High MPG vehicle
Whitetail Deer
I drive a F-250 - 5.3 L gas - 11.5 MPG
i like the big truck, and i need it for the farm work i do.
however i log a ton of miles to and from the deer lease every year - probably 8,000 miles a year. we have a 4 month season and i hunt multiple times a week.
would also be useful for road trips, i go on multiple hunting trips every year......
i am in the market for a car, truck, SUV that will get great Gas mileage.
4x4 is not a must, in fact i have not really considered 4x4. i have looked at the Honda CR-V.....
any input ?
Add up the cost of the vehicle , more insurance, registration, and simple maintenance like tires or a battery. You may find it's cheaper to just keep the truck you have. Unless you get rid of the F-250 ..... 2 vehicles are more expensive than one gas bill.....even at 11.5 mpg's
Get you a Chevy Tracker, my Dad and I both have them. Push 30 mpg and will go anywhere you need them to, even some places you shouldn't be. Suzuki Grand Vitara is another great little SUV.
My little lady drives a Honda CRV, very nice little grocery getter. Comfortable and has been capable in the snow thus far. Plenty of cargo space. Pretty solid gas mileage, especially in eco-mode. She loves it, personally I have a problem with anything with an "eco-mode"! Ha!
Look at the element by Honda, amazing amount of room for hauling and can even sleep in it.
1993 Honda Civic 5 speed manual. Average day in day out mileage 43 mpg, best mileage on a single tank of gas 47 mpg, worst mileage on a single tank of gas 38 mpg (hauling a canoe a kayak and camping gear on mountain roads for a weekend trip). I love that little car!
You may want to consider a Lezbaru as well.
I think I see your problem, someone stuck a GM engine in your Ford.
A good amount of hunting doesn't require a truck or 4 wheel drive at all. I've done several hunts out of my Honda Civic which gets 39 mpg. The thing has 250k miles on it and I've only done standard maintainence on it.
I've done several hunts out of a Subaru Outback, getting 26mpg and it'll get most places 4wd truck will.
I have a Dodge 2500 4x4 with a V10 that I use when I have to. On some far out-of-state hunts, I find it's better to just rent a Jeep Cherokee or the like if I don't need to go over the crazy stuff to get to where I"m hunting because if I have to drive 2k miles for the hunt, I'd rather put those miles on a rental with better gas mileage and I know my truck will last longer. Rental cars are cheap for me because I'm constantly flying so I just tack the rental on when I buy my plane ticket through the airline rewards website and get a discount. I recently went to Costa Rica for a week and the rental car was $1 a day (insurance was $14).
fuzzy called it! my 93civic has 300k runs like a top and get the same 43-45mpg notice it was on walk going to work one day pulled into the first station I could filled up did some math and was at 48.7 mpg like I said it was on walk
Tacoma 2 wheel drive regular cab with a 2.7L engine, 30 mpg. I used to hunt as a young guy with an Austin Healy Sprite. I had a big canvas bag that I put the deer in and it left his front legs and head sticking out. He rode in the passengers seat. 40 mpg.
Hybrids are the way to go for fuel efficiency. Even the new super powerful exotics get outstanding mileage. Our 1986 Honda Accord we had back in the day got like 38mpg
Olebuck I looked up one day and found I had nothing left to tow or any other reason to have a pickup. You know like 90% of other pickup owners.
So I sold it and bought a used 2010 Toyota rav4 sport grocery getter 27 mpg on the highway and does everything I need it to do.
I think a small SUV would be the way to go so you could still haul things and tow small trailers. You'd find yourself using it for more than just hunting.
Toyota Yaris hatchback! Put a kiddie pool in there for all the bloody animals. Hunted out of one a lot and they require essentiallly zero maintenace. Cheapest vehicle ever to run.
Subaru, and you wont look back, it is the only car I like as much as my truck, I have a forester and we just got my wife a crosstrek, that I thought I would hate, but I really do like it.
They are safe, reliable, and there symmetrical all wheel drive is second to none..
Mike.
Apauls i use an ice fishing sled for the same purpose but it can also be used to get critters out of the field.
