Real world gas mileage

[ucfireman]

For the folks with full size trucks, what kind of ACTUAL gas mileage are y'all getting?
Looking mainly for newer trucks, 2020 to new. I'm starting to look and want to know what y'all are getting.
Please tell me engine size(4,6,8, gas/diesel), transmission type (auto/ manual, and # of speeds), and 2wd/4wd.
Also if y'all are towing or are speed demons (hard start and stops, "aggressive").
Do y'all use cruise control? Better gas mileage with it on?
Do y'all have the "cylinder cut out" I know the Ram 5.7 does (or did), do the Chevy and Ford?
Also do y'all use the stupid cut off/on? Or turn it off?

Thanks, I know I'm asking a lot of questions but good grief trucks have gotten expensive, as well as gas.

 

[GeorgiaGlockMan]

2015 f250 D. Got 19-20 mpg average for first couple of years new. Was down to 17.x mpg last year when I chipped and deleted it.

Back up to 18-19 gpm now with allot more pep but I do keep it in race mode 99% of the time....I do love a good smoke screen.

 

[ribber]

2017 Ram 1500 crew cab 5.7 4wd, 8 speed tranny, 3.21 rear end, factory wheels and tires (Toyo HT). Not sure what its called but has the thing where it drops to 4 cylinders when cruising.
99% daily type driving, 40 mile round trip to work and back, some interstate, some in town.

On the dash calculator I consistently get 18-19 mpg, but have got as high as 22 on a trip. Hand calculated is usually .5-1 mpg less than the dash, so real world is about 17-18 mpg average. Very good imo for a truck with a big V8 and plenty of power. On the occasions that I've towed my 16 ft boat, it gets about 14-15 mpg. I think the claimed mileage on the window sticker was 15/21 city/highway so it's pretty accurate.

 

[Buck70]

I have the same truck with the same mileage.

 

[cjones]

2014 Silverado Z71 Crew Cab - 5.3L V8 w/ 4cyl vs 8cyl fuel control
Around town (400 mile rolling average): 16 - 16.5mpg
On interstate with cruise at 80: 19.5-21mpg

 

[TheWildLife]

2016 F250 CC 4WD & 6.7 diesel. No modifications, no tuner, and have run 35 X 12.50 Toyo Open Country tires for last 90k miles (multiple sets). After 131k miles the computer says I've averaged 14 mpg over those miles. I pull a trailer about 30% of the time, a 6 X 12 with either my Ranger or Scag mower or my 21' deck over with a 5000 lb tractor or 8000 lb CTL. The 35" tires definitely impacted the economy, but I didn't buy it for the mileage.....

 

[buckmanmike]

2019 F150 5.0 V8. In town 14-15. Hwy 21-22 @ 75 mph in economy mode of trans.

 

[Robert28]

2021 F150 2.7 ecoboost, 4x4, super crew. Lie-o-meter says 22-24 mixed driving, hand calculating it is 21.5-22. Whatever the mpg says on the dash usually it’s off by 1.5 mpg. My truck is mixed driving 90% of the time on 55mph roads. Still gets good gas mileage on the interstate at 70, go beyond 70 and she starts dropping. I pull a 6x12 double axle trailer sometimes and it gets around 15-16 unloaded.

 

[NE GA Pappy]

my 2018 D2500 4x4, 6.4 Hemi, 6 speed gets 16 on local trips, 17 on longer trips like Atlanta or Charlotte, running 75 to 80 on the interstate. Hook a camper to it, and it gets 13.5 to 14 pulling to Cherokee, up the hills.

I pulled the camper 9000 miles in 2020 on our trip out west, and averaged just over 12mpg pulling against head winds, hills, and running 65 to 70 on the interstates.

 

[ucfireman]

Hand calculated

I hand calculate every tank, Amazing most folks dont know how to do it. My truck does not have teh computer mpg so thats all I know.

MY dad bought a 2005 Chevy Z71 4door not crew but smaller 4doors. 5.3 auto.
Everyone said they got 20+mpg. All we can get is 16+- and less when towing. And its just 16inch wheels and tires.
I think a lot of folks use the computer and look at it when going down hill and see 25-30 and think that's what they are getting. I know better, that's why I'm asking.

I do know my Tacoma gets way worse over about 65mph, I have heard wind resistance increases greatly over about 70-80mph and really affects mpg. But everyone complaining about gas prices are doing nothing to try to increase mpgs. speeding and driving aggressively.
I use my cruise 65mph.

I hear the chevy 3.0 and ram 3.0 "eco diesels" get pretty good and can still tow.
Would like to hear if anyone has one?
Looking to possibly but an Escape 5.0 fifth wheel camper. They only weigh about 4000lbs.

