Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

[Boomyal]

This request is for people with mid to full size vehicles that would be capable of pulling up to 3000 lbs.

I have a '91 Toyota Previa van that does not get all that great of mileage. It has been a good vehicle and currently has about 138k miles on it. This is the vehicle that I drive for general purposes.

I also have a '94 2500 454 Suburban that only has 44k miles on it. It has sat in the driveway for the last couple of years, unregistered and without insurance. The general mileage on this beast is intolerable.

I would like to get rid of both of them and get one vehicle that is capable of occasionally pulling my boat, will carry a few people and get decent mileage when I drive it about town.

I'd like to hear your no BS experiences. If I had my preferences, I would stick with a Ford product but might consider other units.

The sad part is that neither one of these vehicles are worth a hoot, so anything I buy (later model used) will still cost me a pretty penny but it just does make sense to continue insuring two vehicles and have them sit outside and rot.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

07 Crown Vic. 20mpg (US gallons)
added a trans cooler as car not rated by Ford to tow 3000, but it pulls boat shown just fine for me.

I always use regular gas in it and I have highway gears (LX rear axle)

 

[cribber]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

I pull my 3000# Glastron and trailer with a Pacifica that has a 3.5L V6. I get 22 mpg on the highway because I tend to drive around 78 mph. In town mixed driving racing from redlight to redlight I get 14-16. Midsize SUVs tend to be rated for 3500 lbs when equiped with a V6 and Ford has a few options for you in their V6 range that should get decent mileage based on driving habits. I've been accused of having a lead foot which I can't dispute. Checkout Consumer Reports for their real world gas mileage and decide what's best for your budget.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

2004 Hummer H2 - Tows 10,000 gross, averages 12-13 MPG on the street (or 9 MPG when pulling anything heavier than my lunch) and 16 on the hwy.

 

[foodfisher]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

'03 Dodge ram 4x4 w/5.7 hemi. 10 in town 14 hwy. Loaded or not. Edit: Does't seem to know it's pulling a 19' boat (glass) or a 20' travel trailer.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

2004 Hummer H2 - Tows 10,000 gross, averages 12-13 MPG on the street (or 9 MPG when pulling anything heavier than my lunch) and 16 on the hwy.

Those numbers are why I want to get rid of my '94 Suburban Boat Anchor!

 

[t8764]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

2006 Dodge ram 1500 5.7 50,000 miles. I get 12-14 in town I only drive about two miles to work under 35mphs. I drove from Manhattan ks to lake of the orzarks last summer got 12 mpg pulling a 6000 lbs boat and a four people in the cab bed full of food and beer. Out of the highway not pulling I get around 19mpg.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

2000 Mercury Mountaineer - Ave 21 MPG (city and HWY driving). Loaded light and watching my speed 26MPG HWY. Pulling the boat ... 'round 16 or less.

I also have a Ford E150. Watching how we drive on the HWY it can get 18MPG, but averages more like 16. It doesn't really care how much we're loaded or what we're towing (so far). Current boat is about 3000#, and I'm sure it probably drops our mileage down toward 12 or so.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

'02 Chevy Trailblazer
weighs 4900#
I6 4.2L auto
tows 5000#+


18.1 mpg average over 3.5 years
15 city
23-24 highway

Anytime I take it out of overdrive ( tow mode ) 16 mpg highway towing about 1800#

 

[roscoe]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

Watch out for those 1998 '99 era Mountaineer AWD v8's.

The mileage will kill you.

2 guys I work with have them. only 13-14 mpg

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

2001 Dodge Durango 4x4
4.7L V8 auto trans
tow capacity around 3500#

City 11-12 MPG
Highway at 75-80MPH 15-16 MPG
(Highway at 55MPH 18-19MPG,,, did that once just to see)
Towing at 65+ 10-11 MPG
Towing at 55MPH 14-15mpg

I drive in mountainous areas, so lots of climbing grades. The good mileage towing at 55 MPH is driving very conservatively, getting up to 60-65 downhill and letting the momentum carry the rig up hill, while slowing to 40-45 mph.

Just from looking at the numbers, you can see the Durango is about as aerodynamic as a brick...

 

[86 century]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

99 jeep cherokee I6 4.0 2wd auto gets 200,000 + gets 19-21 mixed driving on e10 17+/- on e85.
95 suburban 1500 4x4 5.7 4speed auto gets around 15 no matter what you do with it.
99 gmc sierra 2500 6.0 4speed auto 300,000+ gets 17empty 9 towing

In the jeep
I dont know that I would tow using e85 as it is not a flex fuel.
I do not recomend putting e85 in non flex fuel.
I have $400 in the thing If it kills it so be it.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 4.7 V8. AWD. 14MPG all the time. Just upgraded to a 2006 Grand Cherokee with the 5.7 Hemi. Same mileage, now friggin fast as hell!!!

 

[southkogs]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

Watch out for those 1998 '99 era Mountaineer AWD v8's.

My best understanding is it's the AWD that does it. I've got the 4.0 v6, and a buddy has the V8. Both are 2WD and get roughly the same mileage ... I've heard the 4WD & AWD are much worse though.

S'pose I shoulda' mentioned the 2WD part. Good catch Roscoe.

 

[dolluper]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

2002 GMC sierra 4.3 auto.....200hp pulls up to 8400 lbs empty around town 12-14 ....14 on good day.....empty on highway have got over 20..... pulling loaded about 12 to 14 highway in tow mode.... in town 9-10

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

My best understanding is it's the AWD that does it.

Indeed. It's awful. We had a Pacifica with it also and that thing was 16MPG all the time. It is great to be able to stomp on it even in the rain to pull into traffic though

 

[bigdee]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

S-10 4 cylinder....25-28 highway, 15 towing 3000#
Blazer 4.3 V6....20-22 highway, 14-15 towing 3000#
Jeep GC I-6,AWD....19-21 highway, ?????? towing
Ford PU I-6, manual...16 highway, 15 towing

 

[southkogs]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

We had a Pacifica with it also and that thing was 16MPG all the time.

Glad you confirmed that for me ... was just lookin' at a used Pacifica and had heard about the mileage. Purty car, though ... wow.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

Glad you confirmed that for me ... was just lookin' at a used Pacifica and had heard about the mileage. Purty car, though ... wow.

Super nice vehicle. If you get an '07-'08 it will have the 4.0 as opposed to the anemic 3.5 we had so you'd at least be getting some nicer power for your gas $. We had to sell ours when gas hit $4 a gallon the last time and my commuter car crapped out at the same time. We couldn't afford two car payments back then so we traded both in on a car. I really loved that Pacifica.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Report your NO BS mixed driving mileage!

2000 Mercury Mountaineer - Ave 21 MPG (city and HWY driving). Loaded light and watching my speed 26MPG HWY. Pulling the boat ... 'round 16 or less.

I also have a Ford E150. Watching how we drive on the HWY it can get 18MPG, but averages more like 16. It doesn't really care how much we're loaded or what we're towing (so far). Current boat is about 3000#, and I'm sure it probably drops our mileage down toward 12 or so.

SouthKogs, what motor is in your Mountaineer? Is it 2wd or 4wd? I'm seeing some pretty gruesome mileage claims for those things.

On you E150, your experience mirrors mine. I have a '97 workvan that I drove unloaded for a couple of years. I got consistantly over 18mpg going up and down the Fwy with a little surface street mixed in. Then I loaded her down, as much as 1500 lbs over GVW, and for years now I get a pretty consistant 15ish with 2/3rd hiway and 1/3rd surface street.