I'm thinking about purchase a 99 vehicle. I like the Ram (V-8) and Dakota's. However I'm seeking information about both vehicles average gas mileage. I have looked at the ford F150 (V-8) but not sure which would be a better vehicle. I would not be towing anything just use the vehicle for driving to work an back.
FORD DRIVERS, LOOKING TO BUY A 2000 F150/SC/4WD. DEBATING WHICH ENGINE TO GET, THE 4.6 OR 5.4. ANY EXPERIENCE IN THE MILEAGE/POWER AREAS IS APPRECIATED.
FORD DRIVERS, LOOKING TO BUY A 2000 F150/SC/4WD. DEBATING WHICH ENGINE TO GET, THE 4.6 OR 5.4. ANY EXPERIENCE IN THE MILEAGE/POWER AREAS IS APPRECIATED.
99 F-350, SD, SC, 4x4, 4.30, auto trans, dually Lariat:
Daily commute (30 miles RT, 50/50 hwy/city): 10-10.5mpg.
Highway: 11.5-12mpg average at 62-65mph.
With my Bigfoot Truck camper in the bed (total weight of truck/camper/people/gear = 12,000 pounds):
Daily commute: 7.5mpg
Highway: 8.5-9mpg.
The mpg with the 4.30s starts to drop noticable after 55mph, especially with the camper. I was able to get close to 10mpg with the camper on at 55mph on fairly level terrain. The 8.5-9mpg is with the cruise around 62mph. I live in Alaska, so the highway miles include mountains. I haven't tested the empty hwy mpg at 55mph.
The truck has about 18,000 miles on it so far. The engine had a rocker arm malfunction at 9,300 miles. Ford replaced the engine, so the new engine has close to 9,000 miles.
Thanks for all the posts on tonneau covers, tail gates, etc. I'm buying a p/u soon and wanted to know if anybody's noticed effects of bug deflectors and front air dam/spoilers on mileage.
Seeking more shopping advice; all the posts here relate to v-8s or v-10s. Any experience with v-6s in the F-150 or Tundra/T-100? My new truck, whatever it ends up being, will be used 90% for commuting, hauling 2-3 folks with mountain bikes, and other lite duty, only occasionally used for firewood, sheetrock, maybe a popup camper. thanks!
Ford F250 SD SC SWB 5.4 Ltr auto 4:10 rear limit slip with camper pkg and H/D tow pkg. 2700 miles. Averging 10.5 mpg city/highway --what's the deal? Are there any add-ons, chips, exhaust, air filters, etc. or is the mileage still to low for accurate read? Any opinions or experiences relayed would be appreciated. email me if you prefer at ltmjkenney@aol.com or post it. Thanks!
Ford F250 SD SC SWB 5.4 Ltr auto 4:10 rear limit slip with camper pkg and H/D tow pkg. 2700 miles. Averging 10.5 mpg city/highway --what's the deal? Are there any add-ons, chips, exhaust, air filters, etc. or is the mileage still to low for accurate read? Any opinions or experiences relayed would be appreciated. email me if you prefer at ltmjkenney@aol.com or post it. Thanks!
Robert when you checked mileage was that with truck empty ? I'm buying an extended cab soon and am undecided between getting the 4.8 with 3.73 gears or 5.3 with 3.42 gears. Did you compare ? Should I believe I can really get 20 mpg highway?
It's the 4:10 ratio that is costing you some mpg. The taller 3.73 ratio will get you a couple mpg better. You might see some improvement up to about the 7-8,000 mile range. The figures you quote are what I'm getting city/hwy with the V-10 4.30 F-350 SC 4x4 dually. I get 11.5-12 on the hwy averaging about 65mph.
One thing you will notice with the 4:10 is that, since you're pulling more rpms at any speed, your mpg will really start to fall off once you pass 60mph. If I set the cruise control at 55 on a long road trip with fairly level terrain, I can get around 13mpg on the highway. If I set it around 75-80, I'll be in the 11 range.
If you've got a camper or do some towing, especially in some mountainous areas, you'll appreciate the lower 4:10 ratio.
