Real world mpg #s

Thinking about ditching the half ton and going to a 3/4 ton. Not choosing brand at all yet but what I will be interested in is 3/4 ton 4wd gas vs diesel. I don’t need a diesel 95% of the time but when towing would be nice.

Other than the added maintenance cost of a diesel, what’s the mpg you are seeing on gas and diesel trucks? Loaded and empty. I drive a lot for work so it really doesn’t make sense to get significantly less mileage for something I don’t need constantly. Other plan would be buying a commuter car if it’s much less than what I see in my half ton. But at the end of the day I need something that tows better when I need it.

15.5 MPG. 15’ F250 6.7 35” tires and replacement bumpers

I don’t care about MPG, care about safety when I’m driving and when I’m hauling. With that said my consistent 15’s

15.4 MPG in a stock 2019 King Ranch F250. Consistent all the time.
Might ask Janie what mileage she's getting- I'm pretty sure she has a F250 with the 6.2 gas.

Around 15 MPG on a GMC 2500HD with 34.8" tires. Can get up to 17 on pure, easy hwy drives but I also sink down to 13.5-14 in the city

2009 Dodge, 4x4 quad cab long bed ... consistently 19.1-19.3 highway running empty (uh, bed empty and likely 1000 lbs worth of tool boxes, tools, chains, etc.). I have gotten above 20 on long hauls out to Ozona and back (~600 miles around trip). Towing depends on how heavy my foot is with around 12.3-12.7 towing my g/n with tractor (~12k+) and 14.6-14.8 towing the boat (~5-6k). This is a deleted truck with EFI Live tune on 33" tires ... before that I was lucky to get 15 highway, 11 towing.

I have the 2019 F150 3.0 Diesel. I get 28 to 30 mpg driving 73mph with no wind. Usually get 29 going up to Oklahoma and 31 coming back since it is going downhill. With in town driving, I am averaging 26.5 for the first 13k miles. I towed my Ranger for 50 miles and it still got 26 going 68 in a 65 zone. When I drove my Ranger for the 400 mile journey at 72mph average, it got 25. I will admit my trailer is very light. I was getting 14 at best with my 5.4, so it does do much better. Not sure about heavy loads though. Then again, if I were trailering heavy loads, i would have got the SuperDuty.

As for maintenance, it is actually cheaper than my old F150 with 5.4 gas. It has an oil monitor and changed it at 10k miles vs 7k for gas. At 30k I will need to replace 2 fuel filers ($45 on RockAuto.com). And, I do have to put DEF in it. The tank is about 10 gallons and it goes for 6000 miles with some to spare. I have only put it in twice so far.

I would say it pulls better than my 5.4, but not by a bunch. The lower torque does keep it from down shifting as much as the gas did for sure.

I like it better than the 5.4 and it definitely is cheaper to operate than my old 5.4 gas.

2019 Ram Crew Cab 2500 4x4 diesel all stock - 20 to 22 MPG highway not towing. 16 - 18 MPG highway towing a 22 ft Ranger bass boat. In cool weather with no A/C and running 65 mph I can get it up to 25 MPG, but who wants to do that?

The diesel is going to kill the gas 3/4 ton for MPG. But, it depends on how much you drive per year to determine if the diesel maintenance is worth it. Also what you are hauling. I have a gas Chevy 2500 Silverado. The gas mileage sucks around town 11-12 mpg and 13-15 hwy unloaded. However, when I load it down with 2k in the bed and pulling a tandem axle utility trailer my mileage drops to about 10 mpg. A little lower with the TT behind me. Lessons learned after 40k miles. I didn’t buy it for the gas mileage and I don’t keep trucks long enough to justify a diesel, yet. At most I’m towing 7k trailers but also load my bed down significantly. The biggest advantage I’ve realized is the cargo capacity (especially in conjunction with hauling a heavier trailer) and how the truck handles compared to a 1500. I tow our 30 ft TT without a weight distributing hitch and it barely squats the truck. The brakes, suspension, transmission and cooling elements are all upgraded on the 2500 and to me that makes the most difference. I’m not hauling 11k horse trailers so the extra torque the diesel provides isn’t necessary.

