Here is a good question, see what kind of results we can get on this one.

I have a 302 gasser and I have done a great amount of research looking at a new truck with the same type of gas mileage that I currently get with the 302. I am getting around 22-24 mpg on the highway for a 7 hour cruise at around 70-75 mph and about 18-19 mpg mixed highway/city driving. The only way that I can get about the same mpg's is to go to a F-250 Superduty with the diesel in it. Here in Canada, that is about a $6500-7000 option for this truck. Even new, lighter F-150's can't get the mileage that I am. Anyone got the inside scope on this ??

Have Fun & Keep on Truckin'
Dean

------------------
1994 F-150 XLT Supercab, Long Box, 302 EFI, K&N FIPK, Bosch Platinum +4 Spark Plugs, Automatic, Single Catalytic converter, followed by a Raven Z-55 muffler and finished off with chrome tips (2 1/2" to 3"), Royal Blue in and out, Captain Chairs. Chrome Rims 15x8's, Michelin LTX M/S 105S 235/75R15 (Summer), OEM Aluminum Rims 15x8's, Michelin LTX M/S 108S (Winter), Lightly Tinted, Soft Tonneau Cover, Ford Receiver Hitch Cover & Lock, J&J Enterprises Stainless Steel AirDam with KC driving lights, Lund Supersteps, Lighted Grab Bars, VTech Slotted Taillight Covers, Alpine CDM-7829 Head Unit, PPI 4800 Amplifier, Kicker 10" Solo Baric Sub with Custom Box and Kicker Impulse 6.5 Mid & Tweets.

 

That is great gas mileage. None of the new trucks will consitantly get that good of gas mileage Not even the Superduty diesels Read this: http://forums.ford-diesel.com/ubb/Fo...ML/000960.html

 

That's enviable mileage.

What rear-axle ratio do you have?

Most of the late-model 5.4's seem to get 13.5 mpg with 14.5-15.5 on the highway.



------------------
Y2K™ 7700 4x4
Jim - N8JG@Hotmail.com

Toreador Red, Keyless XLT SC SB 5.4L E4x4 4wDisc/ABS, 3.73LS, Skid, HD 7700# Towing, LT-245's on Chrome, Tube-Steps, Captain's, 6CD, Tonneau, named: "Nick"

 

Is he comparing Imperial gallons (in Canada) to US gallons? thus the MPG figures would be different?

Also, the Diesel does get better MPG's than some gassers, but in some areas this is somewhat offset by the higher price of diesel fuel and the extra cost of $4000 for the engine..

I think your best bet is something in the F150 line with the 4.6L.. Folks get decent mpg's. I think it has just as much power as your 302.

------------------
Y2K F250 XLT SC 4x2 5.4L 5sp 4.10LS

 

Wow, I hope that's the case otherwise I'm really jealous. Figured it up and 23 miles per imperial gallon eqaual up to right about 19 miles per us gallon. I think a 2wd 4.6 driven nicely can give you those kind of numbers. My Uncle claims 18 on the highway from a 2wd extended cab 5.4. I can get 20 from my reg cab 4.6.

 

I have the 3.55 LS in the rear end and that is 4.5 L per gallon that I use for my equations. I figured it out about a year or two ago and if I bought the Superduty with the diesel in it. It would take me about 1.5 years or 55,000 kms to pay off the difference between the gas mileage of a gasser compared to the price of the diesel. I took an average of mpg's of the current diesel user and did the figuring. I ran about 30,000 kms/year so it wouldn't take me long to pay it off even if the price of diesel is higher. Besides, I can get a monster of a superchip for Mike T. and get a lot of HP & TQ to play with and then there is all the other mods that can be done. The only other thing that I was concerned with at the time was the maintenance of the diesel compared to a gasser. My knowledge of a diesel motor is very, very limited other than they take about 10 litres of oil on a oil change and the fact that it uses compression compared to a spark for detonation. I watch my mileage very carefully on long trips.

