Fuel mileage, does it suck?

[JThacker]

I dont know about yall, but I am not very happy with my mileage. I haven't seen any recent posts on this so I thought I would throw it out there. I am averaging 15. 28 hand calculated, I have 6000 miles on the truck now, it is a six speed and these mileages have been with stock tires running at 75-80 on the interstate, I keep my edge on level 1, seems to me my mileage has went down after the addition of the edge. Any thoughts?



2004. 5 with afe intake, edge ez 3. 73 rearend, and an exhaust coming soon.

 

[MichaelWright]

Yep, the Edge will reduce mileage, at least in my case.



You don't say where you are located? If you are in a colder climate, you are now, more than likely, running winter blended fuel. I have lost over 2 mpg on my big truck, and the same on my Dodge. I'm getting 6. 1 mpg on my Volvo/Cummins and 14. 5 on the Dodge/CTD, all hand calculated.



Mike

 

[MichaelWright]

Oh yea, try taking your foot out of it!

 

[Blakers]

19-20 mpg @ 72 mph freeway. If keep it under 2000 rpm on the state roads at 60 mph, I get 22-24.

 

[CUMMINZ]

milage

It will get a little better each month. I have 10,500 miles and I average 21+.

 

[klenger]

You will not get good milage at 80 MPH. Slow down if you want to save fuel. Speed up if you want to save time.

 

[BHolm]

I think 15 is pretty good for 75-80 mph. The 600's do not get the milage of the 555 engines, we gave up 3-4 mpg to get the extra power. Running 60-65 yesterday I got 21 mpg in the '05.



The good news is, this is substantially better than my '03 Duramax was getting. That truck averaged around 14, this one, with more power averages around 17 in mixed driving.

 

[jsimpson]

Every three miles per hour increase in speed above 50 will cost you one mile per gallon. ANYTHING that sticks up above the cab or trails behind the truck will cost you plenty of mpg. That extra 70 or more hp that the gen 3 has over the gen 2 doesn't come free either. 4WD, dual rear wheels, auto transmission all cost fuel mileage. Considering that my 4x4 Tundra gets 14mpg, I don't see how ANYONE can complain about the CTD's fuel mileage.

 

[Big MAK]

ditto; that's respectable mileage for that speed. The guys that brag about the really big mileage numbers are cruising at 55 or 60.

 

[smokejunkie]

just took a trip from slc to vegas. Averaged 15. 6 on the way down and 15. 3 on the way back at 81mph the whole way. I'm also a beta tester for edge and had the juice on level 5X5 the whole time. I don't know about you but I think thats pretty damn good.

 

[smokejunkie]

oh yea I have 28,000 miles now.

 

[rashwor]

I have started towing with my '05 now and I averaging 17 when I am not towing, 12 - 13 when I am towing about 14,000#. I am happy with the numbers. My '99 averaged 15 overall and the '05 is averaging 16+ overall.



At the speed you are traveling, those numbers are very good. Be happy

 

[Bertram65]

It will get a little better each month. I have 10,500 miles and I average 21+.

That's some really good mileage considering what you have on the truck based on your signature.

 

[Fred Swanson]

Right now I am averaging right at 15. That's every type of driving, highway, back road, stop/start the normal way and the fun way. I don't drive slow, so I'm okay with the mileage with the mods, and my style of driving.

 

[TSpecht]

From what I understand the lower MPG's is caused by environmantal/emissions requirements rather than by the extra power. I'm sure some is caused by the extra power but I would bet some of it is caused by the other stuff as well.



My MPG figures are in my sig. I figure I'm happy with this seeing how I've been running winter blend fuel since I got it. If I could keep my foot out of it and keep the RPM's down when accelerating, no jackrabbit starts and so forth I'm sure I can do better. For one tank on the previous fill-up I was intentionally driving like an old fart (no offense to any old farts here) I got 17mpg hand calculated. No slower than normal but much slower acceleration. After a tank of fuel I determined I couldn't stand to drive like that so I settle for hovering around 16mpg. This might suck by diesel standards but coming from my last truck with a gas engine getting about 10mpg when I was driving with a lead foot like I do with this truck, I'm more than happy with how it does.



I guess sometime soon I'll try the normal stuff, more air in/more air out, and see where it goes from there, if I can pick up any mileage or not... Even if I can't I'll be happy, if and when diesel fuel ever costs less than gasoline again...



Edited because I forgot to mention since it is winter I tend to run at a bit higher RPM's to speed up the warming up process and when driving to keep the temperature up, and I suspect when it warms up someday maybe not having to do that will help the MPG's as well...

 

[Blakers]

From what I understand the lower MPG's is caused by environmantal/emissions requirements rather than by the extra power. ... .

I agree. You're gonna use the same power to move an 03 or an 05 the same speed, on the same ground, and with the same weight no matter whether one engine can put out a few more HP on one than the other.

 

[ddutil]

Ams*** again

I started saving 2 mpg when I switched both NV5600 & engine to synthetic oil (viva Ams-you-know-what, exit Mopar & Rotella :-laf ). Of course, it's a bit colder up here than most other 'states'. My 2 cents (CDN). Dan

 

[Kennywould]

My 05' scaled at 9400 lbs with 3/4 tank of fuel and all my tools in it, runnin 80 I'm getting 12. 9, 70mph - 14. 5, 60mph - 15. 6, pulling 9k skid loader trailer, 65mph 12. 3, I have about 4,400 mi on it to date. Compared to my 97 GMC which only got 13mpg, 10mpg towing the same trailer. I think i'm doing very good!

 

[SAvery]

That's some really good mileage considering what you have on the truck based on your signature.

I agree. I see all these people who have autos and chip boxes claiming 20+ and I really just write it off. Some people must just have magical trucks that use 50% less fuel.

 

[mbadger]

I have approximately 4,000 miles on my truck and on a 115 mile trip driving about 63 mph I got 23 mpg. Up to that point I was concerned, but I hadn't taken a long trip with it. I got it flashed a month or so ago. Great truck.