I'm still pondering what to get to replace my old pickup...
I have a question for some of you Chevy/GMC pickup owners. My question is, "What is the difference in gas mileage between a 2WD and a 4WD?" This is in regard to a full size Chevy 1/2 ton pickup with a 350 (5.7L) V8. We have an 89 4WD Suburban with a 350 which we bought 10 years ago with 70k miles on it. It used to get 17-18 MPG on the highway and 14-15 MPG in city driving. Now it's got 175k miles on it and those numbers have gone way down. My 89 2WD pickup with a 350 with 175k miles on it currently gets 17-18 MPG for rural road driving (not quite highway, but not many stops). What can I expect from a 96-98 4WD pickup with 75k miles on it? Note: All MPG numbers above are for summer driving, since winter mileage (especially THIS winter) is a bit lower.
The reason I ask is because I could get by with a 2WD pickup with a posi-traction rear end. But, if the mileage isn't much different, then I might as well get the 4WD.
Danny, check out this site. The data may not match your real world experience, but should provide for a comparision between your truck & ones you are looking to buy
I can't speak to the 2WD, but my '96 4WD GMC 1500 with manual tranny never got better than around 17mpg. That was with the 5.7 liter (350ci). Now my '01 4WD with auto and 5.3 liter gets even worse mileage! Go figure...
My '97 Chevy 4X4 w/ ext. cab 5.7 4 spd auto got always got around 17 - 18 MPG. Pulling the 32' camper it got 15. Now my '99 Chevy 4X4 w/ ext. cab 5.3 4 spd auto gets around 18 - 19 - has even gotten as high as 21. All of the above numbers are on 87 octane. But I have noticed that they have done better on Shell vs. Marathon - of course this holds true for our Honda Accord as well. All of these numbers are better than Dad's 78 Chevy 4X4 that might get 9 MPG going down hill with a tailwind [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
I looks like the difference between a 2WD and a 4WD is pretty small. I did a rough calculation and for me it would only amount to about $10 a month more for gas if prices stay around $1.75/gal. Having 4WD available when I need it is well worth $10/month. Of course, a 4WD is going to cost about $2500 more to start with, so I need to decide if I want to pay that much extra.
The only fair comparison is driving each in the summer when you'll have the 4x4 in 2WD. Driving lots of different ones over the years, I found the real world mileage difference to be about one mile per gallon. This should probably go without saying but, to make sure there are no misunderstandings, the 2WD got slightly better mileage than the 4WD.
Gary - "I found the real world mileage difference to be about one mile per gallon"
I was guessing at about 2 MPG when I came up with my $10 a month figure above. 1 or 2 MPG is a pretty small difference, so I think I'm OK with either 2WD or a 4WD and will go for whichever I can get a good deal on. For example, if I can find a 2WD with fewer miles on it as opposed to a 4WD with more miles, then I might just go for the 2WD. But otherwise I'd prefer the 4WD.
I think one reason my mileage difference is so low is that I don't drive any distance at all and what I do drive is heavy stoplight to stoplight stuff. I get 10 mpg with a 4x4 in 2WD and 11-12 mpg with a straight 2WD. I would imagine if I drove more road miles not only would those numbers increase but, as cowboydoc indicated, my difference might increase somewhat as well.
For the record, most of my comparisons have been in Chevy/GMC 1500 pickups. I've run short & long beds and regular & extended cabs. I still like having something I can manuever easily in city parking lots so, when I go with an extended cab I always opt for the short bed.
The first time you get stuck in with a loaded trailer behind you and all you have to do is pop in 4 wheel... it will all be worth it. A loaded 2wd pick up gets stuck very easy in soft or slippery ground.
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