I guess it is off topic, somewhat...but, I mostly agree with Jeff. I
have been driving a lot less this past month. Fortunately, I have a
choice, since I don't have to drive to work each day like most folks do
(including my wife).
On the subject of gas mileage of new versus old, and SUVs/pickups versus
cars, I'm not so sure. My wife drives a 99 Silverado with the 325 V8,
and it gets 20 mpg wherever she goes...although since we live a ways out
of town we don't do a lot of "real" city driving, most trips are mostly
highway type driving. Still, I'm lucky to get 12 mpg with any of my
oletrucks. I had gotten 14 on the highway with the 66 Suburban, 402
engine, when I still had it. I got 14 on the highway with my 59 truck
with the original 235 engine back in the late 70s. Mostly, though, I
get from 10 to 12 mpg with the old ones. Before we got the new truck,
she was driving her 70 D*dg* Dart, with a mild 340 engine. It gets
about 12 in town, and maybe 15 on the highway. For a few months, she
was driving my dad's 83 Olds Cutlass with a 307 V8, and getting about
19-20 mpg. I don't know exactly how they did it, but Chevy really knows
how to get good gas mileage out of new trucks! I've read that the new
2000 Suburban (which is based on the 99 Silverado) gets 17 mpg as a 4x4,
in real-world driving. I would expect the new 2wd Suburban to be about
the same as our 99 pickup.
I won't hazzard a guess on the mileage that a new V10 D*dg* pickup
gets...but I expect it would be similar to the gas hog 454 powered late
model Chevy trucks...which are not much better than my old trucks.
Jim
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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