V8 passenger MPG

[Kilgar]

I’m new to the forum as we recently purchased a used 2014 V8 passenger van. I’m wondering what people are getting for MPG. I was expecting to take a bit of a hit on fuel economy on this beast but so far this van is an absolute pig. I’ve been tracking my mileage for about 1,200 miles on the van so far and am averaging between 9-10 MPG. I have the 4th row of seats removed, no cargo and have been driving either solo or with 2 toddlers. I would say I have been doing 50/50 city and highway driving, I don’t have a heavy foot and the terrain fairly mild. A full tank of gas gets me to 230 miles and then I am on fumes. I can’t imagine what my mileage will drop to once I load the whole family up and tow my 7,000lbs trailer.

Does 9-10 MPG seem ridiculously poor? I do have the Quigley 4x4. I was expecting perhaps 15MPG for combined mileage.

Thanks

[radin2son]

Until the very end of your post, where you mentioned 4x4, I was all set to do the usual mpg post. I think KMG posted his average mpg for a trip from Missouri to Washington State in his NV 3500 high top camper conversion. I don’t recall any other 4x4 owners posting mpg.

 

Since it is a Quigley conversion, call them and see what mpg they got on their NVs and what other owners are saying. Does Quigley have an owners forum?

 

Let us know what you find.

Edited January 11, 2019 by radin2son

[ASD Dad]

Agree with Rad.  The Quigley comment threw me!  

I have oversized all terrain tires and a large roof rack with kayak racks attached.  I average 12 MPG day in day out (over 60K miles).  When I had the highway tires and no rack I could get 15-17 on the highway easily.  Still got about 13 around town.

 

When towing my 7700# camper I get 8-9 mpg.

[Mark Rogers]

My van is still pretty much stock, except for a pair of running boards.  I get 11 mpg around town and 13 on the highway.  I could do better on highway mileage if I kept my speed down to 65 mph, but a lot of my highway miles are in places where the speed limit is 80 and I don't want to delay my arrival.

 

Kilgar, I'm guessing your 4x4 conversion included at least a 2" lift and some bigger tires.  Both of those come with an efficiency penalty.  I don't know if the drivetrain modifications would affect mileage or not in 2WD mode, but they're certainly not going to help, either.

 

The new V8 engine and transmission introduced in 2017 help efficiency a little bit (maybe 1-2 mpg better).  So, keep that in mind if you're comparing mileage with other NV owners.

Edited January 11, 2019 by Mark Rogers

[Kilgar]

I checked with Quigley and they said there would be little to no impact on the fuel mileage outside the extra 360 lbs the 4x4 adds to the weight of the Van.

Mark my vehicle is stock as well except for the 4x4. No lift on it and I am running standard size all seasons.

[radin2son]

15 mpg for a V8 is unrealistic for mixed city/highway driving. 9-10 mpg may seem low but others have reported this.

 

With these trucks, you get what you get no matter how you drive it. Think instead about your NV in terms of what it offers in interior capacity and safety.

 

Is there a Quigley owner’s forum where you can check real mpg? You may have to compare other van pre/post conversions if no NVs are included.

Edited January 11, 2019 by radin2son

[radin2son]

Check expeditionportal.com for Quigley mpg. An example is a ‘98 Ford V10 that gets 9 mpg off road, 9.5 mpg road and 10 mpg highway at 65/70 mph. Although set up differently than yours, you may be able to search for a stock V10 to compare the 2 Fords.

 

Under the above post was the comment: “If you want 15 mpg, don’t buy a Ford E350.” Another essentially said buy a diesel.

Edited January 12, 2019 by radin2son

[GrooveChampion]

I have a 2017 4x4 from Advanced with a 2” lift, 34” all terrain tires, and a gear ratio change to 3.93. I regularly get 10 mpg mixed driving. I’ve gotten as high as 14-15 mpg if it is pure highway miles.

[radin2son]

There you go.

 

It is interesting that Advanced is converting 2017 NVs. Quigley was still working on development as of 9/5/2018.

[yjmoose89]

I get about 22 with my 2018 v8 3500sl. Of course that is kilometers per gallon but measuring it that way makes me feel better.

[andy_george]

Lol moose! I get 12-14mpg the majority of the time. Mostly rural and a little city driving.

[radin2son]

Andy, 2x4 right? All we need now is for Mahu to jump in with his V6 mpg, but we do eNVy the V6 mpg.

Edited January 12, 2019 by radin2son

[GrooveChampion]

Really? The 2017 has been around for 2 years now. I’ve had my van since October 2017 and I am sure that Advanced had been doing the conversions on the 2017s long before I bought mine.

[radin2son]

The web site, quigley4x4.com under news, says development is near completion and to check back in November, 2018 or contact a sales rep for more info. When you dig a little deeper, the model guide doesn’t specify a model year. So they may be taking orders.

 

You can still access the Nissan Blue Pass Moab video from their Nissan drop down menu.

Edited January 13, 2019 by radin2son

[andy_george]

Yes, 2x4. Sorry, I forgot to include that important piece of info.

[GrooveChampion]

Too Bad you can’t get an NV with either an EcoBoost or Diesel engine. My old boss has a F150 with the EcoBoost and he loves it. Unfortunately, Ford dropped their body on frame vans. And then Nissan teases us with videos of the Cargo X with the Cumins Turbo Diesel. Obviously Ford isn’t going to give their engines to the competition but why not offer the diesel version of the NV?

