MPG: Ranger vs F150

[phsycle]

Anyone own both a new gen Ranger and F150? A friend of mine is looking for a new truck. Main usage is daily driving but will also tow a 6x12 enclosed trailer regularly, loaded up to about 3-4K lbs.

While an F150 would do it easier, he’s trying to see if a midsize would also work. Main issue is MPG, unloaded. Day to day stuff. I’d imagine Ranger would be slightly better in this regard, but maybe not.

Looking to see for those that have owned both, driven in similar manner, if they saw any significant difference between the two.

Will be looking at a Supercab in both and 4wd. Probably 2.7 in the F150.

Thanks

 

[Jupiter58]

No info

 

[Dougnuts]

Check Fuelly.com

 

[phsycle]

Just to clarify, I’m not asking people to post up their fuel mileage for whatever truck they currently own. Nor am I asking about info for each truck I can readily find on the net.

There are so many variables when comparing mpg from one person to another.

I am interested in seeing mpg results from someone that owns or has owned both, who drove in similar conditions with both vehicles.

 

[Todd780]

Interesting topic. I'd like to hear these results as well.

 

[RVA Overland]

I have a 2003 F150, my parents have a 2018 and I have a Ranger. If towing is the primary need and the larger size is of no concern, I would absolutely go with the F150. The fuel mileage is great on the newer ones. The bigger engine will help with the towing and not be impacted as much by the added weight on the rear. When I tow my boat with my ranger it drops into the mid teens. This is not to say I dont love my Ranger I do, but the capacity and comfort of the F150 is hard to beat. Bigger Fuel tank in the F150 also. Parents responded to a text, they dont have exact numbers on towing mileage but it dropped a good bit so mileage may be similar between the two.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Anyone own both a new gen Ranger and F150? A friend of mine is looking for a new truck. Main usage is daily driving but will also tow a 6x12 enclosed trailer regularly, loaded up to about 3-4K lbs.

While an F150 would do it easier, he’s trying to see if a midsize would also work. Main issue is MPG, unloaded. Day to day stuff. I’d imagine Ranger would be slightly better in this regard, but maybe not.

Looking to see for those that have owned both, driven in similar manner, if they saw any significant difference between the two.

Will be looking at a Supercab in both and 4wd. Probably 2.7 in the F150.

Thanks

While I have not owned both...I'm pretty sure that they will be really close.

Dollar for dollar the F150 is a better value.

 

[Err]

Lots of discussion over on ranger5g on towing. Several consider it a deal breaker as the Ranger has a very small (18 gallon) tank which turns into fuel stops every 150-200 miles. Power is good but range stinks.

 

[jbaucom]

My advice is "don't buy a mid-size truck for the fuel economy." New full-size trucks get ridiculously good fuel economy for what they are, and make many other similarly capable AWD/4WD vehicles seem to get relatively mediocre mileage in comparison. My 2019 F150 V8 4x4 has 395 hp and gets 20+ mpg on the interstate (last trip was ~220 miles RT with ATV in the bed, 20.3 mpg, 19.9 mpg on a 600 mi tank), while my wife's Subaru Ascent hasn't topped 25 mpg, and usually gets under 21 mpg in local driving. Buying a mid-size because its size or price meets your needs better is really the only benefit I see versus a full-size truck.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

My advice is "don't buy a mid-size truck for the fuel economy." New full-size trucks get ridiculously good fuel economy for what they are...

That's exactly why I own a F150 and not a Tacoma...lol.

 

[nickw]

Lots of discussion over on ranger5g on towing. Several consider it a deal breaker as the Ranger has a very small (18 gallon) tank which turns into fuel stops every 150-200 miles. Power is good but range stinks.

While I agree range could be better, I was getting over 200 miles towing a 4500 lb TT through Idaho and Montana. I normally get 340-370+ miles/tank, 19 - 23 MPG....I generally see ~25ish on the hwy which is a comfortable 400 miles with room to spare.

 

[nickw]

Anyone own both a new gen Ranger and F150? A friend of mine is looking for a new truck. Main usage is daily driving but will also tow a 6x12 enclosed trailer regularly, loaded up to about 3-4K lbs.

While an F150 would do it easier, he’s trying to see if a midsize would also work. Main issue is MPG, unloaded. Day to day stuff. I’d imagine Ranger would be slightly better in this regard, but maybe not.

Looking to see for those that have owned both, driven in similar manner, if they saw any significant difference between the two.

Will be looking at a Supercab in both and 4wd. Probably 2.7 in the F150.

Thanks

I had a loaner F150 for over a week with a 3.5 EB, for the same type of driving, mix of urban & hwy, F150 was 18ish and my ranger is 22-23ish. I'd give it 4-5 MPG in normal driving but once you are towing, I bet it's moot. Some guys only get 18 mpg in the Rangers but those same guys are likely the same ones getting 14 mpg in EB F150's.....

I'd tell your friend to ignore MPG and buy the truck that has enough space for him and his stuff. I think if he's towing often the F150 is probably the better bet, not to say the Ranger couldn't do it, but Ranger probably isn't the best tool for the job. It does tow surprisingly well and has a payload capacity on par with many 1/2T trucks (surprisingly).

 

[Jupiter58]

I had a loaner F150 for over a week with a 3.5 EB, for the same type of driving, mix of urban & hwy, F150 was 18ish and my ranger is 22-23ish. I'd give it 4-5 MPG in normal driving but once you are towing, I bet it's moot. Some guys only get 18 mpg in the Rangers but those same guys are likely the same ones getting 14 mpg in EB F150's.....

I'd tell your friend to ignore MPG and buy the truck that has enough space for him and his stuff. I think if he's towing often the F150 is probably the better bet, not to say the Ranger couldn't do it, but Ranger probably isn't the best tool for the job. It does tow surprisingly well and has a payload capacity on par with many 1/2T trucks (surprisingly).

Wow! How did you get 18 mpg with the 3.5? I get that towing a small boat at 80+. (Less than 2k boat and trailer, below bed profile.)
I think if I raced from stoplight to stoplight in sport mode I would do better than 18.
My 17k miles of ownership average is 22-23.
So a 350-400 mile range on the ranger? That’s not bad!


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[SDDiver5]

Towing that with a ranger would be very silly.

I had the 2.7 in my old F150 and with a heavy foot I still had 20 MPG. In tow mode one time from San Diego to Northern AZ I was getting 28MPG towing a Uhaul

 

[rruff]

Main issue is MPG, unloaded. Day to day stuff. I’d imagine Ranger would be slightly better in this regard, but maybe not.

Slightly better, yes. Smaller truck with a smaller turbo engine.

Fuelly really is a good place to look for these things. There's enough data to even out the randomness. YMMV but the difference between them is likely to hold.

Ranger 2.3L turbo: ~20 mpg https://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/ranger?engineconfig_id=34&bodytype_id=&submodel_id=
F150 2.7L turbo: ~18.5 mpg https://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/f-150?engineconfig_id=49&bodytype_id=&submodel_id=
F150 3.5L turbo: ~16 mpg https://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/f-150?engineconfig_id=102&bodytype_id=&submodel_id=