I am debating between the 2500 dodge V10 with the 3.54 differential and the 5.9L(gas) with the 4.10 gears. Anybody have any insight into the gas milage I can expect?
(refer to post #335) Which is a better engine? I do not tow much, so I do not need the power of the V10. But I really dont like the 4.10 axle because I do a lot of highway driving at 80 or 85 MPH. I can't get the 5.9L V8 with a 3.54 limited slip differential. So what is the best choice? The V10 with a 3.54LS differential? Or a 5.9L with a 4.10LS? Will the 5.9L still get better gas milage than the V10 at highway speeds?
Dodge doesn't put out an efficient gas engine, so you really aren't saving much gas either way. But at most highway speeds, with either gear, the 5.9 will get a good bit better mileage than the v10. If you're towing is only occaisional, i would definitely go with the 5.9 v8. its a powerful motor, and should tote a 3/4 truck around no problem.
I have a really hard time justifying Dodge's v10. I know a couple of folks with the engine. they say it has great power, there's nothing it won't pull, but they can't get over 10 mpg. the Cummins has been pretty reliable and it gets 2 times the gas mileage of the v10, and will outpull it, so if you really want a pulling machine from Dodge, I can't justify getting the v10.
is the truck a club cab with 4x4? will there be a camper or extra weight? will you tow very often on long trips? will you tow very heavy loads, say over 6-7000#?
If the answer is no to all of those, I would recommend the 360, and settle for about 14 mpg.
What kind of mileage are people getting on the 5.4L Ford engine with supercab 4x4's? What is the initial mileage and what is the break in mileage after say 8-10000 miles? Is anybody getting better than the posted estimates for this engine?
Has anyone had their truck weighed? I went to the county dump and they weighed my truck ('98 GMC Sierra, ext-cab, three-door, K1500, Z71, short-fleetside bed with 5.7L engine and auto trans.) with empty bed and the total was 5620 lbs with a full tank of gas (25 gal tank = ~175 lbs gas), my wife (150 lbs) and myself (270 lbs, and it's all muscle!...yeah, right!). I also added a hard tonneau cover that weighs about 30 lbs. That means my truck's weight is real close to 5000 lbs even. I'm just curious how that compares to the other trucks particularly the new body style GM's. They probably list curb weights somewhere, but I'm not sure if that includes things like trailer hitch, big tires (265-75R16), tow hooks, Z71 suspension (all present on my truck). I'd appreciate any input. Thanks. -Tim
P.S. I'm going to post this message on other boards as well so sorry if you're reading this many times.
7,100 lbs is a lot of truck. Those new SD's are some of the best looking trucks on the road in my opinion. I bet they're huge inside. I'm interested to see the new Excursion (giant SUV based on the SD truck) when it comes out. Thanks for the info. -Tim
I just purchased a sierra 4x4 2500 with the vortex 6.0L engine and a 5 speed. Any owners out there care to comment on what gas mileage I should expect?
shhall, I don't own a 6.0L truck but if you look at some of the older posts in this topic. I think you'll find the answer. There's also a topic titled something about "6.0L Silverado Gas Mileage Updates". That should be just what you want. powerisfun
I am considering purchasing a Ford F250 Super Duty, extended can short box, V-10 Automatic, with either a 3.73 axle ratio, or 4.10 axle ratio. Does anyone out there own of these, and if so, what type of gas mileage are you getting on the highway?
I read through 350 posts on this gas mileage topic and didn't see any comments about improvements in travel trailer or fifth wheel towing mileage when using a truck mounted wind deflector. I see a lot of 18 wheelers have them. Does anyone have any experience in that area? Are they worth the money? Thanks
talked to a guy at the carwash the other day about his gas mileage on his f-250 Supercab. He said 11.5/mpg. I find that quite shocking. I've decided to go with the Toyota Tundra. I was hoping to buy a f-250 crew cab to transport my family on long cruises. Due to the HORRIBLE gas mileage of the f-250, i've changed my mind!
3 1/2 tons of weight in the F250 SC. The toyota barely goes 2 tons. Two different animals.
