Real world truck mpg

[RobATK94 1]

I'm thinking about ditching the flatbed trailer and FJ cruiser and go back to a pickup.  Last truck I had was an 05 Toyota single cab base model pickup.  I loved that thing, 4cyl. 20+mpg. No issues ever, almost 200k miles when I had a kid and had to upgrade to something with a back seat.  I drive about 70 miles round trip for work.  I want a bed again, the trailer is ok but it gets old fast. 

anyone else commute with a truck?  What do you have and what are your real world MPGs?  I would like a crew cab. Most likely 2wd.  I think tacomas and frontiers are the obvious choices.  But what about ridgelines?  6cyl 1/2 tons?  diesels?  

My FJ averages about 16mpg.  10k ish budget. 

[350thumper 336]

i want a little white Toyota something stock with stock tires maybe air-conditioning. .

they are the perfect height to load and unload a dirtbike and cheep enough on gas to keep you riding .

and the 4 cylinders are little putt putts that help you fly under the radar to keep the cops off your back  

[carguy 1]

Dodge, cummins, 6speed, 01 or so. 3/4 ton 20mpg stock

[Mikey777 44]

'07 Nissan Titan Crew cab, 4x4 lifted.  Avg 14-15 mpg.  165k on the odo.  I can't really do anything other than a truck.  I am always throwing stuff in the back like camping gear, bikes, motorcycle, have a hitch carrier, etc..  Any other type of vehicle would just get really beat up.

[Bp619 104]

Basically all v8 halfton trucks get low to mid teens, like 12-16 

Smaller trucks like tacoma and frontiers should get low to mid 20s like 20-26.

2wd should get about 2mpg better on average.

Theres are some exceptions like 4cyl small trucks can get low 30s and small v8 halftons can get low 20s

 

[350thumper 336]

My old mini van does pretty good regarding motorcycles.

the hitch carrier helps, 67 bucks on line .vas mileage is around 21 prolly down hill with a tail wind .

[Oracle 195]

I know they are well outside of your budget but thought I'd mention Nissian and Dodge both have a 1/2 ton diesel option now. Thinking about going this route myself.

 

[Bp619 104]

11 minutes ago, Oracle said:

I know they are well outside of your budget but thought I'd mention Nissian and Dodge both have a 1/2 ton diesel option now. Thinking about going this route myself.

 

Lb talk to me 1st before going the dodge route (fyi not worth it), and they are both completely different dodge is a halfton low hitch capacity and the titan xd is heavy duty based and both $$$ like 45k for dodge and 60k for titan xd

[KTMrad 513]

'98 F150 with 5 speed stick, average 15mpg (I have a heavy foot), extended cab, 400,000 plus miles, no issues but standard maintenance....I know the newer ones get better mileage...I highly recommend Ford Product !  The first American car manufacturer, and didn't need a bailout years ago when the others did !

Once you switch from a small truck to the bigger, you'll never go back...I started out with a Ford Ranger.

[Mikey777 44]

I test drove the new Titan XD just for kicks..The interior is really nice, similar feel to the older Titan's interior. It drives like a giant tractor due to the gearing.  It could probably pull a house down. They are bringing out the gas models soon and likely the Warrior Off Road edition (below) to compete with the Ford Raptor.  It has a shorter snout than the XD...looks a little better IMO.

  

 

[darylhunter 1]

2003 Ford F-250 with 6.0 l diesel.

17 - 21 mpg highway depending upon how I drive.

12 - 15 mpg city.  The low end is when I commute 4.5 miles each way to work up/down a couple big hills.  Truck never gets warmed up.  The higher end city mileage is when I am out running around doing errands about town after the truck has had a chance to warm up.

Towing my 30 ft weekend warrior I got 8 - 10 mpg depending upon how the trailer was loaded and how fast I tried to pull it.  Speeds over ~60 mph really start to drop the mileage.

[Ken S 164]

Loaded with tools and a rack. Getting 16.2 average. 

