Best 12 passenger van for fuel economy?
 

Our family has outgrown our minivan and we're going to purchase a 12 passenger van. I know that all vans of this size are horrendous gas guzzlers, but is there any one particular model that is a little better than the rest?

Outgrown as in too many bodies, not enough seatbelts, or enough seatbelts and not enough room for cargo? A trailer, rear cargo box, or car-top carrier could probably resolve the problem if its cargo related with less impact on fuel economy.

I would bet a 6.6L Duramax would get the best average MPG but if you are one of the places where diesel is $3.50/gal while unleaded is $2.65 The regular 5.3 Chevy would cost less per mile. The Sprinter diesels supposedly get almost 20 mpg but will cost a fortune upfront. Ford now has a European style diesel van as well, again it would buy a lifetime supply of gas for a late 90's Dodge 12 passenger.

Whats the budget? What year vehicle are you looking for?

The newly updated Ford Transit Wagon with the V6 ecoboost is rated 14 city/19 hwy/16 combined... not too shabby compared with the outgoing Econoline E150 which got 13 city/16 hwy/14 combined.

The Chevy passenger vans get 13 city/17 hwy (combined unpublished, but I'm guessing it's probably 14-15 mpg.

Obviously with these low numbers, a little change goes a long way towards fuel savings.

If I were going vans right now, I would want a Transit Connect. The long-wheelbase version is rated 1mpg better than the previous MPG winner, the Honda Odyssey. Seats 7 though, so not for you.

If you really need 12 passengers for you family, your best bet for saving fuel in the future is maybe to stop having children :).

Sam

The issue is too many people. If it were a cargo constraint, I would definitely look for a trailer. We have a maximum of $20,000 USD to spend and would feel more comfortable staying closer to $17,000. Duramax Chevy Express would be awesome, but the Duramax is not available on the 12 passenger models as far as I know. Even if it was, it would probably command a steep price.

What about Sprinter vans? Does anyone have any experience with them? I know they have a good reputation (both the Dodge labeled ones and the Mercedes labeled ones). My only concern is that the name Mercedes screams $$$$$$$$$$$$$$. I'm afraid of repair costs if anything ever goes wrong. Can anyone address this concern that owns a Sprinter van, or has owned one in the past?

I just looked at prices for used Sprinters. Not going to happen. Looks like it's down to the Ford E series and the Chevy Express. Any owners or former owners of those vans on here that would care to comment on your ownership experiences and fuel mileage?

At work we have a 3 chevy work vans.

The 08 is a V6 @ 188K miles lifetime MPG 16*
the 12 is a V8 @ 125K miles lifetime MPG 13
the 14 is a V8 @ 23K miles lifetime MPG 15

change the oil and get ready for a transmission swap.

~40% towing miles with cheap 12' - 16' v nose trailers.

*you can tell what vehicle I drive.

We have a 12 passenger Express with a Duramax as a pool vehicle at work. So they did make them. But exceedingly rare and pricey I'm sure.

We had a 2001 Savana (st home) for four years. 5.0 V8. It would get mid-teens around town. We got as high as 20.0 on a 400+ mile trip, but drove 60 MPH. At 70 it got more like 17 or 18. Couldn't find another 12 passenger in the right price range to replace it. I think the seats changed in 2010 to having shoulder belts for the middle passengers in the back. If you plan on traveling with 12 people much, that may be a must have. (earlier ones only had lap belts in the middle positions.)

Like mentioned, do you have 10 kids? 8 kids, 2 pets and 2 adults?

Ive been looking at the prius v as a larger fuel efficient vehicle to seat several large adults. I saw a ford transit van the other day. It was rather small, compact and low to the ground. Id hope it got close to 30 mpg, other the mini van would be another look.

