Small Truck Fuel Question

[sauerkraut]

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/sbs.htm

This is a good link, Yep I know my fuel mileage is in the dumper and those numbers seem about correct. Just about anything will be better than what I got. I need a truck or van so I can carry cargo when I need to. A car cannot carry much.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Sprinter van - once sold by Dodge and Freightliner.  Now, ??  Freightliner I think, and Mercedes.  1 ton rating.  Diesel engine with auto, gets 23 and 24 mpg.  Kind of pricey.

[sauerkraut]

I saw a new extended cab 4x4 Ranger on display in a Wal Mart in Arkansas a few weeks ago.  It had the 4.0L V6 engine and a 5 speed automatic.  I was shocked when I looked at the sticker and saw that the EPA highway rating was only 18 MPG  That's not as good as a full size Chevy 5.3L V8.  Really poor mileage for a small truck.  I assumed it would get at least 25 on the highway.  But the Ranger is an ancient truck.  They are virtually unchanged since the 1993 model year.  But they keep selling them, and buyers keep buying them.  The tooling had to have been amortized years ago.

Yeah I noticed that on new vehicle fuel mileage stickers, I dunno about older used trucks,  That is why I posted this thread I have been hearing all sorts of stuff about gas mileage on small trucks -and  I noticed the full- size  trucks today can get nearly 20 mpg and the small trucks 21 or 22, but the full size offer you alot more room and power. I'm not too keen on 4 cylinders, sure the gas mileage is better but they lack power and have timing belts that need replacement- and normally a 4 cylinder engine can't last as long as a V-6 or V-8 since it has to work so much harder. I'd like a V-6 Ranger or S-10 even if it does use a bit more fuel. The old styles of the Ranger is a plus for me, it makes parts much more easy to get, I like the look of the Ranger & Explorer and you see alot of them of the roads. I'm a bit old fashioned and would like 4.0 or the Chevy 4.3  engine because of it's iron heads- I'm no fan of Aluminum cylinger heads that so many cars have today. As for diesels I like them but many repair shops don't work on them, I never owned a diesel vehicle.. Thanks for info everyone.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Go with the diesel.  You can learn about it.  There ain't that much different, except the mileage.  And if you get Dodge, take it to Cummins for engine work - definitely not the dealers in northeast Oklahoma.

There are not iron heads left on any of the gas engines.  Just the diesel.

[sauerkraut]

Go with the diesel.  You can learn about it.  There ain't that much different, except the mileage.  And if you get Dodge, take it to Cummins for engine work - definitely not the dealers in northeast Oklahoma.

There are not iron heads left on any of the gas engines.  Just the diesel.

That's a thought, I did see some 4.0 engines with iron heads in older Rangers & Explorers. The Sprintster Van seems a bit too commerical for me and is more than I need. I don't need to haul everyday. I just need an all around vehicle that I can use for transportation and that can take some cargo when I need to, such as buying lumber/plywood at Home Depot or buying a table, with a car you cannot do those things. Thanks.

[nathanm]

Sprinter van - once sold by Dodge and Freightliner.  Now, ??  Freightliner I think, and Mercedes.  1 ton rating.  Diesel engine with auto, gets 23 and 24 mpg.  Kind of pricey.

The Ford Transit they sell here in the states now is pretty cheap and gets decent mileage.