Truck sales decline - Ford Ranger still sells!

[85_Ranger4x4]

People keep comparing the 4x4 4.0L ranger to the f150 for mileage ... but that's pretty much a maxed out factory ranger as far as I'm concerned. How does the similarly optioned ranger compare against an f series? My 4 cyl/2WD/no AC ranger gets close to 30mpg ... does the lowest option f series get that?

It is the same money and same milage for more truck. (4.2 F-150 vs 4.0 Ranger), probably even cheaper to go with the F-150 now that they are clearing the lots for the new '09s.

No doubt a 4 cylinder truck like yours would get better milage than a V-6 F-150, but it couldn't do half as much. From a milage standpoint the 4.2 is hard to even justify among the other offerings, they are only rated 2-3 MPG better than the 5.4, my 5.4 gets 16-17mph on the highway. Not too bad for 5500lbs of steel and plastic rated to tow 7k lbs (and will do it with authority) IMO.

It all depends on what you need to do with your truck.

 

[stonecoldranger]

I get from 19-21mpg on the highway in my 06 Ranger Sport 4x4. over 65mph and it starts to go down though...

towing 3000+ lbs I get 14-15mpg, just have to move a bit slower than the bigger rigs.

a lot of people with full size trucks told me they get the same mileage, but its just plain false.

also having the 74L tank I can fill it and not take out a loan... my buddy filled his 07 F150 the other day and it cost him nearly $200... don't care that he can get 500mi out of it... I get around 360 out of my tank from highway driving.

these really are great trucks, I'm leasing mine and will be looking to buy an 08 or 09 next year hopefully and drive it for many years. Also at 20k CAD for a 4x4 it can't be beat

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

also having the 74L tank I can fill it and not take out a loan... my buddy filled his 07 F150 the other day and it cost him nearly $200... don't care that he can get 500mi out of it... I get around 360 out of my tank from highway driving.

Dang, they must have really increased the size of the fuel tanks, my F-150's 24 gallon tank is usually about $60 a fill, I usually fill it when I have about 1/4 left. 24 x $4/gallon comes out to about $80 if I would actually drain it all the way.

My dad's 34 gallon tank in his '92 GMC has been well over $100 a fill for quite awhile, his fix it to just not fill it all the way unless he actually needs the range.

 

[stonecoldranger]

the ext. cab's like mine have a 19.5 us gal tank = 74 litres, the regular cab short box is 17 and the long box is 20.

we are paying about $5/us gal ($1.30/Litre) in Ontario

the ford's have bigger tanks than the gmc's I believe, but your dad would be paying over $160 to fill his tank in Ontario.

you can probably get roughly the same mileage with a full size, but not much. I don't use my truck for work and I live in the city. parking a full size or taking it into an underground parking garage is sometimes Impossible. even the dakota or colorados that I considered are that much bigger.

my last fill was 395kms = 245.44mi from full... I filled up 47.5L = 12.55gal = 19.56 mi/gal

with that mileage I can easily do 600kms on a tank with room to spare or about 372miles.

fwiw the ranger is the best truck for my lifestyle. It hauls my 3500lb boat without a flinch, runs great on the highway, can drive in the city without denting it, has decent payload for my gear and I can go anywhere in the winter.

I love this truck and would hate to see it leave the market... I want to buy one once my lease is out and hope they still offer good deals on them and are available... I'm not going to over pay for a ranger, they are what they are.

 

[Mac]

I gotta question getting 18 to 20 mpg with your 4.0 liter. Is it coasting downhill?

I'v gotten over 21 mpg with my '05 manual 4x4, 4.10 gears, 265-16 TKO's driving 70 on the interstate back and forth to work. Drops to 15-18 in Winter
Dave

 

[Dar70]

Maybe it's different here? When I was living 20 miles south of here I could not get a 2wd up or out of my driveway. And I know how to drive in snow. 2 feet of snow will stop a 2wd ranger dead. The only hope other than 4wd is front wheel drive around here. especially when they salt the roads and it re-freezes.

You could drive a 2wd, but you will need a push or two and you will NOT enjoy trying to get away from stoplights or up the hills. This area can be a tad bit hilly.

I see where your coming from. Theres no doubt you will get stuck a time or two in your driveway. It happened a few times when I had my mustangs. Luckily it only happened at home. I could make it up any other driveway after that. Mainly because i was able to gain speed. I started to bring a shovel with me whenever the snow got really bad. I think I dug myself out once the 8 or so years i had a mustang.(away from home) Yeah a 2wd will have its issues on the road in the winter but people drive them everyday in the winter. They are not only made for summer use. The trick is to be prepared. Thats the only difference to having a 2wd over a 4wd. You have to get things ready before a big snow. Shovel, Snow tires, sandbags for trucks, drive slowly and leave earlier than usual. Another trick I do is if it snows over night I shovel the driveway before I go to bed. Big time saver in the morning.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I have delt with 2wd before, and it was even FWD, I swore never again... The most disgusting part was digging it out at college, knowing full good and well that the 2' pile of snow I was digging (thanks to the plow truck) wouldn't even make my 4x4 Ranger flinch.

