4 cylinder 98 Ranger, honest gas milage opinion please.
 

Hello-

I've done some searching, but I've found a ton of different results. The truck I'm looking at purchasing is the following:

98 Ranger XLT
Manual windows/locks/etc
2wd
4 cyl
automatic
short bed
regular cab

What kind of milage should I realistically get with this thing? It seems like it ranges from 15mpg to 28mpg in here, so I don't know what to believe. If it's 15mpg, I might as well just get a car instead.

This truck will be used only for getting to work and back. I realize it will be slow and it won't tow a lot, but I already have a bigger truck for towing and 4x4 and a race car and a family car. This thing will just be used to eat up miles.

Thanks!

a stock 2.3L will get about 20-30mpg.
just keep it in good shape (tuneup and stuff).

btw welcome, more people from michigan!

auto YUCK... auto 4cyl rangers are complete DOGS i mean horrible... granted you will get like 20-23mpg but a manual can get so much better...

^ yeah i didnt notice that.
but they are still "ok" on gas.

Yes, unfortunately this particular truck is an automatic. I know the stick would be much better, but this truck seems like a good deal. Also, I am on the phone a LOT for business, so even though the truck will be a pig, it might be better for me to get an auto.

So is 20-23 about what everyone thinks this thing will get?

thats about what i was getting was like 20 some days 23 some days and 25 every once and a while when my truck was small.. depends on how hard you push it. and also remeber you sayed you would buy a car if it was to bad well cars still cant haul **** so a truck is better ;)

my grandpa has a 99, auto, 4 cyl short bed, reg cab, and i was actually impressed by its acceleration for what it has. i drove it for a week maybe 2 weeks and averaged 26mpg

i have a 4.0 and 4x4 so completly different and get 16mpg with it.

I hear what you're saying, but I already have an '06 F150 4x4 with the 5.4 and trailer tow package and all that. I know the Rangers are good, rugged little trucks though, this one I'm looking at has less than 70k on it and it's less than $2k. I was hoping I could pound 100k more miles on it just using it for work.

go for it, the 2.3L is a really good motor. i have seen em with over 300k and they still run, kinda like the ford I6 motors.. the bodys rots out before the motor dies.. lol.

just do a tuneup along with a timeing belt and you should get 100k out of it with no problem. only problems i could see it having are with the auto trans.

if you drive hard then it will get crappy mpg, but if you drive normal it will get great mpg.

I've got a 2000 2.5l 5spd., and get about 22-23mpg, but thats when I dont take it easy, and floor it and stuff. We also have hills too. As far as acceleration goes, I think its pretty good, specially since you get 23+ mpg. Heres a video of my truck 0-60.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...h_paint058.jpg

what the hell. My truck accelerates at like half that speed.. if that. I thought all trucks were slow like mine. Granted yours is newer and a 2.5 and mines only a 2.3 but damn yours is way faster

I get about 24ish, depending on how hard I push the little tyke. I'm using it more now cuz gas was killing me in the cobra.

yep, i got the 2.5 automatic and it's a dog for sure! I'm averaging around 22mpg at 65mph on the highway cruising just over 2500RPM. -Mike-

:wavey:

Hi Raj!

I have a 98, 2.3l with 4.10s and an auto. Currently on Mustang 17s, if that matters.

I get about 21mpg, but that's pretty much straight e-way, 70mph. I noticed a big drop when we got that first snow and I couldn't help sliding it around a bit :)

It's probably not anything special he did to his truck, either. I bought a 2000 Ranger 2WD with the same 2.5L engine last Thursday, had 90,474 miles on it when I drove it off the lot, and I'm getting virtually the same acceleration speed as SouthernMudSlinger is in that video.

I did a recent 0-60 time in 9 seconds.

I'll try to time mine this weekend if possible. It's kind of snowy here now, so hopefully it will all be melted by then.

I get around 23mpg in my 98 2.5 5spd. Sounds like a good deal though. I would jump on it.

Yeah, I would get it, it will get good mileage as long as you are easy on it and tune it up, hell, my ranger gets great mileage in the summer,and its a 4.oh yeah. 20-24 all the time, thats all around driving btw.......