F250 5.4L v8 gas mileage
 

Experiences out there? Just bought one and cannot find anything on the expected mpg. Nothing on the EPA website either. Thanks.

A few more details will likely get you a more informed answer: auto or manual? 2wd or 4wd? reg cab/supercab crew cab? gears? tire size? driving style? lifted or not? etc

I had an '00 supercab 4x4 auto with the 5.4, and generally averaged around 14-16mpg in mixed city/hwy driving to give you an idea. I would say you could reasonably expect anywhere from 10-17 mpg depending on the exact configuration of your truck, driving style, driving conditions, etc. [This is based on my all time best tank of ~16.6mpg and all time worst of ~9.6mpg.] YMMV, literally.

Uh, sorry.... I guess I shoulda included that info..:o

auto
4wd
crew cab
3.73 limited
265/75/16
not lifted
mostly in & around the city
not a lead foot
...

Thanks.

I've got a 2002 F-250 Crew Cab Long Bed. 5.4L, 4x4 Auto., 3.73LS, manual hubs, XLT, Snow plow package. On average I get 12 to 12.5 with a combination of city / Highway. Worst was about 10.5. Best Highway was 15.25, 5 people and Luggage, NJ to Busch Gardens, VA. I would think you be in that range. My truck is 2 years old and I've got about 17K on it.

I just traded a 2001 F-250 super duty supercab short bed. 5.4 auto 4X4 biggest piece of **** I ever had. Lazy is being nice when describing the power gas hog is also being nice when talking about that truck.I got 6 MPG all the time. Lived at the garage with that truck. Traded it in on a 2004 Dodge with a cummings diesel and six speed. If you guys are getting better gas mileage then ther was something seriously wrong with my truck.And my garage was just to stupid to figure it out. Always had it serviced at the dealership where I purchased it.Glad to be rid of that truck and into a good truck.I'm not saying that all Fords are junk just that I had a very bad one. So don't yell at me just telling about my experience with my F-250.I'm sure there are a lot of good ones I was just unlucky.(VERY UNLUCKY)I would love to find out why mine was so lazy and hard on gas.Any ideas please post.

You were definitely unlucky. Curious - did you notice any issues with it in regards to driveability? I had a situation where mine started to surge when shifting gears sometimes, and then would experience a total power loss until it shifted to the next gear. I could hold the gas pedal to the floor, but until it upshifted, would just poke along at the same speed. Ended up being a faulty PCM, and once that was replaced everything was A-OK again.

That is the one problem I did not have. My problems were no power no gas mileage.A/C did not work very well. Brakes did not work well had to almost stand on them to stop.The truck used a quart of oil evey 300 to 400 miles. Most of the time it would not lock into 4 wheel drive.Last winter I had to have my father pull me 3 times with his chevy silverado. And it was on the level that I got stuck and the truck was in 4 wheel drive. Each time we only had a couple inches of snow,and I was in a level driveway.The truck had almost new tires it just had no traction.It also would not go into 4 low.My dealer looked at it each time they said it was working normaly.I gues my question is was it just a bad Ford or a bad Ford dealership. My dealership got the ford blue oval award. Personaly I think they baught the award.They could not have earned it.

Sounds like maybe both. Unfortunately there are lemons in the world of vehicles AND dealerships.

Very True unfortunatelty I had both

I own a 2003 F-250 xlt, 4x4, V8, 3.73 limited, extended cab with 8ft bed, 39 gallon tank. I don't have many miles on it, but my gas consumption has varied. The first few tanks gave me an average of 10.4 mpg. This was all around town, no quick accelerations, driving very cautiously. I recently took a longer highway trip, no real load, and my gas mileage improved dramatically. Driving mostly flat areas(very few hills) my gas mileage on one tank was 17.6 mpg. When I got into more hilly areas my gas mileage on the next tank was 14.5mpg, but I did add two additional adult passengers on that leg of the trip so my weight increased along with their luggage, but still wasn't anything major. The almost exact same figures were experienced on the return trip.

I didn't calculate my overall average from the combined highway and local trips yet, but was really surprised by the 17.6 mpg figure considering I was travelling really fast. I wish I got that mpg all the time.

I don't know how much the different blends of gasoline affect my mpg or what the prevailing winds did to help/hurt my gas mileage, but I am sure all of that factors in somewhere.

I am pretty sure that over the life of the truck and considering I use it almost exclusively around town I am going to be looking at 10-11 mpg, but I hope not!

With everything on my truck (below) i am getting about 6-8 depends on where im at.. I dont know how you where getting 6 all the time. Must have been a lemon

My Agriculture teacher just bought an 04 Crew 250 4x4. He said he gets around 14mpg driving in overdrive 75% of the time at about 70 mph

It was a lemon nothing but problems with that truck.I got 6 miles per gallon all the time no lift kit nothing. Factory tires Only mods were K&N Filter and dual exhausts. I just had a bad one,but I guess all the companies make one of them once in a while.

I have an '03 F250 5.4L auto 2 wheel drive reg cab w/ 3.73's. I think I broke into the 13mph range once or twice in its 28,000 miles. I average 10-11.

Currently looking at a new 6.0 or cummins. Whatever it is, its gotta get better milage than this underpowered v-8.