I drive roughly 45-50k a year for work. Don’t haul huge loads but a travel trailer camping a few times a year plus a flat bed hauling the usual junk. My half ton get about 22-23 hand calculated empty and if I’m lucky 10 with my camper. We are only taking about 4K pounds. Plan is at some point to get a bigger camper as the family has outgrown this one.

I have a 2019 f 250 crew cab 4x4 with the 6.2. It will pull and run strong the one thing it doesn’t do is pass gas stations.
Running empty around town I am averaging 12.5. When I hit the highway running about 80 it will do 14-15 depending on the wind. When I pull my 11k lb travel trailer I get 6.4 mpg running about 67 mph. I did the math and it would take a long time to justify the cost of diesel compared to the gas. I will not own this truck long enough to make it break even and if I remember correctly I was looking at just over 10 years to break even.

You’ve obviously never hand calculated the mpg. My lie o meter is always 2-3 mph higher then hand calculated. I drove 1 tank where I never got over 70, it was only worth maybe 1.5 mpg.

2014 Ram 2500 4x4 deleted, 100hp tune, 35 inch tires, around 1000 pounds of crap in it. I get 17-17.5 as is but I run 80-85 mph pretty religiously. 16 foot flat bed with a gate, and a 1700 pound SxS I get 11mpg running 80-85. What’s funny is my 18 foot V nose cargo trailer with SxS and all camping gear inside weighs around 7,000 pounds and I can get better MPG’s with it doing 80 than with the flatbed, usually around 14mpg.

2015 Ram 6.4 L, pulling 35' travel trailer - 8-9; without about 14-15 going around 65-70, really drops off at 75 but the whine of the motor is so satisfying! It's a 2WD.

2011 ram 2500 cclb 4x4 standard tranny with 600 or so pounds of tools in the bed. 3.42 gears, 35s, 175hp tune, deleted, supporting mods, and a heavy right foot.

Here’s my running average for the past 100k miles. I had more mileage tracked but something happened when I added my wife’s previous car and removed everything. The 28.8 I missed a fill up and never went back to change it.

Huge part of fuel economy is how you drive. Speed cost fuel. How fast you get from stop to cruise effects it more than how fast your cruise speed is.

2019 F250 with a 6.7L Diesel gets about 15.5-16.0 average driving. It'll eek out 19 on the highway if you keep at 70 or below. With the stock tires it would do about 1/2 MPG better than that. Truck has had full replacement bumpers from day one. Towing really varies depending on what's behind it. It really doesn't get the mileage I was hoping for when something is behind it. Worst I've seen is about 9 MPG. Best is about 12-13.

I had a 2014 Ram 2500 with the Cummins before this. It did about 1 MPG better across the board, but didn't have the power that the Ford has, even though the HP and torque ratings are about the same.

Both trucks 4x4.

If you tow, the diesel is the way to go. It's crazy what these trucks will pull and how they'll pull it. I don't think the maintenance difference is really that bad. They take 11 qts. of oil vs. probably 7 or 8 in the gas motors. DEF is cheap and you only add 5 gallons every 7K miles or so. Fuel filters every 20K miles or so. And all of it is really easy to maintain yourself on Ford. Not so much on the Ram.

So at your stated 45K miles a year, you're probably spending $150-200 a year of DEF, another $200 on fuel filters, and maybe an extra $100-150 on the oil change difference. You get better MPG in the diesel, but the fuel also costs more, so that's a wash.

Gas is fine as well. If I were buying gas, I'd look for a used one. The HD trucks with gas engines don't have the resale value of the diesels, I'd let someone else take that depreciation hit.

Last word of caution, once you go diesel, you won't go back to gas.

With the miles you're driving in a year, I'd go diesel. You'll pay more up front, but I think the % you'll get back on resale when you sell would be a lot better. That's a lot of miles on a gas motor. Used diesels with 200K miles still get a lot of money.

Yes and no. The aerodynamics on vehicles is designed around driving 65mph and less, so once above that speed, you’re affecting wind drag and essentially creating a wall vs flow.

