Size & MPG

yooperdave · Jun 16, 2004

Who offers a good sized vehicle and also provides good fuel economy? My F150 4x4 off road provides me some room, but at 12-15 mpg it is getting real expensive to load up on miles.

I was looking at the Volkswagon lineup with their diesel engines as a option for most of their cars. The Passat wagon has some room and 35+ mpg highway.

My parents used to own a 1980 Volkswagon diesel pickup truck. It got 50+ mpg highway, but had absolutly NO POWER.

Toyota and/or Isuzu I think also used to have a small diesel pickup truck many years ago. Are there more options to consider?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Yooper Dave

Glenn9643 · Jun 16, 2004

Yooper Dave,
I drive a 2001 GMC V8 extended cab short bed and get 17mpg pretty consistently. I don't drive for economy and didn't buy for economy.
I had a friend a few years ago that had an Isuzu pickup with a diesel that he drove forever... He loved it for cheap transportation. However, I don't put that many miles on a vehicle and often need more power or cargo carrying capacity than would be available with that size vehicle. If I was looking for economy in a small truck I believe I would seriously consider the Isuzu diesel.

reb · Jun 16, 2004

"Good sized" is a subjective term, but you mentioned some small trucks. My wife's Nissan Frontier crew cab (V6 and 5 spd) gets 25-26 mpg on the highway, about 21 on mountain roads and town driving. The crew cab has more room than the regular Frontier. We had one of those (4 cyl and 5 spd) that got 29-30 on the highway. My brother-in-law had a Chev 4x4, V8 and auto, that he said got 17. Then there is the new Ford Explorer hybrid that is supposed to get something like 35 mpg, if I remember correctly. You should be able to beat your Ford's mileage without too much trouble.

TresCrows · Jun 17, 2004

"Toyota and/or Isuzu I think also used to have a small diesel pickup truck many years ago. Are there more options to consider?"

There are some pretty severe quality issues with some VW products--do good research.

Toyota does have diesel engines in their world products but not here in the USA. As has been discussed, we don't like diesels over here and EPA stuff and basically lot's of you don't like Toyotas either cuz they are built by Japs in--uh, wait---Indiana and Texas--darn, sure are a lot of Japs inTexas /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif.

I have crossed fingers for a Toyota diesel Tacoma but not holding my breath. Toyota is a leader in hybrids, their full size maybe offered with a hybrid option in another year or so. Just have to wait and see.
The vehicle Jeraldo was shot at in Iraq was a diesel Toyota Land Cruiser for example and it was armored. Some Toyota diesels are brought in to this country back door. Why we don't get the good stuff here beats me, not just Toyota but lot's of things we don't get here, some of it is also our lack of tort reform.

Good luck, a Toyota gasoline Camery, rated tops in crash protection just like the Tundra was but gets much better mileage of course. J

yooperdave · Jun 17, 2004

Hi JR,

What quality issues do you know about regarding Volkswagons?

Thanks

Yooper Dave

kokopelli2 · Jun 17, 2004

vw had some coil issues, and door latch issues, but from what i have been reading this issues have been fixed, and really have nothing to do with the diesel engines.

the jetta is great! hoping to get my girlfriend in one.....15k is way cheaper then a prius, and it gets better highway milage! cant nock 50plus on the highway.

chucko · Jun 17, 2004

At one time years ago my Granddad had a toyota pickup with a diesel. I don't know the exact numbers but it got great MPG but if you could see a car it was to near you to pull out in front of. It took so long to get it going that I hated to drive it

Boondox · Jun 17, 2004

My Dodge Dakota with the V6 and 5spd manual tranny consistently gets 17mpg regardless of how I drive on our rural roads. Never had it on the Interstate long enough to judge highway mileage. While the economy can't match some of the smaller trucks, I love the handling especially in nasty conditions. Pete

AndyM · Jun 17, 2004

<font color="blue"> At one time years ago my Granddad had a toyota pickup with a diesel. </font>

I've had a Datsun diesel pickup, a Ford Tempo diesel, and a Chevette diesel. All three had great engines with many, many miles that outlasted the rest of the car!

Right now, Volkswagen is the only company selling diesels in the U.S. For 2005, Mercedes will be selling diesels in the U.S. again, for the first time since 1998, and Chrysler will be putting a Mercedes diesel in their Jeep Liberty.

I hope to be buying a new VW Golf or Jetta sometime in the next few months (it takes me forever to decide on major purchases), and I will report back on it then! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Logan · Jun 17, 2004

My 1998 Dodge 1500 4x4 with automatic transmission and the 5.9 engine gets 16.5 mpg on the highway. It is quad cab and short bed. I started using Mobile I at 40,000 miles and the mileage did not change. It has 65,000 miles on it now, all highway.

It was getting 16.5 until I put new Michelin tires on it two years ago. Mileage went to 15.5, I guess because the Michelins were heavier. (same size tire) I changed the rear differential oil to a synthetic after buying my tractor and trailer and the mileage went back up to 16.5. The mileage doesn't vary, loaded or unloaded, tailgate up or down, of course this is without the trailer and tractor.