I am looking for a little advise as I have heard conflicting testimony.
I will soon be purchasing an F250 Super Duty Crew Cab 4x4 (3.73 gears)(Upgrading from an 88 Chevy 3500). I will not be pulling anything other than my relatively light boat with it most of the time. I'm going to be logging quite a few interstate miles in the next couple of years between Iowa and Texas. Although I am not overly concerned with fuel mileage, I would like to get the engine that gets the best fuel mileage. I have heard some people say that the V10 gets better mileage than the standard V8? Is there any truth to that? What kind of mileage (highway) could I expect with each? Does the standard V8 have plenty of power or would that make the truck seem underpowered? The dealers in Iowa seem to only order V10's and Diesel's and don't offer any factual info on the two engines (standard V8 and V10).
Your comments will help me choose the right engine and would be very much appreciated.

 

Take a look at the V-10 forum, there are lots of discussions regarding this topic. IMO (and after reading this web site for several months) you will be better off with the V-10. The adder for the V-10 is about $600 and upon resale you will get that back as opposed to having a hard time selling the truck with a 5.8L. My buddies 2001 SC 4x4 auto 5.8L gets about 15.5 when we take road trips through Co and Wyo. From what I have read, with 3.73 gears and the V-10 you will get somewhere between 12.5 and 15 mpg tops on the hiway. Assuming 15k miles a year, the difference between 13mpg V-10 and 15.5mpg V-8 is 186 gallons a year or 15.5 gallons a month. Rough numbers, $20 bucks a month for having the power when you need it makes the choice obvious for me. Stay with the 3.73 gears (if your not towing as you said) or else you will lose about 1-2 mpg accoriding to my summary of info posted by others on the V-10 forum. The 5.8L will do the job but it would not be my choice.

 

It's a 5.4L.

 

I just picked up my V10 two weeks ago today. After two tanks of gas, I'm getting 12.5 MPG. Only 1 MPG less than my 97 F150 4.6L. IMO the added bonus found when you push the go pedal is well worth any mileage concerns. Whatever you do, good luck.

 

V10gunner's top five reasons for choosing a V10 over a V8:

Drum roll....

5. The empty mpg is not that much worse than the 5.4L V8.
4. The towing mpg will be about the same as a 5.4L V8.
3. It's only a $600.00 option.
2. You can never have too much power.

And the number one reason for choosing a V10 over a V8:

1. The Triton V10 badge looks cool

-V10gunner

'00 SD F250 Super Cab XLT, 4X2, 142"WB, 6.8L V10, 4R100, 4.30LS, Camper Package, Dark Toreador Red over Silver, Line-X, Husky mud flaps, Snugtop Xtra Vision Cab-high shell, AutoMeter Tranny Temp Gauge, Banks Stinger and TransCommand

 

Thanks for the good input so far... I have been leaning towards the V10 and this may give me the final nudge! Does anyone have the Standard 5.4L V8 and if so what is your input?

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 09-Apr-02 AT 08:26 PM (EST)]I have a 2001 F250 Auto 4x4 SuperCab Short Bed 5.4L, 3.73's. I use it as my daily driver and towing my car to the track. The truck was on the lot and I liked it with a good deal.

I don't know where everbody else is getting these mileage numbers. I got a high of 14 mpg on a easy highway trip once, everyday city driving is 10-11. Highway towing of 4000lbs is usualy around 8 mpg. I talked to one guy with the V10 (don't see too many around) and unloaded he was getting 8.9 mpg empty (by his Lariat readout).

Ok having said that, if I had it to do again, I would go V10. Highway throttle reponse and pulling power could only be better. The 5.4 has good power (and some problems). It pulls my light load fine. Its plenty but, once I got used to the size and the power of the truck, well......have you ever heard anyone being sorry with the V10. Best advice; got out and test drive a 5.4 truck like the one you want. Be sure to go out on the highway. Then try to find a V10 to test drive.

So, ya I am happy with my truck. Its great aroud town. But when I pulled out onto the highway and floor-ed it with the car in tow......when its a couple of hours on the road..... I was left wondering what it would be like with the V10

 

I think you will see the mileage figures reverse when both trucks are under heavy loads. Bigger motors get better mileage than smaller, overworked motors. Case in point: When I have my camper loaded, my mileage only drops to 10.5 mpg from 11.5 in town driving. Once, I got 12.5 with the camper on during a long lonely stretch of Nevada desert.
I would think the overworked "8" would do no better, and probably less with these conditions.
On the other hand, the 5.4 will serve you just fine for extended highway miles while empty.

