which vans get best mpg

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ontheroadagain

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Hi<br />I am looking for a van with 20+ mpg. Is there any such van out there?<br />&nbsp;thanks<br />rick
 
Minivans get that, not much else. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/frown.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">
 
Sprinters (Some are Mercedes, some Dodge, some International) with the diesel engine get up to 25mpg but they are quite expensive, even used with higher mileage.
 
The thing to remember with MPG is that's the best cast scenario rating.&nbsp; So like, with the windows closed, the fan turned off, the CD player, etc all the electronics turned off.&nbsp; Going on flat ground at a slow speed, breaking infrequently, etc etc etc, and with the vehicle in factory condition and with no racks etc adding drag to the vehicle.&nbsp; <br /><br />A conscious driver can get better mileage from a van than a teenager showing off can get from a sub compact.&nbsp; <br /><br />http://articles.submityourarticle.com/milking-the-mileage-175722<br /><br />The best way to increase mileage is to park it and use your bicycle when possible.
 
People who claim 20 MPG in full size gasoline powered vans are smoking crack, and failed math, with a few exceptions for late model lightly loaded vans driven slowly<br /><br />Never believe high MPG claims, from the EPA, or otherwise.&nbsp;<br /><br />My best was 22 mpg, for a 200 mile stretch through Arizona, with a 40 mph tailwind.<br /><br />My average highway is just over 16. &nbsp;Best 18, worst 12.<br /><br />Around town, way too many hills, traffic lights, narcissistic dimwits on cell phones and other variables, but lately, 8.<br /><br /><br />It takes ~1 engine HP to produce 25 amps via the alternator. <br />&nbsp;My blower motor on high draws ~17 amps on high.<br /><br />My stereo, about 7amps at max volume with a lot of bass.<br /><br />Headlamps ~14amps, high beams ~18amps.<br /><br />Electrical loads do effect MPG, but slightly.<br /><br />Spinning the A/C compressor via a fan belt does rob HP and MPG&nbsp;
 
FWIW....I get between 16 and as high as 24 mpg in my 2wd astrovan depending on a raft of things. Not the least of which is whether I buy real gasoline or 10% ethanol.....which may be anywhere from 5% to who knows how much depending on evap, length of time in a tank, water content, etc., mostly more rather than less methinks. This is totally dependent on availability. We happen to have a station in my town who tries to carry real gas only...even that is dependent on his supplier.<br /><br />If you think all gas pumps are equal, you are dead wrong....some get passed up for over a year by the BOW&amp;M, maybe more. I buy gas at the cheapest station in Socorro, NM on my way back from Albuquerque but one look at their beat-the-crap-out-of pumps and I always wonder how true they are....and how much I am really getting.<br /><br />Wind, tire pressure, road surface, drafting behind trucks, as 2013YofV said&nbsp; already...so many variables including how much slip in an older auto transmission, how you drive.....endless variables....<br /><br />I think my Astro does a good job of giving me close to 20 mpg average and I drive it a lot...back and forth to the PNW, Mexico, etc. I do not know how a AWD astro would do though. <br /><br />I have a friend Jon, who has gone with me to the RTR, who drives a 1996 Dodge conversion van and he claims 20 on the highway. He has a button on the dash he can push at highway speeds that gives him an overdrive of sorts. He claims it is a two speed rear axle but I believe it is a transmission OD...neither of us is going to climb under it and find out tho...when he is city driving he gets about 16 mpg. It is powered with an FI 318.<br /><br />Just me, but I rarely really believe anyone's MPG claims. I am a total cynic and rarely make my own claims. As a kid I was shown how to drive by an excellent driver and have driven professionally at times over the years. I know how to drive getting the best mileage and I keep my vehicles in good tune and am religious regarding PM....that said, I almost never get the MPG other people crow about with the exact same vehicle.....I don't think they are smoking crack necessarily or stupid but I think it is all too easy to round their numbers to their advantage and to inflate the claims, etc.<br /><br />I have a book written by a Canadian couple who drove their older Class C to Panama and back. On the trip, the man carried a measuring vessel to check fuel pump accuracy....the measures were not all equal to say the least, even in the states. Once across the US/MX border it really got bad....as much as 6% in their favor....your call on what to believe....<br /><br />As you know..YMMV<br />Bri
 
in my limited(only owned&nbsp;7 cars/trucks) experience EPA ratings are low, from 10-30%. of course i rarely use the AC, don't&nbsp;go WOT to get to the next red light and i keep a lot of momentum,&nbsp;which also keeps driving more fun<br /><br />for the best fuel economy&nbsp;either a&nbsp;diesel or GDI with either a turbo or high compression... the latter may not come in vans yet...<br /><br />for highway MPG look at the gearing and drag coefficient<br /><br /><br />to&nbsp;add&nbsp;to what Bri&nbsp;said... even the angle of the ground&nbsp;by&nbsp;the pump will effect the numbers... a lot of people will not take into account speedo error.<br /><br />my tiny van isn't on the road yet but i know the same motor in a 2wd truck with a 5spd will get 28-30 highway and 19mpg with an almost 1000lb load on the interstate going WOT over mountain passes... the van is a brick, has a slushbox&nbsp;and weighs 800lb more unloaded i'm expecting the EPA claimed 20mpg hwy to be a fun challenge when loaded, yes i've found the best thing to do is treat it like a game
 
edmunds.com list minivan mileage. I'd imagine the toyota, honda, kia, nissan all get the stated mileage range.
 
