Spanky Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 I've had two F150's (2012 and current 2016) with the 5.0L, its soon time to trade but I'm not paying $80k for a new F150. The 2024 Ranger is looking nice, but it doesn't look like there will be a 6-cylinder option without going to the Raptor, I am having a hard time wrapping around the 2.3L Ecoboost 4-cyl. I'd be towing a Triton TC-167 type trailer and a 14' tandem flat trailer with a Can-Am Maverick XXC. Anyone have the Ranger with the 2.3L? Is it a slug compared to the 5.0L? Towing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oggy Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 We have a few at my company, they have lots of power and I am sure it would pull that trailer fine. The only concern I’d have is if it would be wide enough to see your trailer in the mirrors. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Tim Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 You mean something like this?? I had several F150’s (EB 3.5’s) in the past and got the Ranger last year. It is a great truck, gets great fuel mileage (not that the F150 was terrible) and drives really nice. I got the Tremor package and with the Fox shocks it drives way better than a Lariat or XLT as they are pretty bouncy. The new 2024 body style looks awesome, plus they are coming out with a Raptor version….I imagine that will not be cheap. As for towing I have no issues at all with 2 sleds and a TC167. If you drive it at the speed limit the fuel mileage is decent, if you have a heavy foot while trailering, it sucks the gas pretty quickly. Only a 70 litre tank so you will stop for gas more often. I get about 600km to a tank not towing 10-11l/100km on average. When I tow it drops to about 16l/100km. In comparison my F150 had a similar drop in fuel mileage but it went from 12-13l/100km to 17-18l/100km. The truck seems to handle the trailer well, always feel confident while driving. The only thing I don’t like about the Ranger is that is doesn’t have Auto 4wd, it is either 4 high or 4 low. I would buy another Ranger in a heart beat. You can tune the motor through Ford or after market, but a lot of the tunes want you to run 91 octane….F that at these prices. If you drive it in Sport mode it shifts a bit more aggressively, similar to a F150. 6 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nunz Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 Not the Ranger but we ended up trading in our Tacoma and got a Highlander XSE instead through my dealership group. I just never got comfortable with the Tacoma, Fuel economy was horrible and unless we were towing I never really felt secure driving it in the winter. Switching to the Highlander is night and day difference in comfort and handling and fuel economy is much better, Plus 2022 was the last year you could get one with the V6 and personally I am not a fan of turbo's. With regards to the Ranger I heard there is redesign about to be released any day now, might want to wait and see what the changes are to the 2023's. Hope this helps 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoney Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 I wonder if the mid-size truck will, or maybe already has, make a comeback with the way things are. There used to be the Dakota and Ranger, that were fairly popular I thought, then they both stopped, I am guessing because all were buying the full-size trucks. My first truck was a Dakota - it was a great truck! What is the price gap between a Ranger and F150 with similar trim levels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiderman Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 18 minutes ago, stoney said: I wonder if the mid-size truck will, or maybe already has, make a comeback with the way things are. There used to be the Dakota and Ranger, that were fairly popular I thought, then they both stopped, I am guessing because all were buying the full-size trucks. My first truck was a Dakota - it was a great truck! What is the price gap between a Ranger and F150 with similar trim levels? I had 2 Dakota's with V8's in them and liked them way more than the RAM. My dad unloaded his full size for a V6 Canyon, it is a way better daily driver and pulls everything just fine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spanky Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 46 minutes ago, stoney said: I wonder if the mid-size truck will, or maybe already has, make a comeback with the way things are. There used to be the Dakota and Ranger, that were fairly popular I thought, then they both stopped, I am guessing because all were buying the full-size trucks. My first truck was a Dakota - it was a great truck! What is the price gap between a Ranger and F150 with similar trim levels? There is roughly a $20k difference between a high-end Lariat Ranger and a high-end XLT Sport F150. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiderman Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 16 minutes ago, Spanky said: There is roughly a $20k difference between a high-end Lariat Ranger and a high-end XLT Sport F150. 