rsewill
Veteran Member
Too many variables to say. My Diesel cars didn't have choices on drive axle gears and just two transmission choices - auto or standard. Not the same for trucks.
Diesel truck with best MPG
- Thread starter bdog
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slowzuki
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The newer Ford's are better than the 6.4's. The 6.4's were terrible on fuel.
Diamondpilot
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The 06/07 Dmax were the best. I had a 05 that was not bad. I could get 21mpg and my neighbor does the same. My 06 Ford with some mods gets 23.6 on the highway consistently. Average tank to tank is 17. Its more truck then the same year Dmax by a mile. Never had a Cummins so can not comment.
Big issue is unlike gas, diesel has no specs. Diesel is rated in Cetane much like gas is rated by octane but there is no set standards so some areas fuel can very greatly from the fuel I get in my area. Good point is my neighbor with a 07 Dmax takes a trip 4 times a year for the last 5 years to Florida pulling a 38' 5th wheel. When he gets fuel in one area he sees a 20% loss in economy then it goes back up when he gets it at the next fuel stop. He says its been the same way for years.
Long story short, dont buy a 3/4 or 1 ton for MPG. You are KIDDING yourself. Buy it because you need it, which to me means you pull more then 10,000# weekly. I have both a 06 F-350 diesel and a 08 Nissan Titian. I pull a 9,700# load weekly 120 miles with the Titan and average 9.3 mpg because it does the job and when you look at the cost of ownership of a diesel truck (tires-filters-oil-batteries-breaks) its cheaper to run the gas Titan.
Chris
Big issue is unlike gas, diesel has no specs. Diesel is rated in Cetane much like gas is rated by octane but there is no set standards so some areas fuel can very greatly from the fuel I get in my area. Good point is my neighbor with a 07 Dmax takes a trip 4 times a year for the last 5 years to Florida pulling a 38' 5th wheel. When he gets fuel in one area he sees a 20% loss in economy then it goes back up when he gets it at the next fuel stop. He says its been the same way for years.
Long story short, dont buy a 3/4 or 1 ton for MPG. You are KIDDING yourself. Buy it because you need it, which to me means you pull more then 10,000# weekly. I have both a 06 F-350 diesel and a 08 Nissan Titian. I pull a 9,700# load weekly 120 miles with the Titan and average 9.3 mpg because it does the job and when you look at the cost of ownership of a diesel truck (tires-filters-oil-batteries-breaks) its cheaper to run the gas Titan.
Chris
PoorMansCat
Platinum Member
The older 5.9L engines were probably the best on fuel mileage when pulling... i.e. p-pump 12v and vp-44 24v engines.... Some of the 7.3L Fords can get really good fuel mileage unloaded with the right tuning, but im not sure about when loaded. MY S.I.L. has a 96 PSD (7.3L 4:10 gears 4x4 automatic) thru some tweaking, it is now getting 20-22 mpg on the highway, but he does not pull with it, its simply a commuter vehicle...
All three manufacturers have sacrificed fuel efficiency as the emissions laws have tightened up...
The new Ford seems to do good when unloaded, but suffers fairly bad when loaded up hard.. (close to max gvw.) The newer Cummins has a different type of emissions control system vs. Ford and GM, and suffers from the same lower fuel mileage, but it is easier to "delete" the fuel robbing emissions control stuff..
Personally, I currently have an 06 Cummins wrapped in a Dodge ( 3/4 ton 4x4 3:73 gear automatic) that I pull with all the time. It is completely stock except for the Smarty Jr. set to the 40hp Economy setting... Before the programmer, it got 19-21 mpg when checked with pencil and paper and checked over the course of about a year.
After the programmer, it has consistently gained approx. 1.5-2.0 mpg. when calculated the same manner... All of this is provided that I keep the truck BELOW 74 MPH.
WHen pulling far above rated GVW( i e close to 20K trailer and load) I get about 13... MAYBE 14 mpg...
With all that said, it doesnt get the MPG that my 89 Dodge Cummins got.... back when diesels were simple..
All three manufacturers have sacrificed fuel efficiency as the emissions laws have tightened up...
