpg. It appears that my mpg improved on the return trip. I'm thinking that, once I get about 5,000-7,000 miles on the truck, I'll be able to get in the 13+ mpg range on the highway at 65. BTW, my truck is a 99 SD SC 4x4 F-350 dually V-10 4.30 with the A/T tires.

sd99

I have a question for you experts. Ordered a F250 SD, 5.4 eng., 3.73 rear axle, 4x4, short bed. The truck will be running empty most of the time. I will be snow plowing with it however. Should I have considered the V10? As of now the truck has no build date so I assume I could still change to the bigger engine. Also, since I will be snow plowing quite a bit, should I consider getting the under carriage undercoated? Thanks for

stanford

If you can add the V10, I would. Its not much more (~$300), uses about the same amount of gas, and can only help you at resale if nothing else. I haven't found a really good reason to go with the V8 yet.

markbuck

sd99 - if snowplowing, run in transfer case LOW, pull the fuse for the airbags, and which motor you have doesn't really matter too much. I would get the standard transfer case with manual locking hubs with automatic transmission for optimal plowing.

rexallen

Any gas mileage estimates on the Dodge 318 & 360, Also Chev 350.
Thanks

fredwood

My 1999 5.9 dodge quad cab with 3.55:1 is getting 14 mpg on 50/50 city/hwy. It only has 2000 miles on it, so I expect about 15-16 once I get a few thousand more miles and get over the thrill of mashing the accelerator.

cdean

what's it costing you to put that new rearend in, Chad?

chadw1

cdean,

I know the cost of parts and labor is about $940, but Them changing out the gears was part of the deal of me buying it. I payed $500 over invoice and had a $400 college incentive. So over all I payed $100 over invoice and the rearend did not cost me anything because if they did agree to change the gears I wasn't going to buy the truck.

I have had the new gears in about a week and I can tell a huge difference in how the truck runs. The rpm's run about 300-500 lower.

cw

bogieman

Now over 12,000 miles on F-150 SC w/ 4.6 V8, 3.55 LS diff, auto, PS, PB, A/C, etc..... average around w. fla daily about 16-17 MPG. Towed pop-up camper to Maine/Vt/ NY in Sept & averaged 16.34 MPG for trip. Took a run in Mass hills without camper.....about 300 miles..... ave 18.8 MPG. I gotta say I am pleased and the performance seems to improve every month.
Bogieman

stevek

bogieman:

I also tow a pop-up in the nort east with a truck and thinking of putting a stableizer on it for those curving back roads. Any thoughts?

gwvinson

Does anyone have any gas mileage stats on the 99 silverado?

kent123

Don't have highway figures yet, but getting about 14.5 mpg around town with 5.3 in '99 Silverado 2WD Ext.cab. Expecting around 20 mpg on interstate cruising at 75 mph.

gwvinson

Thanks for the info kent123, thats about what I expect. I'll know for sure when I receive my truck in about 10 weeks. With any luck!

Gregg

slw14

I've been getting @ 14 mpg with my new (<2k miles) 99 F-150, 5.4 in mixed driving and 15 on the highway. No bed cover yet, but getting one next week. I will be interested to see if I get the 1 MPG increase ford is claiming..hope so!

Bro in law with new 5.3 Silverado is claiming over 20 MPG on highway - I think he also practices new math!

gwvinson

Thanks for the info slw14.

gregg

randallv

I have a 97 Silverado extended cab with the 5.7 liter engine and I get about 20 MPG on the highway. As far as I know, I'm not using new math.

stevek

randallv:

I would like to know where and how you drive, what kind of gas you use, what kind of tires you got on. I have the same vehicle with 265/75r16 highway tires inflated at 45psi and the best I could do is about 17. I assume it is an automatic and 4WD.