Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Vans & Minivans Dodge Sprinter Dodge Sprinter Gas Mileage
76 messages, Last post on Nov 10, 2007 at 9:03 AM
You are in the Dodge Sprinter Forum. Your Host is Karens
Share your actual mileage numbers and questions with other Sprinter owners.
|
Replying to: kenbaker (Dec 26, 2006 12:14 pm) |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: methodvan (Sep 05, 2006 8:55 am) as for mpg, i'm getting around 24-28 in my sprinter 2500 118" wheelbase regular roof line. but i drive with fuel economy in mind. those of you who are watching your mpgs carefully, consider your speed and load (obviously) but also your roof profile. i'm still pretty happy with my sprinter and will have it for a long time (i sure hope so, anyway). the better mileage (compared to the usual gas engines available with the domestics) and better inside dimensions will convince me i made a good decision for a long time. i'm also seeing more mobil 1 0w-40 on the shelves in the local auto stores and at wal mart.
|
|
|
Replying to: grasspress (Jan 20, 2007 9:55 am) VW does it but you can punch the right code into your climate control unit and it will display the accurate speed digitally reason for the fast reading speedo is litigation concerns go figure - that was from the vw na technical director |
|
|
Replying to: methodvan (Sep 05, 2006 8:55 am) With economy in mind, a given vehicle, with the same driver will not deliver the same mileage when driven under different conditions. Hilly conditions will result in lower figures than relatively flat roads. Adding or subtracting weight will affect mileage. If your truck is carrying around a lot of cargo weight, it will not deliver the "AVERAGE" mpg. One that is near empty may deliver better than average. A GPS will most likely reveal your speedometer is reading a bit higher than actual speed, but your odometer will be pretty much dead on.! I can't explain it, it is just the way things are sometimes. Anytime anyone contemplates paying extra to get a few more miles per gallon, they need to do the calculation before the fact, rather than after the fact!  To drive 100,00 miles: Consider 15mpg with gas  $2.50 gal.. It would cost $16,667 for fuel. Now 22mpg with diesel at $2.70 a gal would cost $12,272. Diesel will save about $4400 in fuel. I used a 20 cent higher price for diesel because of prices in my ares. Yours may vary. My understanding is that there is a slightly higher maintaince cost associated with diesel and possibly additional additives that gas engines don't require. That would make the above $4400 figure lower. Even if the savings were the $4400, it would take over 200K miles to break even for an extra $9000 purchase price.  Keeping in mind that higher or lower fuel cost will affect numbers.  Kip
|
|
|
Replying to: kipk (Jan 31, 2007 6:39 am) This is a "time value of money" calculation, which I can't do without some investigation, but it can be approximated as an interest calculation. If you buy the 15 mpg gasoline Ford or Chevy van and put $9000 in savings at 5% interest compounded anually for 9 years, it would turn into $9000(1.05)^9 = $9000(1.55) = $14,000. Of course, a Sprinter has features that the Ford and Chevy vans do not. When the gasoline Sprinters become available you will be able to separate the premium for a diesel from the premium for a gasoline Sprinter. Very possibly it will turn out that a gasoline Sprinter may make more financial sense than a diesel one for many who want a Sprinter. Also it may be an important value to you to save fuel whether it makes economic sense or not. Note however that in doing fuel use comparisons between gasoline and diesel you should really use the weights of fuels and not the volumes. Diesel fuel is 15% denser than gasoline, (and gasoline has 87% of the density of diesel fuel). So to correct the mpg of a gasoline engine for the difference in density you'd multiply the gasoline mpg value by 1.15 to get a corrected mpg value equivalent to that of a diesel. Therefore, the 15 mpg of the Chevy is corrected to 17 mpg for comparison to the diesel value of 22 mpg for true amount (that is weight) of fuel used for environmental purposes. You do not make this correction for cost because motor fuel is sold by the gallon and not by the weight. |
|
|
Replying to: jim314 (Jan 31, 2007 8:18 am) To be fair, if fuel should go considerably higher and the vehicle was to be driven for several hundred thousand miles during that 9 years, the savings of a diesel would become apparent. Of course there may become an even greater cost difference at the pump between diesel and gas, if/when Bio-diesels are forced upon us and higher cost plus poorer mileage kick in.
|
|
So in the previous post (#58) I calculated the original est $9000 in purchase price savings of the gasoline engine would accrue $5000 in interest over 9 years, but to compare you would have to assume that the fuel cost savings of a diesel would be saved and put at interest each month or year. Over 9 years this would grow to some amount which could be calculated, and which would be in the diesel's favor. That is, one would subtract this amount from the $14,000 advantage for the gasoline engine to get a net monetary gain for the gasoline engine.
|
|
|
Replying to: jim314 (Feb 01, 2007 6:37 am) Figured on a yearly basis of 11,111 miles driven, the diesel would save $488 a year. The $9000 would grow $450 the first year. At 22,000 miles a year the diesel would save $976 and the $9000 would still have only grown the $450. If that $976 were saved in a 5% instrument and the diesel maintenance cost are not overwhelming, the diesel is a winner. As stated earlier, the diesel needs lots of mileage to be worthwhile. Average homeowner that wants a van for trips to Home Depot or occasional camping or towing would probably be better off with the 15 mpg V8. Me thinks. Maybe Dodge will slip a V8 into it while Mercedes is not looking!  Kip |
|
|
Replying to: kipk (Feb 01, 2007 7:05 am) |
|
|
Replying to: kipk (Feb 01, 2007 7:05 am) What you are looking for is a MARR (minimum accetable Rate of Return) for your investment, and time-value of money is always a part of that equation. More money saved earlier is better... and money saved over time is less so. Since I got my Sprinter at a $7000 (+/- $500) discount, I don't have a problem getting my investment back... Money saved on maintenance, extended service intervals (if efective), and reduced shop down-time are more intangible in nature when compared to MPG and initial cost. At least in the passenger model, I don't see as big a difference in the Sprinter compared to a GM or Ford product for price on a 3/4 ton or 1 ton model basis. That is, of course, if you don't mind (or, like me, prefer) Rubber Mat flooring and simple/sturdy (Sprinter) instead of carpeted and plush (which most GM and Ford vans will be). My last Astro/Safari listed for nearly what I spent on my Sprinter and the Sprinter still gets better mileage than the Safari mini Van! KenB 
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Vans & Minivans Dodge Sprinter Dodge Sprinter Gas Mileage
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2009 Dodge Sprinter
2009 Dodge Sprinter Cargo
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
