What is a realistic fuel economy number for a gas 2500 extended cab short box 4wd? For years 2003-2006? I know they're not good but what 3/4 tons are.

 

Let me move this to the 3rd gen section (2002-2008 Dodge Rams) and see if those guys can't help you out.

 

if you take good care of her about 12-15 city and 14-18 highway. Some guys get less, others more.

 

thats more for 1500's.
2500's are a bit heavier and taller realistically i would say there more on the 8mpg city and 10 hwy

this also varys on what gears and tires you have

 

Yeah, 15 city is a bit optimistic, unless my definition of "city" is different.

11-12 would be more like it in city driving, of course a good bit less if it's like "spaghetti junction" (how many guys on here know where that is?) in rush hour or NYC driving. Although with stock size tires and no lift/level, 16-18 on the highway is do-able, with 16 being more realistic...

 

I see something close to 16 mpg on the highway. I have not been on any trips where I go faster than 65. I have stock size tires and a 4.10 ratio axle. Local is around 11 mpg but that depends on just what kind of city driving you are talking about. In the loop in Chicago or in New York mileage is going to be terrible.

 

I see these posts all the time. I rarely forget numbers.
Assuming 2500 QC 4wd auto.
Average driving, average truck, average dude, average gas station...10-12city 12-14highway.
If your Shopping? Don't cheat yourself! Figure on 8-10 towing in the city and 9-11towing highway. 10/13 are pretty solid numbers. And don't forget gas prices are $4/gal.
At this point in time, if you need a 2500, I would get a diesel. As cons they have which I don't care for, the only way these trucks will last and hold their value is owning a diesel. You'll get better mpg's as well.

 

^^^^ These fellas are pretty spot on with my personal figures. I don't fill up until I am close to empty, and I check my mileage religiously, every tank (and I compute the figure, I don't go by the overhead display - which actually is much closer then my 2nd gen was).

In the "country driving" I do around here (only one traffic light in the entire county), I get about 12-13 MPG in the summer and roughly 11.5-12 in the winter. This is not towing... this is not hot rodding... this is babying the truck just TRYING to get good mileage. The figures seem to drop about one digit when my foot is in it most of the tank.

When I towed my friends Jeep down state and back last summer I mustered a respectable 11.2 MPG for the day (really not too bad for a 3/4 ton hemi, don't expect any better).

I cant give you any first hand experience with highway/freeway driving. But, I do believe with a stock truck (no lift and factory size A/Ts) you could easily get 15-16 if you keep it under 70 MPH.





As far as the diesel option goes... You can buy a lot of gas with the extra 10 grand you pay for that diesel. Sure, the life span and resale value is 10 fold to the hemi, but the extra cost of the diesel is a deal breaker for a lot of people... at least it was for me. I wanted one bad, but just couldn't justify it.

Now, if the majority of your driving is towing, definitely spend the extra dough on a cummins.

 

$10 grand difference new, yeah. But that's better than when I bought, because I used to have one & wanted another diesel. But with all the incentives on the 1500s that were not on the 2500s, the diesel on the lot with a $9000 higher sticker price came out to being $17,000 MORE!!! Between a total of $4500 in rebates and $3500 more the dealer was willing to lop off the 1500 that they wouldn't budge on the 2500, it was unrealistic for me to buy the diesel based just on want. With the only towing I did at the time being a less than 3000# bass boat, the diesel just wasn't practical for me.

BUT, he's looking used, and I'm seeing about a $4000 difference here on Gas HD trucks vs. Diesel HD trucks given same brand/year. At only about $4000 more, if I was looking for a tow vehicle, I wouldn't even give a gasser a thought...

 

I just bought my truck last summer, @ $16,700. Any cummins I looked at within the same miles/year/options etc, was 10 grand more. At least around here.