 

[4HAND]

2021 Chevy Silverado 4x4, crew cab, 1500, v8. 21-22 mpg on open road/interstate.
I do not use the auto shut off. It just bothers me.

 

[NE GA Pappy]

oh, BTW, I set the 'B' trip meter on my truck the day I bought it new. I know it is the computer calculating but it has to be pretty accurate over the 74000 miles I have driven it. It is showing 15.4 mpg since day one. That includes the 9000 miles at ~12 mpg pulling the camper in 2020

and mine does have the eco mode where it shuts down 4 cylinders, but it doesn't get to do that much in these hills

 

[Tight Lines]

If you are looking at buying a newer truck, here is where I came out in my research. I had a 5.3l Yukon XL. When I got ready to sell it, because the DOD died, and the transmission was going as well, I did a ton of research on new trucks as did my brother who was also buying one.

My brother has multiple types of trucks through work, and they've had Dodge, Chevy, GMC, and Ford and both gas and diesel. They are moving all new trucks to gas because of the cost of maintaining the new diesels. They are moving to all GM trucks.

Because neither of us wanted a turbo or diesel, or the cylinder deactivation technology, that narrows your options down to basically the 3/4 ton HD trucks that are gas as they do not have the DOD.

Or, you can go with smaller trucks that have the V6s like the Tacoma or the Frontier.

All of the half ton trucks - Ford, Chevy, and Dodge with the V8s have cylinder deactivation which is a nightmare over 100,000 miles. I'm not sure about the Titan and the Tundra, but I think they also have the DOD. Basically the work trucks are exempt from the calculations apparently.

After all of that, I ended up buying a Jeep because I bought a pre-cylinder deactivation V8 Titan from my dad instead of a new truck. My brother bought the 2500 Denali HD with the 6.6 gas.

Now back to your question...the Yukon XL with the 5.3l never got worse than 13 around town and never got any better than 18 on the highway, and the average was around 16. Pulling a trailer with the SxS and it dropped to 13...that's towing about 2500 lbs.

My brother's 6.6l gas is getting similar on the highway...

The only way either of them could get over 20 MPH would be if you were coasting down Pike's Peak...

 

[Tight Lines]

By the way if I was to buy a trailer, I'd buy the Escape too...those are sweet for the money...

 

[NE GA Pappy]

you can buy a tuner to deactivate the ECO mode on most any truck. It is a quick install/uninstall, and most are undetectable after they are removed, so no warranty problems

 

[buckmanmike]

Just to clarify, I posted 2019 F150 V8 mileage, I was referring to the trans setting eco. Not cylinder delete. My truck has no cylinder delete. I do have have the start/stop disabled 100% of the time.
Im pleased with my '19 replacing my '03, but I sold it to someone I know and he brags about how good of a truck it is. Also my trucks are always 4 x 4 , but no radical tires.

 

[ucfireman]

They are moving all new trucks to gas because of the cost of maintaining the new diesels.

Yeah that was my thought on the 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton. I figure the upkeep would be cheaper. But a gas 3/4 may be the way to go.
I had forgotten the diesel DEF stuff, its pretty expensive on top of the fuel cost.

 

[ribber]

Tires make a big difference in mpg. I hear guys complain all the time how they don't get the advertised mileage, but they've put 33-35" inch LT mud terrains on the truck and/or lift. I put 33" BFG all terrains on a 06 Ford I bought new and lost a consistent 2-3 mpg. But they looked good

 

[Robert28]

A lot of the new trucks are coming without the cylinder delete or auto stop/start because of the chip shortage. You can ask the dealer if you decide to order one and they can tell you. Ford was shipping trucks without stop/start and you got a $50 credit. GM was probably doing the same I’m sure.

 

[Tight Lines]

Just to clarify, I posted 2019 F150 V8 mileage, I was referring to the trans setting eco. Not cylinder delete. My truck has no cylinder delete. I do have have the start/stop disabled 100% of the time.
Im pleased with my '19 replacing my '03, but I sold it to someone I know and he brags about how good of a truck it is. Also my trucks are always 4 x 4 , but no radical tires.

I think Ford held off on the VDE for longer because the Ecoboost engines were sold more...they added it in 2021 unfortunately so that 1/2 ton V8 now has it. Not sure about the F250 & 350 but I think they have the larger gas engines without VDE.

It's really a horrible system. In the Chevy 5.3l the engine has plastic lifter trays...and once a lifter collapses or a tray starts to come apart, you are looking at $4500 of repairs and DOD delete. Mine had 108K on it when it happened...add to that the transmissions that are now up to 10 speed and your drivetrain is far more complicated and problem prone than before. There are class actions against GM for the DOD which they know isn't a 250,000-300,000 mile solution like the rest of the engine was...