Small Truck Fuel Question

[sauerkraut]

Gang, I'm thinking on buying a used small truck for better fuel economy over a large full size truck, but many people told me I might just as well buy a full size truck since the fuel mileage is not that much differant, I have been told that small truck fuel economy is over rated and many get just 2-3 more miles per gallon over a full size truck. I have been thinking on getting either a Ford Ranger with a 4.0 engine, Chevy S-10 with a 4.3, Dodge Dakota with a 3.9, or a Chevy Astro Van with a 4.3- All in 2 wheel drive. I do alot driving and my old 1990 F-150 is hard on fuel and it's pushing the 300,000 mile mark with a 302 V-8 banger. Dealers have told me the small trucks get much better fuel economy but they just want to make a sale, people at work and neighbors told me otherwise. BTW  I also heard that V-6 in a full size truck burns more fuel than a small V-8 in a full size truck because the small V-6 has to work harder. Thanks,

[nathanm]

2-3 mpg is a lot when you're only getting 12 to start with.

Say you have a 17 gallon tank. At 12 mpg, you have a range of 204 miles. At 15, you have a range of 255 miles. That's a 25% increase. On the other hand, if you drove something that got 30mpg, you'd have a range of 510 miles, while 33 would only get you 561, or a 10% increase.

Say you drive 300 miles a week. That's 25 gallons a week in the big truck, or $62.48 a week in gas at the price I paid yesterday at QuikTrip. In the smaller truck, you use only 20 gallons a week, so only pay $49.98 a week in gas. That's $650 a year, just from that 3 miles a gallon.

In the car example, you're talking 10 gallons a week, or $24.50 vs. about 9.1 gallons a week, or $22.70. That's less than a hundred bucks a year in savings.

The point being that at lower mpg ratings, the difference is magnified.

BTW, the Ranger isn't a bad little truck. You can usually get the Mazda version for less money, though.

[custosnox]

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/sbs.htm

[TUalum0982]

If its the same 4.0 liter V6 that the ford explorer uses (and Im sure it is) you will avg 16.5-17.0mpg AT BEST.  In fact, the V8 explorers actually get better gas mileage then your v6 brotheren.  A friend of the family has S-10 fleet vehicles at work, and he said they avg about 15mpg in theirs.  Now I know they probably beat them to death but still, you aren't going to turn 22-25 mpg in one of those things.  If you are only talking 1-3mpg gallon and size of the truck is not an issue then go with the smaller truck.  But personally, I would rather know I have a fullsize truck bed behind just in case. 

[nathanm]

My SO's '01 V6 Explorer gets about 17mpg city on E10, or about 23 if it's all highway. The Ranger should get slightly better mileage on the same motor, as it has less drag. On 100% gas, it's closer to 20mpg in city driving, although the highway mileage is about the same as E10.

Much different than my Honda, which gets essentially the same mileage on E10 as gas regardless of how I drive it.

[Mike 01Hawk]

Uh... if you really want to sip gas, you're gonna have got get a sub 2.0L engine in a small car, ie 7th Gen Civic that can get 32-40mpg.

400 miles per tank on 12 gal 87 octane is a beautiful thing.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Your 1990 F-150 never got any better than 14 mpg.  And now you probably don't do any better than 12 or so.  The 5.8L (351 Windsor, through 1998 or so gets about the same, with a lot more power.)

The diesels will get a little better, but cost you about $6,000 more.  Dodge, Ford, and older Chevy diesels that I have personally driven get from 16 to 22 without load and 11 to 15 with a full load.

Step up one notch higher to a medium duty truck (think Ryder box truck or school bus), International with DT466 engine and Allison transmission.  You will get between 9 and 14 depending on how heavy your foot is.  (I consistently get 12 to 13 with that combination.  And you can load it heavy and pull a pretty big trailer that your F-150 can't.)

Gas engine will never beat a diesel with the same gearing conditions.  The diesel has 50%+ more heat content to the fuel, so physics will get in the way of the gasoline. 

Really big truck, like Freightliner with 12.7 liter Detroit diesel and 10 or 13 speed tranny, 3.55 or 3.73 rear gears;  should get at least 6 mpg w/ full load (80,000 lbs.) except for mountains.  And can get 7 or 8 or more, if take it easy.

Or get a Volkswagen diesel car and get 45mpg and more.

[Red Arrow]

Gas engine will never beat a diesel with the same gearing conditions.  The diesel has 50%+ more heat content to the fuel, so physics will get in the way of the gasoline. 

Seems to me from Thermo class a long time ago that the higher compression ratio of the diesel helps the efficiency too.  Higher compression ratios would help a gasoline engine too but the side effects are undesirable pollutants.  NOx I think.

[bugo]

I saw a new extended cab 4x4 Ranger on display in a Wal Mart in Arkansas a few weeks ago.  It had the 4.0L V6 engine and a 5 speed automatic.  I was shocked when I looked at the sticker and saw that the EPA highway rating was only 18 MPG  That's not as good as a full size Chevy 5.3L V8.  Really poor mileage for a small truck.  I assumed it would get at least 25 on the highway.  But the Ranger is an ancient truck.  They are virtually unchanged since the 1993 model year.  But they keep selling them, and buyers keep buying them.  The tooling had to have been amortized years ago.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Higher cylinder pressure (2 or 3 to 1) is the other side of the equation.  2:1 there and 1.5 to 2 on heat content gives a 3 or 4 to 1 efficiency swing - in favor of diesel.  Yep, dirtier, too in NOx.  Low sulfur fuel helps a lot, but most big engines are requiring a catalyst burn of some sort.
  But $6,000 for the engine.  Ouch.

[dbacks fan]

How far can you run a vehicle on boiled cabbage?   

[nathanm]

How far can you run a vehicle on boiled cabbage?   

Probably not from Omaha to Tulsa. Even with a diesel.

[DolfanBob]

I had a Mazda B2200 for about 6 years and sold it with 270 thousand miles. It was running perfect and the air was still blowing cold.
I then had a Nissan small truck and it ran great and I had no problem with it either.
Both were automatic. I cant stand shifting.
One other note. Since I had no problem with the Nissan. I bought another extended cab 4x4 and I bought it soley on the way it looked. Big mistake. I had nothing but trouble with that good looking lemon. Lost my a** on that one. Oh by the way, it was a stick.

The first two were 4 cylinders and the lemon was a 6. They all got great gas mileage, but the down side to the automatics was the loss of power for the fuel mileage.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Cabbage can make ethanol at about 25 gallons a ton.  But only about 2 tons per acre, or so.  Keep the cabbage for grilling out with ribs!!

[Smokinokie]

My Nissan Frontier only gets 17 highway with a 4.0 V6. If it's mileage you want but still must have a truck, look at the 4Cyl Rangers. Last I checked, they got the best mileage of all the small trucks. I elected to get the gas guzzling Nissan. Would not buy it again.