enough engine?
DOes the weight of the truck itself kill gas mileage?
I'll pull a 6X12 enclosed trailer 150 miles or less, usually. But once a year I'll travel 1,200 miles one-way on a trip with the trailer.
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-2000 Excursion Limited. 2WD. White with tan. Hellwig rear anti-sway bar. Bilstein shocks. Rear air bags.
2000 VW New Beetle TDI
2005 VW Passat TDI...totalled
2006 VW Jetta TDI
I just finished researching that exact subject and here is what I have found that your going to hear about the V-8. 1. Anyone with a V10 is going to tell you the V-8 is a dog. They will also say the mpg difference is only 1-2 mpg. Its probably more like 2-5 mpg depending on if you go auto or 5sp. Ignore the guys with the V-10 and diesels you know they have power, listen to the guys who actually have a V-8 2. Almost everyone with the pre 2000 V-8 that had the lower horsepower and torque will be unhappy with their V-8 and wish they got a V-10 especially if they have an auto. post 2000 The V-8 got a nice increase and horespower and torque that put it close with the pre 2000 V-10 hp/tq ratings which everyone was happy with. V-10 also received the same Power increase to keep it distanced from the V-8. 3. If your like me and will use the truck to commute with, and are not into racing from stoplight to stoplight and only pull occasionally up to about 6000 pounds the V-8 will be fine especially with the 5sp and 4.10 rear. I Ordered F-250 4x4 SC SWB with the 5sp and 4.10. I drove a similar vehicle but with the automatic and it had plenty of power but hated the way the transmission shifted so went with 5sp plus I need the granny gear to get up some of the places I launch my boat on the rivers here in Washington. I have driven my uncles f-250SD 4x4 SC LWB 5sp and its pre-2000 and I thought that had plenty of power with the lower rated engine. He regualry hauls about 4000-5000 pounds towing and loaded bed and has no complaints but then again he is never in a hurry to get anywhere. Best of luck with your decision Its a tough choice.
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F-250SC XLT, 142, 4x4, 5.4l, 5sp, 4.10LS, Toreador Red
My cousin has the 5.4 in his extended cab 4x4 F250 and I feel that the power is pretty good for the truck I'm not sure what rearend he has though but I believe that he gets 13 to 15 miles per gallon. I on the other hand have a crew cab 4x4 V10 with the 4:30 rearend. My truck hasn't seen much better than 9.2 mpg with mixed driving. If mileage is really an issue then you should seriously consider the 5.4L. I think that people fail to remember that there were a lot of 351s put into F250 and F350 trucks. I'm sure the motor can handle the task.
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2001 F250 V10 CC Lariat SB 4x4 Black 33" BFG ATs on 16.5 x 9.75 Weld Sidewinders Bushwacker OE Flares
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2001 F250 V10 CC Lariat SB 4x4 4.30LS Black 33 BFG ATs on 16.5 x 9.75 Weld Sidewinders Bushwacker OE Flares
OK. I have to get my 2 cents worth in here. Keep in mind that the 5.4 is a good engine and will be adequate for many people however a couple of points to consider.
1. Cost - the V10 is not much more money than the V8. $500 or so if I remember right.
2. Resale - Most of the used Superduties that are sitting on dealer lots are V8s. At least in my area (MN). It is not the engine prefered by most. first is the PSd, 2nd is the V10.
3. Power - Noticeably different
4. Mileage - minimal difference if you compare apples to apples. You can't compare a 5.4 with a manual 2wd regular cab to a V10 auto 4x4 crewcab.
In 99, I bought a superecab 4x4 V10 3.73 gears. My buddy bought the identical truck with a 5.4L and 4.10s. I would average 11 - 12 in town and as high as 14 on the highway.
My buddy could get 12. That was it. I agree that was probably an exception to the rule. Most of the V10s are getting 10 - 14 mpg (after they are broken in) not towing. The 5.4s are really not getting much better.
My 2001 V10 is getting 10 - 11 in town and 12 - 13 on the highway.
Another thing to consider. Don't buy something you don't really want.
In 90, I bought a supercab ranger 4x4. I really wanted an F150, but the ranger was cheaper. So, in 92, I bought a regular cab F150 4x4 with a 302. In 94, I traded that one off cause I really had wanted the supercab and I found out that the 351 was a much better option.
