I currently drive an F-150 4.2 super cab and get 15-16 mpg overall. My decision to purchase an F-250 super cab PSD has come down to fuel consumption. Please let me know what I can expect.
AH

 

I get between 10mpg up to almost 22mpg!! To explain:
10mpg towing 30' travel trailer over 74mph
14mpg towing 30' travel trailer between 60-65mph
18-20mpg around town, stop and go traffic
19mpg interstate, going over 75mph
21+mpg interstate, going 65mph

I have found that my lead foot really does make a difference in my mpg with this diesel. So if you can keep control of that you will get fantastic milage. Other things that can make a difference is the quality of the fuel you buy. "ALWAYS" buy from a place that has lots of diesel customers. I live out of town and there's a gas station right around the corner from me. Very convienent but I've found that I get lousy fuel milage from their diesel. I've recently switched to another station that's almost 20 miles from me. Well, those are the two things I've found that can change your fuel milage, crappy fuel and speed (the faster you go the faster your mpg drops into the sewer) On the bright side, if your looking at the diesel, can I assume that you'll be pulling something??? If so, then let me say, what ever speed you go, with what ever you have behind you, it will pull it and still want to go faster

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2k F250 CC SWB 6 speed 4x2 Diesel XLT Super Duty, Woodland Green
Power Mirrors, 3.73 LS, Captains Chairs, ARE tonneau top, rear privacy glass
TT Pkg, Class IV hitch, sliding rear window, running boards, mud flaps
265/75/16 AS OWL tires, am/fm/cassette/cd, rechargable MagLite
Clarion APA 5240 amp, Memphis speakers:Components front, 5x7 rear, 10"sub
SuperChip, Stepshields, Ventshields on windows, rubber bed mat
rugged liner bedliner on tailgate, quick disconnect jumper cables
unaFORDable (decal on tailgate) Western Diesel Turbo Brake (whoa boy)
Finally gauges!!: Pyrometer & Boost on the A-Pillar mount

 

I just did a 520 mile drive yesterday, and averaged 18.9 MPG -- Hope this helps --- If I had it all to do over again, I would still by the PSD!

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~2001 F-250, White, crew cab,PowerStroke, 4-speed Auto,3.73 Limited Slip,6 CD changer
1997 Camaro Z-28, 6-speed, 30th anniversary convertible -- my fun car

 

Well???????? My dad has a 1999 PSD crewcab lariat short bed, with a auto which has a higher tow capacity than the standard. 3.73 gears is the highest gear you can get. He pulls a 24 ft. stock trailer loaded with cows and or double decked with sheep(about 20,000lbs. min) and never misses a lick. There is nothing it will not pull.
But the fuel economy that these other guys are claiming is not anywhere near what he is getting. This could be due to the standard 6speed having a higher ratio at cruising speeds or they ar erelying on the trip computer. He has chipped the diesel, and added a K&N. The tri computer tells him he is getting about 19,BUUUUT, when he figures it manually he gets 16 town or hwy running empty. The trip computers are notorious for beung WRONG on the big trucks.
Remember that the dielsel is made to run at about 2200 rpm with about 500 ft. lbs. of torque, stock. The diesel is not made to run at high rpm,s. It is a lugging motor not a race engine. Saying that, with the chip the horsepower is at about 300 and 550 ftlb of torque. It hauls when you put you foot in it, through all five gears, but it quits about 90mph(governored).
Unless you need to pull a heavy load very often you would be better to stay with a gas. The diesel takes 15 qts of oil every 5,000mi. a $10-$15 filter and you have to service the trans. and rearend every thirty. Maintenance is three times higher, plus $4500 premium for the engine will offset any mpg gains you might get. For most people a gas engine is the way to go. Hey ! if you just think thay sound cool, and they do, then get one, but you will not save any money by doing so, unless you plan on running it 300,000 miles, and even then it would be difficult to judge whether you would save money. Good luck!

 

OIX: the standard Diesel engine can tow just as much as the automatic diesel engine.
You can get 4.10 gear ratio w/DRW
About milage, As I stated before, that's what I get. I don't have the Lariat so I've not got the fancy overhead computer, I have to actually do the math. And yes, I do have a Superchip and I'm sure that's helping the numbers too. Another thing that helps my milage is that most of it is on flat roads.
I agree with you statement about these being towing machines and most people probably just don't need one. That's why Ford makes the V8 and the V10. But AH wasn't asking for reasons to not buy the PSD. He just wanted MPG figures. And YES, some diesel's get worse than mine and some actually get better. Check out www.ford-diesel.com
As far as all the oil, the filters and the maintaince....It just comes with the diesel. A person buying a diesel needs to know about these things before buying so that they can make a responsible purchase.

So for AH, if it's come down to just mpg, then by all means get the diesel.

 

Tina, a 4.10 is a lower gear ratio than a 3.73, and this ration is also available without the DRW. A 4.10 is a lower gear than a 3.73 ratio and therefore requires higher rpm to attain the same speed.
As far as mpg you are not getting any better than any f-150. Diesel is as expensive or more than unleaded so it is not like he will save money on cheaper fuel cost.
Yes he was asking about mpg. But, you have to condsider ALL operating cost not just the price and usage of fuel. There is a huge disparity between diesel maintenance cost and gas engine maintenance cost. I felt that he may not have been aware of this and that I would be doing him a favor by informing him of other aspects of diesel ownership than just the mpg since it was evident that he is considering getting a diesel to save money.
As you stated in your post about the oil and filter, that it is just part of making a responsible decision, that is why i gave him that info.
Do this math:
1. gas engine included in price/ diesel $4500 premium
2. oil change gas $21/ diesel $45
These are necesary operating that outweigh any gains you may or may not get from fuel savings.
AH- unless you are going to be hauling cows, travel trailers or large goosenecks all over the country you would be wasting you money to try and save money on fuel. It AIN'T gonna happen. If you do haul heavy trailers you need the diesel not for the mileage but because the gas engine will gut itself trying to do the work where the diesel is more than capable. By the way the diesel(if i am not mistaken) is made by international, you know the big trucks and has been their v-8 diesel for years and is tried and true.




[This message has been edited by 01X (edited 02-08-2001).]

 

All the info I have shows the 4.10 gears only on the Diesel F350 DRW's. And 4.88 gears on the Diesel F450/550 Where are you getting your info from???

And yes, the PSD is made by International