Pickup mileage?
 

What kind of mileage can you get with a small pickup with a tonneau cover on the bed? I'm still couriering (gee, is that a word?), and we recent picked up a contract with an industrial supply house. Putting a 60# motor in the back seat of a Sephia is workable, though far from ideal. A hatchback or wagon would work, and we know a mini-van won't get real great mileage, but the one I'm completely in the dark on is a small pickup like an S-10 (or the Montana if it arrives here soon).

I get 26 mpg combined with mine. 87 S10, short cab, short bed, 4-speed manual trans, 2wd, no PS, no AC. can't really say for sure about the in-town mileage since I live in a small town but highway mileage is around 28-29 any speed over 60 (including windows down 75 with a few hundred lbs extra)

with an insane head/crosswind and 900lbs of a camaro in the bed it got 23 mpg doing 65.

I've put about $80 (plus a free sway bar) into suspension and with a L6 engine, half a dozen tires, and 200# in misc parts and tools it'll keep up with my buddies Cressida on the onramps.

newer small pickups get similar mileage if you really try hard... mine gets that mileage no matter what. I had a 96 ford ranger 5-speed... 600 lbs heavier, 15 more hp, same tq, and quite frankly it was an underpowered POS that maxed out at 90 not from the rev/speed limiter but because it takes all 108 hp to go that fast in that truck. it also couldn't break the tires loose... ever... where as my S10 does easily.

some people have suggested a matrix or vibe (same platform) for greater carying capacity. they are still supposed to get better FE than most trucks and vans I think.

I would go with the vibe if you could find one because it is basically a toyota without the logo

Regular cab short bed 2wd base model 5 speed manual pickups are very cheap, practical, and efficient. Take a look at "search by class" on https://www.fueleconomy.gov and check the pickup truck class.

EPA ratings for the configuration described above:
1996 Chevy/GMC/Isuzu: 20/27mpg
2006 Ford/Mazda: 21/27mpg

Nods, "Its on my radar, Malibu MAXX is really high on my list because of the mileage mentioned here on the forums, but I suspect it'll be outside of my budget. Pickups are fairly cheap and easy to get, heck, I could get a Toyota dualie cab and chassis if I wanted one, possibly with a diesel, for a decent price, hence the idea."

If it's a diesel I'd take it, I've heard those Toyota chassis cabs do 25mpg with an RV cabover body on them. So some aero van body would do pretty good I'd think.

Most small "1/4 ton" trucks only have a 1000lb payload though, so if you're expecting ever to get shipments of 20 of those motors or something, you'd be overweight in a compact truck... but strangely if you've still your your minivan, you probably have 2000lb payload capacity in that, as much as a "half ton" near as dammit.

i get very close to 30 in my 95 s-10. 4 banger 5 speed.(no cover) ive loaded it up with 900 lbs of gravel, topsoil, you name it.

ive heard form people on my s-10 forum that they gain 1-2 mpg from a toneau cover.

if you are considering an s-10 get a 98and up one. they had a head change and some other improvements that will get you over 30 mpg without toneau covers

Nope, got rid of the van, it lost the brake system again (master cylinder, power booster, shoes and pads this time), as well as the A/C compressor. Since it was in my partner's name, we traded it in (upside down, bad deal) since it was eating a hole through our budget. He got an 08 Cobalt, I got his old 99 Kia Sephia which gets much better gas mileage. I'll retire the van once I get the last of the fuel receipts entered, and maybe a pic or two. The Beat Beet will get pics when I get to it, it needs a few things, most immediately the hose from the air box to the engine (geeze, that hole cost me around 8-9MPG).

Now, back on topic, one of the things I was curious about was what if any FE improvements a tonneau cover or camper shell makes. The FE numbers are actually not that bad, the official numbers for the Sephia are 21/28, just a touch over the pickups mentioned in theholycow's post, and the actual is just over 30MPG, so ifn a pick up can give me results like that, I'll be very happy to get one.

I wouldn't be surprised if the later "stepside" S10s with an appropriate cap get a bit better than a "fleetside" with a cap. But then of course, you lose bed.

ya stepside s-10s lose alot of space suprisingly enough thier about equal mpg.

btw an FYI there is an inch difference between the front of the bed and the back (back is narrower)