Buy a F150 CC if you wanna haul people. Or a 1/2 ton silverado SC. My Silverado is getting 16 to 18 and will still tow a 5,000 lb trailer at 10,000 ft elevation.
It sounds like we have another candidate to write truck articles for car magazines. You've got to compare apples to apples. The fair comparison to the Tundra is the F-150 with the small V-8 ( I believe it is the 4.6L). The mpg will be fairly close.
I get 11.5-12mpg on the hwy with my 99 F-350 4x4 V-10 dually auto trans and the 4.30 axle ratio. If you get the 3.73, you will get 2+ mpg better. The Ford diesel guys are reporting 17-21 mpg depending on their driving habits and terrain.
I guarantee if Toyota ever decides to produce a 3/4 or 1 ton truck with the same torque and hp and towing and GVWR as Ford, Chevy or Dodge, the mpg will be about the same.
That's not a knock on Toyota. It's just that they don't currently produce a product that is made to compete with the F-250 that you were considering. Toyota has indicated that they hope to cash in on some of the buyer currently considering Ford, Chevy and Dodge products, but they also hope to entice people out of the auto market who are considering a truck for the first time or who are ready to move up from a smaller truck. So, they are hoping to, not only take a bit of a bite out of the 1/2 ton market, but also to expand the market.
Thanks for the weights, Rich. That's quite a difference from my '98 GMC 1500 x-cab. I guess the 3/4 ton pickups are quite a bit heavier. I understand the '99 SD because it's also a bigger truck than the half tons. Are these both super cabs? -Tim
My last 2 fill-ups. 16.9mpg and 17.3mpg. Not to bad for a 7.3 psd. The truck has less than 1000 miles on it so the mpg should go up as the truck gets broke in.
going to be turning 50 this feb. wife is going to by me a new trk for my birthday. want to have a crew-cab to haul my hunting buddies in so thats either a ford 250 or a chev, and im a ford man. i have a 88 150 sc now that gets about 13mpg. i can live with that, i guess, but ive been considering the v10 and im not to sure i can even get that mileage based on what im reading. i have also heard that the 250 is a real rough ride. the 150 crew cab is an option but i dont want a 5 1/2 ft box. im not hauling or towing anything major. any suggestions what would be right for me?
I've religiously tracked fuel economy in my F250SD since purchase (over 1800 gallons so far). The truck is configured with the 6.8l V-10, 3.73 limited slip, 4x4, long bed, supercab with factory rubber. Overall cumulative mileage has been just over 13 MPG. Most miles are highway (rush hour stop and go)and unloaded. When not slowed for traffic, I generally run in the 70 to 75 mph range. This also includes about 6-8% towing or hauling miles in the 5000 to 7000 lb range. Just looking at highway mpg, I get around 13.6 to 13.8, but once again I usually run in the 70 to 80 mph range when out on the highway. The first 15,000 miles I got on the order of 13.5 mpg, but I got tired of driving like my dad so that's since gone down as the driving style has gotten more aggressive.
stones, thks for the info on your v10 mpg. i think the rear end i chose will make a big diff. since im not planning on pulling a trailor, maybe just a bass boat at some time, i think i could go for one that works better for mpg than lugging power. i know with the f150 5.0 that i have now it kicks into passing gear going up a speed bump. im tired of that. im going to have to research the rear end possibilitys before i order.
We have the 1999 F350 SD V10 SRW 2WD SuperCab Long Box, Automatic 4:30 axle Lariat. The box has a Pace Edward Roll Top Cover. Mobil 1 was put in the engine at 5,000 Mile Service and also the 10,000 mile and 15,000 mile service. Solo, we get about 13.5 to 14.5. I drive 100 miles freeway twice a week at 65 to 70 mph plus 7 miles one way to work mostly freeway. The wife just completed a 1000 mile round trip drive, mostly freeway. The mpg meter said 14.1. I find that the meter is accurate provided that I reset it at every fillup. The truck is set up for maximum towing capacity, 14,200 pound 5th Wheel, 10,000 pound trailer, Max. GVWR of 9900 and Max. Cargo Weight Rating of 4187 (49 states). It has both Camper and Towing package components. The Dually is rated at 300 pounds less 5th Wheel Towing capacity than the SRW configuration. I like the idea of being able to take the truck thru a normal carwash. For a slide-in camper, however, the Dually is the way to go. So far I have never had to tow the 5th wheel. I did tow an F350 van on a car hauler trailer about 200 miles. It was an easy tow with mileage at about 10mpg. Previously, I leased an F250 Powerstroke with the same setup except that the axle was 4:10. Mileage was about 19 to 21 solo for the same kind of driving. For this kind of duty, I think the V10 is the way to go. The V10 has a slight "Normal Engine Harmonic" (per two different service managers) vibration at 2300RPM. This happens at about 66-67mph in overdrive and under 50 mph locked out of overdrive. Since switching to Mobil 1, it is diminishing. I hope this helps some of you who want the true story on Mileage.
