(97 XLT V6 OHV 4WD) Realistic expectations for MPG?

[Mbrooks420]

The odometer odometer is accurate. The MPG the computer reports is inflated.

 

[Jeff98ohv]

man i gotta get my 02 sensors to work.. mine arent getting power or something. both read 0v ,-100.. and i get like 9-12mpg in florida.

 

[ThreeJs]

Too bad the trip computer is fairly inaccurate for no reason on these trucks.

I must have gotten lucky. My odometer, trip meter, fuel level and computer display all match up.
My average MPG seems to be right around 15 per gal.
Mostly city driving around Las Vegas/Henderson. Stock 96 EB 4x4 with roof rack.

 

[RandomNerd2000]

I average 18 to the gallon with 75% highway driving, on a 5.0 V8 RWD with 245-75R16 tires. Both SOHC trucks I've had also did that, one actually did a bit better than that. I'd imagine the 4.0 OHV is the same in terms of MPGs but I've been wrong before.

*Edit* The way I measure the MPGs in my trucks is I'll fill them up (run pump till it clicks off, no more) and drive anywhere from half to 3/4 of the tank out, and then fill it back up at the same pump until it clicks off again, just like the first time, and then read how many gallons it took to "restore it" and figure it up based upon the trip odometer which I reset at the beginning.

 

[Mbrooks420]

The SOHC usually does better MPG wise than the OHV.

 

[dybeepvw]

The SOHC usually does better MPG wise than the OHV.

My 96' XLT 4x4 with 3.73 gear gets 16 to 17 in town and 20 to 23 on hwy, has 4.0L OHV; my older 95' same equipped but 3.55 gear got up to 27mpg on hwy a few times and about 17 to 18 in town.

 

[Mbrooks420]

You must drive extremely conservatively. Those numbers are great for these old tech bricks. I’m sure if you drive a SOHC in the same manner you’d do as well or better. I can’t imagine getting over 500 miles to a tank on one of these.

 

[RandomNerd2000]

Best I've ever seen was out my 2000 5.0 V8 2WD with a full tuneup on the highway running 60, 245/75R16 tires, and 3:73 gears was 22 highway, and that's straight highway driving with cruise control. I've never had a SOHC exceed 20 to the gallon, my 01 Eddie Bauer was at 17 highway, and I didn't drive my 01 XLT SOHC truck enough to know for sure, it had 3:55 gears though so was probably great on the highway.

 

[dybeepvw]

You must drive extremely conservatively. Those numbers are great for these old tech bricks. I’m sure if you drive a SOHC in the same manner you’d do as well or better. I can’t imagine getting over 500 miles to a tank on one of these.

Yes pretty conservative on the foot feed; we had a 2002 Explorer EB 4x4 with 4.0 SOHC and it never got over 20 on hwy, but very nice smooth ride. Son has it now with over 215,000miles still going well; I still like the older models, seem a little more simple