20k is a lot of fuel to pull the toys around with. Easy decision for me 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidooboy Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 it is a hard question to answer. everyone is different, in their likes, wants, needs. I will say that, many buy a mid size truck, thinking the fuel economy will be better, then reality sets in. that isnt always the truth, and once you hook a smaller truck to any load, the mileage really drops. when you look at the costs of mid size trucks, for a few G's more, you are into a larger truck, better towing capacities, and the mileage may even be the same, or better with the larger truck. then you get into the interior and what you can fit into the truck as far as cargo, gear, people... bigger truck is always more comfortable. you may own the truck but, would you ever want to sit in the back for 4-8 hours or longer? you do need to think about your family, and friends on those trips (unfortunately). then you also have, the tail wagging the dog syndrome on towing... smaller truck, bigger load, cross wind, snow, ice, hills, high speeds... if you tow, you need a capable vehicle to overcome the dynamics of the load you are carrying. and I mean, not in a way the manual says, it is "ok" to tow with. some people believe and like the way their smaller vehicles tow, until they get into a bad situation. they may be able to tow the load but, can they control it, and stop it, in a bad situation? Like Nunz, (did) I have a Tacoma, it is basically a car with a bed, and use it as my daily driver, dirt bike, pedal bike hauler. it says it will haul 6500 lbs... not a chance I would try that! Having towed an enclosed hybrid (lightweight) trailer, with only one sled in it, from Michigan to Northern Ontario, one time... was enough for me. but, I am spoiled, and also have a 2500, if I need to haul something, I have that option. in the end it is personal choice, I understand economics plays into this more than anything but, for me, buy the most capable unit you can. buy once cry once. we have way too much invested in our sport so, you determine what your budget is, and the outcome will follow. What I am saying is, dont rush into buying a smaller truck. when you take the test drive, load your trailer with your normal load, and go for a real drive. then make your choice. Ski 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoney Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 Yep - my truck changed over the years based on what I was towing, it was the only reason I changed trucks. Dakota pulled my open car trailer to the track with no issues. Than I bought an enclosed car trailer - Dakota was no longer the right choice so bought full size. I Remember towing my new trailer home from Reinhart's when they were in Brampton up #10, it was that drive home that had me looking for a new truck right after I got home. Eventually bought a 30-foot travel trailer, that my 1/2 ton towed, but pushing or exceeding its limits, so along came a 3/4 ton. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyr Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 13 hours ago, Nunz said: Not the Ranger but we ended up trading in our Tacoma and got a Highlander XSE instead through my dealership group. I just never got comfortable with the Tacoma, Fuel economy was horrible and unless we were towing I never really felt secure driving it in the winter. Switching to the Highlander is night and day difference in comfort and handling and fuel economy is much better, Plus 2022 was the last year you could get one with the V6 and personally I am not a fan of turbo's. With regards to the Ranger I heard there is redesign about to be released any day now, might want to wait and see what the changes are to the 2023's. Hope this helps My wife just got a 23 Highlander XSE. I am like you and not super happy when I found out that they were switching from the V6 to a 4cyl Turbo. I havent even driven it yet but it wont be pulling anything anyhow. My buddy has a 21 Ranger and he really likes it but the fuel mileage isnt any better than my F150 empty and the back seat sucks. As mentioned above, my biggest concern with towing with a smaller truck is that sometimes the tail wags the dog in bad road conditions. My old 11 Dakota with a V8 would tow in a straight line like a dream but got pushed around pretty bad in a cross wind. My 22 F150 with a 2.7V6 is a major over acheiver. It tows anything I own and gives really good fuel mileage empty. Not great mileage with a boat on the back and when the turbos start spinning. I have put 15000kms on it and it is saying 11.7L/100km avg since I picked it up. I am kind of excited for the 24 Ranger but really hope that they put the 2.7 in it as the new Ranger and Bronco share the same chassis and the Bronco comes with a 2.7. The new Canyon/Colorado look like great trucks as well. My dad already has one on order to replace his 21 Silverado RST. Who knows when it will show up though? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puggz Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 On 1/2/2023 at 3:52 PM, Spanky said: I've had two F150's (2012 and current 2016) with the 5.0L, its soon time to trade but I'm not paying $80k for a new F150. The 2024 Ranger is looking nice, but it doesn't look like there will be a 6-cylinder option without going to the Raptor, I am having a hard time wrapping around the 2.3L Ecoboost 4-cyl. I'd be towing a Triton TC-167 type trailer and a 14' tandem flat trailer with a Can-Am Maverick XXC. Anyone have the Ranger with the 2.3L? Is it a slug compared to the 5.0L? Towing? Remember these mid sized trucks are the same size at the full size about 10yrs ago. Not gonna tow like the F150 with a V8 but for what you're pulling, it should be fine. I would say that as long as you stay within 75% of the towing capacity there shouldn't be any issue at all. Watch the Triton in the wind, it will move you around a bit. FWIW, I pull a trailer with a 1500 sierra that pulls much better with a 2500 (24' enclosed), but its still very capable. Towing capacity includes the vehicle's payload so as long as you don't weight down the truck with beer, no worries 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddszr600 Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Older Pic(looks like before I levelled the front) and smaller trailer , but it will tow your trailer just fine. Just about evrything Turbo Tim said is spot on as far as towiing milage etc. Its the FX4 package that were said to be the bouncey ones, different shocks, my Lariat sport is fine. Just about to roll 97,000 kms with no issues, and she aint been babied 😁 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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