Last winter it kept thawing and refreezing, we have a pretty steep grade out of my parents driveway and for more than a month you had to have 4x4 to even get out because it was pretty much solid ice.

 

[Dar70]

I have delt with 2wd before, and it was even FWD, I swore never again... The most disgusting part was digging it out at college, knowing full good and well that the 2' pile of snow I was digging (thanks to the plow truck) wouldn't even make my 4x4 Ranger flinch.

Last winter it kept thawing and refreezing, we have a pretty steep grade out of my parents driveway and for more than a month you had to have 4x4 to even get out because it was pretty much solid ice.

Yeah I think there are situations where your gonna get stuck. But most regular cars will do that as well as a 4x2 ranger. I spoke to a coworker today about his 4x2 ranger and he says he has had no problems whatsoever during the winter. Nothing out of the ordinary anyways. The biggest thing he said was you have to drive slow. Which I do anyways with whatever Im driving after a good snow. Luckily the roads are pretty much salted really a few hours after a good snow. Again I can see how some people dont want to be bothered with the occasional getting stuck.(driveways dont bother me becuase i usually will shovel mine before I leave) I just couldnt justify the horrible gas mileage plus higher insurance for a 4x4 just yet. I dealt with it with a mustang so I think I can handle it with a Ranger. Maybe next time when I finally get a better job I will get the 4x4. Hopefully that will be in just a few years.

 

[Jerm]

With 211,000 miles on the clock, and 20 mpg with a light foot and a tail wind (usually get 18 .. in a 4.0 4x4) I am looking seriously at a 2wd for my next vehicle. On the one hand they are cheap, so adding a locking rear diff and good snow tires would get me through most stuff. Yeah, I would need to haul some extra weight around in the winter, but that's better than hauling it around spring summer and fall. By far the biggest convenience factor of 4x4 is not having to get out and put chains on when the WA DOT requires it (which this season, with 600 inches of snow, happened a lot). But even with all that snow, and mountains to climb, BFG ATs and a load of skis and dogs in the back was enough to get me up in 2WD. I did get out and lock the hubs a few times, but with studded snows or maybe even just a locking diff, I don't think that would have been necessary.

Admittedly, the real reason I have 4x4 is because it is cool. It makes what is essentially a very basic, somewhat wimpy vehicle, tough. And I'm a dude so that, though I am loath to admit it, that is important. So even though I only switch that knob to 4-Low a handful of times each year, I've convinced myself that it is worth the expense. I'm sure I'm not alone in that regard.

But, 18mpg vs 28 mpg, at 12000 miles a year and $4.30 per gallon gas is close to a $1000 difference. When looking at a new(er) truck the 2WD is also a lot cheaper, sometimes on the order of like 4-5 large. If I get a 2wd, take the money I would save over a 4x4, and stick it in the bank I could easily RENT a 4x4 on the days I really thought I needed it and have several thousand left over over the life of the vehicle. No I wouldn't get to lift it, customize it ,and blow half my paycheck on crap I REALLY don't need, but that's probably a good thing too.

Now, if Ford would just bring over that 4cyl diesel Ranger, I could have my cake and eat it too. But, by the time that happens I'll probably shopping for minivans with a gaggle of rugrats in tow and any shred of masculinity long since bartered away. I think this is what they call growing up.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I couldn't get a run at, I was parked in a parking stall surrounded by cars and the snow plow pushed all the snow in a row behind the parked cars, about 3' from the back of mine. And my car had 8" of snow to deal with where it was parked on top of that, which made getting a run at it hard (I tried with a foot left and almost got hung up halfway out)

I know I can still get stuck, but it likely won't be in a parking lot.

We keep our driveway fairly clear, but when stuff melts the street water runs down it and refreezes at night, and it is gravel so you can't get it 100% clear without having a bunch of gravel displaced in the spring (and a bunch of mud where it is supposed to be)

4x4 knocks MAYBE 1-2mpg off vs a comparible 4x2, well worth it IMO. I have yet to wish I didn't have it, and have been gratefull many times that I did get it. For example I can drive out thru just about anything and pick my deer up in a field rather than drag all 200lbs of it back thru mud and/or snow (not fun at all)

But then we don't all use our trucks for the same thing either...

One thing that kills the milage in a Ranger is that you can't get a 2.3 4x4 anymore.

