Should I buy a 4 cylinder or 6 cylinder ranger?

hello all, I am in need of a pickup truck. I will be using it to haul yard waste, furniture, hunting, and possibly as my daily driver once the lease is up on my current car. I’m looking into a 2009-2011 ford ranger regular cab but might possibly go with extended cab if I found a good deal. Trade off would be fitting the truck into my 3rd stall with the regular cab and not with extended. I am wondering if the 4cyl engines are reliable and trouble free from 09-11? Give me your opinions on why I should or shouldn’t go with one or the other as far as reliability and maintenance. Can you tow a smaller trailer with the 4? Seems hard to find a 6 cyl in regular cab around me. Thanks

 

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A standard Ranger is set at about 1250 lbs. payload (and "payload" includes the people in the cab. Remember that. It's the same for any pick-up truck).
Any of their drivetrain combos should be able to handle that load.
You'll obviously have to shift down more often with the 4 cylinder, but it will still handle the load.
For general "household" work, I've found the 4 cylinder / 5-speed manual works just fine. Sure, there are times I wish I had the 3.73 or 4.10 rear end, but the 3.45 does just fine 99% of the time.
...also, a couple of years ago, I found an added bonus to the taller rear end. I was dumping some cut branches in the woods and while pulling out, I snagged on a large branch and got stuck in the soft dirt. I just kept puttin' the coals to it, even shifting to 2nd (possibly 3rd) and the truck finally got out.
What I realized was that if this were my old truck (which used the same size tires but shorter 3.91 gears), I probably wouldn't have been able to get out, because the taller rear end gave me increased wheel speed without overrevving the engine too much.
As much as I cuss them, that's a chalk-one-up for the 3.45's.
Granted, my Ranger is a '98, so it would use a different engine, but I understand those Duratec engines had tons of torque (they should, considering how undersquare those engines are) and were long on reliability.
Can you tow a small trailer? Depends on the rear end gears. AFAIK, all of the Ranger's with 3.45 gears were not spec'd with a tongue weight because it was suggested they not do any towing....however, if you can swap in one of the shorter gear sets, I don't see why you couldn't tow a small trailer with the 4...especially if you're pairing it with an auto trans.


Dean

 

...btw, my Ranger averages 27 mpg so it doesn't use too much gas.
I gas it up with every paycheque (every other week) and it only needed $30 of Premium to top it off this time around.


Dean

 

I've had a 4cyl standard cab. I didn't like how small it felt. Im 5'9". Since then I've owned 2 4.0L v6 extended cabs. Both were the 4 door. I love them. The 4.0L v6 has lots of pep and I have 3:73 gears in the one I'm driving now. If you end up getting an extended cab I'd recommend getting a 4 door. My friend has a 2 door extended cab and it sucks getting anything out of his back seat area. The 4.0L v6 in the years you are looking at are a sohc. Mine is sport model 4x4. I use to use it for work but ive retired it recently to a daily driver. Im a brick mason and hauled a lot of materials. I added an additional trans cooler because the only weak link on these trucks are the trans. I love my truck. It's so nice to drive.

 

Both of my Rangers were 6 cylinder /4.0 liter by my preference. This allowed me to haul a bed full of tools & materials, a 6' step-ladder and supplies needed to do my installation &repair of communications cabling & equipment. I have always been comfortable in the cab area and the area under the bed cap. I admit to being a Ford fan all my driving days. Yes, I do love my Rangers.

 

I did pull a uhaul trailer full of furniture through the hills in NC from SC to Michigan... with a 4 cyl ranger and a bumper hitch. It was a trick but I did do it. If you are mildly concerned about fuel mileage and you only pull on flat roads the 4 cyl will do it.

As above though I recommend the 4.0 V6. You don't gain anything by the 3.0 V6, fuel mileage is just about the same and it is noticeably weaker than the 4.0. Last year I had both at the same time, a 3.0 in one and a 4.0 in another it was night and day.

 

I vote for the 4.0L. I have had both 3.0L and 4.0L. The 4.0L wins hands down.

 

I vote for the 4.0 6cyl. I had a 94' with a 5-speed & now my 02' automatic. Great motors with plenty of pulling power. I'd definitely go with a hitch instead of using the bumper though

 

It depends on your needs. we are using 6 cylinder diesel engine for towing purposes we use it for 24 hour towing queens NY if you have to use for towing purposes so go with 6 cylinders.

 

dallenwayne,

Your diesel is a Dodge truck?

 

I promised that I would look at it with an open mind once Cranjis finished his work. Is there some place where this is collected? I couldn’t find it.

 

?????....posted in wrong thread?

 

I too would go with 4.0L V6, but push rod motor (OHV)