Thinking of selling my F-150, 1990 to my grandson and buying a 2000 Ford Ranger. We test drove one this past Tuesday, the 4 dr 6 cyl 3.0 auto. But we were surprised it didn't have any pick up and go. Our car is a 1995 Saturn, 4 cy and had a lot of power. What do you think? Any suggestions?

 

I test drove both the standard and the auto and found as you did that the auto was sluggish. I went with the standard and now after approx. 3000 miles is starting to show some performance. I don't like the engine particularly, it seems very harsh and unrefined for a V6. Only 20MPG!!

 

you might only be getting 20mpg, but that's with a V6 auto. the 2.5L/2.3L get better mileage but with gutless engines w/no get up and go. and also don't think that you can compare power between cars and trucks...too much difference. if you want a car, more power to you...

lc

 

I wish I got 20 mpg! My 2000 Ranger 4X4 extended cab 4.0 liter 5 speed auto gets about 13 around town! I am lucky if I get 19 on the highway, but I rarely take it out on the open road. And I don't consider myself being a leadfoot either. Unbeleivably poor mileage, but I otherwise love the truck, and it has lots more pep than my previous '97 ranger std. cab 4x2 with the 3.0 liter and 4 speed auto.

Bob

 

I take offense to a 2.3L not having any get up and go. I can launch mine with the likes of Mustangs, Camaros and F-150's. Sure they get sluggish after take-off, but there are plenty of cheap things that you can do to get the power of the 3.0L w/out sacrificing mileage.

 

I will agree, I have a 1998 Ranger 2.5L I-4(Ford bumped up the displacement on the I-4's 1998 and newer, and gained 7 horses from the 2.3L I-4) and the take-off power is definately there! Forget it after 1st gear though!

As far as the comment about your saturn having power and the 3.0L V-6 (in the ranger) not. Truck engines and car engines have significant differences. 1) truck engines are made to haul, tow, and pull I dont think that Ford designed a truck to rival Camaro's, Mustang's, or any car for that matter. Usually when one shops for a truck they see how much it can tow and haul not the specs for 0-60mph or 1/4 mile stats. 2) the cooling system is much larger. 3)gear shift points are different (for getting the truck rolling under heavy loads. and 4)the whole design of a truck to car is different for example most cars are front wheel drive meaning they cram the transmission, struts, brakes, cables, engine, radiator, air-conditioner, and drivetrain all directly in the front of the car. I would think that it is safe to say that on most small front wheel drive cars that the engine is mounted sideways and sometimes backwards to find room! JUST TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT SETUPS. ITS LIKE APPLES TO ORANGES. Bottom line, most trucks were not made to be a hot rod, people buy them for there practicality such as 4 wheel drive and hauling boats, trailers, livestock, etc.....

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 29-Dec-00 AT 02:38 PM (EST)[/font][p]I have a 2000 ranger extended cab 3.0 v6 with automatic. If you give this engine 4 or 5 thousand miles, it does get alot better but still is no speed deamon. It pulls my boat and motorcycle trailer quite nicely though, and it has been trouble free for six months so far.

 

I just bought a 2001 ranger ext-cab 4x4 with the 4 banger and the gas milage sucks and it doesn't have a whole lot of power either, but all and all the rest of the truck is all right. Just my two cents.

 

I have a 2000 Ranger Supercab with the 3.0 ltr V6 and I havent been abloe to drive it since Oct. Back in July the speedometer started bouncing and was causing the transmission to shift uncontrollaby( auto. dropping from 4th to 2nd). This is big time dangerous and it has been in and out of the dealership 5 times now and I am now fighting with Ford to get the Lemon Law invoked on this truck. I know Rangers have a fairly good reliability but this one is straight out trash. I like this truck a lot but I can't take the aggrivation of not having my truck to go to work or go wherever else I want. Just my 2 cents.
Next truck is gonna be a Ford Escape....Hopefully one that works.

John

 

I own a 1998 Ranger 4x2 super cab, 2.5L with 5speed. I've had absolutely no complaints about power or acceleration. I drove the 3.0l, 4.0l, and 2.5l engines before buying the 4 banger. While the others did seem to have a bit more power, the fuel economy wasn't nearly what I could get with the four cylinder. Most of the time, I'm just going to and from work, with an empty box. So power isn't a big issue for me most of the time. When I've loaded it up, pulled a trailer, or towed a metro on a dolly, I've had no complaints. Far from it! My "little" engine ran all day at 75, up and down hills, towing that metro. (Total weight with dolly was about 1800lbs.) And got 19MPG doing it! Normal daily commuting sees 22-25MPG, depending on how heavy footed I am.

If you need the extra power, go for it. If you really want an automatic, buy an F-150. The 4 banger and 5 speed is the way to go for efficiency and quick acceleration.

Dave T.

 

What you alls problem is, is that you are looking at the wrong setup. What you need for power and speed is the 4.0L, 5-spd Auto. I have a 2K 4x4 Off Road, and I've even got bigger tires than stock, and I can cruise in that truck! The gas mileage isn't too bad, better that a fullsize truck but worse than a compact car. Right now I'd guesstimate that I'm getting around 17-18 mpg. I also have a Borla cat-back exhaust, which helps with the power and mpg, not to mention definitely improves the stock sound of my exhaust. Eventually I plan on putting on an increased diameter throttle body, MAF, and a high flow air filter.

Matt Wittman
2K 4x4 Ranger Off Road
4.0L Borla Cat-Back Exhaust
3" Lift 285/75R16 Tires

 

If your buying a new 2001 ranger, look into the new 4.0L SOHC motor, that was originally in the explorers. It has like 205HP or so and probably still gets 18-19MPG. I haven't driven one yet, but it must have a lot more pep than last years 4.0L with a meager 160HP. I wouldn't think twice about getting any other motor than the new 4.0L.. Hope this helps, just my 2 cents worth.