I'm looking to trade in my '01 Chevy 1500 Z-71 for an '04 250 Screw and have found that i'll have to order to get the truck I want because it apparently does not exist. My sales guy says I'm looking at about 6 weeks to get the truck. I'm wondering now though, if I should trust that or maybe look into it a bit further? (I've read a little about 'allocation' problems)
I also have tried to find info on the mpg on the 5.4L--i'm hearing from guys at work that its only getting 9-10mpg. I've looked around here, read alot, but I see alot about torque and other things that don't make alot of sense to me. All I want to know is what I might expect from one with almost no towing, quite a bit of 4 wheel use (beach), and mostly city miles. I'm not opposed to going dsl, but the upfront cost plus maintenance over the life of the truck is making me wonder if its worth the $ for how I will be using it. (And i'm no mechanic, nor to I have any guys around willing to change the oil and stuff.)
My Chevy is getting 300 miles on a tank and its got a 5.3L Vortec. I know the 250 will be a heavier truck and that will cause some difference, but am I looking at a gas guzzler or what? This is what I'm looking at ordering if it makes any difference:
'04 F250 SD XLT Crew Cab 4X4 short box 5.4L V8, 3.73 Axle LSR, 4 speed Auto Transmission with the FX4 Off Road and XLT Sport Package -plus options that I don't think should matter.

Thanks in advance for the help!
By the way, anyone know how to find out what the upcoming incentives are if the dealership isn't going to say?

 

Lookin4a250,

Welcome to FTE

Your first question about truck specifics should be posted down in the 6.0PSD section of this board. Admin may come along and move you down. This section is for price, warranty, dealer questions etc.

Also you say in your first sentence you want a Screw (the Screw is an F150), but in your description at the bottem of the page you say Crew Cab F250. Which is it?

For your second question, upcoming incentives, the dealer doesn't know about incentives until they are released publicly by FMC.

 

I would contact:

Cochise Willis
Director of Fleet Sales
Lone Star Ford Houston Texas
281-931-3310

 

My 2004 F-250 4x4 SCrew Shortbed with a 5.4L and an automatic gets 13.2 mpg around town and 13.8 on the highway. It has a little less than 2000 miles on it now. I have not made any modifications to the engine or exhaust...yet. It also has an FX4 package, if that matters.

 

Blackhat,
I am looking at a Crew Cab not supercrew, sorry I called it wrong.
I asked about the incentives because I received a call from an internet sales person last night (from AutoNation) and was informed that I did not have to wait until March 1st (which is when the current offers expire) to find out what Ford will be offering next- that my salesperson should not only be able to tell me what the unadvertised incentives are, but that I can opt to take the new incentives right now BEFORE the old offers expire. So, I was just wondering if anyone else had encountered this before I go thinking the salesguy isn't telling me everything.

Also-sorry to ask questions in the wrong place, i'm trying to find my way around here...I didn't post to the 6.0PSD area because I wanted the info from people driving the 5.4L mainly. Guess I should have asked my questions in 2 places- here and the superduty area. Again, my bad.

And 4dsuprduty- thanks for the info. I can live with 13.2mpg just fine!

 

I've got a 04 F250SD, 5.4L, CC, 3.73, FX4, etc. Don't do any towing and run both city and highway and I'm at 11MPG at 6,000 miles. I run with 5-10 of the speed limit in the city, but on the highway run at about 75-80MPH.

I'd be happy for 13 MPG, but I'm not counting on that, but I knew what I was getting into before I bought it.

 

I am getting roughly 10 mpg around town and have got 14 mpg highway with my V10, CC, 4x4 SWB. 250. 3.73 and 325/85's.
That's with letting it warm up 10-15 minutes before leaving to and from work.
Concider getting the V10, not much mileage difference (if any judging from the previous posts) and boat loads of torque. Plus it gets a special look when you tell people that it's a V10.

 

I haven't driven much highway but in the city I have been getting around 11 mpg. I have the 2004 F-250 CC KR FX-4 V10.

 

Lookin4a250,

Actually i should have told you the SD forum instead of 6.0 my brain was stuck on diesels at the time.

As for incentives the internet sales person from Auto Nation is trying to blow sunshine up your shorts. The current incentives are good through March 31 and the dealers don't know in advance what the new incentives will be. Ford does have a program that few dealers know about that lets them lock in the current incentives at the time a vehicle is ordered. Sometimes there are regional incentives that are area code specific, but if you have the dealer run a vincent report on a Vin# it will show all applicable incentives for that vehicle.

Go do a search on the posts by 1956MarkII about buying a new vehicle. Lots of good info there.

Hope this helps

 

Ok, well i'm getting more confused/discouraged by the minute. I went over to ford.com and looked again and it says the current incentives expire march 1st. am i missing something? i'll admit i've never bought a brand spankin' new vehicle, so i'm kinda feelin' my way in the dark...sheesh!
The mpg is lookin' lower than i'd hoped for, as well. Someone throw me a bone and tell me there's a chip or something that i can do to get that number up a little. I have my heart set on this truck!
Thanks to all for your help- it's greatly appreciated. And Blackhat, i'm going to take your advice and go re-read 1956MarkII's posts- this 'dealer-should-know' / 'dealer-cant-know' thing is going to drive me nuts until i have a definite answer. I'd like to know why AutoNation would tell me that about their own salespeople.

 

If your gonna cry about MPG then get a ranger....It kinda comes with the territory 6500 lbs means lotsa gas unless you leave it parked! Either you want the truck or you don't...

Kinda tired listening to people who want a big truck but complain about the mileage....My issue sorry..

 

Talk to Cochise either by phone or email. The man is a straight shooter and knows his stuff.

If I were you, I'd look at a used vehicle. What you want is out there. Lots of guys buy and then sell a year later for whatever reason. Keep your ears and eyes open. The internet is a God-send here. Let your fingers do the walking. Any new-vehicle salesman worth his salt will tell you to buy new. Keep looking.

Don't look for great mileage from any fullsize pickup. Driving on the beach in 4wd and city driving will make it even worse. There is no magical chip/exhaust/filter/elixer/blah-blah-blah that will increase your mileage. At least not much. Get it and drive it. If you want to play........

FWIW, I get 11 city/14 highway in my X. I sometimes wish I could get three child seats in a VW Jetta TDI. 40+ mpg would really help the old gas bill. But in reality I am a "big vehicle" guy. I love the X and love driving it. I just try to ignore the gas gauge.

 

99f350sd,

That's pretty harsh man. Hate to have bothered you with my questions.

Yes, i'd like a big truck AND decent mpg. (I happen to be a single mom, and not a veteran 'big truck' owner- so I gotta ask the questions to find out if that 250 is the truck I need.) If you will notice, I was asking whether there were any performance chips, exhaust mods, etc. that would up the mpg. I have noticed a few posts referring to things of that sort.

Hey- I'm just trying to learn.

 

rstx-

Thanks for the input. I guess loving to drive the thing is what it all boils down to anyway. I'll call Cochise tomorrow and see what he's got to say. In the meantime- I'll keep bugging y'all with questions..mwahahahaaa!

Thanks again!

 

Good luck with the search. Have you totally ruled out the F150? They will by their very nature ride better and get better mileage, although not by much. Of course the SuperDuty/Excursions just look COOL!