Myth BUSTED: Does a Big Engine Get Better Fuel Economy TOWING Than a Small Engine?

[@TFLtruck]

Hey all, quick editing mistake. At the end the font says "V6" for the ranger, clearly it is a 4 cylinder. Our apologies!

[@jeffery1524]

Didn’t even notice but thank you for correcting your mistake. Know if we can get politicians and the news to tell the truth we would set. Hope you guys have a great week and keep making great and funny videos.

[@jeffk464]

nope, engines spend most of their time at a small percent of their total power. Its more efficient to have a small engine using a higher percent of its power than a big engine using a lower percent of its power. A turbo lets you have a small engine but have big engine power when you need it, of course if you always have your foot in the turbo you get big engine mpg's.

[@johnheath4305]

You’re unladen.

[@jeffk464]

@@johnheath4305 Yeah, you will probably see a bigger difference when unladen with turbo vs large displacement.

[@engir63]

I caught that error also, I want to point out that you chose to comparing Ford to Ford for some reason, I think it is because you want to distract views from the fact that what you should have done this test with was the white Dodge 4X4 (Stubby is it?) which is more of a work truck and would perform better in this test where the Raptor is lets say a sport truck that can tow but it is not really what it was designed to do.

[@VarosVapor]

Would be interesting to test the Ranger against an F150 Eco Boost 3.5 and a 5.0 V8. The Raptor R is not what the average person would buy to tow with.

[@nascarben]

I was also thinking that it would make sense to also change the trailer weight between tests to be the same percentage of towing capacity. In this, if the trailer was 7500 then it's 100% for the ranger, but only 86% for the Raptor R. I'm sure the other challenge for TFL would be trying to get matching gear ratios which would have some impact as well.

[@desertfresh3740]

Towing my 6x12 trailer at about 5000# gave me 12mpg on the ranger and 10.5 on a powerboost.

[@ronaldking1054]

@@nascarben Why not change the transmission and engine on the Ranger to make it more fair in terms of strength of towing? Oh yeah, that would destroy what was being tested.

[@nascarben]

@@ronaldking1054 if the point is to test the efficiency then they should both be tasked with towing the same level of effort and that's not what they did here. I mentioned the gear ratio as a nice to have because if you had 3 identical truck with 3 different rear end gear ratios you would get 3 different results.

[@Flyinghook]

@@nascarben This is very realistic. You tow the same load with different vehicles. You have a ranger and say, aah, it should tow this just fine, and either you want the extra towing headroom or just thing a bigger truck looks cooler, but that doesn't mean you then go out and buy a new trailer and thing to put on it. You usually still pull the same trailer. Sure, you might eventually get a bigger trailer to take advantage of the new truck, but that's not a given. I've done what they are doing, personally, 4 times. New vehicle, same load.

[@jonathanbeck6663]

I would really love to see a test of the exact same truck with different size engines. Say the f-150 with the 2.7 vs. the f-150 with the 5.0. That way, aerodynamics are practical the same on each truck.

[@phild9813]

Good idea. Add the hybrid to that mix too

[@phild9813]

I’m probably around 9-10mpg with my heaviest loads in my 2011 5.0 F150.

[@phild9813]

I remember my older chevy 3/4 ton 6.0 getting 10-11 with a decent load. It was about 1mpg different from empty to having a trailer lol.

[@davefearnley5889]

You hit the nail on the head with this comment. Nobody is cross shopping a Raptor R and a Ranger. It’s very likely someone would be trying to decide which engine option on their F150 would better suit their needs. Testing 3 F150s with different engines would be more revealing and relevant

[@krugford]

I came here to say the same thing. They tested two trucks that are so far apart on the spectrum that there's no useful conclusions to be had here with regards to fuel economy while towing. The real world results of an F150 with a 2.7L vs a 5.0L would be very close, with a likely small margin of victory for the 5.0L, since a naturally aspirated engine doesn't have turbos to keep cool under heavy load. That's the test we should have gotten, not this. All we can say from this video is that the Raptor gets more smiles per mile, but we didn't need a towing test to tell us that.

[@technicallyreal]

I love that you went through the whole issue with load balancing and sway. Something everyone benefits from seeing and learning.

