THSCC Forums

When I picked up the Z on Sunday in SC I reset the trip/mpg meter for the drive home. On the highway, I95/40, I averaged 29.6mpg @ 74mph in 6th gear.

Car weighs in @ 3150lbs dry. So add another 100lbs for gas. Then about 170lb for driver with sunglasses and a pocket full of change. Roughly 3400lbs. Not too shabby...

6th gear is a beautiful thing...

Graham

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http://www.greywinds.com

Four years and a 100K on the clock? Sound's like it's been used to tow a lot for it's short life. Be prepared for a tranny rebuild.

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

don't bet on it

not towing:
about 12-13 mpg on the hwy
~10 mpg around town

towing my 24ft enclosed trailer (i'd estimate its about 8000 to 8500 lbs loaded):
about 7.5-8 mpg

granted, i have a lead foot and my trailer is pretty tall but i wouldnt expect to get good gas mileage out of an 8.1L suburban...oh, and i have the 3.73 gearing, i cant imagine it with the 4.10 gearing

i used 49 gallons of gas to get from raleigh to road atl

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David White
95 M3 - #275 BMWCCA JP, NASA GTS-3
02 M3 - street/track
05 Suburban 8.1L

Indeed it is...

2000 2.5RS = 25mpg

2005 WRX = 20mpg

2005 FXT = 22mpg

Christine's Civic that she traded in on the FXT = 35mpg

(these are all averages of "normal" driving - not normal for normal people, but normal for ME)

Nope - the main benefit of going with a 2500 is the ginormous HD tranny on it. The 4L80-E on my 97 is the same tranny they put on 25,000 lb schoolbuses. Not sure what the tranny is on the newer ones.

Also, my '97 K2500 had 100k miles on it, P-rated tires, the standard 4-pin tow plug, and no brake controller when I bought it. It was a commuter vehicle only (!!).

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

~17MPG in the 2.3L 16v benzo. It might also be running a tad rich...hold on, I think I hear my cat dying.

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www.ncvw.org
1993 VW Corrado VR6 - DSP15 (RIP)
1986 MB 190E 2.3L 16v - STX (SOLD)
1997 BMW M3 3.2L - BS for now

Patrice - I wouldn't let the high mileage scare you so long as the fluids have been changed regularly. As Whitney said, unless they changed something going to the newer body style, that 4L80 transmission is bulletproof. My 99 C2500 with the 454 had it.

My 454 'burb had a 4.10 rear axle and the 7.4L gas V-8. I got between 11 and 13mpg pretty much regardless...towing, empty, city, highway, whatever. With an enclosed trailer you might get slightly less while towing due to the weight and the aero. Empty you should do a little better than I did because yours would be a 3.73 rear end.

Mine was the generation prior to the one you're looking at, but FWIW mine had a number of electrical problems. Particularly annoying was the windshield wiper controller which failed. I also lost an alternator and a water pump, but at 110K+ miles, so I guess that's really not so bad. I'd make sure the 4WD system works and that the fluids were changed regularly.

You probably saw this coming, but if you're patient you might find a diesel Excursion, which is what you really want According to Edmunds, mine is currently worth a little over 18K dealer, 16K private party. A 4WD (mine's a RWD) will probably sell for another 1K or so.

Empty I get 18mpg in town and 20 on the highway. Towing I got about 14 with an open trailer at 75+ mph. Diesel's also starting to get cheaper (relative to gas) now that the winter months are behind us.

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Karl S.
2014 Baby, 2014 House, 2013 Ford Focus ST, 2013 BMW 328i, 1994 Mercedes E320
(Insert passive aggressive signature line here)

My 1.6L Miata gets 30mpg highway/city (mostly highway cycle) no autoX. When I autocross, milage drops to about 24-25mpg. When I tow the trailer with my race tires and Graham's behind gas milage drops to about 15mpg

My 2000 Focus with the Ztec motor got 34 MPG on a trip to Myrtle Beach and back. That was averaging 10 - 15 MPH over the limits withthe AC running. My low tech carbonated pushrod 1500 cc Datsun 210 get 28 - 30 MPG in town or on the highway.

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George Bright Member # 141
One of the youngest of the old farts.
Yes I voted against you joining the club.

What's Graham's behind doing on your trailer? Nevermind Capt. Apron. Nevermind.



I seem to average 23-27. Always a little disappoint but then again I'm not driving to conserve fuel. There's something about staying below 4k in Miata to maximize fuel economy. I read that. Some where. I think.

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Not spectacular just decent.
I'm not sure what I'm driving.
Maybe an ITR in DS.
Or half-assed STX prepped 330.

This is what I don't understand. My Excursion? Same thing. A 2WD diesel Excursion that had never towed anything. The paint was still fresh on the inside of the receiver!

Of course, now that I'm doing arrive and drives on race weekends, I suppose mine is a commuter vehicle now as well...

Karl, Like I said earlier, my truck + cash for your Excursion. You will still have something to tow your racecar and cash to buy one instead of borrowing one!!!!!!

Patrice

I gotta weigh in on this:

My 2001 Sable has AVERAGED 27.1 over a period of three years and 136,000 miles. That's with probably 400 lbs. of catalogs and sample tools in the trunk. Gets about 28.0 on the highway at 65 mph. 26.7 at 73 mph.

Last three business vehicles have been either Tauruses or Sable, all with the "Vulcan" 3.0 V6.

Total miles on all three vehicles: 729,000 (307,000 + 286,000 +136,000 and counting)
Average Acquisition Cost: $13,500 (each with about 22,000 starting mileage)
Total Engine-related repairs: about $300 (water-pump and idler pulley on my 1995 Taurus).
Average fuel mileage over 729,000 miles: 26.9

And I HATE Fords. But... wonderful business decision. Drive 'em 'til they drop!

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Brad

Why Ford put a pushrod V6 into Taurii I'll never understand. The Duratec is a thing of beauty!

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.