 

[Dar70]

With 211,000 miles on the clock, and 20 mpg with a light foot and a tail wind (usually get 18 .. in a 4.0 4x4) I am looking seriously at a 2wd for my next vehicle. On the one hand they are cheap, so adding a locking rear diff and good snow tires would get me through most stuff. Yeah, I would need to haul some extra weight around in the winter, but that's better than hauling it around spring summer and fall. By far the biggest convenience factor of 4x4 is not having to get out and put chains on when the WA DOT requires it (which this season, with 600 inches of snow, happened a lot). But even with all that snow, and mountains to climb, BFG ATs and a load of skis and dogs in the back was enough to get me up in 2WD. I did get out and lock the hubs a few times, but with studded snows or maybe even just a locking diff, I don't think that would have been necessary.

Admittedly, the real reason I have 4x4 is because it is cool. It makes what is essentially a very basic, somewhat wimpy vehicle, tough. And I'm a dude so that, though I am loath to admit it, that is important. So even though I only switch that knob to 4-Low a handful of times each year, I've convinced myself that it is worth the expense. I'm sure I'm not alone in that regard.

But, 18mpg vs 28 mpg, at 12000 miles a year and $4.30 per gallon gas is close to a $1000 difference. When looking at a new(er) truck the 2WD is also a lot cheaper, sometimes on the order of like 4-5 large. If I get a 2wd, take the money I would save over a 4x4, and stick it in the bank I could easily RENT a 4x4 on the days I really thought I needed it and have several thousand left over over the life of the vehicle. No I wouldn't get to lift it, customize it ,and blow half my paycheck on crap I REALLY don't need, but that's probably a good thing too.

Now, if Ford would just bring over that 4cyl diesel Ranger, I could have my cake and eat it too. But, by the time that happens I'll probably shopping for minivans with a gaggle of rugrats in tow and any shred of masculinity long since bartered away. I think this is what they call growing up.

So true. So true. I have to admit I would have gotten the 4x4 is mostly just for the cool factor and to brag. "I have a 4x4" But the older I get the less I care about stuff like that. It comes to the point of having a low maintanence vehicle with good gas mileage. Which is one reason i chose the Ranger.(I have heard so much good stuff about it) Plus every flipping year I have stuff to haul and always have to ask my sisters and brothers in law for help.

 

[Dar70]

I couldn't get a run at, I was parked in a parking stall surrounded by cars and the snow plow pushed all the snow in a row behind the parked cars, about 3' from the back of mine. And my car had 8" of snow to deal with where it was parked on top of that, which made getting a run at it hard (I tried with a foot left and almost got hung up halfway out)

I know I can still get stuck, but it likely won't be in a parking lot.

We keep our driveway fairly clear, but when stuff melts the street water runs down it and refreezes at night, and it is gravel so you can't get it 100% clear without having a bunch of gravel displaced in the spring (and a bunch of mud where it is supposed to be)

4x4 knocks MAYBE 1-2mpg off vs a comparible 4x2, well worth it IMO. I have yet to wish I didn't have it, and have been gratefull many times that I did get it. For example I can drive out thru just about anything and pick my deer up in a field rather than drag all 200lbs of it back thru mud and/or snow (not fun at all)

But then we don't all use our trucks for the same thing either...

One thing that kills the milage in a Ranger is that you can't get a 2.3 4x4 anymore.

True. You go offroading so the 4x4 will be a big plus. The snow in the parking lot thing actually has happened to me come to think of it. Back in college. I had my grand am which rarely got stuck. But it did that afternoon. I had to kick tons of snow out from under the tires. Dang it was cold that day.

As for the gas mileage on the 4x4's, yeah its a shame they dont offer the smaller engines with it any longer.
The mileage as per 2008 epa on a 4x4 is 15/17 and the 4x2 with the 4 cyl. is 19/24. The 4x2 3.0 6 cyl. is horrible at 15/19.(these are for automatics i believe)
So there is a big difference if you have the 4x2 with the 4 cyl.(which so far I have been very happy with and it almost gets the HP of the 3.0 6cyl., excellent gas mileage) Of course add a couple of more miles on each for the economy drivers out there..

 

[laclabb]

Among all trucks, I would probably go for a Ford Ranger. I am already satisfied with its 207-horsepower engine that can achieve 19-mpg on the highway and a 15-mpg in the city. It's quite fine for me.
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[AustinJ427]

I gotta question getting 18 to 20 mpg with your 4.0 liter. Is it coasting downhill?

its entirely possible. I do it every tank. Last tank 20.6 tank before 20.4, One time my buddy and i had to drive up north on I 25 and wanted to see what mileage we got. I drafted the whole way behind anything that i could find. 26.9. I would never drive like that on a day to day bases, but shifting around 2k yeilds decent mileage, or am i just good at driving

 

[plainsranger]

I gotta question getting 18 to 20 mpg with your 4.0 liter. Is it coasting downhill?

It is possible. Had a 95 exploder with 130+ on it and it would get 18-20 on the interstate doing 70-75. I know its not a ranger, but it still had the 4 liter and an automatic and weighed just as much as my ranger does now.
My ranger with its automatic gets 17 at 70 mph now.