Hey guys new here but not to forums. i have been searching threads (and yes have been using the search button) and didnt seem to find exactly what i was looking for... Here is my dilema

I currently own a couple of Superdutys. they are both 7.3L's for my construction business. i get maybe 12-13mpg out of them. I dont always need to be driving those huge CCLB F350's so i have been debating on getting a small single cab F150.

I did at one time have a 2008 F150 extended cab long bed with the 5.4l and after i tuned it i was getting about 15mpg max.

for this time around i have been looking at getting a single cab short bed STX with the 4.6L. now i know it wont be as powerful as the 5.4l but what im looking for is better MPG. i wanted to see if there was someone on here with a STX single cab short bed with a tuner on it to see what real world MPG you get.

I currently drive 2-3k a month and im hoping to be able to get it to the 20mpg range since i drive mostly highway.

i should clarify that i would be looking to get a 2009-2010 STX.

i am a die hard ford fan so i really dont want to have to go with a tacoma but with gas almost 5 dollars a gallon here in socal the MPG from the tacoma is looking pretty good...

-Raul

 

You're not going to get better Mpgs in a Tacoma than a new 09+ F150. I have a 2010 4.6L 3v Scab with 3.73 and I average about 17-19 mixed driving (20 mile commute to work consists of half back roads 35mph then half highway with stop and go traffic for a good portion. I can get about 20+ on highway trips keeping it about 70. The key is to get the 3v 4.6 which comes with the 6 speed trans, I wouldnt get the 2v with the 4 speed. You should also consider looking at a 2011+ 3.7L. Not as much torque as the 4.6L but you should do better. There is a member here wittom that has a good thread going on his mpgs.

 

the 09 10 reg cab 4x4 4.6l with the 6 speed is the way to go. They don't feel under powered and if driven for milage you will be impressed. I drove the 4.6l 3.7l 5.0l on the same highway same speed same conditions in a reg cab to show a while back and if I were to pick one I would have gone with the 4.6l.
They were all nice but that had me.

 

I can relate to your situation.

Let me just tell you what I've been telling myself. If you want in the 20mpg range, a 4 banger Ranger is what would do the job. Obviously, not enough truck for most construction work.

As zski128 mentioned, I have an F150 regular cab short bet with the 3.7. It is NOT used for work, and I've had an average of 20mpg in my first year of ownership. The deal is, if I were using this truck in the same capacity that I use the '07 E250 I drive for work, I would probably get in the 16-17mpg range. That's better than the E250's 11 winter 15 summer, but not great. I don't do mostly highway, so someone who does mostly highway might do better.

At the time that I was looking at buying a truck, the dealer had two 2010 XLT regular cab short beds witht he 3V 4.6 on the lot. I probably could have got a better deal but I wanted better fuel economy. The 4.6 might get 20mpg like my 3.7 but I can't drive a V8 that easy. It's required a lot of restraint to get 20mpg with this V6. I just didn't think that I could do it with the V8.

If you could maybe lower you expectations a bit, like maybe 17-18mpg range, I think that the 4.6 would do the job for you. If you are not hauling much weight a 3.7 could do the same for you, though with less low end grunt.

The bottom line, in my opinion, is you can get better mpg than your Super Duty's, but 20+ mpg out of a work truck is not an easy task.

I'm in the plumbing business. Mostly residential, a little commercial. We currently have a couple E250's, an '07 5.4 and a '10 4.6 2V, an '02 F350 utility 5.4 and the boss (my dad) is driving an '08 Explorer. I'd like to get rid of the F350 as it's getting kind of old. I'd like to get and EcoBoost F150 rergular cab long bed. Even that though, with a couple boxes and racks, isn't going to be in the 20mpg range.

It's tough for small businesses to deal with these gas prices. I know this first hand.

 

I have an '09 standard cab, 6.5' 4.6 3V, 4x4 and get 19-20 mpg.Very happy with it . But it's 400Lb more than my last one ,'03 . I understand they're going to put magnesium bumpers on in the future that'll really boost the mileage by 0.1 miles per gallon !!

 

I would think you would be better off looking for a 3.7L F150. The fuel economy will be better and you will have almost as much power/torque. Just my opinion, anyway....

 

I have a 2010 4.6 liter (3 valve), 6-speed automatic, 4x4 with a 3.73 LS rear end. It's an XLT, but it's also a regualr cab / short box. I generally see around 17 MPG with a mix of 60/40 highway / suburban driving. I'm very gentle on the gas too. The best I've ever seen is just under 20 MPG at a pretty steady 60 MPH on relatively flat ground.

Oh, and since you noted that you did have a 5.4 liter. I traded in a 2005 F-150 that was identical in the cab / box configuration. The only differences were that it was a 5.4 liter with the 4-speed automatic and a 3.55 LS rear end. It got about 3 MPG less in identical driving and never returned better than 16.9 MPG. The biggest surprise is that my new truck would flat out run away and hide from this one. Yes, the 3 valve 4.6 with the 6-speed is that good.

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks for all the great comments guys...

right now when i dont need the truck i drive around in a 2011 Focus that gets me about 32mpg. Im a general contractor by trade but i one a contract with Citibank to do all the souther california branches. i basically just need to carry around my little giant ladder so i can move signs and take stuff down. Now i can barely fit that ladder in the focus and i just hate being that cramped in it which is the reason im looking for a small single cab truck...

now do any of you guys have mods on your trucks? i was looking at the grypon tuner. I was just curious if it gains any MPG. I do drive like a grandpa and rarely exceed 70mph. would it also be good to do a dual exhaust and intake on these trucks?

and yes i do agree i would be better off with a ranger but i cant get myself to drive something that small and ballsless...

and i also agree i should prob get the 6cyl but they dont offer that in a stx.... i was looking at this one: http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...13543255&Log=0

 

For what you described, i'd go with a 4 cylinder tacoma spec'd out how ever you like. You have no real reason for a 1/2 ton to just carry a ladder.

an intake, tune, etc will help MPG but not much, and it will take for ever for those mods to pay for themselves (years and years)

 

Although this is a Ford forum and I drive (and love) my Ford, I also own (and love) a Toyota vehicle and have quite a bit of experience with the company and their products. As good of a truck as a Tacoma is, one of the areas that it’s not as strong as some folks think it fuel economy – particularly the V6 models.

To give you an idea of what the absolute best you might expect, a good friend of mine has a (fairly rare) 4 cylinder extended cab 4x4 with the 5-speed manual transmission. He’s a pretty gentle on the gas and gets 21-22 MPG in mostly highway driving. If you go with the much more common V6 automatic in the same truck, you’re down in the 17-19 MPG range. Not only can you get that kind of mileage in an F-150 with the 3 valve 4.6 liter motor / 6-speed automatic, but you get a much bigger truck to go with it. And I’d be willing to bet that you can find an F-150 for less money too.

 

If you want a standard cab short bed - in a 2009/2010 look for a 4.6 3V, in a 2011+ look for a 3.7 V-6. If you want 2008 or earlier, look for a 4.2 V-6 with a manual transmission.

Don't write off a Ranger so quick - the extended cab has decent interior room and the 4.0 V-6 has a LOT of *****. The 3.0 V-6 isn't even that bad with a manual trans.