Howdy. Im a first year carpentry apprentice and have been driving a 99 honda accord which is good for gas, buut definitely i need to make a size upgrade. I have been trying to decide between a Ford Ranger or an F150. As i am just a first year apprentice i dont neccesarrily need a full size truck as i dont need to bring all of my own tools. But if i want to do anything on the side my table saw doesnt fit in my accord so i need something bigger but just have been trying to rationalize and figure out what suits me best right now. Also I live in Canada so idealy id like to find something 4x4 for the snow so that is something else ive been trying to take into account. Ultimately it comes down to fuel economy for me because i do have to drive half an hour highway to work everyday. So i figured a Ranger would be the natural best option, but as ive researched, in some cases they dont do a whoole lot better then an f150. So i was just wondering if I could get some input as to what you guys would think the better option would be for me. I dont necesarrily need a full size for a couple years or so, but i figure if it isnt going to be that much worse on gas then a Ranger, I might as well. So id appreciate the input as to the fuel economy to help me make a decision. id be looking in the 93-03 area on either of the trucks. thanks

 

well a 4 cyl ranger will do almost 30 highway, dont think any F150 will touch that. only issue is the 4 cyl rangers dont have alot of torque, if you have alot of hills to deal with or pull a trailer much over 500# you'll find yourself holding it to the floor to maintain speed. my '93 4.0 on the other hand gets a highway best of 19, about 17 combined, 15 in town. it does what i need it to do, however it doesnt much like my 6x10 box trailer and works it hard, gas milage goes down to 10-12. i dont tow much with it though. for the most part it does what i need it to do and is reasonably good enough on gas for me. a 1/2 ton for me just wouldnt be justifiable.

 

thanks for the input. And ya ive thought about a 4cyl ranger but ive also heard 2wd rangers arent too good in the snow and i havnt seen many, if any 4cyl 4x4 rangers. So theres where my dilema is haha.

 

I believe that all recent 4x4 Rangers use the 4.0L engine. If you drive at rational speeds, you can expect about 17-18 mpg hiway, maybe better or worse depending an other factors.

 

ok thanks.

 

I'm getting around 20-25 mpg with my 4.0L, manual 5-spd, and 4.10 gears (seriously, just did the math after the last tank of gas) - however this is @ ~55-60 mph - anything over 2500rpm (75-80mph) and the mileage drops to around 17-19mpg. New tires helped considerably with the mileage and the tonneau cover helped a little bit...

 

thanks. ill think about that for sure

 

I guess if you buy used a 4X4 Ranger that will be the way to go. I've had a 2WD 4.0, a 3.0 4X4, and a 4.0 4X4. The MPG on the 4.0 4X4 (a 04 FX4) was about the same as a 07 4X4 F150 I had. The 3.0 4X4 Ranger was sluggish and the MPG for 3.0 wasnt worth the trade off. The 4.0 2WD had good power and MPG, but was terrible in the snow.

You may want to consider a (slightly) used or new F150 STX 4X4. The price range is close to a semi-loaded newer Ranger 4X4, and MPG isn't too far off. Plus you'd get a bigger truck.

This isn't to steer you away from a Ranger, however. They're cool trucks that are very capable!

 

thanks. Ya i like both of the trucks for sure, just trying to figure out what suits my needs better. Because if the 2wds are bad in the snow and i have to get a 4x4, chances are it will end up being worth my while just to bump up to a fullsize simply because its near the fuel economy anyways, easier to find 4wd and has more space. But one question, was your 04 FX4 an auto or stick? And did you see more of a difference in the mpg between the ranger and f150 in city driving? thanks alot.

 

It was an automatic trans. And the overall MPG difference between the 04 Ranger and the 07 F150 4X4 was only about 2MPG on both highway/freeway and city driving. A stick is another story. IDK what the difference in MPG would be but I assume it would be better. Also consider that any repairs on a Ranger *should* be less expensive than an F150 too. When I traded it in and upgraded, my insurance actually went down because the F150 has better crash test rating than the Ranger does.

Again Im not trying to steer you away from the Ranger, just giving you some things to consider when buying. I've had three Rangers so obviously I like them lol

 

alrighty thanks. But no i understand what your saying, thanks for the info ill definitely take it into account.

 

I have a 98 Ranger 2wd extended cab, manual transmission with the 3.0. I love the little truck and I wouldn't dream of getting rid of it. It has 235,000 miles and still runs like a champ. It uses no oil at all and still gets the same gas mileage that it got when it was new (23 MPG). I'm here to tell you that the engine is nearly bullet proof. I have done no repairs other than normal preventative maintenance (plugs, plug wires, air filters, etc. and of course, religious oil changes) That being said, my Mother has a 2003 F-150 4x4. Her truck has the 4.6 and an automatic transmission. Believe it or not, her truck has gotten 22 MPG quite consistently. I have to put weight in the back of my truck and good snow tires to get around during our Northern Maine winter months but hers has that magic switch on the dash.

 

With my 4.9 F150 i would get 16.5mpg. My 2.3 Ranger would get 23mpg. Both were bare bones models and 4x4

 

thanks thats some good info to think about.

 

Thanks for the info. What year was your 2.3 Ranger? I wasnt even aware you could buy 4cyl Rangers that are 4wd.