Upgrade to a diesel motor pickup, much better mileage, you can probably write off the cost with your farming. Seriously though, your looking at a savings of maybe $2500 a year if you upgrade 10 mpg, and I would much rather take my crew cab pickup on any hunt. Im not worried about new scratches and dings, or muddy dogs and friends.
My wife's Subaru Forester got around 30 mpg, AWD, nice vehicle. My Ford F-150 SuperCrew with the twin-turbo V-6 averages around 18 in town, 20 on the highway. Has incredible torque and horsepower for a V-6. I need a truck for the kind of adventuring I do here in CO, but not everyone needs one.
A standard Subaru Forester with the 2.5 liter would be hard to beat. They get great mileage, reliable, and very impressive when its slick out. You could fold the rear seat down and sleep back there too. You could add a rack to the top. They have impressive ground clearance and rated to pull a 1,500 pound trailer. They are still priced affordably as far as cars go.
Watch some off road challenges vs Subaru on youtube.
We have owned three Subaru's ,great all around vehicles.Drove one to work while the 4 WD sat in the drive-way until needed.
VW Touareg diesel. It does everything a lezburo does, but it's a better built vehicle.
Subaru Forester or Crosstrek
CRV is the way to go. We've owned several. They will go anywhere, do anything and are simple to work on and relatively cheap to fix. Honda hasn't changed the overall design much over the years. I towed this one behind a RV and hunted in Colorado and Montana with it.
Been driving Ford and Chevy for 50 yrs.Kids said buy Honda or Toyota you won't go back . well for once they were right.Three years ago got a Rav 4 with hitch 29 mpg goes anywhere.
My wife's car is a '14 CRV and I love the thing. It's pretty roomy, comfortable on long road trips, and gets about 30 mpg. I just bought it this year so haven't tried it in snow yet but have been up in the mountains a couple times on dirt & gravel roads and it's handled quite well (it is the AWD model).
I once put 2 adult does in my 2 door "work car" Ford Focus lol! I'll take that for my day trip urban hunts. It's much less inconspicuous than my Ram 2500 and a helluva lot easier to load deer into. The tail gate on the Ram seems like it's 6 ft high when im loading a deer by myself :-(
Check out the newer updated Honda Ridgelines. Loaded and get 25 mpg highway.
I’m in the market too, I drive a focus to work and it’s about to give up the ghost. I’m thinking a rav, crv or lav (lesbian assault vehicle) is in my future. I’ve heard the argument so many times....”it’s cheaper in the long run to only have one” ...I like having a spare. And I like to keep miles off my expensive 4 wheel drive. I’ve never had a deer in my focus but I have had 13 beaver In it.... got to have one strapped in the passenger seat at that point. And I’ve hauled a lot of feed in it too!
i cant get rid of my F-250. i have tractors, cows, trailers, a real estate business , i just need a big truck to get my work down. plus its paid for.
so for a secondary vehicle, it really needs to be inexpensive and high MPG, i looked over some prices and these two vehicles seem to be really affordable with somewhat low mileage. Looking at older models 2002-2009 price range from $4000-$8,000
Honda CRV - mid range cost - easiest to find.... suzuki Grand vitara - lowest cost Toyota RAV4 - highest cost
There's a reason why resale on Toyotas is usually the highest.
'Agree with Lou & Darrell & the rest of the Toyo crowd. Gen 4 SR5 4 Runner. 2 1/2" lift. V6 averages 22.5 MPG with a mild chip. Pulls the Colo passes, with a "smallish" base camp trailer, with ease. I wouldn't trust the wife's CRV in a lot of the places I go, in the weather I go in - the clearance is too low . 4WD may more optional in the gulf. Here in Colo it's almost a must have for me 8 months of the year. My son found a 2WD 4 Runner and really likes it. The 4 cyl gets ~25+, but the gas tank is only ~12 Gal.
