Todays trucks where is the MPG's

davkir · Jul 10, 2011

bp fick said:
You're talking about heavy trucks, but just for conversation, I've owned three Ford Rangers (bought new) and some used ones, through the years. They're kind of compact car for me, while still being able to haul and tow a little something. All 4 bangers.

84 Ranger, 2.0 four cylinder. 5 speed, 27 mpg
94 Ranger, 2.3 (German design engine) auto, 21 mpg

05 Ranger, 2.3 (Mazda based) 5 speed, 30 mpg.

I get perturbed when Ford can build and market two newer "Rangers" everywhere else in the world, but we in NA are stuck with a 25 year old design. Ugh. When you're all hung up about protecting F-150 sales from so-called cannibalism from the Ranger, you concede the smaller truck market to Toyota and Nissan. Shakin' my head.

I think I read that they were going to stop building the Ranger.
I wonder why they apparently don't sell?

General Lee · Jul 10, 2011

bullbreaker said:
Not saying its good or bad but my 2011 f250 6.7 4x4 crewcab getting almost 18.5 hwy/city normal driving(empty).(3.55 rear end gear ratio)

Boone

This is what I get with my F250 6.7L diesel. 21-22mpg on the open road if I stay off the turbo

Fordman1981 · Jul 10, 2011

The main reason the rangers don't sell is they are priced almost as high as the 150's

magicheater · Jul 10, 2011

Wolfy said:
I think the big problem is todays trucks trying to meet a overload of emissions. And who can work on them. I had a 1970 F350, 360ci, 4 speed. I don't think it got quite 10mpg. The tires would give out before the dump wouldn't lift. One of my dumbest moves ever was selling that truck.

I had a 1975 F-350 w/390, 4 speed and a fish carburetor, got 13MPG and she had some snot to boot. Hauled many loads that exceeded the weight of the truck. I can relate! However now I have a Dodge Ram with 5.9 Cummins and get 15+ pulling a loaded trailer, and 20 on the highway empty. Seems there have been a few improvements.

JESSE1 · Jul 10, 2011

We've had Ford pickups since '68. I don't think any gasser got over 12 mpg. The last gas pickup I had was a '79 F-350 Super Camper Special with the 460 and 4.10 rear axle. No way I could get over 10 mpg with that truck. My '08 F-450 averages about 13 mpg with a 4.30 axle ratio. I'd like it to be better but I can take the hit on fuel mileage considering how well this truck drives and pulls a load. I don't care for the emissions controls on the truck but no way would I trade it for any of the earlier trucks I had. I hope to get a new F-450 within a year.

magicheater · Jul 10, 2011

JESSE1 said:
We've had Ford pickups since '68. I don't think any gasser got over 12 mpg. The last gas pickup I had was a '79 F-350 Super Camper Special with the 460 and 4.10 rear axle. No way I could get over 10 mpg with that truck. My '08 F-450 averages about 13 mpg with a 4.30 axle ratio. I'd like it to be better but I can take the hit on fuel mileage considering how well this truck drives and pulls a load. I don't care for the emissions controls on the truck but no way would I trade it for any of the earlier trucks I had. I hope to get a new F-450 within a year.

Mine did with the Fish Carburetor. The 390 was way better than the 360. I had a 460 and it was a real DOG in fuel consumption. I only got 5mpg pulling a trailer with it. I would gladly of have traded it for the 390 but the body had gone to pieces. Get a used diesel with about 15000 on it and let someone else pay for the break-in fuel. After that they just keep getting better! Good luck in your choice.

JasG · Jul 10, 2011

Fordman1981 said:
Ok heres my problem with the 6.7 the urea having to buy another fluid to put in the truck factor that in on your fuel mileage. If the government would invest in making biodiesel no need for urea better fuel mileage and extremely decreased emissions and don't say french fry oil theres other stuff out there. i heard talk of biodiesel being made from an algae grew on ponds of some sort that had a very high yield of return

You would still need the urea with the biofuel, that is from high temps with nitrogen in the cylinder. Yes people are working on algae, I read on this once in a while due to the promise of high yield. The issue right now is scaling it up to where it makes sense. In a "lab" they can make it work, but last I saw a cost was around $20.00 a gallon. DoD was also working of this for our military.

One of the really cool ideas is to send the smoke from coal power plants through water as feed stock for the algae. this would clean the exhaust from the power plant, and provide fuel.

dodge man · Jul 10, 2011

My first truck was a 89 Chevy half ton with a 350. I always wanted an older Dodge truck with a 440. My friend had an engine rebuilt and the rebuilder had an older Dodge truck with a 440. He also had a newer Chevy truck the same year as mine, and he said the newer trucks were better, they got better mileage, rode better, handled better, and towed just as well. He kind of burst my bubble. That 89 Chevy weighed 4000 lbs, and I replaced it with a 94 Dodge. It weighed 400 pounds more, for the same basic truck, it was more solid and heavy duty, but it got worse mileage.

Since that 94 Dodge, trucks had done nothing but get heavier. They haul more weight, tow more, and all that comes at a price, weight and mpg. Everyone wants 4 wheel drive, club cab. Hardly anybody gets the old style regular cab 2 wheel drive anymore, which would probably still get decent mileage.

Ken · Jul 10, 2011

I travel with a dairyman that has a 32" cattle trailer pulled by 2005 ford 2500 Diesel. 4x4
My truck is a 2005 Dodge quad cab.2500 4x4 pulling same size trailer. We fill up before leaving and when stoping at service station for fuel his truck takes 1 gal.less fuel. His fuel moniter says 13.3 adverage mine says 16.5 adverage. this empty. when we load up the trailers usually 10 /12 cows and again drive to empty pull into service sta, again there is 1 gal. less for him. I have quit trying to beat him on fuel mileage.
His truck with 16" tires cost about 185 each gets 45 t0 50 thousand on the road. Mine with the 17" Michlin gets 40 thousand miles and cost 250 each. Both excellant truck for there type of use. For brakes he frequently needs new disk and hub on the front. So far I only needed is the disk pads.
This is just a adverage comparison of 2 trucks traveling the same distance pulling equal weight. Still like my Dodge.
ken

HHR · Jul 10, 2011

Just checked the mileage on my '91 F350 2WD dually with the 460 EFI, automatic and 4.10 gears. The truck averaged 11.65 mpg towing 3,200 pounds one way and 7,500 on the return trip. This was on two lane 55 mph highways. Our '02 Duramax would have probably averaged 14 mpg on the same trip.
I have heard that a 6.7L Cummins with all the emissions equipment disabled can get 15 mpg towing 15K.