I have a 2000 Crew cab, 4.2, 3.55 rear end, manual transmission.
143,500 miles on it. Not a single dengine / drivetrain prob to date.
Here is my opinions/input:
MPG depends MUCH on how you drive.
Conservative-moderate acceleration and 65-70 on interstate gets me 18 mpg combined, tank after tank. Intersate mpg under such driving is about 19-19.5.
Aggressive driving and faster Interstate speeds (75-80 mph) drpos everything by about 2 mpg. Cruise on the freeway at 80-85 and I get about 17-17.5 mpg.

You can tow 1000-2000 pounds with little difficulty. Expect to drop out of OD on long hills.
2000-3000 pounds is OK. You can manage fine but will not accelerate as fast as a V8 would. Steep / long hills will keep you in a lower gear. (But I don't care)
If you expect to tow over 3000 regularly, skip the 4.6 and find a good 5.4. That's my suggestion.
If towing is NOT a serious concern for you, then don't make it one.

Regardless of other's input, much is up to YOUR personal ideals.
Will you be "bothered" by driving a full size truck that "just has a V6" ?
If so, then don't buy one.
I have owned or driven 4.2 / 4.6 / 5.4.
In my opinion the 5.4 has far more "truck" power than the 4.2. The 4.2 and 4.6 are close enough that I wouldn't discount a good 4.2 option JUST to get a 4.6.

For me - I'd buy another 4.2 in a heart beat. My current truck has been, HANDS DOWN, the most reliable, trouble free, low maintenance cost vehicle I
have ever owned - and that include Lexus, Nissan, Pontiac, Chevy, Buick, Jeep, etc.
But that's off the subject.
In the end: you drive- you decide.

Let us know which way you go.

 

i have a 97 F150 with some mods to it i get 22 on highway and 18 in city with stock 3.55 rear end smallet available for the F150. 118,000 miles still runs stronge kills the hemi's and the titans but the power curve for fords are so much lower especially the 4.6

 

The responses to this post are funny. This fellow makes it clear that fuel mileage is important to him. And he does not say anything about towing.

And yet, most responses have talked about how much better the 5.4 V8 is at towing, with some responses seeming to brag about their towing certain weights, etc...

Those responses were very off topic, and really did not help this fellow with his question...

Please folks, try to understand that other forum users have different uses and/or expectations for their Ford trucks than you do...

 

So he doesn't exactly say the word "towing" but he does say...


Or should I go with the 4.6 V-8 and not sacrifice the power.


I brag on my 5.4 as well. With my Hypertech Power Programmer, that thing will pull a house off the foundation...

 

Remember the 4.6 has been proven to be dam near bulletproof when maintained properly. The 4.2 is not. gas mileage between the 2 is nominal at best.

 

You can argue this all day. Buy the right truck, if it has the 4.6 V8 great, if it has the V6 that is fine too. If they both have 5speed trans. MPG will be with in 1 with the V6 generally better.

 

Even though it is not stated, I would bet that since it is a pickup, it will see some towing.

If this person was truely concerned with mpg, he/she would be looking at a car.

 

I have a 1998 regular cab, 4.2, 3.55 rear end, manual transmission. I calculate my mpg with every fillup and always get 19 to 22 mpg combined city/highway mileage. In my opinion the V6 has been very reliable, hauls and tows everything I need, and makes a fairly economical daily driver.

 

You will miss the power of the V8, but if gas is all that matters to you a V6 with a stick will get you much farther than me with my auto 5.4L. But I can tow a lot more than you will be able to. If that doesn't matter, all the power to you and dive for the efficient V6.

 

Ok, I will admit, I don't understand half the stuff...however I must ask...

WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING TO GET THAT KIND OF GAS MILAGE?

I only get about 15 (if I push it to an empty tank on fumes), otherwise it's 13 when the light comes on. I have a 99 F-150 xcab 2wd. It sucks. The power isn't there until after say 60mph. Then it begins to fly. But I think I would much prefer a 8cyl.

Kaitlyn.

 

I don't understand the rear end and how you find that out. Could you tell me 1. Where I find what I have and 2. what the difference is and why it's important. Thanks.

Kaitlyn.

 

i have a 97 f150 with the 4.6 and 5speed man. i also average approx. 18-20 on the hwy. with no mods.

 

i have a 3:55 rearend. the guy i bought the truck from told me that as well as my mechanic whos done work on the truck.

 

The "rearend" is a ratio of the rear differential. Mine is a 1:3.55, which means for every 1 turn of the drive shaft the axle will turn 3.55 times. The lower the number the more torque and power you have at the wheel, the higher the number the higher top speed you will have. You also have to factor in tire size. I believe the rule of thumb is for every 1" extra you need to drop the ratio (by changing the entire rear end) one step (3.55 to 3.11, etc) to have the same power charactoristics. For heavy hauling you want the lowest ratio possible, so you have the best starting power avalible. For everyday driving and occasional towing a higher ratio helps the gas milage and the acceloration.

 

Look at the drivers door sticker. Look for the axle code. Could be like L9 or something. It determins the ratio of how many times the driveshaft turns for every rotation of the axle.