Why do sport tracs get better mileage than rangers?

[blue83ranger]

I've been looking for a different truck for about 3 years and my first choice is an '03-'05 sport trac, 2nd '03 or newer ranger and i noticed when people say what mileage they get with either of these that the sport trac always gets better and i was curious if anyone knew why? My first thought was because the sport trac has a plastic bed but then it has bigger rear doors and seat to add some of the weight back on. I mainly ask because i found an '03 ranger close by that i'm interested in and wanted to know if maybe the reason could be sport trac specific parts that i could use on the ranger. Any thoughts?

 

[straycat]

I only know 3 people who have owned and still own a SportTrac. They are not happy with gas milage. My lifted 2wd Supercab with 33x12x15's gets 24 mpg on the highway at 75 mph and right at 18-19 in stop and slop traffic. Go to Edmunds and look up the year SportTrac you are looking for and review the specs on it. You will see a lot of tech features on all cars and trucks on Edmunds.

 

[Rose2300]

honestly theyre going to get very close to the same mileage. it just depends on what your gonna use the truck for.

 

[hank857]

remember the explorer/sporttac are more car than truck. Yes they use the basic ranger frame work but they are probably geared more for car utility. Trucks are geared as trucks and again it will depend on the engine and the rest of the drive train. My 94 has 3:08s just like a car but it is also set up more for highway than work truck although it gets both from me. Best milage on highway was about 21-22, 15 or so in town. Its geared pretty high so it suffers on stop go. Some of the 4cyl may get a little better in town but they are geared different to take advantage of the engine (guy with a mazda 4 said he gets around 18 in town to my 15 or so (v6 4.0) Ill take the bigger engine anytime).

 

[adsm08]

I think any difference in favor of the ST over a large number of people asked is going to be due to the high number sold with the hard bed cover.

 

[blue83ranger]

From what i found equally equipped 4x4 rangers and sport tracs in the 2003-2005 range, the rangers seem to get 14-18mpg and the sport tracs seem to get 20+

 

[RangerSVT]

The sport trac is heavier, way heavier. My trac empty with me and my girlfriend weighs 5100 lbs. Stock height and 32" street tires. Don't forget the 4.0 likes gearing. Same trucks with one geared at 327 (or even 373) and the other 410, the 410 will get better mileage, even with stock size tires. It's all about the engines designed rpm operating range. The longer you can keep it in the operating range, the more power and economy you will get...

SVT

 

[JoshT]

I only know 3 people who have owned and still own a SportTrac. They are not happy with gas milage. My lifted 2wd Supercab with 33x12x15's gets 24 mpg on the highway at 75 mph and right at 18-19 in stop and slop traffic. Go to Edmunds and look up the year SportTrac you are looking for and review the specs on it. You will see a lot of tech features on all cars and trucks on Edmunds.

What damn gearing you got in that thing? I realize it's a little heavier being 4wd, but my 99 only gets about 14 in town and maybe 17-18 on a good day on the highway. Hell it's even got slightly smaller tires, 32x11.5x15. The gas mileage is one of the reasons I'm thinking about replacing it with a older F-100. If the gas mileage is going to suck I might as well go with the bigger truck, that I like better. Dad's 68 F-100 would get around 13 combined back before he parked it. It was 4wd, running 31s, had the 390 BB (with 4bbl Holley), no OD, and had at least 300K on the engine. With a fresh rebuild, an aftermarket EFI system, and an OD transmission it would probably match the mileage I'm getting of my 99. If my mileage isn't going to be much worse, I much preferred the looks of that old truck and actually being able to tow something.

 

[theAntihero]

What damn gearing you got in that thing? I realize it's a little heavier being 4wd, but my 99 only gets about 14 in town and maybe 17-18 on a good day on the highway. Hell it's even got slightly smaller tires, 32x11.5x15. The gas mileage is one of the reasons I'm thinking about replacing it with a older F-100. If the gas mileage is going to suck I might as well go with the bigger truck, that I like better. Dad's 68 F-100 would get around 13 combined back before he parked it. It was 4wd, running 31s, had the 390 BB (with 4bbl Holley), no OD, and had at least 300K on the engine. With a fresh rebuild, an aftermarket EFI system, and an OD transmission it would probably match the mileage I'm getting of my 99. If my mileage isn't going to be much worse, I much preferred the looks of that old truck and actually being able to tow something.