[@jeffery1524]

When they built the raptor r they were not concerned with fuel mileage. A better test would be with a f150 with the 5.0. But the raptor did get better fuel mileage than I thought. I was thinking high 6 low 7.

[@sly9263]

exactly- this test was just for fun but objectively made no sense whatsoever and proved nothing.. which is fine, but they are presenting it as "myth busted" when it clearly isn't

[@spcneary]

If I ever becomes possible a second run of this test with a 2.7 vs 5.3 or 6.2 in a silverado would be really apples to apples. A mid size vs full size truck has to many variables. Still a great video though.

[@Flyinghook]

you roughly halve the unladen MPG, that easy

[@spcneary]

@Adam Lesandrini true, but lots of other factors come into play with how different the two trucks are. If the comparison was mid size vs full size it was a reasonable test, but the displacement of the two motors was likely not the biggest factor in fuel economy because the trucks are so different in weight and shape.

[@Flyinghook]

@@spcneary This is incorrect. The amount of impact on fuel economy is known, and can simpl;y be applied to any base vehicle and engine combination by taking the unladen MPG and roughly halving it. The larger the vehicle, the closer to half you get. Smaller vehicles can get better than half. This is simple math. If you really want results down to the 10th or 100th, obviously you need to test every variable in configuratin, but that's not reasonable. They did a ford f150. divide laden and unladen numbers, apply this ratio to any other f150.

[@spcneary]

@@Flyinghook I disagree, but that's ok. Hope you have a great day.

[@jeffk464]

Usually if you don't need a full size you are better off with a mid sized. They are easier to maneuver, fit in the garage, and should get better mpg's.

[@calebbearup4282]

The tire size, axle ratio, and transmission play such vital impact on this that there's no thorough way to test this in such a short video

[@Hybris51129]

Not to mention driving habits.

[@jonasstahl9826]

Dont forget aerodynamic drag of the trailer that is a very big factor. Means when you use a bigger truck for towing the trailer is mostly in the airshaddow of the truck, with a smaller truck the trailer gets hit by the air, the drag coefficent of the trailer is way worse than that of the truck.

[@TheBeatenPaths]

I'd say they did a fine job. It's a Raptor vs a Ranger, of course all of these things factor into the difference between the two, that was the whole point. The fuel mileage was the equalizer.

[@TheBeatenPaths]

@@Hybris51129 The same guy drove both runs.

[@Hybris51129]

@@TheBeatenPaths In this test but some other drivers might manage better or worse. That is how close the results here are where realistically the "better tow rig" can easily change.

[@dennisl6198]

Its really hard to make a good comparison here with two different sizes of truck, etc. On paper you'd want to go with the smaller truck because its going to get better mileage when you're NOT towing, which is most of the time. However, towing more weight than your tow vehicle causes problems, as was shown with the trailer issue. BTW---*thank you guys* for taking trailer sway seriously. I totalled my new truck and trailer in a very scary crash last year, luckily walked away unscathed, and I dont want anyone else to ever have to go through that. BTW i thought I had it set up perfectly, was towing a lighter trailer than these guys with a heavier truck, had anti-sway bars, and it still happened. trailer sway is no joke.

[@dmoss1285]

I really cant believe the Ranger did that well. I have a 2012 150 with the 3.5 and I bet I would have gotten about 8mpg on that tow. Very impressed with the ranger and 4 banger and to top it off it actually looked like it was pulling the load quite well .

[@johnfrank9060]

It'd be great to see the 4cyl silverado vs the 5.3.

[@mikealfieri641]

This is a bad comparison in the video. Your idea would be better in a video for sure.

[@gmpartsguy9614]

@@mikealfieri641 How so? Both engines are rated for 9000lbs towing, the 2.7 HO makes much more torque than the 5.3 does as well (430ft.lbs for the 2.7 HO vs 383ft.lbs for the 5.3). Its a perfect towing comparison that should be made.

[@mikealfieri641]

@@gmpartsguy9614 I meant was a bad comparison in the video* This is a perfect comparison.

[@legendaryash]

yeah and add in the 6.2 for the silverado as well. For the F-150 they should have done the 3.3L NA V6, the 2.7L Ecoboost V6, the 5.0L V8, and the 3.5L Ecoboost and tried to get them in as close of a config as possible.

