i like reading stories of newbies with Dakotas trying to get better gas mileage.... I have a 2008 4.7, magnaflow single in dual out. I have read that cold air intakes don't really make the difference for the amount of money ... just get the k&n filter ... well I have a GREEN filter on mine .... I am really waiting for someone to write about how they succeeded in getting better fuel economy out of a v8 Dakota.... I am now thinking about superchips....but like everything else .. it is someones opinion backed by advertisements ... maybe there is a combination of wheel and tire.... your driving style has a lot to do with everything... I thought that I bought a performance truck .. and I did ... and I am impressed all the time when I am cruising on a good take off or a top end run ... when I first got my truck .. I went through a lot of cheap tires ... when a quality set and a lighter foot is the answer to that one .. so is the same with the fuel I guess...clean the throttlebody, change the top bank of plugs and keep up with changing oil every 5000klm...I know it sounds so nice on the take off... but ease up a little .. I guess .. this is what my girl keeps telling me ..

 

quaker state 5w30 high mileage synthetic oil!
worked for me was getting 11.2 mpg for a year then switched and getting 15mpg truth to god.
aside from that -
cruise control - avoid stop and go! full tanks of gas!
I will try that K&n filter aswell

 

Wow, resurrecting a two year old thread about gas mileage. Nice job guys.

 

It's a rite of passage for new members. Guess it's better than starting a new thread. How bout a total cost of ownership thread? Cause I've got an economy car, but that damn thing is always nickel and diming me on repairs, whereas the Dakota just hits me at the pump.

 

Best and cheapest mpg improvement is a light foot. Drive like grandma. All the mods you can do that claim mileage improvements don't because it makes your foot heavier cause the truck will run like a scalded dog.

 

You didn't know my Grandma, obviously!

Load the car with her AVON kit and get out of the way!

 

That's definitely the cheapest. But if you're going for fun and awesome like me, you can have some good results with certain (expensive) mods. After my headers, dual exhaust, and Superchips high octane performance tune, I'm getting 16mpg+ combined (before ~12mpg) on my '07 QC Flex Fuel V8. I had a heavy foot before and a heavier foot now. I also have a CAI but that alone didn't affect the MPG.