Why the MPG disparity?

[nitrofan1]

OK I'm reading a post tonight about if a fellow member should get a Ranger or a Ram or an F-series. Responders came back with good feedback then added MPG figures in the mix.

So here is what I would like to know. I want feedback on my 2 babies VS yours. Real figures on what you get and why (if you want) as to the reason you get good or bad MPG. I don't understand how a 4 cyl with a manual and in good running condition can get that bad of an MPG rating.

Here is my trucks and what mods are done:
My 93 XLT 4x4 with a 4.0 and A4LD is bone stock and hasn't had a tune up yet averaged 18.4 MPG combined on the last 8 tanks never going below 18.

My 94 Splash 4.0L 5Sp with 73mm BBK mass air, 66mm Central Coast throttle body, Accel 24lb injectors, Chip, Flowmaster short exhaust get's 22.1 average combined religiously and when I drive this I don't "conserve" if ya get my meaning.

Curiosity killed the cat so get out yer bats guys!!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

1994 Ford Explorer 4dr been in the family since '96, 16-17 mpg is all it could muster. 4wd, A4LD, 3.27 gears and factory 235/75-15 streetish tires.

College roomates '00 Ranger XLT ORP 4.0 automatic was right in the same neighborhood.

My 2.8 was screwed up from the start, for over a decade 10 mpg around town was the norm. Now if I am a good boy and stay out of the secondaries (very hard) it is better, the one tank I have behaved with so far I got 13 mpg around town. 3spd, 3.73's, and 235/75-15 tires... it downright sucks on the highway, I didn't even bother with the math on that trip. A V8 at 2500rpm can move a heck of a lot of fuel.

 

[racsan]

the ranger is a '93 supercab 4.0 4x4, 3.73 gears 5 speed manual. best ever highway was 19.5 average combined is 17, in town about 15. it weighs in at 4,300 pounds, stock 235/75/15 tires. has a cap. currently has about 140,000 miles on the clock. the S-blazer the wife drives has a 4.3, 4 door 4x4,4 speed auto overdrive trans. 5,000 pounds,3.42 gears and 225/70/15 tires. it has 182,000 miles. it amazingly gets 23 highway, 18 combined 16/17 in town. you would think the ranger would do better than the blazer, smaller V6, deeper gears, 1,000 pounds less. must all be in the gearing, though i do wish the blazer had 3.73's - when it hits 2nd gear and the engine is cold it sometimes stumbles. both vehicles are kept up maintence wise, run stock air filer elements, stock exhaust, both run 87 octane fuel every tank. the ranger has more blow-by than the blazer, oil is dirty, a qt low and ready to be changed by 3,500 miles. the blazer is only down 1/2 qt in 4,000 miles and just starts to be dirty by then. granted if i driver either vehicle hard they will use more fuel, and trailer towing? both drop to the 10-12 mpg range when pulling my 6x10 box trailer. wind resistance is a real killer of mpg.

 

[Sunk]

Mine is 99 Extended cab 2wd with a 2.5 and a 5 spd with a 4.10 rear end. All the driving I do is probably 70/30 "highway"/city. I've seen as low as 17.xx and saw 20.2 once (avg of a whole tank). It get 18-19 on most tanks.

Why? The 2.5 has the infamous rough idle that I haven't been able to track down, so I'm sure that a big part. Also it has a lumber rack and fiberglass canopy on it, and probaly 3-400 pound of tools in the bed. Traffic here in the gay area sucks too, notice I said "highway". The previous owner said it gets 1-2 MPG better without the rack on it, but I've yet to try.

 

[lneidlinger]

My 91 short bed 2wd automatic 4.0 ("s" trim level, specially for fleet vehicles, aka no options at all) with 3.08 gears and with no OD gets about 21-22mpg with p235/75R15 goodyear wranger RT/S tires driving about 20 miles a day at a average of 55mph, which keeps it right at about 2200rpm right in the peak torque rpm range. With OD and the old undersized P195/70R14 tires it could touch 27mpg on the highway.

 

[nine-teen91stxranger]

my 1991 4x4 ext cab 4x4 4.0 5 spd combined city, highway, backroads, and daily beating since ive gotten it i get about 15-18. best i've ever gotten was 20.1mpg on a 300 mile trip at 59 mph on flat ground.

edit: with 3.55 gears and 215/75/r15s

 

[FFGlen]

94 XL Ranger, 4x4 4.0 V6, damn near bone stock.

Highest I drive is 65, in the winter I get about 15mpg, and in the summer, on her best day, I get 19. Typically averaging about 17mpg this summer.

 

[Funnyman141]

1995 ranger supercab, 4x4, 3.73 gears, 215/75/15 (i think), 4.0 v5 (bad cylinder lol ) will get around 15-16.9 highway.

1987 ranger, 2wd, 2.3L, 3.73, 215/75/15 rear tires, will get around 9 no matter what I do (no idea why) but both of my vehicles are kinda special cases lol

 

[LearjetMinako]

My 96' 2.3L 5sp Ranger, gets 20-21MPG pretty consistently. Even on E20 fuel, it still got 20MPG.

 

[Brick+Truck=Good]

haha, my 1996 Camaro gets better gas mileage! My ranger isn't road worthy, so it get nowhere fast mpg.

^ and it's a 5.7L v8!

 

[dasfinc]

REPOST times a billion

http://therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99333

You even POSTED in this thread

94 Splash 22.3 combined with 100% gas, 20.7 with E10

93 XLT 4x4 18.6 combined so far with E10. Haven't filled it up with real gas yet (never around those stations when I need to for some reason).