[@randomscene3219]

probably paid by ford to say raptorR is efficient hahaha

[@andrewsbbq]

A more relevant comparison is GM 2.7 vs 5.3 or Ford 2.7/3.5 vs 5.0. In my experience a 3.5 will pull like an effortless brute, but use more fuel than 5.0 and the 5.0 just doesn’t have the same grunt

[@Jay-me7gw]

Ecoboosts have to run rich at high load to control exhaust temperatures. If you let the truck shift on its own it will use the available torque and grunt along at low rpm, high torque. I've logged my 2014 3.5L towing thousands of miles and it appears to start to go rich as you push it more than 350 ft-lbs sustained. I've started downshifting the truck manually as I see the air fuel ratio start to drop and it will pop right back up. The only time I can't prevent it from going rich is on the steepest, toughest climbs.

[@ebnhahn1993]

Very good video, Thank You Andre and Nathan. Additionally, I am "Pleasantly" surprised that ranger is Not squatting while hooked up to that MAX loaded trailer ✌✌

[@JonBecker81]

It almost looked like the Raptor squatted more than the ranger. Soft suspension.

[@KDNels]

I'd like to see the same test with the Ranger vs. the work truck. And then calculate the % lost per vehicle in regards to MPG. I feel that would give a more accurate picture to mid-size vs. full-size.

[@ronaldking1054]

That would make it easier on the Ranger because Stubby has a lower towing capacity than the Ranger. As for the % lost, that is irrelevant to which would use the most fuel. Trying to justify muscle when agility is being tested makes no sense. Yes, there are limited cases for when muscle is better and if you are buying a truck on that, its resale should be much lower, but it for some reason is not.

[@ericneal1872]

Ranger VS Stubby VS Nathan's Santa Cruz using whatever trailer the Santa Cruz can tow.

[@ronh9384]

Great video as always guys. My 2020 F150 with Super Crew, 5 liter and 5.5 ft bed, with 4x4 only has a 7,500 tow limit. A friends 2020 Ford Ranger 4 cylinder turbo 4x4 has the same 7,500 lb tow rating.

[@ryansheard8092]

You guys got close to the correct answer there at the end. Thr efficiency difference between the two is really the delta for each between their unladen MPG and their towing MPG. The RaptoR lost about 23% efficiency and the Ranger lost about 57%. Therefore, the RaptoR is more efficient.

[@brycehasty5975]

You’re kinda right, but the Ranger was maxed out on towing capacity. The Raptor was not, need to take that into account as well.

[@Travisj9935]

When you tow with an Ecoboost anything lock out 9 & 10.. Maybe even 8th. Boost equals worse mpgs. The added rpms will help mpgs. Upgraded intercooler helps immensely too. I dumped my 2021 Ranger for a 2022 Ford f-150 2.7 because of that tiny fuel tank. While towing and getting 9 mpg you're stopping all the time. I love the 36 gallon tank in the F-150

[@feetball]

Would like to see the 2.7L ecoboost in the F150 vs the 5.0

[@broncobros2022]

As a previous generation Raptor owner, you don’t buy a Raptor to tow. You buy a Raptor to HAVE a Raptor, but you need to do everything your old F150 did and more. PS I think the 3.5L Raptor would have had a better MPG than the Ranger! Thanks for the fun comparison

[@COChevyTrainMan1990]

Very interesting test. Still great video, guys. I would love to see the same test with the GM trucks: 2.7L HO, Colorado vs. Silverado 2.7L HO vs. 2.7L+, Colorado/Canyon 2.7L HO Colorado vs. Silverado Diesel 5.3L vs. 6.2L, Silverado/Sierra

[@Blitz3O2]

2:42 I thought the ranger was a 4 cylinder?

[@ericneal1872]

That load was really pushing the little 2.3 to the max of its abilities and it still got over 9mpg. The 5.2, as you alluded, barely knew it had a load on. If you were towing that kind of load all the time, the Ranger probably isn't the best for the job. A full size would be. But if you only did that 2-3 time a year and 95%+ of your miles were empty at 20+mpg combined. Dang, what a great solution the Ranger is for that scenario. Please do the same test with the Ranger vs Nathan's Santa Cruz and a 2000lbs (or whatever it can tow) trailer. It would be fun to see the result of that.