Yelp, Tires and replacement bumpers eat

yep, tires come into play quite a bit, I suspect replacement bumpers do as well

I get very similar MPG in my 2018 Ram 2500 bone stock, much better than the deleted 2014 and 2006 I had.

I have a 2018 Ram 2500 4x4 6.4 hemi I have a roller top on the bed and run michelin defender ltx HT tires. The truck gets 13-15 city 16-17 highway best 20.4 doing 70+ it get 15.5. Before that had a 2012 ford f250 6.7 it got 15 city 17 highway but spent most of its time in the shop diesel problems I got it used who knows what was done to it before I got it. Before that a 2007 Ram 2500 5.9 diesel it got 17 all the all my trucks get the roller top and michelin ltx ht tires for best mpg.

2019 F250, crew cab long bed, 6.2 gasser, 4.30 gears, ARE Z-Series topper. On the highway I can eek out about 13, 10 in town, and about 6-7 towing my 10k Airstream. My "lie-o-meter" has always been spot-on with mileage, at least within a few tenths.

But the real answer to your question is that unless you're running a fleet of trucks, life is too short to worry about fuel mileage. HD trucks are gonna get what they're gonna get and once I accepted that fact and quit monitoring my fuel economy so much, I began to really enjoy my truck and the drive.

Just get the truck you want or suits your application and drive and enjoy. There's really no sense (cents?) in worrying about what actually equals out to be a few hundred bucks a year for the average driver.

Spot on here. And that is what it will be, a couple hundred bucks a year saved on gas.

2004 F350 CC SW FX4

6.8 (V-10 Gas)

430 with Elec. Lockers F&R

2" lift to fit 315-75-16 BFG KM3's gets me 10.75 MPG

Ford F150 - 2016 ecoboost gas - 2X4 - running down the hiway 70 or under it gets 20-21 mpg. Put my 20 foot flatbed with my Polaris on it and it goes to 10.4 mpg. (based on todays drive home from out lease for 4 hours. So for me the vast majority of my driving is not towing - 20-21 mpg is pretty sweet for a truck

Tundra about 14 on the road

Tundra 4x4 - get between 15 and 16 MPG.

I don't pull out a calculator every time I fill up to figure it down to the 1/10, but I do reset the trip odometer and run the numbers from that and what the pump shows in my head, and it's always very close. Next long trip with a bunch of highway miles will be in a couple of weeks when I head to Falcon pulling my boat. I'll be sure to hand calculate those and see what comes out.

This on my Tundra unless towing then about 10mpg.

Rented an F250 4X4 gas a couple weeks ago and drove for 1100 miles towing a small Uhaul trailer. truck got 12.4 mpg.

99 F 250 7.3L Diesel

20 mpg hwy empty, 10+ towing depending on weight of the trailer.

So what did you decide to get?

Haven’t decided yet. Price shipping now. Last time it was quick to see a good deal but apparently right now as fast as they are moving not getting anyone to bite. Was told by one dealer they had beat the monthly record by 50 cars last month so I knew I wasn’t getting a deal there.

Have owned about 5 or 6 diesels. Ford's , that eat me up,, 6.0 and (2) 6.4's, a (2) 6.5 Chevy Diesel's, and a couple Dodge 5.9's. The Dodges was the best on maintenance. That being said, got 70,000 miles on my 18 F250 4x4 Supercrew with the 6.2 gasser. Drive it like i stole it and about 14 on a good day running 75 and 80 on highway. Love it as it never does anything but start and run. Doesn't have the guts of a diesel if you have to pull heavy loads. It'll do it, but screams all the time. Fixing to trade it in on the new 7.3 gasser. That one ought to be a hoss. Gas mileage is not what i look for. Gotta keep the oil and gas guy's working.

2019 F-250 Crew Cab Lariat FX4 wtih the 6.2L gas. Stock tires. Toolbox with prob ~600lb tools. Mixed mileage ~12.7. Highway will be ~14.. Plenty of power, love the truck.

I ran all kinds of analysis between the 6.2 and 6.7 Diesel. Couldn't justify the diesel as I needed a 3/4 ton for the Payload. Still think I made the right choice for my use.

