Fuel Economy

[kaskirov]

i found this site awhile go when i was looking at getting a 90s bronco instead of my ranger (i don't know why, but i love fullsize broncos). not sure if anyone noticed but when you select a vehicle if you look to the left of the picture and select "use your gas prices and anual miles" you can change the amount you drive, how you drive it, cost of gas, and it will give a more accurate calculation. you can also change to metric. and to the right of the picture you can compare vehicles side by side. not sure the maximum, but i had it up to 4 one time.

 

[reginald fairfield]

Just proves that automatics suck. Who would buy a 3.0 with an auto is beyond me. They rob both power and gas mileage. Who was it on here who said that when automatics became popular is resposible for the large sissy factor today?


Get a standard. Why do you think they were called ""standard' in the first place?

 

[LearjetMinako]

Just proves that automatics suck. Who would buy a 3.0 with an auto is beyond me. They rob both power and gas mileage. Who was it on here who said that when automatics became popular is resposible for the large sissy factor today?


Get a standard. Why do you think they were called ""standard' in the first place?

Because of the sad truth, you don't need to learn stick any more in driving school. Personally, I don't like automatics. And my dad says standards can't pull as much as a automatic (Pure BS in my opinion). But truth to be told, Americans are getting lazier while driving. And auto makers are not giving the option of both trannies.

 

[samsonitesamsonite]

that says 16 and 19 respectivley for the yj, I get 19 and 24.

 

[Southern3.0]

I think their adjustment was politically motivated.

+1

I think the old ratings were more accurate, My old 3.0 auto Edge used to get 17 -18 mpg around town, they droped it to 15. My moms '06 Mustang GT gets 19 mpg crusing around and 16 - 17 when you really romp on it, they dropped it down to 15 mpg. and they say an '07 6 cyl Camery gets 19 around town, My moms V8 Mustang get the same....weird.

 

[reginald fairfield]

Because of the sad truth, you don't need to learn stick any more in driving school. Personally, I don't like automatics. And my dad says standards can't pull as much as a automatic (Pure BS in my opinion). But truth to be told, Americans are getting lazier while driving. And auto makers are not giving the option of both trannies.

Yeah, they are getting lazier, and not just in driving. I think every idiot should know how to shift, they are the same morons that can't ever help you move your standard car or anything. It ain't that hard, jeez...

 

[AllanD]

The old rating system didn't reflect the way people actually drive thus the changes.

That being said, by CAREFULY driving I've been able to beat the EPA rating on several 2.9's and with my current 4.0 engine.

Would you believe a '93 4.0 engine in an '87 supercab with
a 5sp and 4.10 gears getting 21mpg? and consistantly getting 20mpg?

Or getting 26mpg with a 2.9 in the same truck?

The EPA ratings USUALLY claim that an automatic trans will get BETTER mileage
than an IDENTICAL vehicle with a manual trans, and we all know that's a load of crap.

Yeah mabey if you are driving like you are under the mistaken belief that you are possessed by the ghost of Ayrton Senna and banging it off the rev limiter on every full throttle shift you'll get crap mileage, but otherwise? No.

on a long hghway run the auto doesn't stand a chance in a "miles to empty" contest.

AD

 

[Will]

Auto's are for sissy's? Yeah, I feel real manly shoving that 4-ounces of force on the shifter between gears. I can just feel the chest hair thickening with each push. Sometimes I have to shear it off like sheep's wool at traffic lights.

Ford's autos certainly aren't the most efficient. A torque converter is a great thing, but it needs to be bypassed on the highway when you don't need it. Once it's locked up, an auto and a manual aren't much different; or they don't have to be. In fact, some manufacturers autos do just as well as manuals. And have none of the annoying traits I used to associate with automatic trannies.

I simply like autos better. Fact is, last time I rolled my truck I knew I had crept too far forward--leaves had concealed the depth of the culvert, and I was right on that teetering edge where I could save it. I had my heel on the brake and toed the throttle, was getting the clutch engaged to inch back when my foot slipped. Being on a massive camber and trying to hold on while driving at the same time is tough when you are hanging in your belt which doesn't hold you in except in an impact. I'm a good clutch operator. I live on a hill so steep you can roll in many areas just trying to drive across the face of it. My whole property except the very top of the hill is like that. Every trailer manuever I do is on a large hill. And I've had the same clutch since 2002. I get that fawker up quick with a large bite into the engine without rolling an inch, backing my trailer up with my skidsteer on it with my B2. I have to use my B2 because my Chevy will just spin trying it. Even the best footwork cannot match an auto. If I had an auto on the lip of that gulch, I would just have clicked it into reverse and bumped it back without worries. I'm always jealous wheeling with people that have autos. In fact, I bought a C5 years ago and still haven't found the occasion to put it in. I guess I'm just punishing myself.

 

[kunar]

Auto's are for sissy's? Yeah, I feel real manly shoving that 4-ounces of force on the shifter between gears. I can just feel the chest hair thickening with each push. Sometimes I have to shear it off like sheep's wool at traffic lights.

i havent laughed like that in a while....

Who was it on here who said that when automatics became popular is resposible for the large sissy factor today?

it was in the signature... something about autos being responsable for the wussification of america. i dont remember who it was

 

[reginald fairfield]

Auto's are for sissy's? Yeah, I feel real manly shoving that 4-ounces of force on the shifter between gears. I can just feel the chest hair thickening with each push. Sometimes I have to shear it off like sheep's wool at traffic lights.

