'06 Jetta TDI to 2015 Alum F150.

[gregsfc]

Not really a success but more like not too unsuccessful. I've attempted discussions on the F150 sites and the Ford Ecoboost sites, but most of those guys/gals won't get in to mpg discussions too deeply.

This one has been tough for me. I have loved owning the little diesel car for ten years and lifetime 46 mpg average, with the original set of brake pads that has lots of space and actually, lots of lumber-carrying ability for a compact car. That car could carry several 10' 2X6s or 2X4s with the passenger seat folded forward and the trunk down. I'm sure the Golf/Rabbit would have been an even better utility vehicle than the sedan Jetta, but it was time for a change.

The wife and I were way over due for a truck; should have made a change a year ago as we've been borrowing and waiting to move things and paying for deliveries ever so often, and the VW is a straight shift that she doesn't like to drive, so it was the natural car to give up for a truck. We've been sacrificing and borrowing for too long. Problem is that I'm so dang picky and I won't own three vehicles. We're a one vehicle per person type family. I wanted a pickup truck with a small diesel engine that is fuel efficient and only a regular cab at a good price. Wife was good with that as well, so we waited as we knew they'd be coming. The only questions were: would they be affordable? and would they come in an acceptable configuration that we could live with that doesn't make it too big of a truck?

The Ram 1500 Ecodiesel came first, but the cheapest and smallest was a extra cab and $38K, respectively. A full size with an extra cab and a 6.5 foot bed is alot of truck; too much truck for us, and so was the price. If a buyer is in the market for a featured-up, multiple cab pickup, then the diesel is not as huge of a premium, but comparing the least expensive diesel to a little more than a Ram work truck regular cab is a huge difference, as a slighty-featured regular cab 2wd can be had for around $26K. But my pickyness wouldn't let me opt for the Ram Penstar V6 cause I just hate all the torque at high RPM.

And then an even better concept came to market in a mid-size pickup. A 2016 Chevy Colorado of GMC Canyon with a 4 cylinder Duramax diesel. This was going to be the one; if it came in affordable. The Colorado/Canyon debuted in 2015 and was available in an extra cab and a 6' bed. That was going to be close enough to the configuration that I wanted, but the Duramax version had to wait a year; Fall of 2015 as a 2016 model. And the announcement came. It was bad news... the Duramax could only be had in a crew cab. Not available in an extra cab. This makes it more expensive and shortens the bed space and a larger truck overall. The Colorado/Canyon crew cab can be had with a longer bed in a 6' variety, but then that's a very long truck; too much truck, and the price goes up even more. The price announcement, on the other hand, wasn't that bad for the Duramax. GM said $3850 more than the V6, but that turned out to be deceptive marketing. When I went in a built in online, the cheapest truck with a Duramax diesel added around $6K to the cheapest V6 crew cab, lifting the lowest price to $35K.

But by this time I'm really wanting a new truck with new technologies in a pretty basic form. I'm a fan of Ford trucks but have not been happy with the gas mileage and that's because I'm picky. The F150 was now aluminum. EPA states that the 2wd with the new 2.7 V6 Ecoboost will get 19 city and 26 hwy, but most real-world reviews state that drivers will see more like 17-19 and is way over exaggerated. I went to the website and saw lots of rebate incentives on the 2015s and wondered if a regular cab could be found somewhere close by and maybe; just maybe; a light foot like me could squeeze out more than 20 mpg in a full size truck for commuting and running around town and hauling and towing when I need to.

My local dealer finally found one in Florida. A regular cab with the 2.7 in a lightly-featured XL version and chrome trim and highest available rear axle gearing. I got it with the rebates and came out around $27K before taxes and all that stuff and before the trade.

I was hoping for at least 21 mpg for my use. First two tanks with a light foot, have come in at 23.5 and 21.4, the latter with alot of in-town driving. I guess I'm going to call this a success story. My last full-size got around 16 driving the same routes and driving style. The truck is a little taller than what we needed or wanted, but otherwise, it's very refined, very quiet, good ride and will easily work as the tool we need going forward. Of course it's no diesel, but it does have some low-end grunt, as this little twin-turbo achieves peak torque @ 3000 RPM.

[Daox]

Congrats on the new vehicle. If you've gotta go with a truck, it sounds like you made a good choice. Being picky isn't a bad thing unless you're totally OCD.

[gregsfc]

Thanks. Not totally OCD. Not completely OCD. Only partly OCD.

[darcane]

Looks nice.

Gonna start a fuel log? Any modifications planned?

[gregsfc]

Originally Posted by darcane

Looks nice.

Gonna start a fuel log? Any modifications planned?

Yeah started a fuel log. This vehicle, with this engine, is going to be very sensitive to all things that normally effect fuel economy: weather, terrain, routes chosen, traffic, length of trip, speed, and driving style are all going to matter a bunch it seems. It's been reported that these particular Ford EB engines will really suck gas when you call on the turbos to really work. I'm no engineer but I guess, maybe, because gas turbo engines must maintain a fuel air mix (not like a diesel that can keep taking more and more air) when the turbos start sucking in more air, they also suck in more gas. Very different than my outgoing diesel car that couldn't get under 40 unless I really tried.

Going about as easily as I can without doing some extreme driving, my first two tanks came in @ 23.5 and 21.4, respectively. No confidence in the accuracy so far as it's been three different pumps and possibly three click-off points, but I've got a pretty good indication and am fairly satisfied.