In 99, I bought an F250 Supercab 4x4. Well, I shoud have gotten the crewcab, but it was $1000 more and I didn't want to spend the extra money. Finally in 2001, I bought a F250 crewcab V10 and the 4.30s. Finally, I have the truck I really wanted in the 1st place. The moral of the story? Get what you want. You are spending 30K on a truck. An extra $500 should not matter. Also these are big trucks. They get lousy mileage period.
I'm sure the 5.4 will do everything you need it to do. For comparison's sake I offer the following. I have the V-10 in a 2000 F250 CC 4x2 with automatic and 3.73LS. I average 12.5mpg commuting to work, half at 70mph and half at 20mph. On the highway unloaded, nonstop 200 mile trip I got 15.2mpg. Last weekend I pulled a 3000# 6'x10' single axle utility trailer 500 miles and averaged 11.7 mpg. I bought the V-10 only because my last truck had the 302 and I swore I'd never be underpowered again. I get better mileage pulling the trailer with the V-10 than I did with the 302.
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'00 F250 CC SWB 4x2 XLT V-10 Auto 3.73LS Silver/Graphite
Our Y2K F250 SD 4X2 CC SB XLT has the 5.4 V8 and a 4.10 rear. The 5.4 was greatly improved starting with the 2000 MY (more HP and torque, with a flatter curve), but I think it’s pretty lethargic in a SD or an Excursion when hooked to a 3.73 rear through an AT.
Our truck’s GVWR & GCWR are 8,800 lbs & 15,000 lbs (The V10 & 3.73 GCWR is 17,000 lbs), and with a 6,000 lb curb weight, we have 2,800 lbs of payload capacity. Our family, our “stuff” and the 500 lbs. of tongue weight from our 3,250 lb trailer uses up about 1,800 lbs (at the very most) of that capacity, which leaves us with a 1,000 lb reserve -- about 11% -- of GVWR.
Our typical maximum GCW is about 10,500 lbs, so we have a 4,500 lb cushion there, or about 30%. This gives us some room for ”growth”, and also helps our normally aspirated (i.e. non-turbo) engine deal with the occasional foray into higher terrain. We took our truck and camper up to 9,000 ft in NM this past summer. Ford “recommended” we decrease our GCW weight by 18% (2% per 1,000 ft); we still had some cushion. We got 12.8 mpg on that >5K mile trip.
The V10 option is a great deal for ~$600 and it was what I originally planned to order last year. However, dealers in the Washington DC metro area (beltway bandits??) were quoting me 5 to 6 month lead times on a factory order, and I felt I was lucky to find my signature truck on a lot.
I’ve also recently discovered in Ford’s Body Builder specs that the differential on SC and CC trucks with the V10 come with 3 pinion gears (like the PSD) instead of 2 (apparently the case for both 250 and 350 SRW SD’s). Also, the main cooling radiator is larger than the 5.4’s. That $600 option is looking better all the time…
I've ultimately concluded the V10/3.73 was my first choice, but the 5.4/4.10 is a more than acceptable (and capable) 2nd choice, especially with a short bed, no 4X4 and a relatively light trailer. The 2.20:1 torque converter ratio also helps out vs the 2:1 ratio that comes with the V10 and the PSD.
I also like getting 16-17 mpg on the highway when I'm running light.
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crewzer -- Y2K F250 SD 4X2 CC SB XLT 5.4LV8 AT 4.10LS 4W-ABS TTPkg etc. Black/Silver plus 285/75R16D tires, trans cooling fan, TT gauge & Magnefine filter.
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crewzer -- Y2K F250 SD 4X2 CC SB XLT 5.4LV8 AT 4.10LS
I did a lot of back and forth, probably like you, as to which engine to get(except I was looking at all 3). Be honest with yourself as to what you are going to use it for and then test drive, test drive, and test drive . As you can see by my signature I have the V10, CC, 4X4, LWB. The only thing I tow right now is a 1500lb boat and a small utility trailer @2000lbs. The V8 will do either of these with no problem. My wife and I are starting up a Christian kids camp and may have to tow a tractor, horses etc... so the V10 just seemed like a wiser choice. We opted against the PSD because of frequent start up and shut downs, and also the noise. When you're running around camp with a diesel it could be very disturbing to the people renting our facility.
As far as mileage with the V10, even though it's been a while, I used to drive a Nova with a 383 that got 10 on the highway so the V10's mileage won't bother me too much. It's going to be hard on my wife because she is used to her Honda Civic which gets at least 35.
