what do you pull your boat with?

[jwmiller33]

Hey all. im in the market for purchasing a new vehicle here in the next couple weeks and im looking for suggestions on what everybdy else is pullin their boat with these days... im definitly not interested in a gas guzzler, so nothing below 20 mpg is in my sights. i would like to have 4 wheel drive so its practical for the winter and i can drive out on lakes to ice fish as well, but 2WD will be just fine as long as its not rear wheel. im going to get a used vehicle and not spend an arm and a leg. my grandpa has a dealers license and buys vehicles from car auctions so i will be able to get a really good deal cuz he will buy my vehicle from the auction for me.... right now, im lookin at gettin a ford escape because its a smaller suv so it gets 24-26 mpg as well as havin 4WD and a V6 so it is ideal for towin my 16ft lund (which isnt that heavy, doesnt take much to tow).... other vehicles im cosidering are a ford ranger, and a toyota 4 runner.

does anybody else have any othersuggestions for me of a small size suv or truck that gets decent (20+) mpg?? thanks much

[Jim Uran]

I owned a Jeep Cherokee for years, just a plaing cherokee not a laredo. It was a 98 and had the 4.0 straight 6 engine in it. Tough as nails and boy that thing could make it anywhere!! I think it got just over 20 per gallon.

that's my recommendation.

[tacklejunkie]

an internal combustion engine

[broken_line]

we pull the bigger boats with a tractor

and the smaller ones with a lawn mower, for the road we use a 2000 gmc youkon which gets 16mpg

[eyebjim]

A gas guzzler.

[chub]

From what I've seen the smaller trucks, SUV's with V-6's or even 4's, don't seem to get much better milage than full sized P/U's or SUV's in four wheel drive versions.

Atlest the differences aren't great enough for me to trade the extra pulling capability and stopping power, cargo space, etc... .

[jwmiller33]

From what I've seen the smaller trucks, SUV's with V-6's or even 4's, don't seem to get much better milage than full sized P/U's or SUV's in four wheel drive versions.

Atlest the differences aren't great enough for me to trade the extra pulling capability and stopping power, cargo space, etc... .

98% of the time i would be drivin around in 2WD. its just that select certain times in the winter during/after storms or when i go out on a lake i would put it in 4WD. i know for a fact a ford ranger with 2WD that u can engage into 4WD gets waayyyy better then a ford f 150 or any similar full size pickup

[dan z]

lets see my brother has a 05 jeep 3.7 AWD and he gets about 16mpg's pulling a 17ft lund

I drive a dakota 5.2 and get bout the same but its a stick so that helps a ton

my parents pull with a mercury mariner and they get maybe 18 and thats a AWD 3.0

pick your poisin smaller suv's dont help that much when towing on gas. ita the stop and go that hurts the mileage. when it comes to towing most suv's trucks can tow it but how can they STOP

[Gordie]

A 1987 toyota 4x4 on short hauls and a 1995 ex-cab chev 4x4 on the long hauls

[Ralph Wiggum]

I've got a Sequoia. Love it, but it's a thirsty beast.

[Ralph Wiggum]

If you can find a 4Runner in your price range that meets your mileage requirements, I would jump on it. When we were last looking, the 4Runners were fetching a hefty price, though.

[chub]

Ranger, V6 Four Wheel Drive AT

Fuel Type Gasoline

Vehicle Class Pickup Pickup

City MPG 14 14

Highway MPG 18 18

Combined MPG 15 15

Air Pollution Score 6 6

Greenhouse Gas Score 2 2

SmartWay Qualified no no

Certification Sales Region Federal All Altitude California

F 150 4.6 V8 Four wheel Drive AT

Fuel Type Gasoline

Vehicle Class Pickup Pickup

City MPG 14 14

Highway MPG 19 19

Combined MPG 16 16

Air Pollution Score 7 7

Greenhouse Gas Score 3 3

SmartWay Qualified no no

Certification Sales Region Federal All Altitude California

Might want to check your facts

[DaBigDog]

Thanks chub, I was going to chime in with similar information.

And this is from personal experience.

I have a 2002 F150 with a 5.4L V8, and a friend of mine has a 2002 Ranger with a V6 (not sure of the exact size).

Not towing I get 18 - 20 MPG, he gets 16 - 18 MPG.

Towing I get 10 - 12 MPG, he gets 8 - 10 MPG. (Towing comparable loads)

And he always says he wants to trade me for my F150 because it is more comfortable, allows for more "people hauling", and tows much better. As dan z stated, "most suv's trucks can tow it but how can they STOP"? And what kind of wear and tear to the vehicle?

Just a thought when you're deciding...

[solbes]

I could be wrong, but I don't think Escapes get 24-26 on hiway. I worked with someone who had one and she averaged no better than 20 highway.

If mid 20's is your non-towing highway mileage goal, I would look into cross overs with AWD. Most body on frame 4x4's would not meet this requirement. Jeep Liberty CRD (diesel) is one exception that I can think of, no longer made of course. The newer Jeep Cherokee's with 3.0 diesels also get great milage, but they are unibody I believe.

And I would agree that late model full size half tons get as good or better than some of the mid size trucks/suv's.