Hard to beat a CR-V for what you are describing......as long as you are not getting too far off the beaten path, they are reliable vehicles that do exceptionally well in snow, mud, etc
Keep your gas-guzzling truck, especially if you need it for your farm work...and even more so if it's PAID FOR! Here's why.. The savings on gas at say $3/gallon, using 16,000 miles a year for your hunts, with your truck getting 11.5 mpg vs. a vehicle that gets 20 mps is less than $1800. Can you get a new better mpg vehicle for that? I doubt it. This is before payments and insurance..
I don’t want to be in a rice rocket whoops I mean small vehicle if ever involved in an accident. My 2016 Ram 1500 with 5.7 hemi gets 18-20mpg hwy in winter and 25-27 in summer. I bet a 2wd would push 30mpg or better. Have had 3 Rams since 2006 all excellent trucks with great mileage. A friend get 25 mpg with his new 2500 with 6.4 hemi. Witnessed, no bs.
Honda FIT currently! I used to have a Toyota paseo, paid a thousand bucks for it, drove it for over four years, two sets of tires and oil changes and then donated it to charity and took a $1500 tax write off. I just quartered up deer and put in trunk on the paseo, haven't killed anything when I had the Fit yet, but I can get a deer home for sure with it, probably a boned out elk too, not sure about elk antlers, probably strap them too roof or come home and get truck, it's closer to house elk hunting than deer hunting. But I can get an 65qt rtic cooler, backpack and 66" longbow in the fit. I always have a truck for inclement weather and hunting back road areas, but a small inexpensive car is like freedom to go appropriate places cheaply!
We have 2 cars and 2 trucks. 1 ton, old buick, new dodge small diesel and a Subrat outback. The diesel gets in the mid 20's and the outback 29.
Either of those would be great for you, Check out the clearance on the outback. It's one tenth (o.1) inch less than a Ford F-150.
I am a solo hunter. I currently drive a VW Jetta Wagon, non-diesel. 35mpg on highway. I hunt in MN and WI, no need for offroad capability and I don't hunt bad snow conditions. I used to drive a Subaru Outback, but they get much less mpg and have the exact same interior space available, and I found that I don't miss the AWD of the Outback.
6'+ length with the back seats down so I can sleep in the back with some gear piled in the front seats or even out on the ground if necessary. Deer can be dragged up in the back, with gear piled on top. I also have a Yakima roof box that I can use if I take a trip with extra gear space needed or maybe a second hunter and their gear.
As my kids get older I may have to upsize or get creative with packing gear, make more use of the roof box, maybe a hitch rack.
Here's a plug for Subaru's warranty.
The Outback quit. Lost all power and couldn't jump or get any response. 100 miles to the dealer. $800 tow bill. I have USAA and they paid. We had talked to the dealer and they said they thought the warranty would pay it. Next thing we know we get a check from Subaru for the tow bill.
You can imagine the confused USAA rep when we asked where to send their money back to them.
Outbacks go through more light bulbs than a dang Christmas Tree...and you have to bring it in or tear the car apart to change the high beam. So, your gas savings will quickly get eaten up when you start replacing bulbs. Love our 2011 Subaru, but the light bulb situation drives me NUTSSSSS!!! Something to consider, although I still think you're further ahead to keep your old truck..
The dome light on the 4R has gone out once in 12 years. Tires, oil, and finally a new (first) set of brake pads at 140K. The radio is acting up a bit. 'Sure beats my old Fix Or Repair Daily (but I still won't let the beast go).
I used to think the same until I did the math. Saving $1000-$1500 per year on gas doesn't make it worth buying and maintaining another vehicle.
To the OP.
I bet if you put in a decent performance chip in that truck you get better road mileage and more power for your farm stuff - $400
South Farm nailed it, can't argue with the math, unless you're just looking for a reason to buy another vehicle...
They must have changed something. 25K in 2 years on the Outback an never a light out.
i drive 48 miles a day for work. 24 there, 24 back.
if i get a vehicle that gets twice the MPG of my f-250 it will pay for it self in 2 years or less. at $3.00 per gallon i save $6.00 in fuel per day. That's just in work commutes, throw in a few out of state hunting trips to Ky, Oklahoma, Tx. plus trips to the deer lease and back which are 30 miles round trip my guess it would pay for it self in a year...
you can buy a vehicle for 5k - 6k and carry liability insurance only which would be relativly cheap...