You should really drive them both. Gunner is right. When's the last time you wished for LESS power

 

i have the 5.4 with the 6 speed and 4.10 gears and i think it has plenty of power. but with that said i have never had an engine with more power then the 5.4. the best mileage i have seen is 12.5 mpg with my truck. now i dont think the v10 drivers are liars or anything but, i just dont see how they get better mileage!? if i would have known that they would have got better mileage i would have got the v10! i do know that our 2000 v10 only gets round 11 mpg so that was what i based my decision on, and the fact that i couldnt find a stick v10. anyhow, it sounds to me like the v10 with 3.73 gears is the way to go. good luck and let us know what ya decide.


-nathan

 

I CANNOT BELIEVE (!) not one person has said, "Buy the Powerstroke!!" on this one yet!!! WOW!!! lol..

Get the V-10! No doubt!!!! Mileage difference is not even statistically relevant, and if you ever DO decide to pull something heavy, you'll sure be glad!

rotorhead!

 

This is the only part of my purchase that I'm still second guessing myself on, the rest I wouldn't change. I originally wanted a truck with the V8, but after researching this board and other info, I went with the V10. So, here are my observations.

1- I have NEVER seen a true 11mpg in over 2500 miles of driving that included some long highway stretches unloaded at ~65mph. I was REALLY hoping this truck would get about 15mpg in this situation once it was broken in. I can't see it happening at this point.

2- The V10 has some serious jam. I could pull out and pass people at 75-80 mph while towing a car on a trailer. I averaged about 10.5mpg over a 500 mile trip, no different than unloaded, go figure?

3- My brother gets about 15-16mpg with his F250 supercab V8 4X4.

4- I have to do it, forgive me. Two guys a I work with have the PSD, both get 20-22mpg on the highway unloaded and pay less for fuel. (Diesel is actually cheaper than unleaded here in Canada)

The results:

I don't regret going for the V10, like others have said you can never have too much power, and after my gutless 351, I'm really enjoying it. However, that said, with the recent hike in gas prices constantly filling the beast up is starting to hurt. If you do mostly empty miles or highway miles, and gas mileage is a concern, I don't think you'd be disappointed in the V8.

Bottom line - I think my next truck will have the PSD, tonnes of power, better mileage, cheaper fuel. I know the argument goes round and round about the initial investment vs. savings, resale, etc..., that's just my thoughts at the moment. If my V10 started to get up around the 15mpg mark my tune would change in a hurry.

Waxy

 

Just my 2 cents ....

I just got my V8 this past Christmas. I haven't figured the mileage, yet. Maybe i don't want to know.

As far as the power, i don't understand the "gutless" and other comments. All i haul/tow is dirt bikes and atv's, i guess close to your little light boat. i go from NW New Jersey to NE Pennsylvania. Not the Rocky Mountains, but pretty hilly. I have all the power I need.

If i were going to do some big towing in hills, I would get a bigger engine and think about gearing. As far as power around town, with that rear axle so far back with no weight over it, I make the axle jump now when I punch it. I think the V8 is peppy.

So on long trips from Texas to Iowa (all flat, right?) with a duck hunting boat, I'd have no problem with the V8.

I DO have a big problem with the auto transmission. It shifts sharply, but at the wrong times in my opinion. People here have talked about the aftermarket shift kits to change/sharpen the patterns, but I strongly feel that if you're going to see many hills, i'd get a stick. Also, I'm eating up my brakes in my hilly area with my auto. How much does this truck weigh? 6600 lbs? I don't know, maybe I'm just a control freak.

the V10 emblem is cool, though.

Just the ramblings of a old geezer who's had many P/U's.
Jim

 

btw .... 2002 f-250 4X4 SD CC LB V8 3.73

 

>i have the 5.4 with the 6 speed ...

RedRanger1:

What is the shift pattern on the 6 speed? I am curious because a 6 speed in a SuperDuty is my dream truck and as long as I am dreaming I might as well be shifting it right.

Thanks, Paul

"Drive a stick young man! There'll be plenty of time for automatics when you're old and unable."

 

2500 miles is a long way from broken in. Of course, gas mileage depends on a lot of things, including the driver. My 350 SD started getting improved mileage (by about 2 mpg) after it passed about 5000 miles. V10, 373LS, SRW, automatic, original Firestone Steeltex AT tires, 27,000 miles, don't baby it, don't get real rough with in in normal driving, pull 6000 to 8000 # loads ocassionally, do some heavy off road ocassionally (dragging logs out of the woods, etc.) I normally get about 11.5 mpg around town (empty), 13.8 to 14 mpg on freeway, empty, 70 mph, straight level road. Combined driving, I am getting about 12.5 mpg consistantly. SRW helps a lot. DRW hurts a lot on gas mileage, but helps with the really big loads. My toughest decision was SRW vs DRW. V10 was a no brainer, just wish it had more cubes.