The EPA rating is 19/26. I don't think 26 can be done going 70+ mph, but I usually drive 65 on the interstates, so I think it might be possible on a long trip with me driving. The first tank was all me and included a short trip of 230 miles round trip. The second tank had a test drive by my son, one trip to town and back by my wife and had more in-town driving. I think probably it's going to fall somewhere in the middle of these two numbers on summer time average. I'm still on the third tank and actually drove around 45 miles with a 55-gallon drum tied in the bed with the tonneau folded to the front third, and the mpg seemed to hold up well, but that could have been because I drove off the Cumberland Plateau down to the Higland Rim with the drum tied in.

Vehicle's mpg calculator has so far been way off, and I won't be able to use it unless the error in gas consumed turns out to be consistent. In my first two fillups after the dealer fillup, which I watched the salesman fill to the click-off point, the gallons consumed shown by the computer has been far, far less than what the pump shows. The computer showed exactly 2 mpg difference when rounded to the tenth of an mpg. I've driven only one other vehicle with a built-in mpg calculator, so it may be normal for there to be a big error, but in my wife's Saturn, it's pretty consistently off by around 1/2 mpg. The odometer part seems as accurate as I've seen in any vehicle on a couple of GPS comparisons; seems I'm having more problems getting consistent GPS readings as my GPS seems to add a little mileage at the beginning of the reset, but after that, they stay in-line pretty much. The speedometers match exactly: GPS to vehicle speedometer.

Modifications: I was scared of adding any external accessories to a truck that had been designed in a wind tunnel for aerodynamics, but I polled some folks, and out of necessity with a reg cab pickup, I added a light-weight, fold-able tonneau. I also added seat covers, because the dealer couldn't find a truck with vinyl seats, and I work at a fish hatchery (you'd have to work there to understand); and I added a spray-in liner, so we can use the bed without having a nervous breakdown. I think that's all we'll need.

Should have asked you guys about the tonneau: whether it would help or hurt. F150 folks polled basically said no noticeable difference, which was my hope. It seems I got lucky and they were right; at least for this truck configuration. It seems like it's achieving about the same in the same driving scenarios. Wife wants running boards. Of course I'm fighting that. We drive a 2010 at work and it's not as tall as the 2015 up to the seats. Not sure why Ford raised the seated position from ground level; not sure if it's the seats or the total height but the truck sits up high. I parked next to a 2015 FX4 (off road version) and they looked the same height to me to the roof line.

[Frank Lee]

I saw a lady clumsily climbing up into a typical truck and laughed and told my friend, "If you need a ladder to get in your vehicle that's a sign it's too big."

[elhigh]

They say "designed in a wind tunnel" but they don't ever say "and we took every aerodynamic advantage we could." They left a lot on the table for you, I'm sure of it. There's a lot you can do that won't ever show, a lot that will pay off pretty quickly.

I understand about the wife wanting a running board. I'm not a big guy but I'm average, and some of those newer vehicles look like more of a climb than I want.

Granted, I drive a Civic most days, so my assessment may be skewed.

Another guy recently posted how he took his belly pan from the frame rail to the outer edge of the running board, it looks to me like it only shows if you're down on the ground, looking up. Maybe boards don't have to be a bad thing.

Subscribed. I want to see how well it does.

[user removed]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

I saw a lady clumsily climbing up into a typical truck and laughed and told my friend, "If you need a ladder to get in your vehicle that's a sign it's too big."

Or you KNOW they are a redneck, LOL.

regards
mech

[BabyDiesel]

The truck is a little taller than what we needed or wanted

Sounds like an investment in a lowering kit will satisfy both parties. Easier to get into for your wife, and better highway FE for you

Found some potential prospects - 2015 F150: Crown Suspension Lowering Kits Lift Kits Airride Leveling Kits

2" springs and 2" shackles for $200 + install would keep cost down and the factory rake the same for better aerodynamics.

[gregsfc]

Originally Posted by BabyDiesel

Sounds like an investment in a lowering kit will satisfy both parties. Easier to get into for your wife, and better highway FE for you

Found some potential prospects - 2015 F150: Crown Suspension Lowering Kits Lift Kits Airride Leveling Kits

2" springs and 2" shackles for $200 + install would keep cost down and the factory rake the same for better aerodynamics.

Thanks for the links. I've been thinking along those lines of lowering it. I've been feeling guilty being one of those guys that I've been fussing about for years as a compact-car driver; especially in parking lots where the biggest and tallest trucks will be parked by their owners right near the store fronts making it hard for regular drivers to even find their cars; not to mention back them out of the parking spots as those trucks and vans block the field of view. I've always felt like that larger vehicles should be parked farther away so that regular folks can park and unpark safely, so that's what I've been doing.

The top of the bed rails are a little high for practicality but still usable; the height up to the seats is the biggest challenge. Worried a little about how it would effect tire wear, suspension wear and all of that from the OEM setting, but I'm going to look further in to it.

My son's 2013 Ram was lowered about 2" before it bought it. The tires got ate up very quickly on the front. He was told that some front end components were not adjusted when it was lowered and that was the reason for the quick wear. He's had it corrected, but he's not driven it long enough to tell if he's going to start seeing normal wear. I personally don't know much about these things, but if everything can be just right; just like OEM settings, I'd be all for lowering it a couple of inches if it's not too expensive. It'd be just right.