The safety concerns with smaller vehicles is a thing of the past. I went upside down at 70 mph in my 2011 4-Runner, rolled and wrapped around a tree at high speed and walked away without a scratch.
Rob Nye, your Hemi Ram is doing lots better than mine. I get 15.5 mpg on daily driving and 17 mpg highway.
I commute daily 30 miles, the wear and tear on the much more expensive truck is my main motivation for having a second car. Next one will be more than just a work beater, who knows, maybe ill be able to get away from the 4x4 truck totally one day but I doubt it.
Here you go. Perfect hunting vehicle. 36 mpg. No, not the F150.
Perfect is obviously a matter of opinion & personal preference. It would take me 3 or 4 trips to get all of our gear to camp in that vehicle ( no, not the F-150 - that would take 2 trips). To each their own...
I would go with the small SUV that had the best ground clearance. I could get by with a car to get to my hunting area, but need ground clearance to drive in due to the rutted two track roads. A small SUV with good ground clearance and a hitch hauler would get me by.
Rented a Jeep Grand Cherokee couple weeks ago. Great ride and unbelievable gas mileage.
Jim you know you can't get away with that in Ms. Just drive the dang truck and suck it up and pay for the gas!!;-)
I have a 2002 KIA Sportage, 4X4. it is a true 4x4 not an AWD, I lifted it 3" and run 31" tires on it. 26mpg avg. and I can go ANYWHERE a Polaris can go! I paid 2200 for it and put another 2K in it to make sure it was sound with new tires and lift. I will attach pictures shortly. Every single person that has driven it wants one. And, it will keep up with ANY jeep that isn't a rock crawler!
Scars Monster KIA. I will go anywhere you can and more:)
Scars Monster KIA. I will go anywhere you can and more:)
Almost 12 inches of ground clearance and 12 inches of travel
Almost 12 inches of ground clearance and 12 inches of travel
Insane approach angles!
Insane approach angles!
I Love this thing!
I Love this thing!
Scar, that's pretty cool!
Here is where you guys math doesn't add up. That big truck that is paid for will wear out someday, and when it does, it will cost a small fortune to replace in todays truck market. So if he extends the life of that truck by 2-3 years by driving a cheaper one, he will come out ahead.
That is what I did when I bought a new truck recently. Instead of trading my 2001 model with 231,000 mile in, I kept it. Dropped collision insurance on it, and I drive it at least once a week to work and every time I go to the ranch. The "new" truck is now 18 months old and has only 18,000 miles on it instead of 30,000. That expensive truck will last me a lot longer than it would have otherwise. I am money ahead even without the gas savings. If he gets a cheap vehicle that triples his gas mileage, he will really come out ahead. That is assuming he doesn't get a lemon! I maintained my truck well and it still runs like a top
Yup. My Dodge 2500 will literally last forever because when I anywhere on pavement or when there's no snow to get through, I take the Civic.
You're driving the same amount of miles, just spreading it out over 2 vehicles. What you save in gas and operating costs has to cover the purchase price of the 2nd vehicle along with registration and insurance.
Yes, your truck will last longer but it will eventually need to be replaced and it is still depreciating whether you drive it or not. The cost to replace it will be higher AND you will also have to replace your second vehicle. IMO, you would have to be putting on an awful lot of miles in order for this strategy to work financially. Doesn't work for me.
Trucks? Always been a Toyota guy.Til now.If buying new,just drive the new Nissan Titan.They went all out to get a piece of the market.Best warranty,best ride(by far)and average 4 miles per gallon more than any Taco or Tundra I ever drove.
I put down $15,000 and my payments are still $560/month on my new truck ($6700/year). Delaying that by 2-3 years makes a lot of economic sense any way you slice it. And with only liability insurance on the old truck, that is about $50/month.
