inhaliburton

Hi there,

I have a 2010 Ranger 4.0 v-6 and and not happy with gas mileage. I pull 2 trailers:

landscape + equipment = 2200 lbs.

travel trailer dry = about 3000 lbs.

It pulls the landscape okay, but my foot is in it pretty good with the travel trailer. Gas mileage is around 12 mpg.

I'm looking for a full size truck either with the 4.6 or 5.4. I'm told by dealer that 4.6 will get better mileage when pulling and non-pulling. True?

Is the 4.6 a 3 valve like the 5.4 from '09 onward, and did they optimize the 4.6 like they did the 5.4 in '09?

I appreciate your knowledge and personal experience that you folks have on this site!

Chrispy

I can't speak to exact mileage numbers but I am a new F150 4.6 3V owner who's previous vehicle was a 2003 Mazda B4000 (Ranger 4.0) and I can tell you that the difference in mileage (both city and highway) is pretty darn small. I haven't towed my bike trailer (2000 lbs) yet but I'm not expecting to see much difference.

inhaliburton

Hi Crispy,

Thanks for your reply. We like the Ranger very much, but am not impressed when pulling the travel trailer. When it's loaded with gear, water, etc. it's likely at least 3500 lbs. plus the wife and 2 Westies.

I have a dealer up here in Canada trying to find a 2009 or 2010 F150 for us. Cost is very much an issue, as we are pretty much maxed-out payment wise with the Ranger.

I do a lot of driving. I took delivery of the Ranger on May 4th of this year and have 25000 kms. on the odometer. I have a Scanguage II meter on-board, so can see the instantaneous mpg and average mpg. It's a great asset and is teaching me a thing or two about increasing gas mileage. Watching the tranny fluid temp is also helpful.

I was in a F150 5.4 super crew yesterday on a 400 km round trip and was very impressed. Much quieter at highway speeds than the Ranger. Rides like a full-size car.

Regards, Paul.
up here in Canada...

ftrucktough

Sounds like more spam for the scangauge....

inhaliburton

You are wrong, ftrucktough. Just personal impression and experience. You got something useful to say instead of sarcasm?

09KingRanch

If you are really looking to improve performance when towing there is no substitute for horsepower and torque. If you only tow occasionally and don't mind holding up traffic and wondering if you are going to make it up the next hill just stick with your Ranger. If you are going to go to the expense of upgrading you might as well just go big and get the 5.4L. I tow a boat that's about 4500 lbs. and have the 5.4L with 3.73 gears and wish it had a bit more grunt. Fortunately I only tow it any distance a few times a year so it works fine for me.

fonzo

I used to drive a 2001 4.0L V6 Explorer Sport Trac and now have the 2010 F150 super crew 4.6 3V. I think the mileage is slightly better on the F150 but I have not done any serious measuring. When I bought the truck, the salesmen said the 5.4 has better mileage when towing compared to the 4.6. I have yet to tow something so I don't know what the truth is. I plan to tow a cargo trailer in the future so I think either way, the 4.6 will do the job just fine.

inhaliburton

That sound like good advice, KingRanch, but brings up another question. I assume that the 5.4 liter comes with the 3.73 rear end. Is it the same for the 4.6 liter engine?

texasgator

The 4.6 doesn't automatically come with the 3.73, but you can get it as an option. Mine "came" with it from the factory but it added $300 to the MSRP.

DanAustin

I had a 09 ranger 2.3 and now have a 2010 supercab with the 4.63 v and i get better city mileage with the new truck than i did with the ranger i have a heavy foot and average 14-15 city. This weekend i pulled a uhaul vehicle transport to Tucson az empty and got 22 highway and loaded with with a lifted Toyota on way back got 16 mpg with cruise set at 80 both ways