Recently bought a 2010 6.8 v10 two fiddy crew....it gets a salty 11 mpg empty and I hooked the Ranger to it on a 12ft trailer this weekend, it got 10mpg. I've owned the Ranger 10 years and probably had it on 10 different trucks, never had one that just went down 1mpg. It's a BEAST.

I've not hooked it to the travel trailer yet but I will eventually.

2014 Ram 2500 6.7. I get 20ish around town and 24-26 on the highway if I keep it at 65. And 16-18 when towing my mule.

Real world? I’m going to say 10 to 12 in town; maybe 15 on highway unloaded with the wind, 9 with tow. I don’t see where these trucks can get far greater mileage than stated by the company that build them. If anything, it’s always worse. All you have to do is google real tests of the vehicles for each year by say Car and Driver and you see no high numbers like being reported.

I looked on Fuelly and all the similar 2014 Ram 2500's are getting 14-15mpg yet the one above gets 10mpg better. Amazing truck.

Because people believe what the dash tells them instead of hand calculating the mileage.

LOL and ive had people tell me that the computer is more accurate than hand calculating it.

2018 Ram 2500 6.7

Stock wheels and tires
No leveling kit
No tune or any other changes
68RFE 6 speed auto
3.42 rear end

31 gallon tank and have gotten 700 miles to a tank several times when just commuting to work and home. (82 miles of freeway and cruise set at 75)
28' 6100 lb bumper pull - 12ish mpg
21 foot Sportsman center console - 14ish mpg

Last weekends deer lease trip (884 miles) and this week's work commute is averaging a hair over 21 mpg on the computer which is within .3 mpg accurate

Front Tires - 75 psi at all times
Rear - 80 psi at all times

2020 GMC 2500 4x4 I get 17 to 18mpg all the time. Haven't pulled much with it but I get made fun of for my slow driving habits.

Finally got those elusive 20+ mpg’s

2007.5 Ram 3500 dually 4x4 6.7 cummins, 6speed, 3.73s.

We got this out of my brother in laws truck...



...towing it by chain from Killeen to Bertram.

he should have you tow him all the time ...

It’s that average mph. Gotta be. I’m in to big of a hurry to get that.

A good bit of that mileage (800+ miles) was at speeds of 80-85, but stopping to get fuel (truck left idling) and ranch roads/gates dropped the average speed

Here’s my latest. I purposely kept the truck as close to 70 as I could because I wanted to see if there was a huge difference. Turns out my lie-o-meter is almost 3mpg off from hand calculated.



Put in 27.06 gallons of fuel for an average of 15.25. I’ll stick to driving fast, it may actually be better.

Hey BigPig. Stock tires and wheels on your rig? Leveling kit? Tune?

Leveling kit, tune, 34’s, about 1000 pounds of junk

I don't know how similar the programming is between the heavy duty trucks and the light duty trucks, but the computer can be close depending on what you are doing. A tune can change it a lot.

I have a 2015 1/2 ecodiesel, the calculated average shown by the computer is only reflective of something like the last 200 miles driven, it is not a true average over the tank, no matter when you reset the tripodometer.

I towed our boat 200 miles last week and finished the tank empty commuting computer said 23 mpg avg, real average was 19.8 hand calc. If I would have drove hwy first 1/2 then towed second half it would have been the reverse, computer avg would have favored what I did last on the tank(towing) and been low. That is how the 1/2 tons used to be done, I don't know about the hd's or the current production 1/2's either.

Runs better and looks better than mine I'm sure.

My 2020 crew cab power stroke that is not yet broken in(5500 miles) got 20.9mpg last week on the way back from the ranch.

In my half ton ram computer is showing 22-24 typically. Hand calculated it’s always 1.5-2 lower. And since they don’t have to put mileage on heavy duty trucks is why I ask real life numbers. A half ton will do what I need it to just not with any power left. Last time I towed the travel trailer I got 10.5 on the computer. It was bad enough I didn’t even hand calculate that.

Go drive a ford ecoboost. Its got plenty of power on tap.

That's awesome, in mine I get around 12 mpg