I have a 2006 F-350 SB SC 4x4, 5.4, 3.73's and auto. I get about 9-10 mpg's and maybe 11-12 on highway. What pisses me off is I had a 2001 Chevy 2500HD with the 8.1L and 4.10's and I got almost identical mileage. My engine is 50% smaller, much less power, and no significant increase in MPG's. Well I vented and feel a little better.

 

Heavier built truck. You are hauling around alot of weight for a small engine.
How many miles on it?

 

well maybe the 6.0 chev engine might have been the better compromise down from 8l to 5.4.

 

Sorry to hear about the mileage. At least it gives you an excuse to ride your Harley more often.

 

I have 06 250 SC LWB 4x4 and get the same mileage. Again like someone said it is a heavy truck. I had a 05 F-150 with the 5.4 that got 14-15 but the truck weighed a lot less. When I towed it would get maybe 11-12 (can't really remember). My 250 weighs a lot more then the F-150 so the engine is working like the F-150 did with a trailer. Plus I think the SD is less aerodynamic than the F-150 so more drag. My father has a Chevy 6.0L 2500HD SC SWB 4x2 and gets 14-15 highway. Less weight due to no 4x4 = better economy. My only gripe is I would have went with more power with the V-10 and got similar MPG's had I known the 5.4 would get nearly the same mpg. Oh well I'll make a better informed choice next time

 

No, the 6.8L V-10 would have been a better compromise

I think the 5.4L loses a lot in the SD due to the loose torque converter around town. We had a 2000 5.4L 2wd at my last job. Ran good, but it stalled a lot higher then my 01 5.4L in my F150 did. This slippage uses more fuel. As a note, my 01 F150 OFFROAD 4x4 with a 5.4L and 3.55 gears got 18mpg on the road 1 time. Usually less. I think it got around 12 or 13 in town.
The SD is a brick in the wind compared to the 97-03 F150 and has a heavier frame and suspension as well.

What gears are in the original truck in question?

 

I'd normally say if your taking it easy then the size/weight of the truck has more to do with mpg than the engine (thats why often the larger motors are actually same/better mpg). most what I seen the chevy will get a little better mpg and probably alot to do with weight I think. However my dads 2500HD with 6.0 gets as bad or worse mpg as my truck...
But still your milleage is pretty poor if your actually trying to take it easy. That might sound right if you drive it hard, but my V10 in my larger/heavier truck gets better mpg than you are getting. I dont have much city driving on it but combined driving the worse ever I have so far is one tank in the 12's.

 

i have a 02 short bed, crew cab 4x4 f-250 3:73 gears, just got back from a 250 mile trip and it got 17.8 MPG on the highway.

 

02 F250 supercab 3.73 gears.9 mpg average ,10 if I coast,8 towing a small trailer. 94 F250 5.8 4.10 gears 12.5-13.0 around town.

 

With the truck in my sig, I'm getting 13.5mpg city/hwy combined to/from work. With my 3770lb pop up behind me I'm getting 11.5mpg from VA to FLA and back.

Your numbers sound a bit low, I'd have expected similar or better unloaded than what I'm driving.

Enjoy,
RustyFuryIII

 

my truck weighs in at 7300 full of fluids...9600 with the plow and ballast in the back...thats a LOT of work for any v8. work= fuel! sell it and buy an s10.5

 

I figured out a couple of things on my mpg---non that will really help though.When I bought the 02 F250 in 06,I drove out to Colorado.Mostly between 70 and 90 mph.I had a consistant 14-14.5 mpg with 235/16 tires.I also think back in 06 there was not as much ethanol as there is now.So that would drop me to 13 or so with 10% ethanol in the gas.I jumped up to 285/16 tires now too.But my tach still reads 2000 rpm at 70 mph just like th 235/16 tires.But now I am getting only about 800-1000 miles to a quart of oil.I usually have to add about 2 qts between changes.I talked to I think it was FordDieselenthusiast.com out of Georgia and they said I shouls be getting 2000 miles per quart with 85k on my engine.They said something is wrong somewhere.
My biggest complaint is after 40 plus years of making the f series why would they drop engine displacement when they know these are work trucks.These trucks should be honed to perfection by now.And they should beable to get better mpg's after all these years.I am not looking for even 20mpg but I should beable to get 13 mpg back and forth to work and 16-17 empty on the highway.

 

" My biggest complaint is after 40 plus years of making the f series why would they drop engine displacement when they know these are work trucks.These trucks should be honed to perfection by now.And they should beable to get better mpg's after all these years.I am not looking for even 20mpg but I should beable to get 13 mpg back and forth to work and 16-17 empty on the highway."


I agree that these trucks should be getting better mileage however with the engine displacement, From what I remember a 96' 5.0 V8 only came from the factory with a a little over 200hp. Now they offer a 5.4 V8 that is currently 300+hp. So a alot more power for a little more size (if this is what you were talking about). The other factor I believe is that consumers like myself and everyone else want bigger, faster, more towing, more payload, stronger, etc... It's hard to make all those things happen with great economy. Ford Escorts do not tow 9000lb trailers for a reason. If I could do it again I would buy the V10. Yea the mileage on the 5.4 is bad in the SuperDuty but I bought it for work and not for saving money. My 05 F-150 with the 5.4 was around 14-15mpg. But now the SuperDuty weighs in at what, at least over 1000lbs more. So that accounts for driving the 150 around with the bed loaded all the time as it would get worse mileage. I guess it is hard to expect great mileage numbers out of a 3/4+ ton truck, except those late 90's diesels that were getting 20+mpg. Oh well just my thoughts.

 

5.4 mpg suck period. Its just something to get used to

 

I had a 1986 454 loaded Chevy dually crewcab for my motorcycle business in Miami Florida and I would run up to Daytona Beach at least once every two weeks to the auction and back.I usually travelled at about 85 mph drafting semis and got about 18 mpg with it for the trip. Around town it was about 12-13 mpg. I wish I still had it, but it rusted out everywhere, I could see the edge of the road through the pass side kick panel, but it sure had good ventilation.