You are here: Forums SUVs SUV gas mileage - Feel free to participate

SUV gas mileage - Feel free to participate

1070 messages,  Last post on Jun 04, 2009 at 10:34 AM

You are in the SUVs Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester

What is this discussion about? Ford Expedition, GMC Envoy, Chevrolet Suburban, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Nissan Pathfinder, Fuel Efficiency (MPG), SUV

#1033 of 1070 Re: Seat size [wvgasguy] by kipk Oct 02, 2008 (2:27 am)
Replying to: wvgasguy (Oct 01, 2008 5:48 pm) >"I am leaning at this point towards the Mercedes diesel or the Escape Hybrid as my two choices "   >"I need to tow 3500# (not all that much, just my tractor or jet skis), I need 4wd (live on a hill in snow "at times" country) and I wanted size to haul the family (8 on vacation)."   Mercedes ML 350 starting at $47,250 will tow the weight but only carries 5 souls.   The GL class starting at $53,400 will tow the same and carry 7 souls. Still short on carrying folks capacity. Fuel mileage for either is 18/24 according to Edmunds. Not the giant leap in fuel mileage you are looking for.   On the other hand, the AWD Escape Hybrid starting at $33,385 is rated at 29 city and 27 hyway. Yep, less on the road than in the city. But still pretty good. Definitely a giant leap compared to the Expedition.   It carries 5 souls and I didn't see a "Tow" rating. However with it's 2.5 liter gas engine, I wouldn't think it would meet your needs in hauling people or towing.   On the third hand, the Pilot AWD starts at $29,195. Hauls 8, tows 4500# and gets about the same fuel mileage as the Mercedes Diesel. It has 5" more shoulder room than the Escape and 2" more than the Mercedes. Within 1.5" of the shoulder room in the Expedition. Considerably more maximum cargo capacity than the Escape. Not sure about cargo space when compared to the Mercedes.   As far as MPG goes, On our 03 Pilot AWD we have gotten 27+ mpg at 65 mph on an 1100 mile trip, and 18 mpg at 80+ mph on a 350 mile trip. Locally, we get 17-19 mpg, every time. Typically the road mileage is 23-25 mpg at 70 mph. Honda longevity is legendary. If you haven't spent some time in one, maybe you should.   Kip
#1034 of 1070 Re: [drmperalta] by gopherm Oct 02, 2008 (8:39 am)
Replying to: drmperalta (Jul 09, 2000 1:42 am) New '09 Escape Limited (gas) FWD with the I4 engine and 6 speed auto. 50% open country and county roads and 50% suburban driving on my daily commute. I travel about 19 miles each way and my current milage is 27.3 MPG. I am happy, happy, happy.
#1035 of 1070 Re: Seat size [wvgasguy] by ateixeira Oct 02, 2008 (12:34 pm)
Replying to: wvgasguy (Oct 01, 2008 5:48 pm) Tahoe hybrid's seats are smaller and lighter than non-hybrid Tahoes, I seem to recall.   Escape hybrid cannot tow 3500 pounds. I'm not sure if the hybrid is rated to tow at all, come to think of it.   Bluetecs are nice. Not cheap, but they should last and hold their value.   Pilots are nice. GM's Lambdas are also nice and can tow 5200 lbs now, best in class. Gas mileage is good, too, but watch out for price with options.   In that same class, also test-fit (again the seats are a big issue for a big guy) the Subaru Tribeca, Mazda CX9, and Hyundai Veracruz, since those 3 are getting STEEP discounts right now. You could get one with leather and a GPS for a price of one without those things about a year ago.   With big discounts, you can probably get one of those 3 fairly loaded for under $30k, and still tow your 3500 lbs. Replies to this message: stevedebi (Oct 02, 2008 2:35 pm) ateixeira (Oct 09, 2008 9:17 am)
#1036 of 1070 Re: Seat size [ateixeira] by stevedebi Oct 02, 2008 (2:35 pm)
