Looking for input

[DaveBl]

Newbe here to the site and have been looking at two pick ups and would appreciate some advice.
First truck is a 1998 one owner F150 with automatic and a 4.2 litre engine with 100k original miles. 2 wheel drive.
The second truck is a 2006 Ranger 4x4 auto with a 4Litre ohc v6 but has 125kmiles on the clock..
It would primarily a winter driver.
Appreciate any and all.

 

[bobbywalter]

define winter.

in my life still....i require 4wd capacity regularly.

since one is 2wd and one is 4wd that will be a factor if you need 4wd to get to places in your life.

from there actual physical condition and what you need for space is the balance.

in my current iteration of daily employment i really need a 10 foot bed in regards to tooling and things i need to move but get by with 8 foot crew cab. which is essentially packed to the rafters and a 1 seater.

if i had to use my ranger which has a custom high capacity bed i would probably have to pull a trailer.

i assume you do not have any requirements close to this.

odds are the 150 could possibly have a slight edge fuel economy, but not enough to matter.

me....i do not like jellybean fords....i love rangers.

would buy the ranger.

 

[DaveBl]

define winter.

in my life still....i require 4wd capacity regularly.

since one is 2wd and one is 4wd that will be a factor if you need 4wd to get to places in your life.

from there actual physical condition and what you need for space is the balance.

in my current iteration of daily employment i really need a 10 foot bed in regards to tooling and things i need to move but get by with 8 foot crew cab. which is essentially packed to the rafters and a 1 seater.

if i had to use my ranger which has a custom high capacity bed i would probably have to pull a trailer.

i assume you do not have any requirements close to this.

odds are the 150 could possibly have a slight edge fuel economy, but not enough to matter.

me....i do not like jellybean fords....i love rangers.

would buy the ranger.

Thanks for you advice...winter for me could be fro 0 to 3ft of snow...l am leaning towards the 4x4 but like the large cabin of the 150...l have had a 1990 4runner and it always felt small but never too small..l may have occasion to pull a boat or flatbed for vehicles..so there is that also.

 

[97RangerXLT]

Bobby makes some great points. My former Father in Law has a 1998 F150 and it has done well for him, he bought it 3 or 4 years ago off the City of Fishers, 100k on it, but the bed is beat to crap. and yes, it is a jellybean. Also that era of F150 is not well rated for crash safety.

The Ranger is 8 years newer, but it is still a 20 year old truck. if you are in the rust belt you want to really look at the frames of both, make sure they are not rotted away. The Ranger 4.0 has timing chains that might pose a problem but most of that was solved by Ford a few years prior to 2006. but if it has any kind of rattle, pass it up as that job is huge, and if you can't do it yourself you will put quite a bit of money into it to have it done. (engine must come out for back side timing chain) The 4.0 otherwise is a pretty decent engine. 125k vs 100k is not much of an issue, that 8 year difference is. There will be many parts that will be harder to get as Ford no longer makes them, leaving you with aftermarket or used parts as your choice.

I have ran into some of that with my 97 Ranger.

The Ranger if it is a single cab will be a bit small. not bad if it is only you in the truck, but putting the kids in it will be pretty much a no go unless it is one kid and they are in the passenger seat and not the middle. if it is a Supercab, those jumper seats are not safe for kid transportation in my opinion, but that area gives you more inside storage.

AJ

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Really depends on what your needs are.

Personally, after having had both 2wd and 4x4 in winter, I’d rather have the 4x4.

But vehicle size can also be important. I’m fortunate in that I can have multiple vehicles and pick what I need these days. I outgrew a Ranger years ago in my needs for work. Actually that’s grown to really needing a trailer for tooling because even my full size trucks don’t always work well. I’ve also been forced to keep a Ranger with a cap around. Just a matter of practicality.

If you don’t need a full size, the Ranger would be what I’d go for. If you need a full size, I’d be looking for a 4x4 one if you’re worried about winter. If that’s not an option, weight in the bed and good tires are what you need for a 2wd. Preferably a limited slip rear as well. Not a locker, it will push the front around in slushy stuff without 4x4. Learned that with my F-150, I have to use 4x4 more often just to make sure the front end goes around bends because the locker will push you straight with good tires.