2016 GMC 2500hd. Duramax diesel. 

$60,000

[arjayes 1]

17 hours ago, Bp619 said:

Basically all v8 halfton trucks get low to mid teens, like 12-16 

Smaller trucks like tacoma and frontiers should get low to mid 20s like 20-26.

2wd should get about 2mpg better on average.

Theres are some exceptions like 4cyl small trucks can get low 30s and small v8 halftons can get low 20s

 

I've owned two 6cyl Tacomas over the years (a 1995 and a 2011) and now drive a 2012 6cyl 4runner. All of them have gotten the same surprisingly crappy gas mileage in the 16mpg range for mixed driving. On the freeway they'll creep up toward 19-20 but I've never see anything in the low to mid 20s from any of them under any conditions. I think the 6cyl Nissans are just as bad but have never owned one.

[Oracle 195]

20 hours ago, Bp619 said:

Lb talk to me 1st before going the dodge route (fyi not worth it), and they are both completely different dodge is a halfton low hitch capacity and the titan xd is heavy duty based and both $$$ like 45k for dodge and 60k for titan xd

Well do, brother.

 

[TrophyHunter 15]

'05 Tundra dbl cab. 63K miles. 17 hwy with A/C on (debate if that really affects things).

14-16 with more right foot modulation.

M&S tires

[RobATK94 1]

Man it's hard to belive that the smaller trucks with 6 cylinders get about the same mpg as full size pickups with v8s.  

[Spaugh 1]

I've owned 3 Toyota 3.4L v6 trucks in the past. They all got around 16mpg. Now I have an 05 dodge 5.9L diesel.  Got the diesel used from out of state for 24 grand after tax 45k miles many years ago.  The thing gets better mileage (18mpg), than the Toyotas did and I can haul a ton of crap.  But it sucks to commute and park.  

[Spaugh 1]

By the way, if I was commuting 70 miles a day, I'd be looking at a cheap honda civic and get a cheap pickup for dirtbiking.  The gas savings would probably cover the registration and insurance.

[Ken S 164]

My 04 F150 with 4.6 V8 gets about 20 on longer freeway trips. Approx 16 hauling 2 or 3 bikes to the desert and back. 

Comfortable and reliable. Bought it for 7k with 90k miles. 

Good bike hauler family truck but I Love my Chevy / GMC Duramax 2500's that I use for my company trucks.

02- 03 -04 - 09. Put 350000  - 440000 miles on each hauling a load every day with nothing but oil changes. No transmission no brakes. Had to put an electric window motor in the 04. 

If you shop around you can find one in the 7500 range with around 15000 miles. 

[PastaPilot 17]

17 hours ago, RobATK94 said:

Man it's hard to belive that the smaller trucks with 6 cylinders get about the same mpg as full size pickups with v8s.  

Not entirely true. Toyota trucks return about the same posted mileage. My 08 Ranger with 3l V6 would average around 20 mpg combined driving and 25 on road trips.On a moto trip to Placerville with a bike on the hitch hauler I got 23mpg for the ~1000 miles I drove that week.  

 

I agree with what Spaugh said about the 2 vehicles. Split your truck budget and buy a commuter car and small truck. The gas savings will pay for the insurance and registration and put gas in your tank for moto trips. That's exactly what I did. I sold the Ranger and now have an older full size van and commuter car and may have cost me $1000 out of pocket for the two. I'm actually paying less for insurance and registration than I was on just the one truck. 

[arjayes 1]

Why not commute on a motorcycle and save having to buy a second vehicle?

[RobATK94 1]

Well I think I am going the 2 vehicle route.  Pickup and a commuter.  Something with a crew cab and something that gets around 30mpg.  Crunching numbers and it seems to be about even to what I pay now, or cheaper depending in how much I use the truck.  

I would ride a bike if I didn't have to pick up a 3 year old on my way home from work.  I really tried to find a way to justify a bike, but it just doesn't make sense right now.