Struggling with interstate mileage in 2000 Jeep Wrangler with oversized tires.

[bestclimb]

Originally Posted by brucepick

Do you have snow and ice, or other issues that might make a Jeep a good choice? I deal with snow regularly in New England - and I'd pick a fwd car with four snow tires over a fuel-sucking 4x4.

If you're dealing with mud or other hazards, do tell.

my wife does ok with a front wheel drive in AK. I do like having a 4x4 around for when I plan on going into the mountains, on the back roads, or don't want to shovel the drive. When the move to town is done we will both be sporting 1000 dollar FWD cars for most of our needs. We will also have a small 4x4 truck for dealing with other duties than commuting.

[Domman56]

Well try to keep it clean since your aerodynamics are HORRIBLE and just switch back to some stock tires if you have the cash to Unless you actually USE it for offroad. Also you've got the 4 Cylinder jeep try a few small performance things so it'll hum along more easily on the freeway .

[SentraSE-R]

I owned a 4X4 for 10 years in Alaska and Utah. My wife and I both preferred our RWD Datsun B210 for snow driving. We were never confident the 2-1/2 ton 4X4 could stop in time, even with its studded snow tires. The 1-1/2 ton lighter Datsun stopped a lot quicker with studded tires on all four corners, a simple matter of less mass, less inertia.

Our other snow car (for my 5 years living in Colorado) was a RWD Datsun pickup truck. There were times the truck's higher ground clearance made the difference between getting there, when other vehicles couldn't. But the B210 only got stuck twice, and the PL521 only got stuck once, in the snow. There's an old saying in snow country. Four wheel drive just helps you get stuck worse. Give me a heads-up driver in a 2WD over the average tyro in a 4X4 anytime.

[slurp812]

if my math is correct, that's about a %17 improvement. Not bad really. As other have said, areo, maybe smaller tires?

[ATaylorRacing]

So...where are you located in IN...I'm in Kokomo

[Abboq]

I'm in southwest Indiana, in rural Warrick County, maybe 15 miles from Evansville, and I grew up in Mount Vernon. I had a good college friend from UE who was from Kokomo.

[Abboq]

Originally Posted by brucepick

Do you have snow and ice, or other issues that might make a Jeep a good choice? I deal with snow regularly in New England - and I'd pick a fwd car with four snow tires over a fuel-sucking 4x4.

If you're dealing with mud or other hazards, do tell.

Well, I've given this a lot of thought the past couple of days, kind of dealing with a crisis of conscience. Right or wrong, the local culture here worships pickups, muddin', and racing. I live just a few miles from a county drag strip. Buying this Jeep was a little scary for me; it's the first vehicle I've ever owned that wasn't a pickup. It's also the first I've ever owned to break 20 mpg. I'm also restoring a '78 F-250. I chose to devote a significant portion of my income to vehicles and fuel, but it's my form of entertainment. I rarely eat at restaurants or go to movies. I also own a very small house and spend less on heat/electricity than most do on cable alone.

I know that some may never feel my vehicle choice is justified. They may be right. On the one hand, before I found this forum, I felt my choice was really an improvement, but now I realize that I could have gained a lot more efficiency.

I deal with light to moderate snow some winters. Dirt, gravel, and muddy driving most of the year (sometimes by choice, I'll admit). I also pull a small trailer frequently.

I was really looking forward to open-air driving all summer in this Jeep, which is honestly the biggest reason I bought it!

I'm doing some real soul-searching. I hate the process of buying vehicles. I got 200,000 miles out of my Dodge before I traded it in. There are a lot of viable high-mileage options that I didn't consider before I bought this Jeep. I'd at least like to try this Jeep for a year (I just registered it and paid the state sales taxes). But in the meantime, I'll research other efficient, robust options.

At the very least, I'm fighting to make the most of every drop of gasoline I burn. If I hadn't bought this Jeep, some other guy would have, and around here, the odds are pretty low that he would care about fuel economy.

I do genuinely appreciate ya'll's willingness to advise me, even if my vehicle choice isn't ideal!

[Domman56]

awell if you live somewhere like that and you're dedicated to your jeep it's a great choice especially over a pickup just follow the tips from guys oh here and you should see your mileage go up and up slowly but surely

Good luck

[Ratrod]

I would recommend light weight wheels and smaller tires. I have a 2002 with the 4.0 and in mixed driving I am at 15.6 mpg. I run 225/70/15 and I want to get lighter rims and switch to 215/75/15. I just switched to a double platinum plug and changed out the air filter. I had the oil changed and replaced with synthetic. I also feather the pedal and take my time. I want to get over 20 in mine.

[bestclimb]

Originally Posted by SentraSE-R

There's an old saying in snow country. Four wheel drive just helps you get stuck worse. Give me a heads-up driver in a 2WD over the average tyro in a 4X4 anytime.

A heads up driver in anything will beat a tyro in anything. It all comes down to not out driving the capabilities of your rig regardless of the conditions. Or as was better stated "a mans got to understand his limitations".