BusTalk

TracyGieck · Age: 66 Joined: 17 Aug 2013 Posts: 1

I've been looking at buses online for over a year now in anticipation of retirement. I really liked the 4104, but a lot of people say they are gutless. The 4106's aren't gutless, but only get around 7mpg. I found a 4106 in San Diego that has a 6-92 turbo with a V730 transmission instead of the normal 8V71with a 4 speed. Would I get better mpg with the 6-92? Is it gutless also? I'm trying to get the most fuel efficient bus possible because the wife isn't really excited about this. Good mpg would help. I'm open to all suggestions except dumping the wife.

JimmiB · Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 12:38 am Post subject:

Tracy,
The 04's and 06's that I've driven seemed to get about the same fuel mileage, somewhere in the 6-8 MPG range. These were all 8 cylinders. From what I could find on line, the average is about 7 1/2 MPG for the 8's and the turbo 6 might get 1 MPG more.
Actually, I found that neither one was "gutless". The biggest difference was that the 06's were easier to handle, especially since the 04's I drove did not have power steering. Also, parts may be easier to find for a 4106.
Good luck convincing your wife.

traildriver · Joined: 26 Mar 2011 Posts: 2701 Location: South Florida

Unless you are into history, why look for such an antique that may have a tough time finding replacement parts for?

I would recommend looking for a nice MC-9, instead. They are plentiful, reasonably priced, and parts are probably readily available. You might even consider an MC-12, with a '50' series engine should deliver decent power and fuel economy......