Look at the gas mileage posted in this old Ford ad!

[toddz69]

I always get better then posted. I currently have 21' f350 SCLB 4x4 7.3L with 4.30's on 33's. I got 17.3 mpg from Des Moines to Omaha. Hand calculated. 8300 lbs of truck. 5400 miles of an out west trip and averaged over 16.4 mpg.

I owned a 2006 Chevy Aveo. My 100,000 mile average was 39.94 mpg. Advertised at 34 mpg highway.

I owned a 1994 Ford festiva. My 100,000 mile average was 48 mpg. Advertised at 35.

I drive 55 mph and keep my shift points below 2000 rpms.

My wife's 2018 Subaru Forester XT advertised at 30 mpg I get 34.5 mpg.

You're a mileage king! 55 mph puts a lot of those in a sweet spot in terms of mileage. That pesky drag as the square of the velocity really takes a toll on the Super Duties...my mileage plummets going from 65 to 75 mph.

Todd Z.

 

[toddz69]

The 300cu six and the high

The 302 got efi in '87,the 300cu in 1988 and the 460 in '89 as I remember. It revolutionized the efficiency,drive ability and reliability. My friend had an '84 F-150 six and manual trans and it got 18-20 as I recall. They were gutless,but did have a lot of long end torque with the carb. If you bought an F-100 in California it looked like snakes had inhabited the engine along with an air pump with the carbs. The F-150 was barren under there. Super easy to work on. I bought a pos oil eating '85 Toyota Hilux along with two other friends. They ate 1qt of oil/1000 miles after breaking in. Toyota wouldn't even do a oil consumption test after i contacted headquarters. Those Ford's lasted forever.

Yeah, those last years of the carb'd trucks was a bundle of snakes of vacuum lines etc. under the hoods. No fun at all to work on! The 302 got EFI in '85 and it just got better from there...

Todd Z.

 

[Regcabguy]

Growing up in OilBerta the Ford 2WD Twin I Beam outlasted GMs 2WD independent suspension. You'd rebuild a Chevy 3 times before spending a penny on Fords 2WD Twin I Beam.

My 1977 F250 had over 300K oilfield miles on it with no maintenance beyond shocks and brakes. A guy I grew up with ran an oilfield business, a die hard GM guy one year he bought 5 Fords and never went back. That was where I got the 3 times more durable number above.

In the 1980s "Built Ford Tough" was an accurate description.

The Twin I beams rode so well offroad they were popular with Baja racers. They tend to eat tires though regardless of alignment. I found that they had a bit of wander too compared to the Chevy's and Dodges. They were the best bang for the buck.

 

[nickw]

Complete lies....I had a 90's ford 3 years ago, 300 ci, 5 spd manual, 2wd, std. cab, brand new stock size Geolanders, sub 100k miles total creampuff, it got 16-17mpg, what you'd expect, driving moderately, I hand calced it all (had too)...I think I saw a high of 18.xx once or twice.

 

[nickw]

The reality of MPG is it's simply a function of power required (based on drag, friction, etc) and engine efficiency. It's why high HP engines can get the same MPG as low HP engines if you are just cruising down the highway @ steady RPM @ steady load @ steady speed.....you need say 60 hp to do that, 60 hp takes a specific amount of gasoline or diesel based on current technology.....it is what it is.

Driver habits are the #1 factor as most engines are comparably efficient these days.

 

[nickw]

I always get better then posted. I currently have 21' f350 SCLB 4x4 7.3L with 4.30's on 33's. I got 17.3 mpg from Des Moines to Omaha. Hand calculated. 8300 lbs of truck. 5400 miles of an out west trip and averaged over 16.4 mpg.

I owned a 2006 Chevy Aveo. My 100,000 mile average was 39.94 mpg. Advertised at 34 mpg highway.

I owned a 1994 Ford festiva. My 100,000 mile average was 48 mpg. Advertised at 35.

I drive 55 mph and keep my shift points below 2000 rpms.

My wife's 2018 Subaru Forester XT advertised at 30 mpg I get 34.5 mpg.

But you are also driving outside of the generally accepted parameters, 55 mph is not realistic out west here nor is accelerating that slowly. I know some of the hypermiler dudes can get like 2x MPG ratings...

 

[Grasslakeron]

But you are also driving outside of the generally accepted parameters, 55 mph is not realistic out west here nor is accelerating that slowly. I know some of the hypermiler dudes can get like 2x MPG ratings...

Well I do drive that slow and have had no problems doing it. Just because everyone drives a certain way doesn't make it right. 40+ years of driving and getting better mileage. I stopped being 20 along time ago. Neither my vehicle or I have something to prove trying to put run the next guy.

 

[Grasslakeron]

Complete lies....I had a 90's ford 3 years ago, 300 ci, 5 spd manual, 2wd, std. cab, brand new stock size Geolanders, sub 100k miles total creampuff, it got 16-17mpg, what you'd expect, driving moderately, I hand calced it all (had too)...I think I saw a high of 18.xx once or twice.

Had a 94 f150 4x4 300-6 with a 3.08 gear and Mazda 5 speed. 21 mpg was my commute route mileage.

 

[Grasslakeron]

You're a mileage king! 55 mph puts a lot of those in a sweet spot in terms of mileage. That pesky drag as the square of the velocity really takes a toll on the Super Duties...my mileage plummets going from 65 to 75 mph.

Todd Z.

20% better driving 55 mph then at 70. Every vehicle I have owned has proven that.

 

[calicamper]

My friend has a 2018 Forester base model and averages 26 mpg. 90% city.

Must be flat land and rural with no traffic. The forester is a box on a impreza platform and even at 55-60mph road trips 26-28mpg was about typical max mileage with zero roof gear.

 

[calicamper]

20% better driving 55 mph then at 70. Every vehicle I have owned has proven that.

Yep except the 2005 SLK 350 I inherited actually gets better road trip mileage between 70-75 than it does at 55-60. Granted its tiny and more slippery than a greased pig.

 

[Grasslakeron]

Yep except the 2005 SLK 350 I inherited actually gets better road trip mileage between 70-75 than it does at 55-60. Granted its tiny and more slippery than a greased pig.

My S class never got great mileage. My 87 420 SEL got 18.

 

[nickw]

Well I do drive that slow and have had no problems doing it. Just because everyone drives a certain way doesn't make it right. 40+ years of driving and getting better mileage. I stopped being 20 along time ago. Neither my vehicle or I have something to prove trying to put run the next guy.

Had a 94 f150 4x4 300-6 with a 3.08 gear and Mazda 5 speed. 21 mpg was my commute route mileage.

Nothing to do with right or wrong, speed limits here in WA/OR/ID/CA (out West like I said) are generally 70-75, while practically they are 80+, going 55mph would probably get you pulled over at best, in an accident at worst.

Operating vehicles outside 'normal' operating parameters gets you abnormal results.

I can get 25mpg in my 6.4 Hemi easily....drafting off the back of a semi, doesn't mean it's a legit number for folks operating rigs in normal conditions.

 

[Todd780]

I can get 25mpg in my 6.4 Hemi easily....drafting off the back of a semi, doesn't mean it's a legit number for folks operating rigs in normal conditions.

Ah yes. Drafting can work in all kinds of situations to improve efficiency....

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

20% better driving 55 mph then at 70. Every vehicle I have owned has proven that.

As your speed doubles drag resistance quadrouples.