We drive an 01 Olds silhouette minivan and it gets 23 or more depending on driving style. the pontiac and chevy vans with 3.4 engine I guess do the same. Darrell<img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" class="bbc_img" /> We have put 10K on it since buying last july
 
I just did a 263.8 mile trip with my GMC Safari with the 4.3 L CPI engine. I had two passengers. One weighs around 200 lbs, while the other looks to be around 250 lbs, plus myself at another 230 lbs. Got back and filled it up again to the filler neck. It took 13.162 gallons. <br />Lets see, 263.8 divided by 13.162 equals 20.04 mpg. <img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" class="bbc_img" /> Average speed was 75 mph.<br />And no, I don't smoke crack. <img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/tongue.gif" class="bbc_img" /> <br />-Bruce
 
@tank: I have a 1999 Ford E-350 extended diesel van.&nbsp; I get 17-20MPG.<br />It's the 7.3L Ford engine (Turbo Diesel).<br /><br />I don't usually go over 60MPH.&nbsp; This is how I measure:<br /><br />I push the odometer button after I fill up the tank, so at zero I start with a full tank.<br /><br />When I fill up, the pump tells me I put in X gallons of gas, and my odometer tells me I went X miles, divide that out, and I get MPG.<br /><br />My worst tank was 13MPG.&nbsp; My best tank was 20MPG.<br /><br />The Ford people say I should get 17MPG on the highway.&nbsp; I would say I definitely meet or exceed that claim.<br /><br />I don't keep track of my actual average, and recently (the last few tanks) I stopped even doing the math.&nbsp; I'm guessing without the solar panel on my roof rack and without the roof rack, someone said I could probably get closer to 20MPG reliably. But if anything I'll add MORE solar panels, not less, so I'll never be able to tell you <img src="/images/boards/smilies/tongue.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br /><br />At some point I'd like to be around Bio-diesel regularly enough to compare bio with regular diesel, but I haven't been able to so far.&nbsp; People seem to think I'll get slightly less MPG with Bio.<br /><br />I love Ferdy (my van) he is a very nice home for me.<br /><br />With Love,<br />Tara
 
I don't know anything about any of that.<br /><br />One of the guys in my life told me that Diesel engines are more consistent given their fuel, but that their fuel range is much better.&nbsp; Apparently there are guys running old used oil in diesel engines.&nbsp; I mean, instead of Diesel gas, they put in used oil from an oil change.&nbsp; CRAZY.&nbsp; You can also run Vegetable Oil straight from Costco if you want apparently, but you have to worry about the oil clogging up and getting to thick, so you want a little heater to keep it warm enough that you don't have that worry (hence the conversion kits to change to running SVO (Straight Vegetable Oil)).<br /><br />I want to do the math someday and see if it makes sense to convert to SVO versus Diesel or Biodiesel, but I haven't managed to find a costco or something in my path where I could price out bulk Veggie Oil.<br /><br />Anyways, apparently diesel engines are pretty forgiving with whatever you manage to shove in the gas tank <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br id="tinymce" class="mceContentBody " /><br />With Love,<br />Tara
 
I drove a 95 E350 Ford Diesel Turbo7.3 a total of 240,000 miles. I got about 18.5 mpg on the highway at 70 mph ++. A few times I got as high as 20 mpg. I should have sold it at 200,000 miles. Several expensive repairs after that.<br /><br />Good luck!<br /><br /><br />
 
I think to regularly run veggie oil you have to make some modifications to your engine, like hoses, filter, heaters and stuff, or you will have problems.
 
Interesting question with a variety of answers ...<br /><br />As you know, there are many aspects to consider when thinking gas milage.<br /><br />Many times we tend to think that the smalles engine with the smalles frame weight will be the hands down winner. Although this may be true in some cases, one must always consider some other factors involved such as:<br /><br />How much total weight are you intending to move around on a regular basis. Believe it or not, a large engine working easily will give you much better results than a small engine pushed to it's limits.<br /><br />What kind of traveling are you indending to do. Even a small engine doing lots of stop and go moving of a large load over works it very quickly as compared to a larger engine.<br /><br />What kind of a driver are you? Not as in good or bad, but as in do you like to do jack rabbit starts and quick stops or are you a slow and easy driver. If you are empty, and enjoy jack rabbit starts, by all means, the smaller engines and frames are the way to go.<br /><br />And, last but certainly not least, how long do you plan on keeping the vehicle? There was a time when I was growing up that the goal for a car or light truck was 100 thousand miles. So those wishing to keep their vehicles longer than that needed to seriously consider something other than a gasoline engine. However, now-a-days, most if not all vehicles can expect to go at least double that distance. So one must seriously consider the cost of a diesel motor against that of a gasoline. Plus, any more, the gasoline&nbsp;engine seem to be just as strong as a diesel.<br /><br />Lots to consider ...<br /><br />Respectfully,<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
 
lets consider the math at 12,000 miles per year.<br /><br />10MPG at $4 a gallon is $4800<br />20MPG at $4 a gallon is $2400<br />30MPG at $4 a gallon is $1600<br /><br />across country at 3000 miles at 10MPG and $4 gas is $1200<br /><br />what this says to me is that if you are driving at 12,000 a year you had best get a commuter vehicle and save that money.&nbsp; If you are driving across the country maybe you can get a cheaper roundtrip airline ticket, and rent a car for a week.&nbsp;all depends on your goals.<br /><br />have not investigated limited stop cross country bus tickets.&nbsp; lots of time doing that bus trip, but most likely the least expensive way to get point A to B.<br />&nbsp;<br /><br />comparing the numbers more you get a difference of $2200 a year.&nbsp; Is that a big expense for some?&nbsp; Yes likely is.&nbsp;
 
In regards to your math Offroad, I have finally decided to fly to the PNW and rent a car for a week when I next go and see the kids and grandkids. <br /><br />What may change that is a 40 mpg Ford Escort or something if I have one before then....the 20 mpg Chinookie just does not make sense unless it will be a full couple of months or so and I do some other stuff... <br /><br />bri
 
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