Ford's autos certainly aren't the most efficient. A torque converter is a great thing, but it needs to be bypassed on the highway when you don't need it. Once it's locked up, an auto and a manual aren't much different; or they don't have to be. In fact, some manufacturers autos do just as well as manuals. And have none of the annoying traits I used to associate with automatic trannies.

I simply like autos better. Fact is, last time I rolled my truck I knew I had crept too far forward--leaves had concealed the depth of the culvert, and I was right on that teetering edge where I could save it. I had my heel on the brake and toed the throttle, was getting the clutch engaged to inch back when my foot slipped. Being on a massive camber and trying to hold on while driving at the same time is tough when you are hanging in your belt which doesn't hold you in except in an impact. I'm a good clutch operator. I live on a hill so steep you can roll in many areas just trying to drive across the face of it. My whole property except the very top of the hill is like that. Every trailer manuever I do is on a large hill. And I've had the same clutch since 2002. I get that fawker up quick with a large bite into the engine without rolling an inch, backing my trailer up with my skidsteer on it with my B2. I have to use my B2 because my Chevy will just spin trying it. Even the best footwork cannot match an auto. If I had an auto on the lip of that gulch, I would just have clicked it into reverse and bumped it back without worries. I'm always jealous wheeling with people that have autos. In fact, I bought a C5 years ago and still haven't found the occasion to put it in. I guess I'm just punishing myself.

I didn't say it, someone else did.
Maybe I am just old-fashioned, but I really hate automatics. I am a third generation truck driver. Yes, automatics can be good for wheeling, but once you get stuck is when you will start hating them. You can't rock an automatic worth a damn or period without breaking the linkage or something. The ultimate fact is that standard trans are better; I like choosing what rpm I run and shift at. Ford auto transmsisions are quite crappy, especially in the f150's. They never shift right. Chevy seems to make about the best shifting nowadays, but I don't know how tough they are... The main advantage of an automatic offroad is that you don't lose momentum because the shifts are so quick, this matters more in sand and mud. And hillclimbing.

And i agree that people have gotten lazy because of autos. It has allowed morons who should never be driving to get away with it. They are the same morons that run up under my trailer at a four way stop.

You can hate standard trans all you want, but they DO get better mileage. Period.

 

[hihoslvr]

hey, just wanted to comment: they do have semi's with auto's now, as I assume you know. guys i've talked to that have used them like 'em, they say they're lighter by a couple hunnit pounds. Personally, drivin' the rigs screwed me up after a few weeks on the road; I'd git in my little ranger and forget where the heck I was, and try to double clutch and downshift...

 

[Hahnsb2]

hey, just wanted to comment: they do have semi's with auto's now, as I assume you know. guys i've talked to that have used them like 'em, they say they're lighter by a couple hunnit pounds. Personally, drivin' the rigs screwed me up after a few weeks on the road; I'd git in my little ranger and forget where the heck I was, and try to double clutch and downshift...

My dad would sometimes get out of his truck and we'd get in his ranger and he'd just let the clutch out without any gas thinking he was still driving his freightshaker Automatics would be nice in some situations but I don't think it's anything I couldn't overcome with a doubler. I just don't care for autos, they just aren't as robust, and have 100X more things to go wrong, I never have to deal with one telling me what gear I want to be in and you get better compression braking.

 

[reginald fairfield]

hey, just wanted to comment: they do have semi's with auto's now, as I assume you know. guys i've talked to that have used them like 'em, they say they're lighter by a couple hunnit pounds. Personally, drivin' the rigs screwed me up after a few weeks on the road; I'd git in my little ranger and forget where the heck I was, and try to double clutch and downshift...

Yeah, i was aware of that, but most truckers including me don't really like them...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I didn't say it, someone else did.
Maybe I am just old-fashioned, but I really hate automatics. I am a third generation truck driver. Yes, automatics can be good for wheeling, but once you get stuck is when you will start hating them. You can't rock an automatic worth a damn or period without breaking the linkage or something. The ultimate fact is that standard trans are better; I like choosing what rpm I run and shift at. Ford auto transmsisions are quite crappy, especially in the f150's. They never shift right. Chevy seems to make about the best shifting nowadays, but I don't know how tough they are... The main advantage of an automatic offroad is that you don't lose momentum because the shifts are so quick, this matters more in sand and mud. And hillclimbing.

And i agree that people have gotten lazy because of autos. It has allowed morons who should never be driving to get away with it. They are the same morons that run up under my trailer at a four way stop.

You can hate standard trans all you want, but they DO get better mileage. Period.

'97+ (maybe earlier) F-150's have an adaptive shift strategy that adjusts the shift points to how you drive it. So if you hop in someone else's truck it can really throw you off as it has learned to shift to their driving style and not yours. When I reset my computer after my intake I was amazed at how much of a dog mine was, it would shift really slow and smooth at a low RPM. About two weeks later I had it retrained to shift where I wanted it to.

It is also neither fun to change by yourself or cheap to pay a shop to change a clutch in the wimpy M50D that comes in an F-150 either (only available in the 4.2 and 4.6 trucks)

Also, after you are around one long enough you learn how to keep an automatic in a gear of your choice by using the gas pedal, I can do that with either of my trucks.

I have had a 5-speed before and it was fun, but it got old driving around town.

As far as the "autos being responsable for the wussification of america" I would say electric start and electric choke had far more to do with that than an automatic could ever hope to.

 

[Hahnsb2]

Also, after you are around one long enough you learn how to keep an automatic in a gear of your choice by using the gas pedal, I can do that with either of my trucks.

Can you hold 50MPH in second without accelerating by just using your foot