Okay so I got a call today from a guy interested in trading his Ranger for my Mini. I am new to the Ranger world so I want to ask you gentlemen what to look for?

It's a 2003 Ford Ranger 4x4 not sure if it's an FX4 as we didnt get into details. It's the 4 door version and has the 4.0 v6 engine with an automatic. Exactly what I wanted

It has 97k miles on it but says it's in great condition. I will be checking it out tomorrow but would like some pointers on what to look for. Any recalls? things that go bad? etc


I went into KBB and they had a fair price of 8900 for it. I am asking 9k for my Mini so it should be an even trade. Is the 4.0 reliable? Owners feel free to chime in. I used to have an Explorer Sport Trac with the 4.0 so it has decent power


Let me know guys, thanks.

 

lol my roomate is a sales guy at el paso bmw / mini and everyday hes telling me to trade my truck in ona mini .
im sure the 4.0 guys will be responding to your post shortly good luck with whatever you decide. hope to see ya on here in a ranger.

 

do it man you should be pretty happy. the 4.0 is a great motor.

 

The mini cooper s is such a fun car to drive, sticks to corners like glue. What year and miles on your mini?

 

Yes its a good motor. Good power, but not so good mileage. lol Dont expect to get much more than about 15 mpgs out of it.

 

Thanks guys, damn 15mpg? I was expecting a bit more, but that's a trade off I am willing to take for the power it offers. What's the towing capacity? I know i can find that real quick on my own but heck some of you guys might know this on top of your head.

Yeah I love the Mini but I have classes Mon-Fri and it's like a 45 minute drive. Heavy traffic so shifting gets old pretty quick. It's an 02 with 66k miles.

 

nah you can get more then 15 mpgs. i've seen 20 on a good day on the highway.

towing capacity is like 5600 lbs? correct me if im wrong guys.

 

hey riddle i traded in a 96 civic 5 speed for my truck and alot of the times i regret it. it you drive that much then i would honestly really concider keepin the mini and save for like a cheap ranger. the tow capacty from what i have seen is aroung 5k.... gas will KILL you in these trucks esp comming from your mini and it prob 30 mpg... make sure you reall think about it. if you want the truck to tow things then get a full size. much better tow capacity and the same if not a tad better gad milage. just my honest opinion. i wish i still had my civic. and i used to drive about the same daily...

 

id prob trade you if i didnt owe money on truck..

 

Thanks for the response why do you regret it? I like the Mini with all the gadgets they come with but I am just tired of shifting. Also you have to come to an almost complete stop when going over a bump or a dip since it will scrape. The reason I asked about the towing is because i might need to help friends who get stuck in sand. I also have an F150 for bigger tows if required but it's not 4x4.

I've been craving a 4x4 for sometime for when I go to the beach.

 

Listen for the timing chain rattle once rpms get above 2k or so.

 

I have a 2003 x cab auto , but with the 3.0 and not a 4x4, and I love it. Have had it for almost 5 years and 100,000, it has about 120,000 on it and no serious problems yet.

You will get worse gas mileage, just because its a 4.0, and 4x4, but with a tuner, and maybe intake and exhaust you can improve mpgs and HP and that will make it worth it.

Definitely a fun little truck, and I don't think you will regret it.

 

You will see very little gains with an intake and exhaust. At least that's my experience.

I'd personally trade the mini, but that's because I'm a truck guy.

 

no issues here and im on my second 4.0 ranger

 

I've owned my 2000 Ford Ranger for a decade now. I absolutely wouldn't drive anything else. I will own this truck until the day I die.

Reasons?

• I'm a small guy (5'9" 130lb) and the truck fits me perfectly
• I can do ANYTHING with it (including take it all apart and put it back together successfully)
• I get decent gas mileage (even with a 5.0L V8)
• I laugh every time I see a smart car, dude in a Civic, Mini, or any other "man" driving a car.

In my humble opinion, men deserve trucks. A man and his truck is a beautiful thing.

I wouldn't be caught dead in a car, ever. But that's just me.

Don't expect great gas mileage. After all, it's a soap box on wheels, and has no aerodynamic properties.

Don't expect a smooth ride. It's a truck, not a Crown Vic.

DO load the bed with all your crap, and be happy you don't have to smell the nasty trash when you take it to the dump.

Finally, I love my Ranger like I love my wife and kids. If a tow truck showed up right now and said "we must have it", I would probably shoot them and happily go turn myself in to the police. Nobody touches my truck...nobody drives my truck. It's MY TRUCK.

 

LOL

 

That...was beautiful.
I average 18-19mpg in my truck. Can get 20mpg but have to try really hard.

 

Ha. HOW? Most my truck has ever gotten was 17. And that was non stop highway driving.

 

I can pull 25-30 all day long but i have the 2.3 LOL.

 

I pull 19.XX mpgs consistently with 17 being my worse. I also have a reg cab though. This is my 3rd Ranger with the 2 previous ones being 4x2 and 4x4 both with 3.0's. I'm sure you will be really happy with the truck. Especially when it comes to modding time.

 

I get 16mpg mixed, and best ever was 20mpg all highway.

The 2001-mid 2003's have the timing chain problems. Easy way to find out is get it into second gear at 2,000rpm you'll hear it. The fix for the timing chain is costly, 5.8 hours of labor alone.

 

Update gentlemen! I barely went today to look at the truck since I couldnt monday. The truck is awesome! Has big tires, HIDs and the 4.0 has plenty of power. Tow package and an aftermarket stereo with two 15 inch woofers. He also will throw in the stock 6 cd changer player that came with the truck. Has big wheels with the FX4 style rims that come on the FX4 Supercrews pre 04. He test drove the Mini and loved it he wanted to trade right there an then but I said Ill think about it but then agreed on going to the beach on sunday to test both cars on a long trip and to test the 4x4. If all goes well we will be trading on Monday, awesome truck!

 

3.0L, 5-sp, 4.10, 22 highway

Just don’t "put the pedal to the metal", so to speak; let the truck take the load and go.

Also, drive conservatively, I know hard to do for most but the little truck will get good milage if you don’t push the hell out of it.

Nice move to a Ranger although I too like a Mini except for my 6’2” height not made for me.
Mini’s don’t really get great milage either, S-Coupe is not more than 20-21 avg.

 

Yeah tell me about it. The Mini is bigger inside than the looks suggest. My MPG says 26.2 mpg but I dont trust it. I drive it everyday about 45 miles and I can swear it goes down a 1/4 a tank and it uses 93 premium to boot! Dont even talk about oil changes. Also I just bought a new Sony CyberShot 10.1 MP so look for pictures on tuesday.

 

i can get the same milage in the city as i do on high way according too my scan gauge. i have never beat 23 mpg. it upsets me that my truck is the same city too highway if i try to have it that way. all you got too do it time the lights properley and use hills too your advantage. and i get 11 mpg in rush hour but i work from noon 11 am too 9 pm mon to fri so i dont see much of that. i bet i could get 25 mpg if i got a violant intake a tuner and water meth. but **** it