So, what happen with MPG???

Throw that old truck on a scale, and a brand new Chevy on a scale.

Weight plays a huge role too... if we all didn't want 20" rims, A/C, big stereos, etc, cars would weigh alot less, and we'd be getting fantastic mileage.
 
IslanderOffRoad said:
Throw that old truck on a scale, and a brand new Chevy on a scale.

Weight plays a huge role too... if we all didn't want 20" rims, A/C, big stereos, etc, cars would weigh alot less, and we'd be getting fantastic mileage.
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Bingo! My work beater an 89 Ford Taurus routinely gets 26+ mpg and sometime achieving low 30s depending on how easy I drive it.
 
My mom's old 92 Chevy Lumina averaged 34 mpg. Driving cross-country, she got 38 on one tank. But that was at 55, drafting her husband in a UHaul. :D
 
Now that I think of it, another thing might also be is the speed limit, when that truck was built, the limit on the highway was 55 mpg.

I often wonder what my folks Town and Country Touring would do mileage wise if it wasn't as well equipped but still retained the 3.8l V-6. Even weighing nearly 4400lbs, with 3-4 people on board with their luggage, I've watched it get mid 20's on the overhead console at 65+ mpg! Before they bought the T&C, I let my folks borrow my XJ for a road trip and at one point Dad had managed to get around 25mpg out of the thing!
 
Ive sat through many lectures talking about how "Engines are cleaner, and get better mpg, and new cars are better"

Yes and no.

Cleaner? Absolutely.

But I don't care if the pentastar is an amazing engine. You put it in a behemoth 2011 Grand Cherokee and it maxes out at 23 mpg!?

How is it that 10 years after the death of the xj, they only increased mileage by 3?

Huge heavy cars/trucks/ whatever suck.

/rant
 
1975/76 Dodge B200 maxi van, 440, 650DBL holley, 27MPG, 60mph engine was sitting around 2200rpm. NY guy that worked for me, 82 or so VW diesel P/u, 60mpg, Honda Civic HF, circa 90 or so, two seat hatch back, 50mpg. 69 willys waggoneer, 350 dauntless/buick, T400, 25mpg. New cars, I'm not impressed, we should be over 100mpg by now.
 
I wish the US didn't hate diesel. They have small diesel cars in Europe getting 70mpg. I guess we think packing a car full of batteries is better for the environment then fuel efficiency.
 
bjoehandley said:
Now that I think of it, another thing might also be is the speed limit, when that truck was built, the limit on the highway was 55 mpg.
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Yeah. My Accord seems much happier cruising the highway at 75-80 than at 55, at least gearing-wise. Its an 06, and I've pulled 34mpg on the highway with it, 2 people in the car, not much luggage.

I'd be willing to bet if it were geared for cruising at 55, and I actually went that speed it could pull 40.

With all my mods I got 18mpg in my XJ on the way to Moab a couple years back. Were it stock, I bet I could get 25 highway out of it.
 
I saw 22 highway out of my XJ stock with 235/75s.

On weight gain, I think it was a C/D editor who had both a 53 Cadillac and an 05 Cadillac. The 05 was about 1200 lbs heavier than the 53. Whatever happened to the stereotype of old iron being made of solid metal and being bug heavy bricks that would demolish anythin out there today in an accident? Most stuff today outweighs its predecessors by a considerable amount.

Mom and I had an 89 Chevy Van G20 LWB conversion van. It weighed 5460. That 05 Cadillac came pretty close to that weight. A new Rolls weighs in the range of 6-7000 lbs...:eek:
 
I've been pissed about this for a while. First year Dodge put a Cummins in the Ram, some mag. (want to say Mopar Action) got one, hooked a car trailer to it, dropped a Road-runner on the trailer, and went on a road trip. Got 21 MPG towing. New Diesel Rams get about 19 highway, empty.
 
tbburg said:
I've been pissed about this for a while. First year Dodge put a Cummins in the Ram, some mag. (want to say Mopar Action) got one, hooked a car trailer to it, dropped a Road-runner on the trailer, and went on a road trip. Got 21 MPG towing. New Diesel Rams get about 19 highway, empty.
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Everyone I've known with a Cummins Ram gets more like 24+ highway unloaded. One of them was even a MegaCab 4x4. But then these were all 5.9s. Don't know about the new 6.7.
 
My brother has a slightly modified older Dodge Cummins with 37” tires. He beats on it and gets about 20mpg.
 
tbburg said:
I've been pissed about this for a while. First year Dodge put a Cummins in the Ram, some mag. (want to say Mopar Action) got one, hooked a car trailer to it, dropped a Road-runner on the trailer, and went on a road trip. Got 21 MPG towing. New Diesel Rams get about 19 highway, empty.
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That goes right back to weight and emmission equipment to me.
 
I just got done with a 812 mile round trip from Roanoke VA to Canton OH in my Hemi Commander. I averaged 19.5 for the whole trip on 87 octane(recommended for the hemi) and 2 passengers.

I had to go down I-81(over the eastern continental divide) up I-77, which is very mountainous and then the flat land of OH.

I ran the speed limit +5 the whole way.

I found the "sweet spot" on the XK is around 67-72 with its 3.73 gearing. The areodynamics on the XK is no better than the XJ so the faster you run the faster your mileage tanks out.

My 09 Hemi XK has the MDS/VVT technology which works very well. As a comparison, my 08 JK Sahara only gets 20mpg for the same trip and with less power and comfort/safety.

My 1990 XJ has gotten as good as 21mpg for the same trip. Gotta love a RENIX!
 
My neighbor has an 86 Hyundai Excel, that thing gets 40 freeway. (And about 30 city)

We're doing the wrong thing making all these massive luxurious cars.
 
Darky said:
Everyone I've known with a Cummins Ram gets more like 24+ highway unloaded. One of them was even a MegaCab 4x4. But then these were all 5.9s. Don't know about the new 6.7.
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Everyone you know who has a cummins lies to you.

The older ones would get in the mid 20s but not since about 01 or 02. My 05 got 18 empty. Everyone I knew (who didn't lie) got about the same.
 
bjoehandley said:
That goes right back to weight and emmission equipment to me.
Click to expand...

No it's about the power. The first years of the Cummins engines would make under 200 HP and maybe 300 Ft Lbs of torque. The newer ones are double that.

Same goes for a lot of the cars out there.

Take a 6.1L Hemi that makes 430 HP and about the same tq. Same as the old 426 yet the 426 would get maybe 5-8 MPG, the new ones will at least double that, maybe more.
 
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