2003 Dodge 4.7

Still have not found the right deal on a 4 door pickup for the growing family, but found a 2003 4 door Dodge 1/2ton with a 4.7 v8. Very clean, 70,000 miles, dealer asking price is $14,900. What kind of realistic gas mileage could I expect driving 60 miles round trip to work each day on flat, two lane, 55mph roads? Don't want to add another vehicle to the fleet, so I'd be trading in a chevy impala that I currently get 30mpg with. Could really use a 4 door truck, so I will live with some mileage decline, just don't want to go broke buying fuel. Was told a comparable chevy 4.8L would get 20 mpg under these conditions. Wondered if a dodge would too?

No experience with them, couldn't tell you what to expect for mileage. BUT transmission and gear ratio will make a big difference in how far you can go on a gallon....

Your looking at about 15-16 Interstate and 13ish around town. These motors are bad to have the lifters collapse at about the 100k mark. Very expensive to fix since it is a OHV motor. New chains, gears, tensioners, etc. not to mention gasket set, valve job, oil, antifreeze. About $2k if you do the work. You can get out cheaper , buy just replacing the lifters, but at some point you'll be going back in to do the rest shortly there after.

I have a similar F-150 and I can pretty much count on 17 mpg with the same driving that you do...I have a 5.4 litre though. I would think 20 might be acheivable, atleast in the summer. Happy hunting!

I would expect your fuel bill to be double what it would be with the Impala.. I seriously doubt that you will consistantly get much over 15 mpg. JMHO. C. L.

Hey, thanks for the heads up, it would be at that 100,000 mile mark within 2 years for me.

I am afraid of that. I was hoping for 20 mpg, but I was guessing 15 was more realistic. Might just have to keep getting by with the single cab truck I have now. It's a '94 gmc, but I have a fairly new snowplow on it, and it works really nice for the MN winters. Hate to trade it off, because I know I can't afford a new snowplow package for a different truck.

If you want a gas pick up truck that gets decent fuel economy Ford has the new direct injected v-6 Eco-boost that is great on fuel with decent power when needed. If you like Dodge I'd stay away from the OHC engine and get OHV. I have a 2003 Dakota Quad cab with the 3.9 and average around 18 mpg. I love the truck. It's a little light on power at times, but then I don't pull much either. Good luck. Gerard

A more realistic number on the Chevy is 16 MPG.

The latest and greatest Ford V6 might get close to the 20 MPG mark - but I wouldn't make any bets yet.

I'd buy another Impala (the ones we have are great) and keep an old beater pickup parked out back somewhere to be used when you need it.

I wanted to buy an extended cab pickup as my primary vehicle too but by the time I bought one with a decent amount of miles (50K-60K) it would cost double what a comparable 4 door car would cost. After you pay double for the vehicle you get the pleasure of half the fuel mileage, coupled with higher tire and insurance cost.

I found its a lot cheaper to keep a 20 year old F250 parked in the shed and put 4K a year on it (driving it only when needed) and put 25K on the sedan.

I also have a 2003 Dakota with 3.9 and can get over 20mpg on the highway. That's running 55, AC on with no load. I also haul a light tractor and get 15mpg running 55 or 65mph.

I was used to running OTR trucks with 250 and less hp pulling 40K loads so slowing down or going slower than other drivers never bothers me.

Had a 2004 Dodge 1/2 ton 4X4 with the 4.7 and automatic overdrive. Mostly short trips, never level -this is hill country, always 18 mpg, more like 21 on longer trips.

Should have mentioned, this tranny engine combination would scoot along at 55-60 mph at less than 2000 rpm which helped the mpg.

More like 17-18 best case. My son's 2006 4.7 Dodge 1500 4d/4wd with 6 spd does 18 on the road with no load and driven with a bit of care. Load it up or run 70 in the interstate you plan for 15 mpg

BTW you should be able to get that truck bought for $12k.

I've got a 2005 Dodge 1500 4x4 with the 4.7. Highway milage is around 16 with 10% ethanol, regular gas is a couple MPG better. Local driving sux, I only get about 10 MPG. I would also me concerned with the transmission. Mine never has shifted right and sometimes it takes several seconds before it will move after startup.

I have a 2007 Dodge with the 4.7. My average mpg is 15.6. However, it does pretty well on the highway if you keep it under 60. Best I got was 24 mpg hi-way. If you do mainly hi-way driving expect around 18 mpg.

I agree with what you wrote. Unless you really need to haul stuff a lot, driving a big pickup back and forth to work all the time is a pretty costly way of doing things. Getting 30mpg is a lot better than getting 15 to accomplish the same thing, at least in my opinion.

I am retired now, but when I was working in town, I usually drove whatever small car we had. I have always had some kind of a pickup, but lots of years, the pickup only got a few thousand miles on it.

I will never be able to understand why people think they need a big 4 door pickup unless they haul several people around a lot. And I could not be sold a pickup that had a really short bed--they seem pretty useless to me, although they might be easier to park than one with a full sized bed.

I figure my old, dependable 99 F350 should last me for the rest of my life, at the rate I am using it. It is also powerful enough to do anything I want it to do. But I don't expect it to get more than about 15 or 16 mpg diesel mileage. I expect that I will have a bunch of cars before I die.

But "different strokes for different folks"! If nobody wanted the 4 door pickups, the auto makers would soon quit making them. And maybe they will when the new corporate average fuel economy standards kick in, if they actually ever do.

Those four door Dodge half tons drive real nice. I owned one for a while. They will get lossy mileage for a half ton pickup. Mine never did better than 18 mpg. Short hoop driving around town 10 mpg. Replaced it with a 2005 Chevy with the 5.3 v-8. Get much better mileage. low twenties for most running. Short hoop driving 15 mpg. Also remember that Dodge half tons have the rep of bad automatic transmissions.

If you think about what you are doing here I think you will regroup.
1) You are going to double the cost of driving to WORK!!!! Everyday!!!!
2) Sounds like you are going to go up in value of vehicle you are driving. So your depreciation cost of ownership is going to go up too.

The only way I would consider doing this is if you get a beater to drive to work. Then the pickup for the family time.

got an 04 dakota with the 4.7
hottible mileage, highway about 18, goofin around, 12 or so
bob

Thanks guys. Passed on the Dodge for now. Still not the "right" one. Opinions were sure appreciated.