New vehicles and gas mileage

[lesliepaul]

Bought a brand new 1978 Chevrolet 3/4 ton Scottsdale, Full-Time 4X4, Automatic with a 350 4 barrel. Back in the late 70's gas was around 50 cents a GALLON. The Full-Time 4X4 worked great in the day and always ensured that I made it to a gas station. This truck went through $10.00 worth of gas a day...........even parked. Spent a $1000 on a 3" lift-kit and some wheels and tires. Truck looked good...........so good that I sold it in 1982 for $8,000.........$400 more than I paid brand new.

I think I prefer living in those days of simplicity and affordability.......even with the poor gas mileage. I paid cash for every vehicle I owned in the 70's and into the 80's.......even new. My earnings back then were very good along with "buying power"........the only drawback then was mortgage rates but we got around that and enjoyed high investment returns.

[GordonH]

My very first vehicle sniffed out gas stations & rarely passed them, had under the hood 351 Cleveland with a 4 barrel carb.

[Ka-El]

Had a '71 Camero (350 pushing 400) that also had a very active sense of smell.

[Jflem1983]

My very first vehicle sniffed out gas stations & rarely passed them, had under the hood 351 Cleveland with a 4 barrel carb.

Had a 351 windsor. What a pig

[GordonH]

My very first vehicle sniffed out gas stations & rarely passed them, had under the hood 351 Cleveland with a 4 barrel carb.

Had a 351 windsor. What a pig

Previous owner still had crap bias ply tires on it, what huge difference once I changed them to radials.

[TylerM4]

Basically the cost of a new vehicle isn't worth it. Sure you get tons of great safety features a car that looses half of it's value the moment you first start it up and drive off of the lot. Also some of the newer cars are just boring econo boxes.

I'd agree with that. Not worth it if all you're considering is savings due to fuel economy.

When I was looking for trucks, I wanted a "newer used" truck. At the time, my budget had me looking at model years of ford trucks where ford did a complete drivetrain overhaul. Ford moved from the 4.6L and 5.4L v8's to 5.0L and ecoboost engines and to a 6speed vs 5speed transmission. The newer drivelines gave a decent boost to fuel economy - more than the typical upgrade to new technology. I planned to own the truck a long time and put something on the order of 150,000km on it.

Long story short - I did the math and the newer driveline/technology would only have saved me an estimated $2000 over what would essentially be the life of the vehicle. Buying a truck that was a year or 2 newer with the newer driveline cost about $6000 on average. I ended up going with a newer truck, but fuel economy wasn't the big reason for why.

[TheBoss]

In the coupe i could get a few extra miles if it was a 5-6gear automatic. She tacks a little high on the highway for my taste, instead of 2000-2200 rpm i would like it to be down in the 1500rpm, That's my only complaint.

Why do almost all newer vehicles feel super stiff in the suspension? My coupe with the firm ride on cruises along really nice, not too stiff and not too soft just right.

[Ka-El]

Why do almost all newer vehicles feel super stiff in the suspension?

Better control; more force on the road on the outside tires during high speed cornering keeping the car "flat". Thus, "sport suspension". If you're not actually driving the car like a sports car then the stiff suspension is probably not what you want.

[Bsuds]

It looks like the major car mfr's are going to be pushing electric cars so won't much care about mileage on the gas ones anymore. That is my assumption anyway.

[dirtybiker]

I find it funny when people talk fuel mileage, or the price of
fuel for that matter.

Then you see the way they drive, foot flat on the floor !!

I can get fuel mileage out of anything I drive...If I choose to.

When the needle is below quarter, not a station around, is when the best fuel mileage
is achieved.

[JLives]

My truck is a 2012 and very thirsty. I get about 350 kms on a tank. But I also drive the crap out of it, she can take it.

[Dizzy1]

When the needle is below quarter, not a station around, is when the best fuel mileage
is achieved.

[Bsuds]

I get about 350 kms on a tank.

That means nothing without knowing how many liters the tank holds.

My truck tank holds 142 liters so that would be pretty bad for it.

[GordonH]

I get about 350 kms on a tank.

That means nothing without knowing how many liters the tank holds.

My truck tank holds 142 liters so that would be pretty bad for it.

Besides being damn expensive

[JLives]

That means nothing without knowing how many liters the tank holds.

My truck tank holds 142 liters so that would be pretty bad for it.

It's an 80 litre tank.