Can a lifted Jeep Gladiator get better (or worse) mpg than a new Ford Raptor?
This mpg battle features ridiculously capable off-road trucks. Our Jeep Gladiator had been modified for overlanding, receiving a suspension lift and 35-inch tires. Recently, we bought a 2020 Ford Raptor, which comes standard with 35-inch tires. That got us thinking about efficiency or the lack-there-of. You see, we think that these two very different trucks may actually get very similar efficiency. What we have here is a stock and very powerful twin-turbo V6 Ford Raptor full-size truck with 450 hp and a 10-speed automatic and a lifted Gladiator Rubicon with a stock 285 hp naturally aspirated V6 with an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Modifications make a difference
Once you lift a truck and add larger tires, efficiency foes out the window. By going up a size in tire diameter, you’re increasing the mass of each wheel, which requires more power to move. On top of that, by lifting everything upwards, you’re hurting your aerodynamic profile. Granted, this Jeep’s aerodynamics were poor to begin with, but now, it’s even worse.
As we stated before, our new Raptor comes standard with BFGoodrich 35 inch tires. We are very happy with these tires as they have proven excellent in snow and off-road. The only modification the Raptor it the Softopper, which weighs very little, but it might enhance (or hurt) the Raptor’s aerodynamic profile.
In stock form, the Raptor is rated at 15 mpg city, 18 mpg highway and 16 combined. The Jeep Gladiator is rated at 17 mpg city, 22 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined. That Gladiator rating will take a hit as our vehicle’s modifications hurt its efficiency. The question is: how much?
Real world testing
In this video, we take both vehicles on one of our mpg loops and see how they do being driven in real-world conditions. Yes, we know it’s comparing bananas to apples, but we were curious – as some of you are. On top of that, given that this is a real-world test, we know that both drivers have a different driving style. There was a lot of traffic and headwinds. Still, the numbers over long distances tend to even out, especially as the cruising speeds are controlled by the vehicle’s cruise-control system whenever these trucks are on the highway.
The numbers are quite interesting in this one. Check it out!