 

[superj]

That f150 will get very bad gas mileage too. My 95 2wd with i6 for around 14 on the highway

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

That f150 will get very bad gas mileage too. My 95 2wd with i6 for around 14 on the highway

I wouldn’t call that exactly “very bad” fuel economy…

My 95 F-150 gets 12-14 mpg. My 94 F-350 gets 8/9 mpg. I know someone who had pretty much the same truck as my 94 F-350 but with an automatic and it got a whopping 6 mpg…

 

[superj]

Those are all terrible numbers, ha ha ha

 

[DaveBl]

That f150 will get very bad gas mileage too. My 95 2wd with i6 for around 14 on the highway

I have a 2000 Cadillac Escalade that's gives me about 10mpg if you care to talk about milage

 

[bobbywalter]

That f150 will get very bad gas mileage too. My 95 2wd with i6 for around 14 on the highway

for sure.

you say terrible, and it is if the truck is unladen.


but the truth is the 300 6 is a slug. i have seen them crack 20 mpg in perfect conditions on the hiway....and certain hill and dale situations...


but for what id do... it dont do anything good in a work situation. it is merely tolerable. the 4.2 tends to get 16-17 in a 2wd in auto. though most that i have been around were manuals. i am not sure if it is the jelly bean platforms lower wind resistance, maybe a 300 6 in one would crack 20 regularly....of course emissions is the only reason they got rid of it. and it is a slug.

i currently have 5 trucks......

in that group, a 92 150 with a 300 and a handshaker and it barely pulls 15 mpg @ 70 mph hiway cruise and is in perfect tune.. that is only 2wd because i am rarely home....and this next 12-14 months will never have time to work on it. so its only going to get worse once converted to 4x4.

it is young bobs backup rig for now and he hates it now. if he has to live with a useless pos 2wd he would rather have a van so he can live out of it and haul his motorcycles around to events and not need a traiiler......so it may be getting traded off...(but i want to keep it and play with it)..

he drives the bronco 2 which is a 4.0 manual trans and only gets 13-14 mpg at 70 with current tires. i consider it fair as it does have an exo cage and is mildly lifted on 33's....

and a 5.3 powered 350 Z that identifies as a ranger so i will work on it, and that can get zero mpg depending on what activities are at hand... it never gets better than 16 mpg....


my ranger with a mid tune 302 averaged single digits when being worked. but loaded rolling weight was 6500-8k and thats not bad for work truck average.

this same ranger, which currently is propelled with a 6.x diesel averages 13-16....steady cruise hiway... with 33's at 55 mph can exceed 24 mpg with perfect pump diesel tuning. but that dont happen...it runs on alternate mix...

but getting more than 15-17 at 70 aint happening. too much lift and dirty air under the truck. maybe if it had a turbo to use the fuel better...it is N/A and a slug like a 300....just a bit better power.


now....the 4th truck is the only way ford should make trucks after owning 2 of them. it is a powerboost 150. it is the most cost effective family truckster so far. out of anyyting i have had from amc eagles...mark 7 and a myriad of minivans and explorers... this is what i put my wife in....

makes the most power, and gets the best mpg.....weighs the most too of my family rigs.. that is crazy.

depending on programming, it is capable of turning a high 11-low 12 1/4 mile et well into triple digit trap speeds....that is not safe or sustainable for the powertrain but it is possible....just tune.

dont even have to open the hood....THINK ABOUT THAT.

tuned the other way for economy it really does well.

from the factory the 2021 was tuned different then the 24 for electric cruise normals....but once configured to bias on electric drive, the 24 which was a disappointment initially, it will crack 20 mpg in town now....but overall average is 19 plus mpg.....in a 6600 pound dry weight truck that is damn impressive.

towing the same 10 k load it thoroughly embarrasses a godzilla powered f250 of the same vintage....

past 10 k the weight and tire in the 250 as long as the springs are built for it....(and you have to do that yourself)...the 250 handles better up at 12-14 k trailers.

pulling 10 k on the same route they got the same mpg....8 to 8.5 mpg which is great at 70 mph for anything except a diesel.


i dearly miss the godzilla (shop truck) with the work trucks...my cruise weight is close to 11k


truck 5 is my shop truck...

my current truck is a 6.6 gasser 10 speed allison 2500 gm.(hd/hd)

i know the 10 speed is going to fail...it is built to fail. so that is a bummer....

but it is a great truck as is and so far is the best long average mpg work truck i have ever had. but this is mostly due to drive cycle. when i return to my normal drive cycle i suspect it will be 4-7 mpg average which is normal for our fleet.


my main rig when i am at home is my ranger or the bronco. the ranger is cheaper to drive...but its rough.

and mid-low teens is what it is.

when using trucks with 4wd anything over 15 mpg is a major win with the fuel we have available in my region.


so i do not think fuel economy will be a factor with those choices....

i would take the ranger for maneuverability and 4wd in winter.

 

[Rick W]

Newbe here to the site and have been looking at two pick ups and would appreciate some advice.
First truck is a 1998 one owner F150 with automatic and a 4.2 litre engine with 100k original miles. 2 wheel drive.
The second truck is a 2006 Ranger 4x4 auto with a 4Litre ohc v6 but has 125kmiles on the clock..
It would primarily a winter driver.
Appreciate any and all.

I assume you like the four-wheel-drive because you mentioned Winter driving. What else are you going to be doing with the truck? Is it occasional use or do you have to work out of it every day? How many miles do you drive a year, is it usually empty or does it usually have 1000 pounds in it.

We can’t properly rain on your parade unless you Give us some details.