Well I'm contemplating getting rid of my 2000 Ford Ranger XLT V6 4.0L Extended cab 2 wheel drive truck which has just under 66,000 miles on it and replacing it with a 2005 or newer Ford Escape SUV.

The biggest one is fuel millage as my ranger only gets 14mpg max in the city. That's with the tonneau cover on. Without it I get about 12mpg.
Escapes that I have been looking at have been rated between 21(V6)-24(V4)mpg city dependent on engine options.

Secondly I've recently come to the realization that the ranger just does not have enough interior cargo room and I have yet to use the truck bed or haul anything. In fact I'd rather call one of my many friends with bigger trucks if i need something hauled. One of the biggest problem I have is i cant find any possible way to install my 12" pioneer sub in the cab without removing the back seats and even then I might still not have enough room as I like to keep the front seats pushed far back.

Unfortunately I already invested over $230 of sound deadening material for the doors :/ Even so I have been unable to get rid of the door speaker rattle in the extended cab as the door latch rattles on bass tones. I have been told there is nothing that can be done other then removing all bass from the door speakers by many pro audio shops in town besides my own online research.


The other big issue with my ranger is the fact that the under body is extremely rusty because it spent a year sitting outside in the Utah snow storms before coming to california. The worst parts are the drive shaft and exhaust system. The transmission has been worked on twice for leaks and the latest required the entire bottom pan to be replaced. The local Ford dealer has told us it might not make it much over 85,000 before the trani needs a complete rebuild as the internals are already in pretty bad shape.

Not to mention the truck does some weird things like when i take off from a stop as it will tend to clunk. It almost feels like the transmission is skipping or the drive shaft is slamming into the back of the truck.


One of the big positivies about switching to an Escape is because I can put the stock ranger sound system back into the truck then get rid of it. Meanwhile I can keep my new pioneer deck and 6x8s and install them in the Escape. Since its a full four doors I should also be able to get new sound dampening material from second skin and wont have to deal with latch rattles(somewhat bummed i will have to re buy the stuff). On top of that I will have plenty of room to carry four passengers and I can install the sub box easily in the cargo area in the back. There is also probably more room to hide the sub amp and door speaker amp(if i get one for them)

 

The dealer would tell you that anyhow to try to convince you into buying new. Theyll tell you anything to make a sale.

The clunking sounds like a Transmission mount, or I remeber reading somewhere here it has something to do with Axle twist.

Either way best luck to you in your decision! Im sure itll be a sweet rig either way!!

 

yeah man sounds like you NEED to get rid of the ranger, as it sounds like it won't last much longer but those dealer guys will say anything to try and make you buy there crap as stated above, bummerrr oh well at least you get somthing more reliable since the ranger is going.. good luck with it man let us know what you do :)

 

I wouldnt do it if it's paid off. Car payments suck! There are solutions to your truck's problems, besides, it only has 66k miles on it!

 

Putting my extreme dislike for escapes aside. If you change the way your drive i guarantee you that you will see a drastic increase in your mpgs. I get 16 in the city and i have a 4.0 4x4 on 33's. You could get even better than that.

 

build a different box .... my 2 10" infinitis fit fine in the xcab ... so you shouldnt be having a problem with your 12's ... i did prop the box up on bricks so i could put it all the way back.

 

My frame is rusted too, but it is almost 10 years old.
As for gas milage, I am right with you, I cannot break past the 14mpg city milage no matter how easy I drive or how concentraited I am on saving gas.

 

Yeah I'm not sure I believe the dealer about the trani but who knows. I've heard that there is a good transmission and a problematic one in the ranger. I haven't been able to figure that out yet. All i know is its labeled as type D on the door sticker. You know it might actually be the drive shaft bumping itself as it only seems to do it when i start off from a complete stop. I've heard that it could be caused by a bad slip yoke or busted u joint. I wouldn't be surprised with my truck being extremely rusted underneath due to snow and road salt that ate away at it.

As for my millage I'm right with you leadfoot. I cannot get over 14mpg even with good driving tactics like coasting, etc. I make sure to keep my tires properly inflated too. I'm glad i have that fiberglass tonneau cover over the bed and hate to imagine what it would be like without it.

Anyways I'm still looking at escapes and mazda tributes since they will allow me to use my pioneer system in them I only wish there were forums just as active and good as ranger-forums.

 

I just wanna know where you found that escape with a V4. That sounds like an interesting motor swap candidate for the Ghia.

 

Thats all the milage your getting?? My '99 4x4 extended cab gets 24 hiway...

 

do a 5spd swap in your truck, thats why u get **** for gas mileage.....

 

I consistently get 18-19 mpg aroung town with the 4.0 4x4 and 5spd. I would have the truck tuned up and see if that helps your milage. Something is off there.

 

its simple, his is a automatic, thats the mileage they get, a 4.0 2wd 5spd at stock height should easily get 20+mpg

 

Your complaining about 15mpg? Half the time I only get 7-10mpg because of the 131k miles and the person who owned the truck before me didn't take care of a lot of problems.

Your truck needs maintenance, a stock Ranger should get much better MPG then that.

 

Fords need to be maintained.

 

My 95 is a automatic and on 20's and I am still getting 20mpg. But I am doing 55-65 on the freeway and up to 40 on public street and 25 on side streets. Make sure your tires are at optimal pressure...that kills mileage. Also spark plugs, o2's and filters (air and fuel) can hurt mpg's.


As for the Escape. I had one, when I baby'd the hell out of it...by this I mean taking 1/4 mile or more to get up to speed I saw 24 mpg. normal driving was around 14. The interior of the Escape was total total total crap and I had the Limited (it was an 05 to boot) The interior plastic was sooooooo cheap it was disgusting. Here are some pictures too.

 

I fixed it for you.

Maintenance is key to ANY type of vehicle, whether it be a Toyota, Mazda, Ford, Dodge, Chevy, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, Chrysler, Saab, or whatever. If you don't maintain it, you're going to have problems.

And the clunk sounds like a bad slip yoke on the drive shaft. Again, that's just a maintenance thing, not something to be like OMG, I GOTTA GET A NEW TRUCK!