[jwmiller33]

Ranger, V6 Four Wheel Drive AT

Fuel Type Gasoline

Vehicle Class Pickup Pickup

City MPG 14 14

Highway MPG 18 18

Combined MPG 15 15

Air Pollution Score 6 6

Greenhouse Gas Score 2 2

SmartWay Qualified no no

Certification Sales Region Federal All Altitude California

F 150 4.6 V8 Four wheel Drive AT

Fuel Type Gasoline

Vehicle Class Pickup Pickup

City MPG 14 14

Highway MPG 19 19

Combined MPG 16 16

Air Pollution Score 7 7

Greenhouse Gas Score 3 3

SmartWay Qualified no no

Certification Sales Region Federal All Altitude California

Might want to check your facts

i dunno what years you looked up but i have been drivin my grandpas 2002 ford ranger that has 4WD and is a v6 and i have been gettin 22hwy and 20 in the city. when i tow my boat its for 10 min to and from the boat launch, so i dont go long enough to notice a decrease in mpg. also, my best friend drives a 00 or 02 (or somewhere round there) f 150 v6 4wd and he consistantly gets 13 in the city and 16 mpg on the highway. i guess it depends if you get real world first hand statistics or if you look them up on the interweb. anybody can put stuff on the internet, and all vehicles models slightly differ, and you have to specify which year. anywho, agree to disagree

[shizzy]

it all dpends on the options a particular ranger has.

I have an 03 Ranger Edge 2WD. its built on the 4WD platform (torsion front suspension) and has the 3.0L v6, 5 speed and an 8.8 limited slip with 4:10 gearing. even adding 31" tall A/T tires I still get 20-21 MPG with a 19.3 or so thrown in once in a while. I would decide right now if yo uwant a truck or a people hauler. I wanted a truck and this thing is simple like a truck and rides like a truck. rubber floor and manual windows. I didnt want leather and all the frills. If you want some comfort or people space then an SUV or crossover would be for you.

I have heard guys getting 25-28MPG and no better then 15MPG out of their ranger.

[53orbigger]

Well I have some real world statistics for you. I have owned both a 2004 4WD 5.4L F150 and a 2004 4.0L 4WD Ranger and got about 16-17 mpg in both when not towing anything. When towing a boat or snowmobiles I got about 14 with the F150 and about 12-13 with the Ranger depending on how hard I was pushing it. In the end I had all sorts of transmission problems with the Ranger as I was working it too hard. I now pull my boat with a 2500HD and can hardly tell it is back there. For what its worth.

[ameyers41]

I have a 2003 GMC Envoy. Got about 19 hwy last week to/from South Dakota not towing. Towing a 17ft Pro-V, I got NINE to Ottertail in June. Nine. Next vehicle will be a big V8. I agree with 53orbigger that I feel like I'm working the vehicle too hard at times.

[mknolls]

I've owned a 89 v-6 ranger didn't like what it could do to get out of a step boat lunch. didn't get the best millage 20 hwy 15 towing. Also Nissan pathfinder. Had more luck better power then ford but millage was considerably lower. Went to full size now and love it. I needed to up grade just for personal reasons. You should consider how long you will own this vehicle and weather or not you will be upgrading to a newer and possibly bigger boat in the future. Or travailing longer distance in the summer or winter fishing. Bigger fish house can pull down a small truck fast in deep snow. I would take in consideration what your long term goals would be. Nothing in my opinion would be better then full size. Just for the comfort and the fact that there is not that big of a difference on millage. For twice the vehicle you will be getting. Grampa goes to these auction for you you should ask him what is the most noticeable vehicle that he see's there and what might be a better deal. Things I would consider be for buying.

MK

[mrfish1991]

I tow my boat with a 96 chev. S10 with the 4.3 V6. City it gets about 13mpg and hwy it gets around 20. Its 2wd. good truck but its a little too thirsty for ur tastes

[fivebucks]

Toyota Tundra 8 cly 16-18 hwy

Toyota Tacoma 6 cyl 16-18 hwy

Both were 4wd and this is non towing MPG. Towing my Lund 1800 brings mileage down to 10-11 on the Tacoma I used to have and bring the mileage down to 13-14 on the Tundra.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Ive got a 04 Ranger 4.0 V6 4x4. I havnt calculated the mileage lately but when I got it I was getting around 20mpg. Last summer I made a mental note to go easy on the pedal and really did notice that a tank went further. So depends on your driving too.

Ive never ran into a boat launch or a time on the ice where Ive had problems. Our boat isnt too big though, 14' rebel w/25 johnson.

[ChuckN]

I have an '00 F250 Diesel for real pulling. It gets 20 mpg empty in the summer.

However, for lighter loads I really like my '00 Honda CRV 5-speed manual. It pulls my utility trailers and small boat with ease. Heaviest pull was 2 snowmobiles, and did it very well to a point it actually surprised me. I wouldn't recommend the auto tranny though, they are geared differently than the manual..

If your Lund 16' is bare bones model, and not a heavy boat it could pull it fine.

28 mpg highway all summer long.

I'll add, if the 4 Runner is high on the list, it's a very nice vehicle with decent mileage. It will tow a 16' boat fine.

[cribbageboy]

It totally depends on the size/wieght of your boat, but I pull my 14' sylvan/40hp johnson with a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer. Its got a 4.3 straight 6. I would recomend getting a vehicle with overdrive though. Mine doesn't have it so I am only getting about 15mpg. Plenty of power for pulling a little boat like mine. It does have 2wd, AWD, as well as 4WD high, and 4WD low. Haven't found a ramp steep enough to get that thing stuck yet.

[jwmiller33]

i have a mid 80s Lund S-16. It has 2 batteries in it, as well as a trolling motor and a 35 horse Johnson. I would say that my boat is about as light as it gets for a 16 footer.

Thanks for all the input guys. i am going to look more into what kind of Ranger I would get as well as look into F 150's.

For those of you out there that have F 150s, is there any difference in gas efficiency as far as going from a short cab to an extended cab?