Put one of the breeding gender in the van and the other in the trailer. That way you won't be looking at used school busses a few years down the road. :rolleyes:

I was actually just looking at camper vans or conversion vans and really like the 1998 up Dodge full size with the 5.2 and 4 speed auto. You could go back as far as 1994 and get the same look and powertrain but they made the engine cover smaller and improved the dash in 1998. The Magnum 5.2 that came out in 1992 is a real reliable motor and the 4 speed is usually the overdrive version of the old torqueflight 727 one of the most reliable automatics of all time. I think the 5.3 or 6.0 Chevy has more power but doubt it gets better mileage and the van itself will cost twice as much as a 98-03 Dodge. They kept using the old 5.0 and 5.7 in the Chevy van long after the stopped putting it in pickups so you have to look newer to find a 5.3.

I have also seen a few good prices on used sprinters and the older ones actually get better mileage, but the vans were a mess and seem to be rust buckets. I don't know what you get for the Mercedes engineering in those things but apparently corrosion prevention isn't part of it. Maybe those van were just hauling fresh seafood or something LOL!

Just a thought, I've seen the fullsize van guys running overdrive/underdrive on their vans for mpg.

https://www.gearvendors.com/f2wd4s.html

Hmmmm... I guess it depends on what large means to you. I'm only 6'0" and I can't see out of a Prius V without lowering my head which would be quite a pain while driving any distance at all.

This is an old thread but my 2010 GMC Savana does get 17 and sometimes 18 on the highway...

Yep old thread, the new full size van MPG champ is a newer (2016 up?) GM with that optional baby Duramax diesel that also put in the smaller pickups. There is somebody here with one that gets almost 30 mpg on the highway.

Amazing!

Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter got mid to high 20”s in extended 12 passengerform

Cortttt found the thread, 2017 GM that ran over 33 mpg pure highway. Really good for that many passengers. Not that I would want to be one of 12 passengers in one but 12 passengers getting 33 mpg is the same as 2 passengers getting 198 mpg if you think about it.

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto...

sayounara

It's roughly impossible to find any US-spec 12-seater van that I could consider fuel-efficient at all. Not even those forward-control Toyota and Mitsubishi vans from the '80s, which have even more seats in other markets, had a 12-seater version there.

A stretch limo can be made out of about anything, right?

https://imgs.search.brave.com/FmUhI5...tMzAwLTEu/anBn

I have even seen one made out of a Chrysler PT Cruiser. BTW I guess a limo is the only way to legally have side-facing seats in a car in the USA and Canada nowadays...

The Chevy S10 ZR2 has a sideways jumpseat. It's so cramped back there than it's probably safe to be in a crash, as you're already completely crammed against the rear wall and the front passenger seat.

Only the stretch cab with the tiny second rear window.

Extended-cab trucks used to be a different matter. But anyway, look at newer ones if they're still available there (at least the Ranger has AFAIK the option for the US-spec model, even though the ones made in Argentina for export to my country no longer have it), and you'll see they switched to bench seats, mostly due to European and Australian crash standards requiring forward-facing seats.

Well there was this:

Attachment 34416


Starting to think that may have been photoshoped...

https://www.fuelly.com/car/chevrolet/express_3500/2019

Show these van only getting "Based on data from 14 vehicles, 627 fuel-ups and 206,629 miles of driving, the 2019 Chevrolet Express 3500 gets a combined Avg MPG of 13.87 with a 0.37 MPG margin of error."

Or if your in no hurry, I hope to get my custom full side '93 G20 Chevy van up and running this spring with custom low RPM lugging torque monster 383 with a hard as nails 4L80e and a US gear dual range over drive (Stronger that those wimpy Gear Venders) Which I believe will get close to 25/29MPG and can climb mountains with ease and can tow as well.

The main question is can you do engine work etc?? or have a very friendly low cost shop near by??

Rich

jared1970 -- Last Activity: 12-10-2014 11:55 AM

Heh, now that the bot post is removed, my "Domo arigato" comment makes no sense.

Another "tell" bots make is necro-posting.

A dual-range overdrive can do wonders with such setup.