George, this is just an observation on mileage that is my personal opinion. The mid to late 90's Series 60 engines seem to deliver the best fuel economy. That is based on information provided by owners on this site, but is mostly anecdotal. I can say with certainty how much fuel I put in my coach because I keep records of that, but like all others I cannot accurately attribute quantities to the engine and generator.

From the Detroit Pro Driver display my mileage shows anywhere from 7.1 to 8.3 over approximately 5000 mile blocks. To measure consumption per tankful skews the infoirmation because there are factors which greatly influence mileage. Your right foot is one of the biggest factors and if you are inclined to run at 65 to 75 you will get poor mileage compared to when you run 55 to 65. Headwinds have a big impact as does driving in mountanous areas. If you tow a Hummer you will not get the mileage you will with a VW Beatle.

But despite all the talk of mileage and fuel economy, it is only important in the context of how far you can go between visits to a truck stop, unless you like hanging around truck stops.

Let's put this in context. If you drive 20,000 miles per year, and one coach gets 8 mpg, and a second gets 6 mpg the difference in operating cost per year is $2500 based on $3 fuel. Unless you are considering a Series 60 and an 8V92 the spread between any two coaches is going to much less. In reality fuel is a small part of ownership. The real cost of ownership is depreciation so if making an economical purchase is one of your primary considerations stick with an older coach, Series 60 equipped, very well maintained, and with every mechanical thing up to date, especially tires with new dates, new batteries, new air bags, etc. Depreciation will be less than a newer one, the major expense items will have been made by the previous owner, and with the Series 60 you will get better mileage.

In the end however keep in mind buying a coach is a balancing act. There are some really cheap buses out there, but if they do not meet your needs or you have to spend serious money to bring them into reliable shape they are not so cheap after all. My free advice is to decide what you want and need, settle on a price that is reasonable for the coach of your dreams and then scour the market for your new coach. It is out there. Don't get hung up on fuel mileage because it is just a very small part of ownership.