Hypermiling in an I4 Ranger?

[wriley4409]

My previous vehicle was a '96 Ranger 2.3L (lima type), manual transmission, supercab. Even with the extra bulk and weight of the supercab, I was able to get 24-25 mpg in mixed urban driving - without much effort.

The few things that I tried that made a difference in mileage were:

synthetic ATF in the transmission (ATF is the correct fluid type here)
synthetic lube in the rear end
synthetic engine oil (decreased fuel consumption at idle measured with a Scangauge!)
coasting in neutral - only when safe to do so
Adding a Scangauge to learn how the truck responded to mods and driving techniques.

I never got around to lowering the truck, adding a grill block or bed cover, switching to light weight wheels, or anything else other than fairly routine maintenance. I feel that by doing these things I would have been able to get over 30 mpg with ease.

Good luck with your decision.

Wayne

[whokilledthejams]

At one time, my brother had a 95 Ranger, and I had a 95 Sonoma (S10 clone), both RWD/4cyl/5spd, and both of us managed mid-20s in town, and low-30s on the highway, without any particular effort (i.e., pre-hypermiling).

As has already been stated, it's not hard to get fantastic efficiency out of one of those little trucks, and being able to haul stuff is really handy (unless you're a college student, in which case people that you don't even like will rope you into moving their junk).

[99metro]

I had an 84 S-10 1.9L that got 33mpg @ 65 mph after I advanced the timing a little. I was looking for another one about 3 years ago, when I found my current 1999 Chevy Metro 3/5. Anyway, I think if you played with the timing a little as well as different octanes and hypermiled it, I don't see why you couldn't hit 40+ on the Ranger I4. Aren't they rated for 29 or something like that on the highway? You oughta beat that by a whole bunch!

If you find a Metro that has a wiped motor for cheap (and the rest of it is ok), invest some $$$ and get a $395 (+ shipping) JDM motor. That investment might pay for itself in no time...My JDM I bought from these guys has lasted close to 50k miles so far.
Nippon Motors