[Cort Johnson]

Something is wrong. 9-10 mpg in any van this day and age is ridiculous. You don't even have a high top!

 

I don't have an NV but am considering getting one at some point. My 1-ton GMC Savana gets  17-19 on the highway and about 15 mpg overall.  - http://www.fuelly.com/car/gmc/savana_3500/2010/cortttt/417194- I don't have 4-wheel drive but that should knock it down just a mile or two. I do have solar and a yakima rack that is loaded up...

 

I think something is seriously wrong. You should investigate further. 

 

Good luck! 

[radin2son]

NVs can average 15 mpg.

 

We have to assume this NV was properly serviced by the previous owner. Tuned? Has anyone done anything except oil and recommended service?

 

I now know where Abbotsford, BC is. Beautiful area. How often is 4x4 needed?

Edited January 15, 2019 by radin2son

[GrooveChampion]

GM engines have their Active Fuel Management technology. This allows the engine to shut off some of the cylinders under light load conditions, creating better fuel efficiency. Unfortunately, this is another case where they won’t be sharing that technology with competitors. I originally wanted to get a Chevy Express instead of the NV because they are plentiful, cheap, and also have the body on frame instead of the unibody, but then I test drove one and I just about had to use a shoehorn to get me into the drivers seat. I also injured my self just trying to exit the van after the test drive. I’m tall (6’6”), but not so freakishly tall that I shouldn’t expect to be able to fit into one of the biggest vehicles that you can buy.

[radin2son]

There always are trade offs. Nissan Corp seems to be putting all their resources into everything except NVs.

[Kilgar]

I don’t need the 4x4 very much in this part of the world, but it sure is nice to have when you do need it.

No custom tuning or anything like that. The original owner just did basic maintenance and oil changes. I have about 50,000km (30,000 miles) on it.

[Kilgar]

Thought I would post the response I got from Quigley back in October in regards to their conversions.

“ I am being told we can work some NV builds into the schedule starting in March.

All of our NV delays were from circumstances beyond our control.

Now we are waiting on final testing, on the new adapter, for the single speed transfer case for V-8 models. We will be back up & running on Nissans in March, accepting new V-8 orders in Nov-Dec. “

[andy_george]

There always are trade offs. Nissan Corp seems to be putting all their resources into everything except NVs.

Very true. But I believe it’s just because we are an enthusiastic group of owners in a class that has historically gotten much less attention than the majority of automotive catergories. Ford and GM also left full size vans alone after they had a formula they seemed happy with, even with the considerable flaws. Lots of buyers stay loyal to their brand for the most part, and there aren’t the sales numbers to justify costly new models every 4-5 years like pickups.

[andy_george]

Also, since this is a thread about MPG’s, since I just changed the oil in our 2018 CRV, I have quick thought. Yeah, the NV mileage sucks. Most trucks with conventional drivetrains have abysmal mileage compared to anything loaded with tech or fuel saving gizmos. But unlike our CRV, there’s no belly pan with 9 screws to remove to access the oil drain and filter, no wheel removal required like the upcoming Ford Ranger, and no $25 cartidge filter like our Ford Super Duty. Everything about the NV is pretty simple and straightforward, as a real commercial vehicle should be. To me that’s more valuable than some more mileage.

[Cort Johnson]

Yes GM does have active fuel management but my 2010 4.8L does not!  It's been around since 2010. 

 

The Vortec 4800 L20 makes more power and features variable valve timing. The system adjusts both intake and exhaust timing, but does not come with Active Fuel Management. The L20 has a cast iron block and power output is 260–302 hp (194–225 kW) while torque is 295–305 lb⋅ft (400–414 N⋅m). The Vortec 4800 base engines were dropped from the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon in favor of the 5300 with Active Fuel Management.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LS_based_GM_small-block_engine#4.8_L

 

 

 

I've had this van for 3 years now- it's got `140K and has been very reliable - I love it. They keep updating the engine/tranny but the body hasn't changed for decades. It think it may be setting a record! 

 

I'm 6'6" to and am okay getting in and out but there's no doubt that things have changed a lot and the van is in need of some serious updating - which I hear is not going to happen for at least three years. 

 

I strongly considered the NV - I liked the ride, I liked the seats, I liked the engine, I like the thought that went into it...I was worried about the cargo space and the prices were a little high for me and the GMC/Chevy's were abundant and more affordable. I didn't realize until later that a high top NV has about the same amount of cargo spaces as and extended Chevy/GMC van. (Who knew?) If I found a high-top in my price range I could have ended up with an NV. 

 

I plan on driving this for another 4 years or so and then seeing what's up. I read that Nissan is disappointed at the sales of the van. I sincerely hope they keep with it. 

 

It and the Chevy/GMC are the only two vans that really have what I want for a lot of off-road travel - decent clearance, tough ladder frame chassis, big enough tires (love those 17"er's on the biggest Nissans),and reliable. 

 

The downside conpared to the Transit (low clearance, small tires) and Promaster (reliability problems I've heard) is low MPG and less space. I was in a Promaster the other day and couldn't believe how much room there was. 

Edited January 15, 2019 by Cort Johnson