I was just wondering how are the 5.4 keeping up with current gas prices. Here in Ca. the price has hit $2.00 and it's hurting. I drive about 65 miles each day to and from work. The power of a 5.4 is nice but man that 5.4 likes to guzzle gas.

 

I feel for ya man. That's why when I traded in my '99 with the 5.4, I ordered the 4.6. You know what they say: "Power corrupts and absolute power is kinda nice." In my experience with two 4.6's and one 5.4, there's about a 2 MPG difference in mileage. At my 24,000 miles per year, that adds up fast!

 

Sorry to hear your woes but after all it is a truck. I hope you didn't expect great gas mileage. Just remember that everyone's operating cost's have gone up about 25% regardless of what they drive. It's just that our trucks used more in volume to begin with.

 

My wife drives the truck with the 5.4L to work every day, about 30 miles round trip. My wife and I spend about $35/week each on gas. Compared to our income, thgas fluctuation between $1.50 and 2.00 doesn't affect the bottom line much. Looking at the vehicles availible for us to drive that would use about half the gas we do now, it isn't worth the sacrifice in other vehicle characteristics so save us such a a small percentage of our income even at $2.00/gallon.

 

Ok lets put this in perspective. Assume a 5.4 gets 14 mpg, the 4.6 gets 16 mpg, you drive 24,000 miles per year, fuel prices are $2.00 per gallon and you have a 25 gallon tank.

The 4.6 will need 1500 gallons of gas and the 5.4 will need 1714 gallons. The difference is 214 gallons or 8.56 tanks full for 24,000 miles. At $2.00 a gallon this comes to $428.00 over a one year or $8.23 per week difference.

Assume gas prices went from $1.50 to $2.00 and the above facts.

The 5.4 costs have risen from $2571 to $3428 or $857 per annum.The 4.6 costs have risen from $2250 to $3000 or $750 per annum. So because of the fuel price the increase the 5.4 cost only $107 more than the operating cost increase of the 4.6 or $2.06 per week. Less than 1 lunch at McDonalds.

So, if you drive a 5.4 and skip lunch once a week, then you are doing better than the 4.6 to overcome the costs of the gas price increase.

 

All amounts to what you want and what your willing to pay for it. I wouldn't give up my 5.4 even if gas gets to $3.00 per gallon. I won't like it, but life is often like that.

 

I just don't use the truck as my commuter. What the heck, it is not a pleasure to be sitting in traffic, regardless of what I'm driving. So I might as well do it at 47 miles per gallon instead of 11.

But, when I can drive for pleasure, or there's work to be done, the commuter sits at home.

 

Nice figures there cayonslicker, Really helps put things in perspective. It's like when people will drive 15 miles to buy gas that's maybe $.05 cheaper....... After making a 30 mile round trip, all your savings are pretty much gone (well, if you drive a truck! ).

Sure, $2.00/gal gas sucks, but we are just being gouged anyway. Get used to it, because now that we are paying it, it'll just stay this high..... JMO.....

Oh, I wouldn't trade my 5.4 for anything..... I tow, so I need it's low end. It's no fun getting 9 mpg when I tow, but hey, that's life!!

 

I just bought my 03 SuperCrew and I got the 5.4 with tow package because iI wanted the power when I needed it, I knew the truck wouldn't get great mileage. If I had wanted a truck that got decent mileage I would have gotten another Ranger.

I still drive an old 74 Beetle to work every day to save on fuel and drive the King Ranch on weekends, 28 mpg vs 14, a no brainer. When gas prices drop, and I think they will again after we bomb hell of Saddam I'll start driving the truck more.

I do plan to do a couple of things to hopefully help such as K&N filter and keep to size 13 out of the throttle.

https://www.f150online.com/galleries...TOKEN=49002913

Jayhawker in Texas

 

Good job Canyonslicker of putting things in perspective. Nobody likes it when prices go up but after all these aren't economy vehicles. I had my '97 and checked the mileage maybe three times in seven years. On my new truck I haven't checked it yet.

 

I did a little math....My 4x4 Screw gets about 15 MPH with a 5.4L. If a 4.6 gets you a 2 MPG increase over the screw...here's how it comes out.

24,000 miles per year means...
2000 miles per month...
at 15MPG, you will burn 133 gallons/month....even at $2.00 it comes out to $266/month to drive

Now for a 4.6..
24,000 miles per year...
2000 miles per month
at 17MPG you will burn 117 gallons/month....it comes out to $234/month to drive a 4.6L

The difference is only $32/month or $8/week. I hardly think the difference is significant enough to affect your decision making when purchasing a truck.

When gas prices are reasonable, the price difference is even more insignificant

$199/month for a 5.4
175/month for a 4.6

I'm not flaming you 2stroked, just trying to help you put things in perspecitive. I drive a 5400lb vehicle, and I don't expect the fuel economy of a Yugo. At work I drive a tractor-trailer...imagine only getting 6MPG like my rig does....now thats terrible mileage!

 

The one piece of data that everyone is using, I question. However, it's good to use it and still prove the point.

2 MPG better with a 4.6 vs. an "everything else equal" truck with a 5.4?

 

Well, broken down weekly, a few bucks doesn't sound bad. Add that up over the long term and you start talking big money!

As an example, take my '97 F150. Assume 16 mpg average. For 157,000 miles, thats $14,720 in gasoline at 1.50. At 14 mpg, thats $16, 820 in gasoline at 1.50.

Over that time period, that is a $2100 cost savings, and I got to eat my lunch too. I can think of a few things $2100 could buy!

I'm not fooling myself here, I do drive a full size truck. It doesn't get the worlds best mileage, and I don't expect it. Fuel mileage does enter into the equation though, especially if you log a lot of miles or run a fleet of vehicles. Every penny does start to count.

I can't speak to the differnce between an all things equal situation, but my '97 averages 17 mpg (6.5 year long term average), and my '99 gets 16.3 mpg (3.5 year long term record).

 

Hi Gopher,

I agree . I can think of alot of things to buy for $2100 as well.

Lopez wanted to know how the higher gas prices affect driving a 4.6 vs. 5.4. I was hoping to shine some light on the subject for him to relieve a little panic. There are things most of us do that can be done different to save money. i.e. walk to the local store for milk and bread or whatever . The list goes on and on.

There are sacrifices people must make to drive a higher powered truck and fuel is one of them. It is a choice we make.

So, what did you buy with the $2100 ?

 

I paid for my wife to go to grad school! Not necessarily a fun exoenditure, but we will be getting the rewards of that investment shortly!

I do agree that one has to weigh whether or not the power of the 5.4 is worth the slight additional operational cost. If you don't log a lot of miles, that little difference doesn't mean a whole lot! Thats one of the great things about buying a pickup - you don't have to get a one size fits all vehicle - you have a ton of choices to get what you need!