Have Fun & Keep on Truckin'
Dean

------------------
1994 F-150 XLT Supercab, Long Box, 302 EFI, K&N FIPK, Bosch Platinum +4 Spark Plugs, Automatic, Single Catalytic converter, followed by a Raven Z-55 muffler and finished off with chrome tips (2 1/2" to 3"), Royal Blue in and out, Captain Chairs. Chrome Rims 15x8's, Michelin LTX M/S 105S 235/75R15 (Summer), OEM Aluminum Rims 15x8's, Michelin LTX M/S 108S (Winter), Lightly Tinted, Soft Tonneau Cover, Ford Receiver Hitch Cover & Lock, J&J Enterprises Stainless Steel AirDam with KC driving lights, Lund Supersteps, Lighted Grab Bars, VTech Slotted Taillight Covers, Alpine CDM-7829 Head Unit, PPI 4800 Amplifier, Kicker 10" Solo Baric Sub with Custom Box and Kicker Impulse 6.5 Mid & Tweets.

 

This reminds me of the math I went thru when deciding on buying the 6.2 litre diesel in place of the 5.7 litre gasser (mea culpa, I was a GM fan then).

Right now, with gasoline at $1.40 and diesel at $1.60 (here, at least), you'd need to get 15.4 MPG with the diesel just to equal the 13.5 MPG of the gasser.

Now, that's easy, since diesel gets 150% the fuel mileage as does a gasser -- so that makes 13.5 x 150% = 20.3 mpg -- so you're going to 'save' $0.054 per mile with running the diesel ($1.60 / 20.25 mpg) -- so...

...if you paid only $1,000 extra for your diesel, you'd need to run only 40,500 miles to save $1,000 vs gas (40,500 miles at 13.5 mpg is 3,000 gallons vs 2,000 gallons; cost of fuel is $4,200g vs $3,200d).

If your diesel cost you $3,000 (just what IS their incremental cost nowadays? I really don't know) -- the break-even mileage is 121,500 miles.

Of course, you need to change the oil sooner, any and all repairs are 3-times the cost as for a gasser (if, indeed they would be needed at all on a gasser) - and fuel prices will have a LOT to do with costs (diesel should cost 75% of what gas costs -- but the rest is made up of taxes).

Just for fun, I've run some numbers for TOWING -- with the assumption that the prices of fuel are the same $1.50 -- and assuming the gasser gets 10 mpg and the diesel gets 150% of that (=15 mpg). For a $3,000 premium for the diesel, the payback is only 60,000 miles!

Back when I bought my GMC diesel, gas prices were $1.00, and diesel was around $0.80 per gallon. The diesel option was about $1,000 at the time (remember, GM was still trying hard to destroy diesel forever -- by way of their pittiful 5.7 litre diesels in Caddies and Oldsmobiles) -- so before the government decided to tax the **** out of businesses by way of the diesel-fuel tax -- my anticipated differential savings for 100,000 miles was about $2,500 (left over after paying off the $1,000 premium for the diesel).

Unfortunately, I nearly ate up that savings by having to put 3 starters, 6 batteries, 8 glow plugs, front/rear main seals and a lot of oil changes -- things that gassers just don't go thru.

Moral of this confusing story:

If you tow a LOT -- and need the power -- then chance the diesel -- but you must posess superior negotiation skills to see you thru myriad repairs that you'd never see if you had a gasser.

Happy New Year:

------------------
Y2K™ 7700 4x4
Jim - N8JG@Hotmail.com

Toreador Red, Keyless XLT SC SB 5.4L E4x4 4wDisc/ABS, 3.73LS, Skid, HD 7700# Towing, LT-245's on Chrome, Tube-Steps, Captain's, 6CD, Tonneau, named: "Nick"


[Edited for clarity]

[This message has been edited by jgorka (edited 12-28-2000).]