40 mpg pickup truck - who has one?
 

You see them advertised on TV all the time, Ram gets 29% better mileage than the 150. Just wondering if anyone has a 40 mpg truck?
I thought there was rules for BS in advertising.

Finn

My nice new Nissan Frontier, with manual transmission, does at best 25 real world mpg....at least if I can trust the fuel readout on the digital display, and this in a truck that is smaller, lighter and significantly less drag than a Ram.

I no more believe in 40 mpg Dodge Ram's than I believe in the tooth fairy....

Dennis

Half that on my old 93 Dodge diesel. It only has 110,000 miles on it. I wish it did 40 too

Mahindra diesel in india

hybrid? :lol:

maybe at 40-45 mph?

People will tell you all the time how their pickup or Prius gets some fantastic mileage, but that's never pump to pump, they read the digital dash display and see the great number while going downhill with a tail wind. Accelerating uphill from a dead stop probably gets a pickup about 6mpg, so it all averages out to high teens low twenties.

I thought the new mileage rules made some vehicles look really good, maybe they don't weigh aerodynamics?

08 Nissan Frontier auto (for the wife) gets an honest 23mpg.
13 Chev Malibu company car gets an honest 33-34mpg. Digital readout is very close and if you follow it your driving style will change if you are looking for better mpg. Big difference up/down hill and from a stop or accelerating.

My Dodge gets 6mpg sitting in the driveway with the keys in my pocket

My F250 with 4x4 and 7.3 diesel could do 40 mpg if i drove at 30 mph and didn't ever have to stop. Only gets about 23-24 on two lane blacktop doing 55 with minimal speed variations.

Whenever they invent one, let us know.

Manual transmission diesel VW Rabbit pickup.

Don't know the day-to-day mileage, but my friend's "Wabbit-Twuck" exceeded 40 on the highway all of the time.

angela

Stay off the go pedal and time the lights.
Crack a window instead of a/c, led light conversions.
Low resistant tires.
Eco mods:
5 Real DIY Aerodynamic Mods Detroit Can Add for MPGs in '09 - Popular Mechanics
Aerodynamics 101 | ATDynamics – Fuel Efficiency Aerodynamics Technology for Tractor Trailers saving over 10% with TrailerTail and Side Skirts

My 4 cylinder, manual Taco only gets 25 to 27 mpg.

I have one. I keep it parked next to the unicorn stable.

Seriously, I think those comparisons always take the worst MPG version of their competitor's trucks. So the if they say a Dodge Ram gets 29% better gas mileage than a Ford F150, they are comparing a 2WD short bed, standard cab Dodge Ram with their most efficient engine with a 4WD long bed, crew cab F150 with their least efficient engine.

I have a 2014 Ram Ecodiesel crew cab short bed 2wd. I have gotten an honest 32mpg freeway driving, 25mpg in town & 15mpg towing a 22ft enclosed trailer (caveat it was hauling furniture & household stuff - not the Porsche). It can get more:

2014 RAM 1500 EcoDiesel Heads West - CleanMPG Forums

I have noticed my mileage creeping up as it now has 10k on it, and I have filled the DEF tank once (full from lot, towing sucked it down) I think these trucks will be a winner in the long run, especially if more people start racking up miles in them.

My buddy has a Duramax with dullies and is tricked out, he is getting 45 MPG on the diesel side with CNG injection! He is not sure on the ratio of CNG to diesel, but since he has his own gas well on his property, and compressor for it. So his cost is next to nothing for that side of it. We are installing the same setup on his Unimog 416L Doka that we are restoring. If it works well I'm thinking of installing it on one of mine. The target goal is over 30MPG on the diesel side. Right now I am running my truck on biodiesel which I make myself, and my cost is only about $1.50 a gal. Since I get 15MPG, it works out to about 40MPG cost wise if buying dino diesel!

Ten to twenty years ago in Thailand, I remember Ford Rangers and Isuzu diesel pick ups that got mid forties to fifty mpg at 65 mph on the highway. Some had turbochargers and were reasonably peppy. The non turbos were really slow but got the job done.

Dan

Depends on your definition of "truck".

Sure, the VW Rabbit diesel is going to do better than my 3/4 ton 4x4. But the VW can't tow the trailer, or stack gobs of building materials, car parts, yada yada in its tiny bed.

I recently bought a one-owner 1968 Chevy pick-up, planning on swapping in more contemporary running gear for improved power and efficiency.
The CNG sounds like a great option.

I need a full-size pick-up. Why not have a cool, hot-rodded one?

They were probably comparing naturally aspirated engines.