The new Ford seems to do good when unloaded, but suffers fairly bad when loaded up hard.. (close to max gvw.) The newer Cummins has a different type of emissions control system vs. Ford and GM, and suffers from the same lower fuel mileage, but it is easier to "delete" the fuel robbing emissions control stuff..
Personally, I currently have an 06 Cummins wrapped in a Dodge ( 3/4 ton 4x4 3:73 gear automatic) that I pull with all the time. It is completely stock except for the Smarty Jr. set to the 40hp Economy setting... Before the programmer, it got 19-21 mpg when checked with pencil and paper and checked over the course of about a year.
After the programmer, it has consistently gained approx. 1.5-2.0 mpg. when calculated the same manner... All of this is provided that I keep the truck BELOW 74 MPH.
WHen pulling far above rated GVW( i e close to 20K trailer and load) I get about 13... MAYBE 14 mpg...
With all that said, it doesnt get the MPG that my 89 Dodge Cummins got.... back when diesels were simple..
crazyal
Super Member
A coworker bought an 08' 3/4 ton Ford crew cab 4wd in 2010. When he first got it he got about 16mpg but got a recall notice and the dealer told him they had to replace the injectors. But it required the lifting of the cab off of the frame so it was an all day job. After he got it back the best he can do is 12 to 13 unloaded.
To rub salt into the wound Ford calls him about twice a year asking if he wants to trade it in on a new one. You would think after he bitches them out for what they did they wouldn't call back but they do.
To rub salt into the wound Ford calls him about twice a year asking if he wants to trade it in on a new one. You would think after he bitches them out for what they did they wouldn't call back but they do.
I have had nothing but diesels for the last ten years but I traded my diesel in on. A f150 in January thinking I don't need it because my biggest trailer I tow is about 7000lb and gas is cheaper than diesel, cheaper to maintain, etc. I have been kicking my self ever since. I don't tow heavy but I tow a lot. Over half of the miles I have on my truck are towing and it gets anywhere from 5 to 8 mpg towing. My diesels never got below ten no matter what was behind them. I bought this truck (my first new truck ever) rginking i would drive it until the wheels fall off but i dont think i can afford it and I am seriously looking at trading my truck in for another diesel.
I have a duramax in the past and it was ok but I really prefer dodge or ford more. I know the older cummins were legendary for mpg but it seems the new fords 6.7 is reporting better mpg than the new cummins?
tungularafishcamp
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Ditto to what Diamond pilot said about diesel fuel. Around the island and on winter alcan trips when I am going southbound light I average between 24 and 25 mpg(I barely travel over 50 because of conditions) but as soon as I hit washington and oregon fuel it drops to 18 but then my speed picks up too. Although when I check it for shorter back road slow trips on the bad fuel I get just over 20.
Oh yea 05 durmax hd2500 with banks econotune chip, exhaust, and intake.
Oh yea 05 durmax hd2500 with banks econotune chip, exhaust, and intake.
Dmace
Elite Member
The new H.O Cummins putting down 800 lb.ft gets less mpg's than the Ford 6.7l but that's what happens when you turn up the fuel on an older design to stay in the power wars. The normal Cummins making 650 lb.ft. seems to return much better fuel mileage.bdog said:
Diamondpilot
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If you are looking at new go to Car and Drivers May issue. They did real world testing of all three brands. GM got the nod but got killed on interior quality. The Ford and GM were neck and neck in all test. The Dodge gave up a lot of power and paid pretty badly in timed test, especially when towing the 12K test trailer and also 2mpg versus the Ford an GM.
All have the strong points, so buy what YOU like.
Chris
All have the strong points, so buy what YOU like.
Chris
blueriver
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Belive it or not ... I have never actually checked the odometer milage to the gallons used.
04 Dodge Ram Dually 4x4 quad cab ... automatic, the overhead computer runs from 16-17 mpg ... I wonder how accurate they are?
04 Dodge Ram Dually 4x4 quad cab ... automatic, the overhead computer runs from 16-17 mpg ... I wonder how accurate they are?