Poor gas mileage with '04 Ranger

I'll give this a try. If it's still poor after a 50 mile trip, I'll get a tune up at a local Ford garage. If it's still poor after that, it'll have to go ... especially since gas just hit 3.03 around here. Thanks

Just to follow up - the only vehicle that will do you any better is a hybrid...probably a plug in one that is just starting to come out. This is a type of vehicle that only runs the engine to charge the battery or drive faster than around town. Ideal for your situation, although at a premium price. Sure, the V6 in this truck is not exactly a picture of fuel economy, but no car or truck does well with fuel on short trips. Save your money - the tune up will do little or nothing to help you.

I need a small pickup to haul around lawn care equipment in the grass cutting season. I don't think there's a hybrid pickup out there yet. Maybe a Chevy S10 or GMC Canyon ... I'll check those out. I think they come in 4 cyl. 4WD which I need.

Just FYI, the Chevy or GMC will do you very little better. The 4x4 is tough on you as well. Just saying that when you figure on costs and such, you'll end up spending more on a different truck as far as up front costs and will have negligible improvements in economy.

So are you saying, any pickup, 4/6/8 cyl., 4wd, small, medium, large body, new or old ... is going to get bad gas mileage if not driven more than 5 miles or so ?

There's more to it than just that - what are you hauling? That can figure in too. For example, you could use as much or more fuel with a 4 cylinder pulling a load rather than a 6 cylinder more up to the challenge. And yes, it's true that all engines before getting to operating temperature use more fuel. How much more - one verses the other -- hard to really gauge, when figuring all the variables.

Mostly I will be hauling lawn care equipment ... push mowers, trimmer, gas, oil, chain saw ... small tools ... mabe a small flat bed trailer someday ...

Any weight at all diminishes economy. Not to mention wind drag on things sticking out. It's kind of splitting hairs, really. I guess I just want to make sure you have the facts before you shell out a bunch of cash for virtually little or no improvement. You have a peppy little truck in a 4.0L V6 Ranger that is basically made for what you plan to use it for. Sure, you could spend some cash and down size the engine, but when you figure out the dollars and sense...if you save 3 miles per gallon, that means that you will get an extra say...45 miles per tank. 45 miles per tank will cost you 4.5 gallons of gas now (you state you are getting 10 mpg), about what...$13.50? At a rate of 50 miles traveled per week, or 2600 miles per year, that's 86 gallons per year saved...a total of (at $3.25 a gallon) $280 saved per year. $280 saved per year. How much is a new truck?!? That's all I'm getting at... Best of luck either way, and happy new year.