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Small V-8 (5.3) but seems like it should get decent milage for a daily driver. (I'm at ~80 freeway miles per day) With gas @ 2.46 a gallon here in Northern CA, mileage has become a prime consideration for my dual purpose vehicle http://ITForum.ImprovedTouring.com/smile.gif
Is it big enough to haul a 20 foot enclosed?
Marcus
[This message has been edited by Marcus Miller (edited April 02, 2005).]
I would think it would be fine, but I went against most recommendations and tow/drive daily a Lightning. Didn't make my daily driving decision based on 1% use (towing a trailer). I bet it'd work well and you'd be happy, everyone doesn't need a F350 diesel to tow their trailers, although I'm sure they tow better than what I've got. Can't catch me around town though! ;-)
Seriously, I'm not too sure it being a hybrid is going to save much gas for you over getting a diesel truck. I understand that Ford and Chevy will have shortly, less than one year from what I remember reading in a car rag, a smaller diesel motor in the F150 and 1500 series trucks. That was one of the things that put me off a diesel truck is that I really couldn't get a relatively small one with a diesel, they were all large trucks with large diesel motors. A small truck with a diesel motor might suit you fine since it appears you're after a standard size truck like I was as opposed to the F250, 2500, F350, 3500 stuff.
Ron
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Ron Earp
NC Region
Ford Lightning Tow Beast
RF GT40 Replica
Jensen-Healey ITS
1/2 a 260Z ITS
Hey Marcus. I have an F350 Extended cab short bed Powerstroke diesel on its own driving at highway speeds it get over 20mpg. Towing a 24' enclosed trailer fully loaded it'll go up the grapevine at 70mph with the cruise control set! It's the same overall size as an Excursion, it's big but you can drive it around town. I'd take a look at the Ford diesel.
John Norris
Thnaks John and Ron.
John, I'd love a F350, but its not in the cards. It's simply too big for daily driving.
Ron, You hit the nail on the head; I need a smaller truck. Time to do some research on the potential forthcoming of smaller diesels...
thanks guys,
Marcus
Marcus,
I feel the same as you - just don't want a 250 or especially, a 350 for daily duty. The Lightning is the first truck I've ever owned and using it daily works, but there are times it still fills big - and it is definitely a small truck compared to what is out there!
The new F150s got larger than the previous models - I can't even reach over into the beds in them. Granted I'm not tall, 5'8", but you'd have to be much >6' to pull this off and touch the bottom of the bed in these things.
When I was looking at trucks the new Nissan Titan always came to the top of my list for a truck as a daily driver. It isn't small, but the interior was very nice and you could have lots of "car like" features in the truck including navigation on the very nice sound systems. But, it isn't going to get fantastic gas mileage, especially as a 4wd, but I was happy with a 2wd truck as it doesn't snow much here and I don't drive off-road.
Having said all of that, even though I don't own "a truck" in the eyes of many of the macho-he-man-large-truck-having folks, I'll never own a different sort of vechicle for a daily driver. Just too damn useful. As long as they'll keep making fun and fast trucks I'll have one.
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Ron Earp
NC Region
Ford Lightning Tow Beast
RF GT40 Replica
Jensen-Healey ITS
1/2 a 260Z ITS
I'd love a 250/350 diesel! But.. try parking that in San Francisco on Friday night http://ITForum.ImprovedTouring.com/smile.gif
Honestly, aside from the normal 80 mile daily freeway trip, about 20% of the time, I'm at our corporate headquarters, on top of the mountain range overlooking the pacific ocean. The road is not big truck friendly, and neither parking at the office.
(My compact *fills* a space)
That's enough headache, that I don't want to deal witha big truck for daily use.
I've been considering a Lightning but I was worried about towing and interior space.
Marcus
Lightning gets a bad rap for towing. The thing tows fine. I think they derated it because of performance tires and such, and they didn't WANT people towing with it. I've towed with Ron's and it's not that much less capable than my 2500 Suburban, it's faster, more fun and a shitload more reliable.
Ride the Lighting.......
Well, from your hybrid investigations I thought you were concerned about gas mileage. If so, the Lightning is probably not for you.
Empty it seems to get 13mpg. Pushing the loud pedal and going fast it gets about 13mpg. Towing it get about 13mpg. It seems to get about 13mpg. Not so good.
But, as far as towing it does just fine. Going down tomorrow to get a 20' enclosed and I'll let you know if I have trouble. The L is fun to drive, handles well for a truck and mine made 368 rwhp and 441 rwtq on the dyno - stock. After that 1999 SVT Mustang fiasco they under-rated the motors slightly to be sure of hitting output targets. More hp is just a pulley away. It hauls ass.
The interior is pretty nice wit hgood seats and I replaced my stereo with a double DIN large screen type that does satellite and plays DVDs - be good for the track weekends. No it doesn't have the space of a extended double door cab, but there is enough for me.
Might be a good option for you if you need a fun/good vechicle for daily driving but need to tow too. I just wasn't ready to bite the bullet and get a "full size" truck for my once a month tow duties. Besides, I think we "overtow" here in the US anyhow - ever visit a race paddock in England? The guys with a Grand Cherokee over there (which most people think it too light for duty over here) think they have it made, while most are towing with Volvo wagons and what not.
Tow on!
R
Marcus,
For what it is worth I just got done towing this 20' enclosed back from Flordia, over 8 hours of driving. The Lightning did just fine, no troubles at all. It towed well, wasn't struggling, and I ran a very pleasant 72mph (I like to go a little slower than traffic so I don't have to worry about passing).
Gas mileage did suffer though, it dropped to 10.5 mpg. But, I understand lots of gas trucks are in this range towing so I don't think it is all that bad. Heck, it gets 13 with no trailer, 2.5 mpg drop is reasonable I suppose.
R
Thnaks Ron!
At this point I'm just throwing out ideas http://ITForum.ImprovedTouring.com/smile.gif I had high hopes for the hybrid concept, but in the real world it doesn't seem to be helping that much.
The lightning would make a badass tow vehicle. It couldn't really be a daily driver though, for my commute. (new local prices: 2.79/89/99 for 97/89/91 respectively, in San Mateo, CA)
I think I'm going to borrow my friend's 2500 for a week and see how I do.
Marcus
Agreed on the gas. The Lightning uses it, a lot of it, and it uses premium unless you get a special ECU program to limit boost to about 2 to 4 lbs and that is no fun. I commute in mine but only have 45 miles a day to go - still costs me around $10 a day.
Incidentally, the guy I bought this trailer from had been using a standard F150 to tow it and said it did just fine. I'm sure a 2500 will handle anything you throw at it within reason.
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Ron Earp
NC Region
Ford Lightning
RF GT40 Replica
Jensen-Healey ITS
1/2 a 260Z ITS