Ranger vs. Competition
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Ranger vs. Competition
I am looking for a small pickup for a pest control business. It will haul the spray equipment including 50 gallon tank, small engine and misc. supplies. Which engine would be most suitable for this kind of work load? I would prefer a truck that gets good fuel economy....would the 4 cylinder in an automatic transmission work?
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From: Damascus-Boring, Ore
Originally Posted by craig123
I am looking for a small pickup for a pest control business. It will haul the spray equipment including 50 gallon tank, small engine and misc. supplies. Which engine would be most suitable for this kind of work load? I would prefer a truck that gets good fuel economy....would the 4 cylinder in an automatic transmission work?
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Originally Posted by polarbear
I normally recommended the 3.0L V6 in that type of application with an Automatic. Gets the same gas mileage (17/22) as the 4cyl, only marginally more money. FWIW, that's how Terminix spec's theirs.
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From: York, NE
The 3.0 is a great choice for a 2wd Ranger. It will offer decent power and good mileage. The 2.3 is not bad as far as 4cyls go, but if there is much highway travel, may be a bit inadequate. Either one will work, the 4 cylinder getting the better mileage, and the 3.0 offering a bit more grunt.
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From: Damascus-Boring, Ore
Originally Posted by Al Bundy
You can get a tacoma. It feels like it has no power in auto, but gets good mileage.
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From: Peoria, IL
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Originally Posted by craig123
Thank you for the information. Greatly appreciated!
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Originally Posted by AG4.0
The 3.0 is a great choice for a 2wd Ranger. It will offer decent power and good mileage. The 2.3 is not bad as far as 4cyls go, but if there is much highway travel, may be a bit inadequate. Either one will work, the 4 cylinder getting the better mileage, and the 3.0 offering a bit more grunt.
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[QUOTE=BVFD1983]Get anything but the 3.slow I have one and can testify that it is slow
You say the 3.0 is slow. Have you tried the 4 cylinder for comparison? On paper the 3.0 is supposed to have more power. Are you comparing to a full-size pickup?
You say the 3.0 is slow. Have you tried the 4 cylinder for comparison? On paper the 3.0 is supposed to have more power. Are you comparing to a full-size pickup?
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the 4-cylinder DOES NOT get the same mpg figures as the 3.0L. The inline 4 is rated for 23-27? While the 3.0L might get 20-22 tops. I drove a 3.0L with auto at one time and it got about 20 mpg with mixed driveing, which isn't bad but the 4-cylinder gets much better. Really 500lbs shouldn't be a problem if your just gonna be cruiseing around town. But hey do a test drive of each and decide from there. If mpg is your concern (which would be mine) i'd go for the inline 4. Atleast with a 5-speed manual the 4 cylinder really isn't bad. Haven't driven the auto version but it's got the same number of gears. By the way with 5-speed manual the 4-cylinder is rated for 24-29mpg. Oh yeah by the way, I felt that the 3.0L had decent punch to it, even if you might have to let it rev.
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From: Damascus-Boring, Ore
Originally Posted by Fordtastic
the 4-cylinder DOES NOT get the same mpg figures as the 3.0L. The inline 4 is rated for 23-27? While the 3.0L might get 20-22 tops. I drove a 3.0L with auto at one time and it got about 20 mpg with mixed driveing, which isn't bad but the 4-cylinder gets much better. Really 500lbs shouldn't be a problem if your just gonna be cruiseing around town. But hey do a test drive of each and decide from there. If mpg is your concern (which would be mine) i'd go for the inline 4. Atleast with a 5-speed manual the 4 cylinder really isn't bad. Haven't driven the auto version but it's got the same number of gears. By the way with 5-speed manual the 4-cylinder is rated for 24-29mpg. Oh yeah by the way, I felt that the 3.0L had decent punch to it, even if you might have to let it rev.
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From: York, NE
Actaually Polarbear, the 2.3 is rated as high as 24/29 in a Reg. Cab, short box, where the 3.0 tops out at 18/22, all from Fords site, also the 2.3 gets only 5 less HP than the 3.0, although it is down on torque, but the 4 cylinder is also lighter, so I would imagine performance to be very similar, with the 3.0 having an edge loaded down. 500 lbs is not a huge load, so I would say that the 2.3 is more than adequate in this situation. I agree with Fordtastic, do a test drive of both. We can sit here and spit out numbers all day, but it will never give a feel of what each motor is actually like.
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From: Damascus-Boring, Ore
Aren't EPA formulas great? Anyone else aware that there's a pretty complex formula the EPA uses to come up with those numbers, including typical option content and GWR? At any rate, the short box (not the one I spec'd) comes in as mentioned:
24/29 5spd 4cyl 22/26 AT 4cyl
18/23 5spd 6cyl 18/22 AT 6cyl
The long box, though, scores completely differently- 17/22 with an AT, regardless of engine. Go figure.
I would make the argument that these numbers more accurately reflect real-world driving, since the short box is content-limited specifically for EPA purposes. A ringer, in other words. (Ford's not alone in this, BTW)
In comparing the 4 cyl vs. the 3.0 in real world driving, I think the choice is pretty simple- the 4 cyl's torque curve is better suited to a manual transmission, the V6 works better with an Automatic. With that in mind, I'd say the transmission choice should really drive the choice of engine.
FWIW, those long-box Rangers are tough to find (they're typically ordered for commercial users), but they're well suited for the business Craig mentioned he was going to use it for.
24/29 5spd 4cyl 22/26 AT 4cyl
18/23 5spd 6cyl 18/22 AT 6cyl
The long box, though, scores completely differently- 17/22 with an AT, regardless of engine. Go figure.
I would make the argument that these numbers more accurately reflect real-world driving, since the short box is content-limited specifically for EPA purposes. A ringer, in other words. (Ford's not alone in this, BTW)In comparing the 4 cyl vs. the 3.0 in real world driving, I think the choice is pretty simple- the 4 cyl's torque curve is better suited to a manual transmission, the V6 works better with an Automatic. With that in mind, I'd say the transmission choice should really drive the choice of engine.
FWIW, those long-box Rangers are tough to find (they're typically ordered for commercial users), but they're well suited for the business Craig mentioned he was going to use it for.
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From: Nowhere, SE OK
for mileage and power i would recommend a canyon or colorado. even the i6 version of their engines makes 275 hp and gets 27 mpg on the highway. the i5 (the biggest engine available) still makes 220 hp. a dakota will have the best power but the least mileage. the ranger is kind of at the bottom. enginewise anyways. but i still like everything else on the ranger better. if it just had that the gm i5 or i6...