Good Gas Mileage Hunting Vehicle

nphunter

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With fuel prices skyrocketing is has anyone started looking at alternative hunting vehicles? I'm currently using a Tacoma with a cap, roof rack, bumpers, and lift, I average about 13mpg during hunting season and 17 on the hwy. I have a couple of out-of-state hunts scheduled this fall and typically hunt 8+ weeks from Aug. - Nov. normally fuel has been one of my largest expenses but now it will defiantly be by a land slide.

I'm really considering selling the Taco before these market crashes, currently, I could make a lot of money off of the truck even after beating on it for the last couple of years. I really don't know what to get though, I think a crappy little fwd car would get me to about 80% of the places I hunt, more if I beat the shit out of it. I just don't know if I'm quite ready to give up having a decent rig. I've considered buying a small hybrid SUV like a toyota Rav 4 which gets over 40mpg, put a hitch on the back and haul my t-dub or CT90 on the back for the really poor roads. It really is a tough decision though, especially going out of state like NE Nevada where there is pretty much nobody to help if you break down or get stuck.

I've always really liked having a capable vehicle but the current prices are crazy. Just the two trips I have planned I will be putting on 1300 miles just to and from, not to mention any driving while there. I normally keep about 1K set aside in an envelope for the fuel each fall so it doesn't hit the bank account as hard. This year we are already double with a couple of months to go. Maybe I just need to accept that it's going to be the cost of doing business going forward.

Curious what everyone else's thoughts are, I defiantly feel like the woods are going to be a much lonelier place this fall with prices the way they are.
 
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There’s a simmilar thread to this somewhere. I think “non-truck hunting vehicles”.

Anyway:
Ford Maverick
Subaru Baha/forrester/OB
Rav4
CRV/Pilot Awd
 
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Not sure how tough it is, but the Honda Passport offers a Trail Sport trim. Then, you would want better tires and possibly a slight lift, so there goes the fuel economy.

My 2019 Ford Ranger gets about 23 on the highway with a 2.5" leveling kit and 265/70R17s.
 

Missahba

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I checked out one of the new ford rangers. It was cruising with good mpg. When I test drove one. The back seat was the deal breaker for us with our little ones still in car seats/boosters. But that truck was nimble. The Jeep cherokees are nice and nimble too and very off road worthy.


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tony

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2021 Ford Ranger "Tremor"
Last few tanks I've got 26 mpg. Average high 24s.
Turbo 4 cylinder ecoboost. Peppy, plenty of power.
Listed to pull 7500 pounds.
 
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nphunter

nphunter

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What year is your taco? I ask because I get average 20+ in mine.
I wish I got 20+

2015 DCSB, 3.5" lift, topper, front aluminum bumper with winch, rear steel bumper, steel skid plates, sliders, roof rack and light bar.

Driving 55 and paying attention to the pedal and running max pressure I can get 17, normal every day driving it's about 15 and any time spent in the woods it's 13.
 
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nphunter

nphunter

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Thanks, I did a search but didn't see this one.
 

BBob

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I always like to look at how many trips I might make with the vehicle I already own outright compared to what a "better" mileage vehicle would cost. With some rough calcs on how much it would cost to drive your Taco round trip you could do 30-35 of those trips for what it would cost to buy a used Subi Crosstrek. Something to chew on. You can pay the man now or you can pay him later ;)

When friends tell me they just spent $35K on this fantastic wizzbang hybrid to save gas and beat the price at the pump I smile inwardly knowing I can fill my current paid off daily drivers tank for 10 years at current fuel prices for what they paid for that thing and I have no car payment to make :)
 
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It's not sexy but if you don't need to haul anything I've found the Outback to be a tolerable compromise. I average around 26/27 mpg with a lead foot and frequently used roof box.

Lots of room for gear, easily sleeps two out of the back, and drives well with good tires. It has less clearance than a truck and the long front-end can occasionally be problematic on steeper washouts etc, but it's never been a show stopper.
 

Marbles

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I always like to look at how many trips I might make with the vehicle I already own outright compared to what a "better" mileage vehicle would cost. With some rough calcs on how much it would cost to drive your Taco round trip you could do 30-35 of those trips for what it would cost to buy a used Subi Crosstrek. Something to chew on. You can pay the man now or you can pay him later ;)

When friends tell me they just spent $35K on this fantastic wizzbang hybrid to save gas and beat the price at the pump I smile inwardly knowing I can fill my current paid off daily drivers tank for 10 years at current fuel prices for what they paid for that thing and I have no car payment to make :)
This. I was looking at replacing my Corrola with a hybrid Rav4 due to gas milage and wanting an All-wheel drive. Turns out, even with a 20 mpg improvement it would take 6 to 10 years for the Rav4 to be cheaper.

With the current price of Tacomas, and the greater jump in fuel economy, a Rav4 would pay for itself sooner for you. However, hybrids come with other ownership costs, such as battery replacement. Odds are, keeping the Tacoma is cheaper.

Spend $8000 on a BMW GS adventure. It will probably cost you less than upgrading and get better milage than any car. Get a trailer for it.
 
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oregon coast
With fuel prices skyrocketing is has anyone started looking at alternative hunting vehicles? I'm currently using a Tacoma with a cap, roof rack, bumpers, and lift, I average about 13mpg during hunting season and 17 on the hwy. I have a couple of out-of-state hunts scheduled this fall and typically hunt 8+ weeks from Aug. - Nov. normally fuel has been one of my largest expenses but now it will defiantly be by a land slide.

I'm really considering selling the Taco before these market crashes, currently, I could make a lot of money off of the truck even after beating on it for the last couple of years. I really don't know what to get though, I think a crappy little fwd car would get me to about 80% of the places I hunt, more if I beat the shit out of it. I just don't know if I'm quite ready to give up having a decent rig. I've considered buying a small hybrid SUV like a toyota Rav 4 which gets over 40mpg, put a hitch on the back and haul my t-dub or CT90 on the back for the really poor roads. It really is a tough decision though, especially going out of state like NE Nevada where there is pretty much nobody to help if you break down or get stuck.

I've always really liked having a capable vehicle but the current prices are crazy. Just the two trips I have planned I will be putting on 1300 miles just to and from, not to mention any driving while there. I normally keep about 1K set aside in an envelope for the fuel each fall so it doesn't hit the bank account as hard. This year we are already double with a couple of months to go. Maybe I just need to accept that it's going to be the cost of doing business going forward.

Curious what everyone else's thoughts are, I defiantly feel like the woods are going to be a much lonelier place this fall with prices the way they are.
i'm thinking about getting a subaru cross trek with a 2" lift and some BFG all terrains... probably not much for hunting specific, but i'm putting around 1k miles a week on my pickup, so i'm considering a car for that, and personally, i won't have a rig i can't drive offroad without any issues, because i'm still in the hills a good bit when out of town working... the subaru is about the only compromise i'm willing to make for a car, it will get good fuel mileage, comfortable to drive, still offroad capable, and probably pretty good, tougher tires to keep from getting flats, and keep the miles off my pickup, because i actually plan to keep it a few years, and i don't want to put that many miles on it if possible.

i don't have any delusions of that penciling out for me, but it would be handy to have for several reasons... my wife drives a tundra, so the car or my pickup would make sense for her to drive... we also travel 5hrs up the coast every other weekend at least, to our other house, Tundra isn't very economical for that.... my pickup averages about 17.5mpg, which is pretty impressive for how i drive, but a lot of my commute is done at 80+mph, and it doesn't do well in that range.... better than my taco(s) did, but still around 15mpg
 
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