Lastly, don't let other people spend your money by trying to keep up with the "Jones'". As I stated earlier, find a dealer that will let you test drive different trucks until you feel comfortable with your decision.
DR.billZ
I agree with foghorn. The most important thing is to test drive! I have the 5.4l and it does more than what I need it to do. The gas milage is a constant 10-10.5mpg city & 14.5mpg highway @70mph and flat West Texas terrain. The truck probably is a little heavy for this engine but a few hp mods would correct that with no problem. The only thing is that these mods cost as much money as the V10 will and are sometimes unpredictable as to a mpg increase. So if it is only mpg you are worried with then don't worry at all and just go ahead and get the V8 and maybe you will get one that seems to get better mpg, because there does seem to be some fluctuations as to mpg with the V8. BUT if you think you may ever need to pull a heavy load get the V10 and try to do some mods to it to increase mpg like a superchip which sometimes does help out mpg.
Just make sure you test drive both if you allready haven't, and your guestion will probably answer itself. And have fun there is alot of fun to be had in getting a new truck
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99, F250, SD, XLT, CC, 5.4L, 3.73, TT MIRRORS, K&N, RANCH HAND GRILL GAURD, SONNAX VALVE & TRICUMULATER SPRING SET, RHINO-LINED, SYNTHETIC THROUGHOUT
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99, F250, SD, XLT, CC, 5.4L, 3.73, TT MIRRORS, K&N, RANCH HAND GRILL GAURD, SONNAX VALVE & TRICUMULATER SPRING SET, RHINO-LINED, MOBIL 1 SYNTHETIC THROUGHOUT, MER4 PCM
Doogan stole my post.. Although I didn't see much of a difference in the 99 vs 00' SuperDuty..
See my sig. My SD has no problems keeping up with or passing traffic both in town and on the highway.. Overall avg mpg=15.5 for me..
I have the 5.4L (see my signature). I can't believe how much power this truck has. I would definitely get the 4.10 axle. Even on the highway in overdrive there is still plenty of power to cruise at 80 mph if you want to.
I tow a small travel trailer occasionally, otherwise the truck is a daily driver. I am sold on the V-8. I made the right decision for me. If I was going to tow regularly, I would go with one of the other engines.
I get a constant 13.5 mpg, combination city/highway. My truck is very peppy, and definitely not underpowered. I don't buy the resale argument either. I think there are plenty of people that will buy a well cared for V-8 F-250.
I know this has been beat to death, but try this. The V8 & V10 have identical cylinders. At idle the V10 takes an economy hit because both engines idle at about the same speed, & you are feeding 2 extra cylinders. If you choose a 4.10 axle with the 5.4 vs 3.73 for the V10, you will have almost identical cylinder strokes per mile, until the V8 runs out of rpm, while the V10 will still have some more rpm range available. An oversimplification, but close. If you are planning lots of urban stop & go & mpg is a primary consideration, the V8 will show the advantage. For $600, I prefer the V10.
At work I have a 2001 F250 2WD 5.4L auto. Its a crew cab long bed with a tail gate lift and 3.73 rear gears. A pretty heavy truck. We tow some heavy equipment, some of it ranging over 15,000 lbs and have never had a problem. This towing all takes place on an airport at speeds around 50 mph. I have towed open car haulers weighing around 6,500 lbs at hwy speeds with 5.4L Expeditions and they did fine. Plenty of power for loads up to 8000 lbs. I only have a PSD because thats what I wanted and I found my truck used at a good price.
Hope I have (err haven't [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] ) confused you.
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99 F250XLT Super cab 4X4 PSD. Auto trans. And all the normal options. Diablo 78 chip,
Banks Big Head Actuator.Cat delete pipe, Hooker Areo Chamber muffler. Jack-it leveling kit.
I know this is not comparing equal variables, but here goes. I bout a '94 F-350 4x4 with the 460, 4.10 gears and C-6 transmission. My cousin bought the same truck but with the 351 and the E40D.
Well at first everyone talked him into the smaller motor. But after he found out he wasn't getting much better that 10-11 mpg's he was pissed I was getting 8-10 mpg's and I could drag him around town. Although I did use his truck to tow a boat up north (about 3500lbs) it towed it really well even at high speeds.
So get what you want, but what I want to emphasize is that you don't want to regret what you got either.
Good Luck with either choice, they are both great motors.
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'97 F-350 XLT Reg Cab PSD 4x4,Torreador Red,A4 trans
because she is used to her Honda Civic which gets at least 35. 
Linear Mode