I get nearly 24mpg with 235's on and stock gearing(which i believe is 3.55 on mine)

 

[JoshT]

I get nearly 24mpg with 235's on and stock gearing(which i believe is 3.55 on mine)

235 what? Without the rest of the numbers 235 means nothing.

 

[straycat]

What damn gearing you got in that thing? I realize it's a little heavier being 4wd, but my 99 only gets about 14 in town and maybe 17-18 on a good day on the highway. Hell it's even got slightly smaller tires, 32x11.5x15. The gas mileage is one of the reasons I'm thinking about replacing it with a older F-100. If the gas mileage is going to suck I might as well go with the bigger truck, that I like better. Dad's 68 F-100 would get around 13 combined back before he parked it. It was 4wd, running 31s, had the 390 BB (with 4bbl Holley), no OD, and had at least 300K on the engine. With a fresh rebuild, an aftermarket EFI system, and an OD transmission it would probably match the mileage I'm getting of my 99. If my mileage isn't going to be much worse, I much preferred the looks of that old truck and actually being able to tow something.

I am running a 4.10 gear. I have a Yakima roof rack and a cargo basket as well mounted on the truck.

 

[theAntihero]

235 what? Without the rest of the numbers 235 means nothing.

235-75/r15 which is a bit bigger than stock on my 91.

 

[JoshT]

Straycat, my truck was optioned out almost identical to yours except it's 4wd instead of 2wd. 99 XLT 4 door supercab 4wd with 4.10 gears. I do not have the roof rack or step bars, but I've got a tonneau and cheap a$$ brush guard. I'm probably a few inches closer to the ground than you are as well, I only raised the torsion bars enough to make the 32s fit nicely. Maybe my motor is just getting too tired at 180K, I didn't buy it until almost half way through it's life and I don't know how the PO treated it.

TheAntihero, that equals out to about a 29x9.5x15 in standard, which IIRC is about a size smaller than what my truck cam with stock. Oddly enough it got about the same mileage with them and 31x10.5x15 as well.

 

[straycat]

Straycat, my truck was optioned out almost identical to yours except it's 4wd instead of 2wd. 99 XLT 4 door supercab 4wd with 4.10 gears. I do not have the roof rack or step bars, but I've got a tonneau and cheap a$$ brush guard. I'm probably a few inches closer to the ground than you are as well, I only raised the torsion bars enough to make the 32s fit nicely. Maybe my motor is just getting too tired at 180K, I didn't buy it until almost half way through it's life and I don't know how the PO treated it.

TheAntihero, that equals out to about a 29x9.5x15 in standard, which IIRC is about a size smaller than what my truck cam with stock. Oddly enough it got about the same mileage with them and 31x10.5x15 as well.

I bought my 99 Supercab brand new July 99. I have the 4.0 and it loves to run. I have an auto trans in this one. Keeping the truck in great shape and maintaining it as well pays off. I have had no issues with this Ranger. This is my 4th Ranger. I have a 95 4x4 Ranger with low milage I keep up on our property. It does all the errands and taking the food out to feed the wild ones. I had 2 BII's (2wd and 4x4) as well and I loved them as well. Great dependable rides. The only problem I ever had on any of my trucks was an oil leak on the right side pan gasket on my 89 BII. Easy fix but I still had to take off the oil pan to get a new gasket on it. It started to weep at 79,000 miles.
Are you happy with your truck so far? You gonna keep it for a long time?

 

[David88]

I had bigger tires than stock on my Sport Trac, and only went up to 245/70/15 on my Ranger where my ST had 265/70/16s. Both were 2001 models with the 4.0L engine in them. My ranger was an XLT Supercab with the half doors 2WD and my ST was 2WD.

My ST got close to 28MPG on the highway. My Ranger only got 23MPG on the highway. I'm thinking that it had to do with the short bed on my ST. When the wind came off the roof of the truck it cleared the tailgate on the ST, and it caught the tailgate on my Ranger.

I noticed that I had leaves swirl in the bed of the Ranger, but never did the leaves in the bed of my ST swirl around or come out of it. I always had to sweep it out. I think the difference in MPG was due to the drag on the Ranger.

Also, my Mustang I had with a 4.0 in it got the same mileage as my Sport Trac.