ivanjw one of the few problems the Ford v10 has has been vibration. I know a guy who works for Penzoil that has seen Ford's engine lab and talked to some of their engineers. A v10 is a booger to try to get balanced. the first v10s had problems, but they've got it worked out pretty good. very few people complain about it. my friend says it odd, but even though the v10 is a derivative of the 5.4 v8, it seems to have less design problems than the v8 has (even cooling, vibration, lubrication..)
Have a 1999 F-150 5.4 4X4 supercab off-road package with about 5,000 miles. Gas mileage is good for this size truck. I have seen over 18 mpg on highway at about 75 mph - seems to want to average 16 to 17 in mixed highway conditions averaging 80 mph. Around town, seems to be just slightly lower - about 14. We are very happy with these numbers especially since we live at high altitude. Truck has 3.73 rear axle with limited slip and also has a fiberglass shell.
Those sound like great numbers for the speed your going. My '98 GMC Sierra (x-cab, 4x4, Z71 off-road package, 5.7L engine, auto trans, 3.73 rearend) has gotten over 20 (20.16 and 20.83 to be exact) for the last two fill-ups and lots of 19's before that. That's about 85% highway with cruise set at 63mph (it's a 55 mph zone). I have a feeling at 75-80 mph, that would go down to about 16-17. It has just over 9,200 miles on it now. I have a tonneau cover on it and a K&N air filter. I think those two things help a bit. The mileage that these new trucks get is amazing. A few short years ago, we'd have been striving for 13's and 14's on the highway. -Tim
Yeah - we know. Our other truck is a 1988 F-250 4x4 with the 460 V-8 (EFI) and 5-speed manual transmission. Special ordered the truck with 3.55 rear gears - really didn't need all the power and was concerned about mpg. This truck will get a consistent 13-14 mpg on the highway at 75 - 80 mph (unloaded). But a little headwind or any reason to accelerate a lot or drop from 5th to 4th gears will reduce this to 10-12 mpg in a hurry. Like you said - can't believe the gas mileage of the new trucks. And, the new F-150 has horsepower/torque numbers very close to the old 1988 F-250 with the 460 and less weight. Hope the manufacturers can keep up the good work and also hope for the same durability - the old truck has 145,000 miles on it and runs better than when it was new - still no oil consumption and same mpg - we may keep it forever.
'99 F-250, SC, SD, PSD. Weighed about 7300 at the start of the trip.
Altitude gain from sea level (Huntington Beach, CA) to about 5000 feet. (Reno, NV) We traveled about 500 miles up US 395 at speed limit to about eight above. I used cruise control almost all the way. Fuel mileage was 19 MPG. On the return trip, the mileage was about 18.6. (Less cruise control and I was pushing it much more.)
Two side trips up to Lake Tahoe and Virginia City with altitude gains of over 3,000 feet. We drove around the lake and at times went 35 MPH for 10-15 miles. Not pushing it at all. The mileage was an astounding 19.5 MPG. These trips were no rush and doing the typical tourist things.
(If you're in Reno, please visit my money and say hi.)
After 7,063 miles my overall mileage is 17.98 mpg for my 99 ext cab, 4x4, 4.8l, 4.10 rear end. Mileage is probably 60% on the highway and 40% in town. Many highway miles were with the bed loaded with camping gear and home brew (well 1/2 of those miles I was carrying empty bottles). With exception of a door rattle (some loose bolts), the truck has been perfect and certainly meets my needs.