I agree about the under powered V-8. It is also over rated. I had one in an f-150 it was also a lazy gas hog. I would say go with the cummins. I have had a lot of experience with the cummins and the PSD. The cummins is definately the better motor.Much more power much better fuel mileage. I just purchased a 2004 dodge with the cummins high output and a six speed. Great running truck.

Happy with my 5.4
 

Hey Dave,

Have an 01 supercab, 4x4, 3:73, 265's. Regular driving from town traffic to flying down the highway's I average about 12 mpg.

Highway's around 15 mpg (if you stay away from the 94mph killswitch).

Stop and go city around 10, but hey It's hard to get milage in anything standing still.

Wouldn't change the truck in any way!

Mike

Ten days ago I just traded in my 2003 SD with a 5.4 and 3.73 4X2 for a 4X4 V-10 SD with 3.73. The 5.4 I had in the first truck gave me consistently 13.5 mpg in town driving. On the highway I got about 16 mpg. Not very impressive, but not bad either for a truck weighing nearly 6 grand dry.

As for the comment about the 5.4 being underpowered and over-rated, I say that's b/s in the highest degree. I towed my 30 footer into high mountain campgrounds (over 10,000 ft) 700 miles away from here through steep passes and that little 5.4 did great.

I never got less than 9 mpg and did as well as 10 mpg towing.

I think more accurately, the 5.4l did the job, as did mine.

I just wasn't happy with consistently getting 10-11MPG average out of my truck, which didn't have that much power to warrent low fuel economy. Does it do the job? Sure, I pulled our #7,500 loader several times and it did fine. My point was, the 5.4 can't boast spectacular economy, nor can it boast the best power. I could have had a V-10 and not done any worse.


Now you want to talk about "great", go with the 6.0l. No comparison.

Just got back from a mini-vacation at our "soon to have a house built on it" property in Northern California and am impressed with the overall miles per gallon my 2001 King Ranch 4WD delivered (5.4L stock). San Diego, CA to Lake Almanor, CA via a stop over in Reno, NV (both coming from and returning to San Diego) for a total of 1,336 miles. Best was 19.2 mpg with the overall average approx. 17.4 mpg. Route was US 395 (from San Diego to Reno) so speeds varied from the low 20's through towns to just above 90 a few times (mostly 75 to 80 mph) with altitude starting a 326ft finishing at 4,728 ft with the highest point being 8,400 ft.
Prior to the trip I had the oil (5W-20 synthetic) and filter changed and added TriboTech IJP to the oil and TriboTech Spectrum to an empty fuel tank just before filling and TriboTech Accuphase to the transmission. Back in 1991 I first tried TriboTech products in my 1991 Explorer 4dr. (oil, fuel and transmission treatments) and "she" is still going strong at 180K miles on original engine and transmission (treatments every 60,000 miles) - though the paint is in very sorry condition.
Seems that a tonneau cover makes a difference in mpg (along with whatever the TriboTech products did to make the engine perform). Truck performed great for the entire trip. On the long uphills we turned the AC off but kept in on for most of the trip.
While in Reno we got to see some of the early arrivals for the Hot August Nights celebration - a mint '53 Corvette and quite a few classic Ford F-100's and 150's. Many came over to see the KR too.

Bumping this one.....
 

All,

I just bought a 04, F-250 SD. My first tank was 11.59mpg. Big difference between that and my 01 F-150 with the same engine.

I'm cursious if anyone has the 4.10 LS rear? I didn't want it on the new truck but it was the only one they had with 4x4 electronic shift and captains chairs. I didn't want to have to get out to lock and unlock the hubs.

Is there a huge difference between the 4.10 and the 3.73's? I'd have to drop down to a 28 inch tire if I wanted to get close to the 3.73. But if there is a big difference in mpg I'd consider it. I know I have a beast that hogs gass but I thought it's be better that what I'm getting.

FYI, I only have 700 miles on it. I know Ford says to wait till you break it in to start and measure the MPG but I think that's so there is some miles on it so you can't bring it back. LOL!

um, you would have to go to a LARGER tire to get close to the 3.73. The 4.10 is a lower gear than the 3.73, so to get your rpms in the same range as a truck equipped with 3.73's, you would have to get bigger tires. I personally think you got the better of the two gears, especially if you will be doing a lot of towing or plan on putting bigger tires on.

That's what I thought but...
 

When I looked up the tire size difference and put my current gear ratio in the calculator found at http://www.mgb.bc.ca/misc/tirecalc.html it told me the ratio would be higher.

I have 30.6 inch tires now and plugged in 33 inch it gave me a new ratio of 4.42. I must be reading or understanding it wrong.

I think I found it...
 

Looks like the info I was reading was a suggestion as to a new gear to get back to original.

This site, http://www.off-road.com/tools/gearcalc.html , has a better definition and give you the actual whan increasing the tire size.

Thanks for making me rethink that one japickar!!

I'll have to see how big I can go on the stock suspension. Looks like there is a lot of room. I want the better gas mileage. I will be using it more for plowing. I know the lower end would be better but I don't want to sacrifice mpg when I'm paying $2.12 per gallon.