Look at it another way, without buying a cheap good mileage vehicle, in 2 years I would have spent $28,000 I will never get back. If I delay that by 2 years every time, I save quite a bit of money in the long run without looking at mileage. Just one more thing to put in the math. There is no way you would spend that much in those years using another cheap car unless it breaks down all the time.
And you will be saving the planet! :-)
Shiloh,
If i could get you to go to Iowa with me i wouldn't have this problem! i'd have some body to split the fuel cost with me!
On my third Ram 2500 4 x 4 diesel. Trip this year was to NL (7,000 mi. round trip). Three hunters, gear, and return w/3 processed moose. Average mph was 54.4. MPG was a bit over 24...using miles traveled/gallons used. Fuel costs divided 3 ways was not bad. Big chunk of iron in front gives some sense of safety as the average driver here runs way over the speed limit; rare use of turn signals, lane cutting in cities is rampant, DUIs numerous, law enforcement in rural areas scarce! At my age old bones enjoy the heated seats even though i need a 'ladder' to get in with the 20" wheels with the 35s on them. Wife's paid for small SUV does the need running around.
“Yes, your truck will last longer but it will eventually need to be replaced and it is still depreciating whether you drive it or not. ”
If that truck is getting used for farm work, I’d expect that time has next-to-nothing to do with depreciation other than what your accountant can write off for you.
Personally, I drive my 2015 Forester (stick) 40 miles to work (each way) and my overall average for the past 60k miles is about 30, though I will confess to hypermiling it wherever I can. And these puppies do extremely well in a wreck.
One thing about AWD, though - it’s an expensive option if you don’t really need it. For example, if you’re half-way through a set of tires and you wreck one, you’re going to be told that you need to replace all four. How close to Strictly Necessary that may be, I can’t tell you, but even my next-door-neighbor (who is a service advisor for a luxury car dealer) has been reluctant to say that it’s BS).
So just thought.
And yep, a big (tough!) sled makes it a lot easier to get a deer out of the woods and it’s a great catch basin for all the stuff that leaks out. And it’s a lot easier to get the sled in/out of a citified wagon than a 4WD pick-up.
I sure do miss having a pick-up...
If you're not towing a heap, look for a used Tacoma with a 4 cylinder - 21 mpg.
Vehicles are a black hole for money no matter how you slice it. That being said, we had a 2001 Honda CR-V that was probably the best vehicle we ever owned. Decent mileage, 25-27, and the real time all wheel drive was excellent on snow. We just sold our '08 Civic that consistently got 40-42 mpg. Had 160k miles and never had a seconds trouble. In it's place we bought a '12 model Civic that has 60k miles. This will be my soon to be 16 y/o sons daily driver.
I have a 2016 dodge 1 ton quad cab short bed 4x4 diesel that will pull any load and gets an honest 22 mph down the highway......It goes anywhere I have to guts to try, is comfortable and a plain old sweet ride !!
Mitsibshi Outlander with V6, AWD option. I have two of them a 2007 and 2014. Can tow about 3800-4000 # which you can't in the Honda models. Gas mileage 21-22 in city can squeeze 28 out of it on a long trip with OD/cruise control.
Most dependable vehicles I have ever owned AND the Outlander still holds the Guinness world records for stopping, handling on ice and snow.
Put a game hauler on the back, canoe rack and carrier on top, good to go about anywhere.
I don't own one but I hear the Endeavour ( little larger model SUV) was even better-they quit making them in 2011.
Traded for it, straight up!
I have had a Subaru wagon, Kia Sportage. and now an old Suzuki Sidekick , all 4 wheel drives and all got wonderful gas mileage, were all good 4 wheel drives. The Subaru was the nicest ride and great road car. The Kia was a really good solid car but I just love this Sidekick and it is a car you can get for 1400 to 3000 and they last forever and get awsome mileage/. The Sidekick has the best clearance and is the best 4 wheeler. Mine used 5 dollars of gas the last three weeks with quite a bit of driving. It seems like you can just drive forever in it. Road handling is great. power is great. Nothing I do not like about it except it has those things you have to roll the windows down with. lOL. God bless, Steve