Comments
Appreciate any inputs on the vehicles MPG's
In general, among the full size trucks, Chevy/GMC have the best fuel economy, then Ford, the Dodge.
LOOKING TO BUY A 2000 F150/SC/4WD. DEBATING WHICH
ENGINE TO GET, THE 4.6 OR 5.4. ANY EXPERIENCE IN THE MILEAGE/POWER AREAS IS APPRECIATED.
LOOKING TO BUY A 2000 F150/SC/4WD. DEBATING WHICH
ENGINE TO GET, THE 4.6 OR 5.4. ANY EXPERIENCE IN THE MILEAGE/POWER AREAS IS APPRECIATED.
Daily commute (30 miles RT, 50/50 hwy/city): 10-10.5mpg.
Highway: 11.5-12mpg average at 62-65mph.
With my Bigfoot Truck camper in the bed (total weight of truck/camper/people/gear = 12,000 pounds):
Daily commute: 7.5mpg
Highway: 8.5-9mpg.
The mpg with the 4.30s starts to drop noticable after 55mph, especially with the camper. I was able to get close to 10mpg with the camper on at 55mph on fairly level terrain. The 8.5-9mpg is with the cruise around 62mph. I live in Alaska, so the highway miles include mountains. I haven't tested the empty hwy mpg at 55mph.
The truck has about 18,000 miles on it so far. The engine had a rocker arm malfunction at 9,300 miles. Ford replaced the engine, so the new engine has close to 9,000 miles.
and am undecided between getting the 4.8 with
3.73 gears or 5.3 with 3.42 gears. Did you compare ? Should I believe I can really get
20 mpg highway?
One thing you will notice with the 4:10 is that, since you're pulling more rpms at any speed, your mpg will really start to fall off once you pass 60mph. If I set the cruise control at 55 on a long road trip with fairly level terrain, I can get around 13mpg on the highway. If I set it around 75-80, I'll be in the 11 range.
If you've got a camper or do some towing, especially in some mountainous areas, you'll appreciate the lower 4:10 ratio.
Thank you Richard Mc
around 10 mpg with the v10, with a tailwind.
Thanks for the helo!
I have a really hard time justifying Dodge's v10. I know a couple of folks with the engine. they say it has great power, there's nothing it won't pull, but they can't get over 10 mpg. the Cummins has been pretty reliable and it gets 2 times the gas mileage of the v10, and will outpull it, so if you really want a pulling machine from Dodge, I can't justify getting the v10.
is the truck a club cab with 4x4?
will there be a camper or extra weight?
will you tow very often on long trips?
will you tow very heavy loads, say over 6-7000#?
If the answer is no to all of those, I would recommend the 360, and settle for about 14 mpg.
If not why?
Greg Hoppes
county dump and they weighed my truck ('98
GMC Sierra, ext-cab, three-door, K1500, Z71, short-fleetside bed with 5.7L engine and auto trans.) with empty bed and the total was 5620 lbs with a full tank of gas (25 gal tank = ~175 lbs gas), my wife (150 lbs) and myself (270 lbs, and it's all muscle!...yeah, right!). I also added a hard tonneau cover that weighs about 30 lbs. That means my truck's weight is real close to 5000 lbs even. I'm just curious how that compares to the other trucks particularly the new
body style GM's. They probably list curb weights somewhere, but I'm not sure if that includes things like trailer hitch, big tires (265-75R16), tow hooks, Z71 suspension (all present on my truck). I'd appreciate any input. Thanks.
-Tim
P.S. I'm going to post this message on other boards as well so sorry if you're reading this many times.
My 99 F-350 SD Supercab 4x4 dually weighs 7,100 pounds with a full tank of gas.
based on the SD truck) when it comes out.
Thanks for the info.
-Tim
that truck in there somewhere.
Thanks
I don't own a 6.0L truck but if you look at some of the older posts in this topic. I think
you'll find the answer. There's also a topic titled something about "6.0L Silverado Gas Mileage
Updates". That should be just what you want.
powerisfun
Does anyone out there own of these, and if so, what type of gas mileage are you getting on the highway?
