How is a 1998-2003ish Durango at towing?

[Diamondpilot]

Also, take everything Diamondpilot (Chris) says with a grain of salt because if it's not a Ford then he knows someone who owns it and has problems with it...

You could leave a Durango V8 4.7l in 3rd gear on the highway at 60 mph and still get better then 13mpg. That just does not make sense, my truck with a much bigger (5.7l) engine, much heavier chassis (6300lbs vs. 4600lbs), and much lower gearing gets 15-17mpg on the highway.

It wasn't a Durango but we had a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the same V8 4.7l (305hp) engine and it consistently got 18-20mpg (calculated, not on-board computer) on the highway and get this, it was full-time AWD. We sold it for a Chrysler Pacifica 3 years ago and still miss it.

Don't see how I was knocking it in any way. Just reporting what she told me. She loves the truck and has had good luck with it other than a bad master cylinder and a front axle problem. She just hates the mpg. She said 13, not me. All in all looks like it fits a market no one else covers being smaller than a Expedition/Suburban but larger than a Trail Blazer/Explorer with a choice of V8's.

I can see where the Hemi will do better. Lots of vehicles will do worse mpg wise with the smaller engine versus the larger offerings. They just have to work to hard to overcome the drag that is universal no matter what engine it has.

Chris

 

[aczlan]

Thanks to all who have responded, Price limit is ~$6.5k (for an exceptional vehicle we could go higher). We don't tow all that often (and the just a 8x10 single axle trailer with anything up to a B7510 on it (that hasn't happened yet, but will in a few weeks), but it is good to know...
Out of curiosity to those with the V6, what kind of mileage does it get (average)?

We need to get 17-20 minimum average, if we cant get that we may have to go for a minivan , I would prefer not to because I don't want to work on a minivan (too much crammed under the hood) and I don't like buying disposable vehicles (hence the Volvo wagon). But we need (or will need in a few months) something that we can put a kid in.


Aaron Z

 

[Diamondpilot]

Thanks to all who have responded, Price limit is ~$6.5k (for an exceptional vehicle we could go higher). We don't tow all that often (and the just a 8x10 single axle trailer with anything up to a B7510 on it (that hasn't happened yet, but will in a few weeks), but it is good to know...
Out of curiosity to those with the V6, what kind of mileage does it get (average)?

We need to get 17-20 minimum average, if we cant get that we may have to go for a minivan , I would prefer not to because I don't want to work on a minivan (too much crammed under the hood) and I don't like buying disposable vehicles (hence the Volvo wagon). But we need (or will need in a few months) something that we can put a kid in.


Aaron Z

I would not plan on getting 18 mpg average with any SUV by any manufacture unless its one of the little 4 cylinder types like a Escape.. You may get that on a 500 mile trip down a flat highway lightly loaded. From what I have read the Suburban and Expedition do just as good as the Durango.

Chris

 

[Dmace]

In your case I would look for a Jeep Grand Cherokee V8, our 2001 V8 AWD got better gas mileage then my mother 99 I6 4WD. Either engine choice should have no problem towing up to 5000lbs but I believe they did not recommend towing with the AWD version.

Another option is the Dodge Dakota Quad Cab, plenty of room and seating for 6, V6 3.7l (210hp/235lb ft.) or V8 4.7l (235hp/295lb.ft) available and either 5 speed manual or 4/5 speed auto (4 speed V6 / 5 speed V8). My 98 Dakota was a great truck that I sold with 165,000 miles and it is still on the road with over 240,000 miles.

 

[shvl73]

Our 2001 Explorer gets 17-19mpg fairly consistantly with the 4.0 V6, not towing anything, of course. I believe it is rated around 5000lb towing capacity. The heaviest thing I've ever towed behind it was a snowmobile trailer with 50 bales of hay.

 

[Skyco]

I would not plan on getting 18 mpg average with any SUV by any manufacture unless its one of the little 4 cylinder types like a Escape.. You may get that on a 500 mile trip down a flat highway lightly loaded. From what I have read the Suburban and Expedition do just as good as the Durango.

Chris

Actually I now drive a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a V6. It averages 18mpg in the exact same type of driving I got 16 in the Durango mentioned earlier.
Note however it is gutless compared to the Durango.
Dang near got me in trouble the first few weeks I had it, I'd pull out into traffic that was no problem in the Durango and almost get run over in the V6 G.Cherokee.
BTW the wife drives a V6 AWD Honda Pilot and averages about 18 mixed / 22 highway, it has plenty of power but isn't rated to tow much.

 

[BruceWard]

I have a 04 Quad Cab 4.7 V8 AWD Dakota with an extra leaf in the rear. It gets around 16 MPG combined. I have seen 19 MPG on freeway trips around 75 MPH.

I towed a 14' enclosed trailer and got 10 MPG loaded or empty. Towing my B21 (4000 pounds) on a ~ 3000 pound equipment trailer (with brakes) I got down to around 9 MPG. Towing a heavy 4 wheeler on a trailer was around 14 MPG.

It handles towing loads well. I do not hesitate to two 7000 pound trailers with it and would consider 10,000 as long as teh trailer has brakes.

The fuel mileage is not what you would get with a diesel but I like the smaller truck.

 

[KeithInSpace]

I would not plan on getting 18 mpg average with any SUV by any manufacture unless its one of the little 4 cylinder types like a Escape..

Honest to goodness: I have averaged 19 MPG 70 MPH INTERSTATE mileage on relatively flat (Fredericksburg, VA to Outer Banks, NC, for example) driving with my 5.4L V8 Expedition with small children, wife, luggage, fishing poles flat on roof and tray hanging off trailer hitch.

I get similar mileage going to Richmond, which I do regularly, but that doesn't burn a whole tank. Typical for a "Richmond" trip, up and back (100 miles each way), with a fair amount of City driving would be 16.5 MPG.

Dock 1 MPG if driving in mountains (to Ohio, for example, which I do twice a year).

It trails off to 17 MPG if I push 80 MPH. I can do a solid 20 MPG in constant 55 MPH driving (no lights).

Unloaded and around town I get an average of 14 MPG in normal driving.

Empty trailer around town is more like 12.

Loaded trailer around town is closer to 10.

Loaded trailer on the interstate at 70 MPH speeds (I've only towed my BX tractor and implements on the interstate...~5,000# load and trailer combo) getting 13 or 14 MPG.

Don't know what to tell you. I'm 35 years old and drive pretty normally. This is all according to my trip computer which I reset every time I fill up.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Fords trip computers are fairly accurate. I have 3 trucks with them and they show within .5 mpg.

What I was saying was to get 18-20mpg consistently is not going to happen. 15mpg will but not 18-20 unless its a pure highway trip like you are mentioning.

Take my F-350 diesel for example. I average 17 but if its pure highway like to my inlaws I can get near 24.

Chris

 

[KeithInSpace]

18-20mpg consistently is not going to happen.

Concur.