30+ mpg from the 2011 f-250

[moonmonkey]

i applogise if you guys have already seen this but it is pretty awsome for people who need a truck to haul and pull (like me) it is for real the guy from cleanmpg was one of the test drivers.
The Ford Story: Journalists Squeeze 2011 Ford Super Duty® For Impressive Fuel Economy

[bgd73]

Hey this is awesome. I seem to be a hopeless wander around the car sites...dwelling on the past.

“I was in awe of what that vehicle was able to do,” said Plunkett, who has participated in fuel economy challenges before. “It’s a huge machine and to pull those figures is very impressive.”

I said the same thing in different words, way back when.

the bigger diesel can do 30s.
I mentioned it in a few posts here..and that was that lopsided overweighted six cyl. the v8 should not only reign as a champ never seen...but do even more work. This is not a surprise to me. glad to see it...now if the real boxer engine could stand up....

[DaGuru]

I'm glad to see the big auto makers are finally digging into what they can do if they try. The potential has always been there, but cheap fuel never incented the industry to strive for anything better.

If they're allowed to do it, I can hardly wait to see what's next. The future for Hybrids could really benefit from factory "tuned" diesel. I had a chance to chat with an R&D lead for one of the big 3 while on a flight to Hong Kong a couple years ago and they were playing with some really good ideas. The one that made the most sense to me was to retune the existing 8 cyl diesels to apply the principles used by diesel locomotives where the engine is simply used to generate power for the electric motors. If you extract the weight to fuel efficiency, he hypothesized solid 3 digit MPGs.

If it could go fast, quickly, and get great MPGs, I might even have to think of trading up.

[moonmonkey]

a ford "guy" i know says a small 4.5-ish turbo-deisel is on hold, but probably going to be offered for an upcoming f-150 , if it gets the go ahead it is supposed to get 30+ mpg and tow over 10K, at that point ill sell my 7.3 f250 and drop back to the f150, unless its all hype then i will park it next to orange4boy's unicorn.

[DaGuru]

I don't forsee an f-150 ever being able to safely tow 10K LBS. It simply doesn't weigh enough and doesn't have the driveline or suspension for it. However, I have heard a similar story from Ford - it was from one of their product managers at the car/truck show a couple years ago that was here in Houston when I was drueling over the Super Chief.

Ford F-250 Super Chief Tri-Flex Fuel Pickup Truck

The story I heard was the engine would be strong enough for the larger trucks.

I also liked this one: 2000 GMC Suburban with VW 1.9l DI diesel - TDIClub Forums A VW TDI engine powering four electric motors in a GM Suburban was the winner (if I recall correctly), looks like the original site is no longer around.

[aerohead]

Some science would be helpful.
Acceleration rates,residence times per velocity,number of accel/decell cycles,coasting?,turns,curves,velocities,wind,temp ,baro pressure,two-way ave.,fuel measurement technique.
There are so many variables mentioned it's impossible to gain anything of value from the report.
They'll love my 84-mpg CRX and 39-mpg T-100.

[flyer351]

I read that same article. It's definitely impressive to say the least. I've long wondered why the big 2 won't put a medium size diesel in 1/2 ton models. I wouldn't be surprised to see above 30 mpg if they did.

[slowmover]

There's been plenty of discussion on this mpg on diesel truck forums.

As aerohead noted, there isn't nearly enough info to draw conclusions, much less anything useful. Safe to say that the Phoenix "test" was carefully staged to show maximum advantage. The advantage of urea seems obvious.

Early reports from commercial fleets show decent mileage, but let's remember that this type of vehicle has little to do with ordinary Americans. A bit like Corvettes: cool, but . . . .

Ford 6.7L diesel (yeah, the new one) - Bob Is The Oil Guy

(Use link provided for drivers comments about his run to Chicago)

The complexity of this motor is daunting, not just it's price: two separate cooling systems, for starters. FORD "tried" to make it that the cab does NOT need to be removed for service (unlike the previous generation).

(Let video play at least one minute. This an "ordinary" repair on this engine).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWsGsunQwM8

Cost of purchase, depreciation, repair, maintenance make this a potentially $70,000 vehicle with an unknown lifespan.


But, as to a half-ton being "unable" to tow a 10,000-lb trailer, that's incorrect. Weight is only one consideration, and not the most important in that determination. Trailer frontal area followed by aerodynamic resistance are more important; and trailer suspension also plays a real role in towing dynamics.
.

[texanidiot25]

Ford trucks have been some of the most terrible things to work on since the mid-90s. If I recall right on my friend's 5.4, the spark plugs are under the fuel rail. As well as a bunch of other hassles for maintenance work. And off goes the cab for any big work. You'd think they'd just make their 3/4 or 1-tons as COE, and just tilt it up for work.

Say what you will about GM trucks, at least they're still fairly easy to work on, in comparison.

[moonmonkey]

i,ve had my 7.3 f250 for 6 years now, best mpg was about 19mpg its an auto and a 4x4. but i know lots of guys with these trucks 2x4 and none of them can top about 24-25 mpg (stock),,, i know there was not alot of data on the testing ,,, but the 30+ some of the guys were able to get is impressive,,, and i doubt possible with a stock 7.3 ,, cant wait for some real world reports from the new truck owners,, ill be watching the deisel forums for the data ,,and keeping the fingers crossed.