To me some of the toughest trucks Ford ever built were mid 90s F-150s. I have one with a 302 that has 375,000 miles on it. So I recommend that or if you can find one with a 300 I6 in it. It's been my experince that those engines are dang near indestructable.

 

Both my 96 f150 [302] and 82 F100 [300] have 3.55 gears with limited slip diffs. Like I said before I like my 302 but my 300 is a better engine for truck related work. My 300 is favorite engine in my stable just becouse of her sher toughness through all the hell she has survived.

I also have a 86 F150, with a 351/c6 and a 3.73 locker. If you want a truck to pull houses off their foundations that would be it. Both my 300 and 351 pull like hell off the line, the only thing is the 351 keeps pulling till about 4700 rpms when she shifts, the 300 would be scattered about the road in pieces if I spun her that fast. The down fall of the 351/3.73s is the gas bill, she'll pull whatever i chain behind her but it'll drink the hell outof gas in the process.

The 302 has its place its just not in a abused work truck. Sure it'll pull like crazy with 4.55 gears but its gonna be turning about 5000 rpms going 70 in fifth gear. Thats a joke i'm sure she wont be turning that fast but she will be screaming, and sucking gas like crazy.

Sure a 302 will pull like a 300, it just needs to be geared deeper, putting it higher in the rpm range where its power is. Turning a motor at high rpms its entire life dosen't do much to extend its life.


ASM, from what you've stated really any engine/trans/gear combo would work fine. A 300 or 302 with a automatic and highway gears would get you great mileage for cruising around, they'd also do fine for light hauling every now and then. No sense in searching for trucks with huge engines and deep gears if your not gonna use them everyday.

I just noticed the truck Tim posted awhile back, sharp looking truck. The 4.6/5.4s have been around a while, although not as simple to work on as the old engines they do make a little more power and get a little better mileage. If i'm not mistaken that body style also has a swing open door on the regular extended cab versions, makes getting in and out a little easier.

Like I said before I'm highly biased of the 92-96 body style, I guess the 87-91s work in there to. They're dependable, modern enough fuel injection yet based on 30+ year old engine designs, they're quite simply to service yourself. The computer controled automatic transmissions would be the weak points in these trucks, although with proper service to counter abuse they'll last a long time. Theres plenty of low mileage/low abuse trucks out there screaming your name, just look around and you'll find the perfect one.

 

Thanks guys! Jimbo, good information. You're getting the idea of what I'm looking for I think. So far I haven't seen any negative feedback such as particular weaknesses in certain engines/transmissions, etc. That's good.

The truck that Tim posted;



is very nice looking. I think that the crew cab or extended cab might equally suit my needs. The crew cab is obviously longer but it is more convenient for passengers to have their own door and not have to depend on the front door being opened for egress.

As I get older I realize that performance is moving down my priority list being replaced by economy, comfort and utility though I'm enough of a 'car guy' to know that a strong running engine in the right drive train combination will give better economy and longevity than an undersized/underpowered engine.

Is it too high an expectation to hope for 20+ mpg on the highway for a truck like this one? (2WD of course)

Are the 4WD models still tougher on gas than 2WD or has modern technology and improved engineering evened the scales on them?

 

I drive and 03 Ranger with the extended cab and I would say that if you are planning on putting anybody in the back seat comfortably they have to be less than 10 years old. I'm 5'11" and about 155 pounds and I had to sit in the back seat for about 5 mins and couldn't wait to get out. Don't get me wrong I love my truck and the gas mileage of my 3.0 V6 and I love being able to haul some stuff once in a while, but you won't want to put more than 2 people in it.

I would go for the supercrew if it was me shopping. I almost bought one instead of my ranger but in the end if was to big of a truck for just me. The 4x4 are still a little harder on gas then the 2WD but I can't give you exact numbers.

 

The 4wd models will use a little more gas, and the ride is stiffer. Even when 4wd is not being used the truck is lugging around the extra weight from the 4wd parts.

20 mpg can be had on the highway. My 96 will get 19.7 going 75 mph on a 130 mile trip I frequently take. I'd imagine a 2wd with a 4.6 and highway gears would get well into the 20s if you drove sensibly. For what its worth the newer trucks have better aerodynamics, and they're made lighter, both equal better mileage.

Other things to consider for better mileage in your future truck, tires with less aggressive tread will roll easier across pavement, keeping the tires properly inflated will also help mileage out. Synthetic fluids in the engine, trans, and diff will help ease friction, giving better mileage and less wear. Toppers and other bed covers have been proven to add mileage thanks to better aerodynamics.

It may be completely out of the ball park compared to what your looking for, but a 97+ F150 sport, would be one of the best mileage makers out there, short box reg cab, with a 6 banger and a 5 speed.

No matter what use choose it sounds like your not gonna be tearing your truck through the mud, or trying to drag race it, so you should be able to manage better fuel mileage then others around here.