Thanks
Buy a F150 CC if you wanna haul people. Or a 1/2 ton silverado SC. My Silverado is getting 16 to 18 and will still tow a 5,000 lb trailer at 10,000 ft elevation.
I get 11.5-12mpg on the hwy with my 99 F-350 4x4 V-10 dually auto trans and the 4.30 axle ratio. If you get the 3.73, you will get 2+ mpg better. The Ford diesel guys are reporting 17-21 mpg depending on their driving habits and terrain.
I guarantee if Toyota ever decides to produce a 3/4 or 1 ton truck with the same torque and hp and towing and GVWR as Ford, Chevy or Dodge, the mpg will be about the same.
That's not a knock on Toyota. It's just that they don't currently produce a product that is made to compete with the F-250 that you were considering. Toyota has indicated that they hope to cash in on some of the buyer currently considering Ford, Chevy and Dodge products, but they also hope to entice people out of the auto market who are considering a truck for the first time or who are ready to move up from a smaller truck. So, they are hoping to, not only take a bit of a bite out of the 1/2 ton market, but also to expand the market.
'92 HD F-250 Diesel 4x2 SC 6670
'99 SD F-250 Diesel 4x2 SD 7060
Both with driver (230) and full of fuel.
-Tim
Sorry about that. They're both super cabs.
Rich
we get about 13.5 to 14.5. I drive 100 miles freeway twice a week at 65 to 70 mph plus 7 miles one way to work mostly freeway. The wife just completed a 1000 mile round trip drive, mostly freeway. The mpg meter said 14.1. I find that the meter is accurate provided that I reset it at every fillup. The truck is set up for maximum towing capacity, 14,200 pound 5th Wheel, 10,000 pound trailer, Max. GVWR of 9900 and Max. Cargo Weight Rating of 4187 (49 states). It has both Camper and Towing package components. The Dually is rated at 300 pounds less 5th Wheel Towing capacity than the SRW configuration. I like the idea of being able to take the truck thru a normal carwash. For a slide-in camper, however,
the Dually is the way to go. So far I have never had to tow the 5th wheel. I did tow an F350 van on a car hauler trailer about 200 miles. It was an easy tow with mileage at about 10mpg.
Previously, I leased an F250 Powerstroke with the same setup except that the axle was 4:10.
Mileage was about 19 to 21 solo for the same kind of driving.
For this kind of duty, I think the V10 is the way to go.
The V10 has a slight "Normal Engine Harmonic" (per two different service managers) vibration at 2300RPM. This happens at about 66-67mph in overdrive and under 50 mph locked out of overdrive. Since switching to Mobil 1, it is diminishing.
I hope this helps some of you who want the true story on Mileage.
one of the few problems the Ford v10 has has been vibration. I know a guy who works for Penzoil that has seen Ford's engine lab and talked to some of their engineers. A v10 is a booger to try to get balanced. the first v10s had problems, but they've got it worked out pretty good. very few people complain about it. my friend says it odd, but even though the v10 is a derivative of the 5.4 v8, it seems to have less design problems than the v8 has (even cooling, vibration, lubrication..)
The mileage that these new trucks get is amazing. A few short years ago, we'd have been striving for 13's and 14's on the highway.
-Tim
'99 F-250, SC, SD, PSD. Weighed about 7300 at the start of the trip.
Altitude gain from sea level (Huntington Beach, CA) to about 5000 feet. (Reno, NV) We traveled about 500 miles up US 395 at speed limit to about eight above. I used cruise control almost all the way. Fuel mileage was 19 MPG. On the return trip, the mileage was about 18.6. (Less cruise control and I was pushing it much more.)
Two side trips up to Lake Tahoe and Virginia City with altitude gains of over 3,000 feet. We drove around the lake and at times went 35 MPH for 10-15 miles. Not pushing it at all. The mileage was an astounding 19.5 MPG. These trips were no rush and doing the typical tourist things.
(If you're in Reno, please visit my money and say hi.)
Rich