Well here's my solution to the gas situation...

[TOMMY RICH]

One of my trucks is gotta' go !

And believe it or not, I may keep the 94' Silvy and dump the payments on the 04' Sierra to get something that gets close to 40 MPG

I'm sickothi****!:angry:

It's only gonna get wor$e

 

[Mark Gross]

Hey Tee,

If you find something that gets even 30mpg and can tow 3500lb. please let me know...

I don't now if you can find 40mpg with four wheels lol



Mark

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I'll still have my Silvy...I only live about 6 miles from work. I could ride my bike that far but, it's illegal on that route

 

[mike chip]

good luck tee,

i looked for a while and wound up with a jetta tdi. i cant be beat for mileage, nothing come close, but you have to pay a premium for it. but it also has not tune up costs. just oil and oil filters and a timing belt. no other maint. i get 50 to 52 city and 55 to 62 hwy. and right now diesel fuel is 35 cents cheaper.

mike c

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Yeah..I seen $2.78 for diesel and $3.29 for regular

 

[Edward Lea.]

Mike C. any problems with fuel jelling in the severe cold we can get here in the central states like Iowa or in Minnesotta?

 

[Jeff Cozadd]

I bought a Saturn Outlook, it gets 20-22 mpg and will tow up to 4,500 lbs.

I like it, I used to drive a Tahoe that got 15-16 mpg.

 

[Jim in VA]

Any of the new "cross-over" SUV's should handle 3,500 or higher tow ratings and achieve combined city/hwy mileage in the low 20's (but not necessarily while towing). Just be sure to look at the AWD versions for slippery ramps, etc.! I have a Nissan Murano that tows great and gets 20/24 EPA rated city/hwy fuel economy. Actual fuel economy is around 18/22. Other candidates include:



Acura MDX - max tow rating 5,000; 17/22 fuel economy

Buick Rendezvous - max tow rating 3,500; 18/23 fuel economy

Chevy Equinox - max tow rating 3,500; 19/25 fuel economy

Ford Edge - max tow rating 3,500; 17/24 fuel economy

Honda Pilot - max tow rating 4,500; 17/22 fuel economy

Lexus RX380 - max tow rating 3,500; 17/22 fuel economy

Nissan Murano - max tow rating 3,500; 20/24 fuel economy

Toyota Highlander - max tow rating 3,000; 20/25 fuel economy

 

[mike chip]

no issue with fuel jelling. since its a direct injection, the glow plug wont even come on unless it in the 20's for the most part, and even in the dead of winter (teens) the glow plug comes on for 5 or so seconds then it fires right up. the hardest thing to get used to with a diesel car with a turbo is, you dont downshift for power, you will max the turbo and lose speed.

mike c

 

[Larry Harp]

My 01 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4X4 has a 4.0 6 cyl. It gets around 18 to19 mpg running around town and around 22 or 23 mpg on the highway (without the AC running) and tows my 591 just fine. Hard to complain about that. However, when I tow my boat, my mileage drops to between 11 and 12 mpg...that's running at 70 mph on the interstate with the AC on. If I slow down to 60 mph and turn off the AC it may improve to 14 mpg. On the other hand, a friend of mine has a 3/4 ton Dodge 4X4 Diesel. He gets around 17 mpg and that drops to around 16 mpg when he pulls his boat, a 20' Skeeter on a dual axle trailer.



Harpo

 

[Edward Lea.]

So Mike C. or anyone else, this Jetta diesel would not be recommended for the central states here where it may drop to minus teens and stay there sometimes for weeks in the winter? Minus twenty's somenights. Would you say that is a true statement?

 

[Andrew Zuber]

Sooner....

I have the exact same Jeep...year and all....

Do you have the factory towing package?

I do...and I do not see the city/hwy mileage you're getting...

But I do get better than your towing numbers...

Pretty sure it's a difference in the rear-end gearing...



az

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Shoot guys...I'm gettin 19 MPG pullin' my 185 south with a 5.3 with a 3.42 gear.

Now beat that! :lol:

I get 17 MPG with my 94'...

 

[Edward Lea.]

Well TEE of course your getting good MPG pullin' your 185 south. Turn around and go north(Uphill) and see what you get!!! :lol::lol::lol:

 

[Larry Harp]

Ed, no I don't have factory tow package. I'm guessing you have lower gears with the tow package.



Tee, I'm sure I'd get better mileage with a bigger motor when I'm pullin'....it's just the other 98% of the time that worries me.



I burned almost a full tank driving to the lake and back Saturday. $60+ to fillup. :angry: Meanwhile we ran all over the lake and the gas gauge on the boat barely moved. That 150 Opti hardly uses any gas at all. :wub:



Harpo

 

[mike chip]

ed,

the diesel will be fine, its a new style diesel and the glow plug will come one for about 5 seconds and go off then it will start just like its 90 outside. we had a week of 20 degree weather and mine never batted an eye. diesel technology is coming to all brands of cars. they were all waiting for the new fuel. ie cleaner. the new mercedes and volks are so clean they will pass gas emmisions test in all the the touest states. and the next generation will be even cleaner than gas. Over seas in europe 3 out of 4 cars sold is a diesel. volkswagon has a hybrid in development that is supposed to get over 100 mpg.

mike c

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Gotta remember Ed lives in Iowa where -10 might be the HIGH temp for the day!!:lol: In those cases, there better be a way to plug that rig in.



TOXIC

 

[Larry Harp]

I've owned a couple of diesel cars and my son drives an old...very old (+350,000 miles) Mercedes 300 SD. The problem with diesel fuel gelling is not related to the type of injection system or the glow plugs or the block heater, although a block heater really helps on those super cold mornings. The gelling problem occurs way back in the fuel line when the paraffin in the diesel turns to a solid in the cold weather. The key to success with a diesel in the winter is to keep the proper fuel additive. Seafoam is okay, but I prefer some stuff, I can't remember the brand name, but it looks like strawberry soda pop and comes in little bottles that is just the right amount for a fill up. I would buy a six-pack of them and keep it in the trunk. My son gets some stuff a NAPA that works good too. Once the diesel fuel gels the only cure is a heated garage. I've heard of but never saw with my own eyes, untreated diesel gelling while the vechile is running down the road in extremely cold weather.



Harpo

 

[Edward Lea.]

Tox is right -10 is the high many days. Had to strip the oil out of the shotguns with alcohol several times because the oil would freeze and the firing pins' would not drop. Bad feeling when you pull the trigger and get nothing but silence.



So I was just wondering about the diesel and starting up on the new VW's or others. That MPG is impressive.

 

[Steve Rizza]

As long as the fuel is treated, or a winter blend, you won't have any problems. Remember, these aren't the same diesels of years ago.



We burn about 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel a day where I work, year round, in the coldest temps. I can never remember ever having a fuel related problem in any of the machines.





I thought about getting a Volkswagon diesel. But my wife likes her mini-vans too much.





Steve