Replying to: ateixeira (Oct 02, 2008 12:34 pm) "Escape hybrid cannot tow 3500 pounds. I'm not sure if the hybrid is rated to tow at all, come to think of it. "   1000 lbs, but I would not recommend towing... Replies to this message: ateixeira (Oct 09, 2008 9:17 am)
#1037 of 1070 Re: Seat size [stevedebi] by ateixeira Oct 09, 2008 (9:17 am)
Replying to: stevedebi (Oct 02, 2008 2:35 pm) Yeah, that sounds about right. Thanks.   So that's out.
#1038 of 1070 2008 Expedition XLT 4WD by maslss1 Oct 11, 2008 (7:50 pm)
I just purchased a 2008 Expedition XLT 4WD with 10k miles for $21,991 (warranty good for 2 1/2 more years). I drove round trip Phoenix to Grand Canyon. Averaged 16.4 mpg going there (uphill), and 20.9 mpg coming back (down hill). This is outstanding, coming from a 98 Expedition XLT 4WD that averaged 13-14 mpg overall. I'm very happy with the fuel economy so far.
#1039 of 1070 mileage by mcribb Oct 12, 2008 (5:12 am)
My 2006 pathfinder gets 20.4 miles average. I laugh when I see Ford and Chevy advertising mpg for their crossovers.
#1040 of 1070 Pilot Mileage by bronsonb Oct 21, 2008 (11:11 am)
Replying to: kipk (Sep 18, 2008 3:58 am) Kip - Thanks for sharing that info. My sister-in-law just got a pilot recently, but it's a base model. She seems happy with it, but I don't know what mileage she's getting. I have an 04 Expedition 2WD, but I've been a very conservative drive. I go 12 miles round trip most days to/from the MARTA station, and I am getting 15 MPG average. On the highway, I can get 20 MPG. I've found that as long as I am a conservative driver, I can keep the MPG above the EPA ratings.   I do enjoy having that space for camping trips and road trips with the kids. My old Passat wagon just couldn't haul all of our gear, and when I tried renting something larger, I could seldom reserve what I wanted at a reasonable price. So the SUV works for me. When the wife finally puts her 10 year old, 135K miles Passat to rest, I think I'll keep it as my commuter car and park the Expy in the garage for camping and weekend trips with the family.   Take care.
#1041 of 1070 Best Gas Mileage Modifications by sdtrex Nov 09, 2008 (7:39 pm)
Just bought a 1999 Suburban, 350, 700R4. We want to do some basic modifications to maximize mileage. I already drive like a grandpa to keep mileage up, but want to get into the low 20's (mpg) on the highway. Can anyone weigh in on the utility of:   1) K&N Filter 2) Cold Air Intake 3) Throttle body spacer 4) Headers 5) True dual exhaust 6) Flowmaster 7) New computer chip 8) New ignition system 9) Anything I'm missing?   Any suggestions appreciated!   SDTREX Replies to this message: steve_ (Nov 09, 2008 7:56 pm) d07 (Nov 17, 2008 10:12 am) sdtrex (Nov 17, 2008 11:13 am) d07 (Nov 17, 2008 11:51 am) and 1 more...
#1042 of 1070 Re: Best Gas Mileage Modifications [sdtrex] by steve_ HOST Nov 09, 2008 (7:56 pm)
Replying to: sdtrex (Nov 09, 2008 7:39 pm) An oil based filter won't help your mpg unless the current filter in the 'burban is filthy. A chip probably won't make any difference either and it's highly unlikely to make enough of a difference to ever pay for itself. Probably none of the other stuff in your list will increase the mpg enough to offset the expense.   I think throttle body spacers fall under the category of Gas Saving Gizmos & Gadgets.   You may not like the ride but you can pump the tires up a bit over the recommendation on the tire label on the door frame (or glove box).   Toss any extra weight in there. Maybe you can live without carrying the spare around? Extra tools, sandbags -- all that stuff adds up and can hurt your mpg.   What Really Saves Gas? And How Much?   We Test the Tips Part II

You are here: Forums SUVs SUV gas mileage - Feel free to participate