I love my 2000 F-150 reg cab short bed 4x4, with the 5.4, but recently I saw a slightly lifted 2003 f250 cc psd, and was trully impressed with the looks, the stance, the power. you guys with the psd, what mods do you have iam looking at finding a slightly used 250 with the psd, also truly what kind of mileage do you guys with your psd's get? i dont tow much but enought to opt for the diesel over the gas engines they offer. I just want to get better mileage than the 8-12 mpg ive read about the V-10. also i hunt alot and offroad handling and capabilities are important. please advise.
1. Mileage
2. Mods
3. Overall opinion on gas v. diesel
4. Offroading
5. Noise??

 

2000 7.3 cc auto

1.15-16 mpg winter, 17-18 mpg summer, 65mph on the pavement, 50mph on the gravel, 80mph on the freeway.

2. 70hp chip, severe duty intake, boost tube, pre-pump & intank, harpoon.

3. I own the diesel, so I might be biased.

4. capable but too heavy and long to be a good off roader.

5. what did you say??

 

2000 F-350 XLT PSD 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed Dually

1. I get 14-14.5 mainly because of my right foot, and because of the dually gearing
2. SuperChips Tuner is all, unless you want to count the SilverStars
3. This is my first diesel and I LOVE it. I can see pluses for either, but if I were to argue, I would argue for the oil-burner.
4. Not much of an off-roader any more. I can see where a smaller, lighter truck would be better for hard-core off-road action, but the bigger truck is a better tow vehicle, which means more to me these days.
5. I absolutely LOVE the diesel sound and smell! I'm one of those guys who rolls the window down just to hear/smell them!!!!

 

I'll chip in for the gas guys. . .

2002 F-250 SuperCab V-10 4x4 4.30LS

1. 10 to 12 mpg overall mixed driving (city, freeway, off-road)

2. No 'go-fast' parts, just little upgrades.

3. I rarely tow anything, the V-10 has plenty of power for my needs, and I'd get another in a heartbeat, but if I was going to be dragging something behind me day after day all over the place, I'd pony up for the diesel for sure. I'm starting to get the 'itch' for the new V-10! *makes Homer Simpson gargling noises*

4. A bit heavy, but pretty dang good! It won't flex like a TJ, but it'll get you to most places just fine. Watch out on tight trails!

5. What noise? That distinct V-10 growl?

 

1. Highway - just a shade under 18 mpg, City - depends on right foot, I wear a 13 1/2 so it's heavy.

2. Mods - See sig

3. Overall opinion - This is my first diesel to own, not new to diesel's since my family is a PSD convention just waiting to happen. I love it. We are all addicted.

4. Offroading - Does a great job on trails, got a few tame pics in gallery, haven't had it in really deep mud, but I know it'll sink like a rock, and I haven't had the desire to clean red clay from the underbody.

5. Noise - Diesel sound is a nice background noise to add to music, you should try it sometime.

 

Thanks guys, went shopping today where i live in northern california, found 02 250 sd, 7.3psd. extra cab. 4x4,black, autoimatic just under 30k miles. only $19,950 seems really cheap. its an xlt. and in mint condition. i was kinda looking for a manual, ive heard auto/deisel wasnt the best power option, but she ran like a dream. gonna go back tomorrow and talk trade in.
(when did ford switch to the 6.0??) and is there much of a difference with auto/manual- performance or mileage.

 

Ford went to the 6.0 in late 03. Haven't heard or read of much of a difference in mileage of perfomrance via what kind of tranny you have. Personal preference really.

I have an 05 cc short bed Lariatt 6.0/torqueshift auto and love it. My first PSD.

Quite frankly I have been amazed at the performance of this truck. Especially since I just added my first mod: Diablo programmer. The truck just hauls *** and I'm getting 15-16mpg with only 5000 miles of break in time. For a beast like these trucks - I find this amazing. And I know fast vehicles as I have a highly modded (500hp) Nissan 300TTZ.

I'm in No. Ca. also! Near Placerville.

Good luck on your purchase.

 

I have had 3 Superduties. One V8, one V10 (99), and my 2003 7.3. The two gas trucks were SC 4X4, and the diesel is a CC 4X4. The V10 was a 5 speed with 4.30's, the V8 was an automatic with 3.73's, and the diesel is an auto with 3.73's. The V8 and V10 got nearly identical mileage except on long interstate trips. The V8 got about 2mpg better. Everyday driving was the same. The 5.4 struggled on the interstate with power on hills. The V10 hit them and flattened them. The diesel, well this is a different animal. I only have a SCMT on the perf tow setting and a drop in K&N. The power is awesome and the mileage on winter fuel is 13-15. That is warming it up and running 75-80 on the interstate. Same driving condition with the gas motors this time of year was 10-12 mpg. Usually 11's. I miss some of the qualities of a gas engine until I fire up the smoker and hit the interstate. All trucks had 305.70's. The diesel and V10 weren't really phased. The V8 lost power on the interstate (not enough gear). The auto with the diesel allows no loss of boost when accelerating. But, the manual tranny has less problems according to the internet boards.

 

03 SC SB V10 auto 3.73LS: 16-17mpg empty highway, 10-12mpg empty town (there have been several other folks with similar trucks and similar mileage). Mileage decreases greatly as weight is added to the right pedal, but smileage increases greatly. My uncle has an 04 CC SB 6.0 auto 3.73LS (I think), he and I compare mileage, power, etc. regularly... He records 17.5-18mpg empty highway, 14-16mpg empty town.
The only time the gap between our mpg's increases is towing campers on flat ground. He has a 30' 5er (9100lbs), I have a 24' bumper (7000lbs), through the mountains he gets 9.5-11mpg, I get 7.5-9 mpg. On flat ground, he gets 14-15mpg, I get 10.5-12mpg. There is about 2000 lbs difference in camper weights, but both have significant wind drag. Both trucks are bone stock. The reason he purchased a diesel was not for performance, but for longevity, he tows and drives alot more miles than me every year (me-7000/yr, him 25000-30000/yr).
These numbers have really suprised me, as I figured his mileage would blow mine away. Both rigs seem to have plenty of power, you can accelerate to scary speeds with both trucks. I do like how his 5 speed auto performs vs. my 4 speed. I also wonder if the mpg difference is due to the engine or the tranny?
In summary, both trucks will tow/haul very well within legal limits, they both aren't exactly slow, and neither one is going to win any mpg awards. It is a personal decision, but also don't believe any unrealistic claims of power and/or mpg.