I have heard this about the AWD killing the MPGs too besides the HO

 

My HO is 13-15. And that is with quite a bit of highway use. But I do have a lead foot. 65 mph highway it gets 20mpg. 75 mph highway it gets 18 mpg. You might try a few tanks of 93 octane and some good fuel system cleaner. Also use some sensor safe intake cleaner....and clean the throttle body sensors.

I've seen some say that the higher octane fuel will reduce mileage. I do not believe that is the case. Of course, if you become addicted to the better performance you get from the 93 octane fuel, as I tend to do...well you know.

 

My HO, like I stated earlier, does respond really well to the higher octane, but performance wise. My mpg does drop slightly though everytime I use 91-up, I'm talking no more than 1mpg.

 

[QUOTE=Mickinator;1536904]I recently bought an '05 Dakota SLT Quad Cab with the V8.
After 6 or 7 tanks, I'm getting 13mpg for mileage.

Is your truck 4x4, ho or mag. and what gear ratio do you have. Mine is getting between 13 and 15 right now. It has been cold, snowy, and very windy. In the summer I get 15 city and at least 22mpg highway. I don't baby mine. I love the power and sound too much.

 

It's a 4x4 4.7 Magnum, V8. I'm not sure about the rest of the details. How can I find out? (I'm not a vehicle expert at all.)

Here's a chart of my mileage, taken from an app on my iPhone.
I think that the first two entries were probably mistakes, so they should be ignored, but the rest are accurate.
The good mileage that I just finished is from a long freeway trip at about 75mph, from home to a hotel, then back home again. The last two fillups were on that trip.

I'm happier with these numbers.

 

I'm regularly getting 17-18 mpg on my 18 mile commute, round trip. Most of that is in between 35 and 45 mph with few stops and very, very little traffic (lucky for me)

2wd 4.7L

 

Mines an HO 07 3.92 sure grip, quad cab, 265/70/16s, 545 rfe (all that was available for a trans) I run about 43 front and 35 or 36 COLD for tire pressures, not exceeding the tire manufacturers max pressure...I drive like 4 and a half miles at 45 to 50, one light, then 60 for nine miles or so and 65 to 68 for the other 8 to work and back, best I've seen is 17.8 per gallon, on 87. Thats in the spring/summer, just letting it idle enough to where the high idle goes down to about 700 rpm, like 20 or so seconds., then going. In the winter you will also run longer without getting into high gear, untill the engine reaches a certain temp. This is hilly country here. Oh yeah, are you running that up to 10% alcohol? Small differance there. I Imagine the 4.10s doesn't hurt Superdak at all, esp. around town.

 

2007 high output, 3.92 gearing, running 91 octane, and a covered bed with no other mods is gettin' about 13 city and 22 hwy (4WD is off for these numbers).

 

Yeah, I get around 13-15 mpg on a similar trip. Mine is an '05 4x4 ST 4.7L w/ 3.55 gears. One other thing to remember is that if you're not running the stock tire size, your mileage calculations might be off. I have 265/75-16's on mine, and the stock tire size was 245/70-16. I believe that the tires are about 11% larger than stock now, so that needs to be taken into account when figuring out mileage. I don't know what these other guys are doing right, but I've NEVER gotten in the 20's mpg on this truck. Dodge was WAY behind the times in 2005 when they were building vehicles and didn't waste any of their knowledge on making power AND efficiency!!

 

I wouldn't say behind the times, our numbers are on par for a V8 pickup, remember our trucks weigh almost as much as a full size Ram.