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Posts: 95
| Can anyone tell me any "basic" rules as far as gas-mileage and towing and differences between a V6 and a V8. I have a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee and during the season, I get around 13.5 miles/gallon towing my 680T Ranger. The Jeep has about 100,000 miles and I am getting ready to buy another SUV because I have had lots of problems that just keep showing up. Just looking for some basic info such as "a V8 is better for towing because etc..." if that is the case. I know there are some newer V6's that are coming stock with 270 hp as in the Toyota 4Runner which to me is a lot of power?
Thanks,
Chas Martin
http://www.muskymastery.com |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | Don't quote me on this, because trucks and their motors are changing faster than I have been able to keep up... Saying that, I would be willing to bet that most of the V8's will get better mileage towing, and tow much more easily than the same vehicle with a V6. I would also bet that the mileage of the V8's when not towing is about as good if not even better than the V6. I talked to a guy a while ago that had (through his work), had a full size Dodge with the smallest V8, and it got worse mileage than the 5.7 Hemi does.
I think a lot of times the only time you save with the smaller motor is the upfront cost. This is all to a point. A 5.3 V8 is most likely going to do a LOT better mileage wise than an 8.1 liter V8. But, when comparing a V6 to a midsize V8, the V8 will win in most tests.
One thing to look at it torque vs horsepower. The HP is crazy on some of the vehicles these days, but they sacrafice torque to get it. Also look at the power curves. A motor that doesn't make most of its torque/horsepower until 4,500 RPM doesn't tow nearly as well as a motor that reaches max torque/horsepower at something like 1,800-2,000 rpm (like the "old" Chevy 5.7 liter Vortec). However, a torque curve that has a large "flat" peak section is great for towing too. For example, the motor might not reach 300 horsepower until 4500 RPM, but it might still be at 290 HP at 2,000 RPM. Make sense?
Check out a towing forum. I think there's an RV forum that has a lot of info on it. You can read for DAYS on this stuff in those forums.
curleytail
Edited by curleytail 3/1/2010 1:17 PM
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Posts: 531
| Wow there is alot to consider on this one.Curleytail hit alot of them. I can not speak for certain on alot of the newer trucks.
Lets take a truck with 300hp big v8 gets 15mpg, it might get 13-14 mpg towing a boat (maybe 15 bepending on the boat)
Now a strong v6 in a truck makes 250 hp gets 18mpg and tows a boat at 13-14 mpgs if you are kind on the foot. I knnow this is a simple example but in my mind (for this example) i would go v6 i drive my truck more with out my boat so i would get more out of each gallon, saving money to buy muskie baits.
Now with fuel efficient trucks with cylinder shut down, that same v8 might get 21mpg on highway, and tow with all 300hp still having you mid teens pullin the boat. They cost more but is it worth it?
Now what i can say for sure, i own a chevy colorado with the 3.5l 220 hp strait 5. I am by no means the fast driver i take it easy but am not a slow poke. I pull my small boat with 16-17 mpg (14ft aluminum, 25 mariner side con. 4 hp kicker... maybe 1200lbs +-) and i have a big boat 2050 crestliner 4.3 mercruiser 9.9 johnson 4 stroke kicker (maybe 3400lbs whole package) I drive that with light foot, i still make it to highway speeds but it might take me a mile or two to get there. I use the boat on lake erie to troll walleye, i get around 14-15mpgs pulling that. By now means is my truck a power house but i get 20mpgs with out towing (best so far 24mpgs average on a tank) For me i would rather go a little slower pullin and save money than get there fast (risking an accident) paying more each week at the pump.
If you are lookin to buy new ask the dealer if you can hook up to the truck you are lookin at and pull the boat around, compair how the trucks do. That would erase any doubt on how they do. In this economy you better make sure you are getting what you want. And pullin a boat 10-20 miles on a test drive should be no problem, if it is i would take my busness elsewhere |
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Posts: 95
| Thanks for the great responses and ideas I'll be doing more research and I'll keep ya posted on what I end up doing.
Chas Martin
http://www.muskymastery.com |
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Posts: 433
Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | It's pretty much the weight of your rig and the cross section it presents for air resistance that will determine the mileage, not so much the size of the engine. Towed with big V8's, small V8's, big 6's, and small 6's with the same rig and they all got within two miles per gallon. The difference came in the ease of towing. The big V8 was slick, the small 6 worked its valves off with the pedal almost to the floor to hold interstate speeds. They others were OK. If there was a choice, I'd always go with a bigger V8 for a rig like mine that went about 3000#. It's not just the boat weight, remember to add in the crap in the boat when you are going on vacation, and the trailer too! An 1100 pound hull can tip the scales at 3000# for the rig in a heartbeat. |
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Location: MN | I am currently towing my 680T with a 2006 Chevy Trailblazer with a 4.2L I6 engine; it pulls the 680T so much better than my '96 Jeep Grand Cherokee V6. This past season I was getting 14-16mpg towing the boat; couldn't tell you mpg without towing as I haven't done the calcs. In general, I really like the Trailblazer and think it pulls the 680T very well. The TB has plenty of power, I can throw a bunch of stuff in the back without worrying about it getting stolen, and I didn't have to pay a ton of money to get it. |
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Posts: 469
Location: Downers Grove, IL | I tow an Esox Magnum with a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I couldnt be happier with the rig. The boat tucks behind the jeep and has very little wind resistance. The 4.7 V8 has tons of torque for accelaration and I'm able to hold highway speeds very well. I get between 14 and 15 mpg depending on the wind. I just turned 150K on the Jeep. |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | Between my 01 GMC 1/2 ton truck with a 5.3 V8 and the wifes 05 Trailblazer with the 4.3 V6, my truck gets all around better milage both towing and not. I get on avg empty around 17 she's lucky to see 15-16 on avg. |
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| bought a 09 gmc crew cab with the 5.3 V8 with the SIX SPEED TRANSMITION;I get 21 mpg empty and average 16 to 18mpg with a 690vs ranger on the back. Hope this helps on your decision. |
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | I had a '97 Cherokee w/ an inline 6 and got 17 mpg towing my bass boat. Now I have an '05 durango w/ a hemi and get 14 mpg towing. The 6 cylinder was better. But, the Durango can actually stop rather than be pushed by the weight of the boat. And with that slight loss of MPG's, I get 145 more horsepower and the vehicle weighs about a ton more. |
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V6 v. V8 towing and fuel economy?