Hi I'm a highschool student and was looking at either the 4.6L or 4.0l. My school is in mostly city driving and I want to get good on gas while being to head out to the lake and get the truck dirty. Thanks.

 

Well, welcome to RF. So what are you looking for with this thread? There isn't really a question involved. You're on a Ranger site so most people will suggest a Ranger.

 

Ya but some people might know something about an f150

 

f150, gas will be damn close, unless you feel you dont need a truck that big(why i have my ranger)

 

For best mileage you should be looking at the 2.3L.

 

I've heard the rangers aftermarket parts are cheaper that's why I've been interested plus our family expedition gets 13 combined never has gotten better

 

Having owned both a 4L ranger and a 4.6L f150 I would take the f150 in a heartbeat. BUT my f150 burns alot more fuel than my ranger

 

I just upgraded to the F150 and here is a list of pros cons:

F150 Pros:

-Plenty of room
-seem to be built a little tighter, no rattles and vibrations
-rides like a cadillac
-look awesome
-have about the same gas mileage as Ranger
-more power (when i pull a boat, i dont know its back there)
-More options
-nicer
-bigger gas tank for the long haul

F150 Cons

-cost alot more to fill up. i average about $90 a fill up, BUT i can go almost 500 miles on a tank
-parts cost alot more
-bigger to wash and take care of
-takes 7 quarts of oil (5.4 liter anyways)
-etc

So as you can see, the F150 would be the ideal choice, but Rangers are super nice and I will miss mine when its gone!

 

If you are still at school and dont have a money machine at home ... you cannot go wrong with the 2.3L ranger. you will love it to death.

 

^this...

 

My friend has a 4.0 with 32s and that's what I was thinking about would the mpg be worse and also the 3.0 with 32s?

 

avoid the 3.0 at all costs...underpowered especially with bigger tires

 

Oh what would the combined mpg of the 4.0 with 32s be?

 

3.0 is more reliable than a 4.0 both motors are underpowered. 3.0 is more peppy IMO, haven driven both.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by 99offroadrngr

3.0 is more reliable than a 4.0 both motors are underpowered. 3.0 is more peppy IMO, haven driven both.

what?

same platform, but the 4.0 is like 50 some more horses?

i have a HUGE difference between my 5.0 (stock rated at 212 hp) vs my 3.0 (stock rated 145 or something)

 

x2 I have driven both and think the 3.0 does just fine. The major downside of it is that it gets the same mpg as the 4.0, but it definitely gets an unnecessary bad rap IMO.

And OP, if you are driving a lot in the city and parking a lot you may want to consider how easy it is to park either of the trucks in tight spots. I know that has been a complaint for city dwelling F-150 owners.

 

i get about 13 city and 18-20 highway

 

There is a Beautiful Red ranger for sale in Mt. Airy you should just buy that!!

 

But the 4.0 SOHC has 207 and the 5.0 Has 212 not that big of a stock upgrade. IDK if theres a noticeable difference?

 

you're comparing a v6 to a v8 and 2 liters of difference. hp doesn't really mean ****, its mainly torque.

my 3.0 on 33's was faster than my friends 2003 4.0 on 245 75 16 and it also out pulled it. its a shitty motor. I'd rather have an OHV if i got stuck with a 4.0

 

Ya but my plan is to put larger tires on it after senior summer and the 4 cylinder just seems to small

 

I have a 4.0 with 31's, it still has plenty of pep and gets 14-15 city 18-20 highway. I wouldn't have it any other way. Ranger is def the way to go but that's just me.

 

4.0 with 32's 15 city, 13 in the winter, 12 towing, 18.5ish on the highway from Selinsgrove Pa, to Auburn ME. gas mileage is going to suck on both platforms your looking at, but i'm not one who cares about gas mileage. my ranger was the perfect size in high school. but now that im in college 9 hours from home, its a little small.

 

Your friend either didn't know how to drive or had one lemon of a 4.0 SOHC. The only shitty thing about the 4.0 SOHC is some of the earlier ones had timing chain problems. Mine is still working well at over 130,000 miles.

The only thing a OHV engine has over the SOHC engine is 2 lb-ft of torque at 1000 to 1500 rpm. Otherwise the SOHC dominates, especially at 2400 rpm and above. I tow my race car all over the country and would never consider exchanging for a OHV.

I average 16 mpg around town,18 highway and 14 towing. That is better than what I could get with my 89 2.9L Ranger 4WD at 15 mpg around town, 18 highway and 13 towing.

 

having owned a 4.0 litter explorer with 31x10.5 mud terrains gas was horrible. have an 03 f150 supercab with the 5.4 now i average 18-20mpg highway with it but you have to keep your foot out of it and try and keep rpms under 2k. My ranger had the 2.5 with a 5spd and it was getting 29 mpg.