Opinions on 07 & up Rangers -w- the 2.3/5 speed combo...

[zachis4wheeling]

So here I am again, 3 in the mornin, half buzzed and postin up random stuff on therangerstation.......reminds me of back when I was 18...

Anyways, I currently drive a 96 Z-71 with 350 so you can shoot me now.

Well since I'm still alive, I'll press on. I plan to get rid of the Z in the next year or so due to the high price of gas and the fact that I will be putting A LOT of miles on whatever vehicle it is that I will be driving at the time. I need a truck that is reliable, (which believe it or not, mine is, but with 200,000 miles on it, I have my fingers crossed every day.) I also would like something that would have a warranty on it so I could have some peace of mind while driving the thing.

You see, as some of you may or may not know, I have been going to school for the past 3 or 4 years for firefighting. Well it is EXTREMELY difficult to get a job in this profession and many times, in order to find a good department to work for with a decent number or fires and a good mix of calls, you have to relocate. So next spring and summer, I plan on doing a lot of driving to various parts of the country, not only to trvel, but also to test with various fire departments I would like to get on

I had been planning on getting a smaller commuter car next spring, and ditching the trucks altogether until I could afford a bigger one, but have started to seriously rethink this. Lately I've noticed more and more the usefulness of five or six foot box behind the cab.

And then I was reading a couple articles and posts on here about the mileage some of the guys with the newer 2.3d Rangers are getting and that pretty much settled it. I also like the look of the new Rangers. It looks like the bumper is a lot more aerodynamically deigned, yet the overall look of the truck looks just that, like a truck. And I like that.

Next summer, I'd like to get a brand new XLT Regular Cab, 2wd with the 2.3 and a 5 speed tranny and 3.73 axle gears. Any opinions on this particular model? I'm not new to Rangers at all. I've had two of them along with an explorer, and have absolutely loved every one of them. I'll always have at least one around my yard. I still have my 91, and if you click the link in my sig., you can see the buildup of it. I've always wanted a newer Ranger but never really thought I'd ever be able to afford a brand new one. But I got thinking about it, and if I put down around $3-4000, with the 60 month 0% APR financing, employee pricing for all, and the huge rebate sales Ford is having this year, I could actually afford one of these for less than I'm paying right now a month than I pay on my Z71 if I factor in truck payment, gas and insurance.

So here's what I'm looking for. Any and all advice, tips, stories, opinions, etc. regarding the 2.3 and the Rangers that get awesome mileage is appreciated. What kind of mileage are you guys getting? How do you guys like yur trucks? What don't you like about them, (if anything)....Come on guys...

 

[zachis4wheeling]

btt....anyone?

 

[exbass94]

I've driven a 2002 reg. cab Ranger with the 2.3 a lot at work. It is a fantastic engine, very peppy and fun to drive, and it has over 220k miles on it and still runs beautifully. This truck has an automatic, and I'll bet with a manual it's 10x more fun to drive. I find the regular cab to be a bit too small. I'm about 6'1" and I just wish the seat could go back one more click. I sort of get used to it after a while, but it's still sometimes a little annoying. I like my super cab much better. I have no idea what it gets for gas mileage, and nobody at work does either. We don't really pay attention to stuff like that.

 

[hihoslvr]

hey there, I'd just like to add that for livin' outta yer vehicle, you can't beat a Ranger. Mines the SuperCab (2dr), but when I'm drivin' cross country, I usually jus' curl wit' da dog on the front seat, I'm 5'11" and it's alright for a few hours/days. And on a side note, I've been doing Wildlands Firefighting since June, and being able to throw mine and couple others' gear in the bed and head off to work is a great thing.
Oh yeah, and I recommend lookin' for a slightly used/Certified vehicle, might save ya some dough. Also, as you may have noticed, I have the 3.0 which I've learned weighs about 100lbs more than the 2.3, so honestly unloaded, I'd say the performance is comparable. Good luck!