[@Xterraforce]

For a more apples to apples comparison, my brother and I had identical trucks except mine had the smallest gas V8 option and his had the biggest. I rarely hauled or towed much while he frequently towed roughly 10,000 pounds. With no load my truck averaged about 3 mpg more than his. One day his water pump failed and I towed his trailer with my truck while his truck was towed to a shop. My truck got about half the mpg towing that trailer as his did. Our conclusion was we both had the right engine options for our different needs but in the case of those two trucks, for towing bigger was definitely better. In this video I think it still says a lot that the Ranger lost over half of its unloaded mpg when towing while the Raptor starts with pretty bad mpg but loses a much lower percentage when towing.

[@itgoesfast2722]

Long time subscriber and love the videos! The real comparison should be the same vehicle with two engine options… such as a Silverado with the crappy 4 cylinder compared to a Silverado with the 6.2 V8. And also the amount of towing should be the same percentage of the vehicles maximum towing capacity. Just my two cents 😊

[@ghilliemanreviews]

I’ve seen many Ranger owners brag about how good the truck can tow. I think it has more to do with it was a global truck and the biggest truck in many markets. Over there it is also rated for more weight than we have it for here. So overall I think it’s a great choice for a occasional hauler.

[@jdhunt1284]

That ranger is impressive. I’d like to see it stacked up against the Tacoma, I think we already know how that will go.

[@AlMenard]

Should consider the unladened MPG on the loop for each vs. the towing MPG on the loop for each and then calculate percentage degradation to the MPG for each. That would show whether the theory of smaller engines working harder are worse than big engine doing same work. The Raptor already had a worse MPG to start based on weight and engine size vs the Ranger. Always fun watching content regardless. Keep it up

[@JasonPhipps]

The ranger went from 22 mpg to 9 mpg, or 41%. The raptor went from 11 mpg to 8 mpg, or 72%. Therefore, the Raptor is more efficient. They both tow, but the Raptor had to work 28% harder compared to the Ranger working 59% harder to do the same task. So, Raptor wins on efficiency, while Ranger wins on fuel quantity.

[@jeffk464]

@@JasonPhipps Yes but, you are going to spend a lot of time driving around without a trailer where you get 22mpg instead of 11mpg. Of course I would like an offroad focused Ranger so probably 19-20mpg.

[@JonBecker81]

@@jeffk464 my ranger has a fox leveling kit, 32 inch KO2 and ford performance tune. It’ll get 20-21 on the interstate if the wind is my favor. Pulling a 21 ft (total) travel trailer at speed limit I get 9-11 and a 17ft bass tracker I get 15-16. Wind is a big factor.

[@jeffk464]

@@JonBecker81 could be worse.

[@FarmersOnlydotcom69]

I think this test should of been done with a normal F150. I towed 9500 pounds with my 2021 f150 with a 5.0 coyote from Colorado springs to east TN and averaged 11.8 ( I used the same fill up method as them ) I suppose driving the interstate would of affected the numbers but I also pulled over to sleep in my truck with the truck running while I slept

[@wes326]

My experience is you get about half your highway mpg towing a TT weighing 75% of max tow weight at 60 mph. The towing experience is much better in a full size truck at the expense of having a larger truck than needed for everyday use. Thanks for sharing.

[@kevinortiz1210]

Very nice , I can tell you my 2019’ranger gets the mpg of a full size v8 truck towing my trailer . I tow a 30ft 5k lb travel trailer up and down the mountains of Arizona and the worst mpg I’ve gotten was 7mpg and the best was 10mpg towing on straight flat freeway . Besides having to carry extra fuel I have had no issues towing or driving up or down steep inclines

[@snailturbo1201]

Wish it was a typical f150 vs the ranger, the raptor wasn’t made for gas mileage or towing.

[@hitempguy]

Thank you for doing more towing content. My 2.7 ecoboost was better unloaded by quite a bit then other trucks I've owned. While towing, it was the worst. Of course, the 6.0 v8 chevy only made 360tq at best when spinning 2800rpm in 3rd up a hill, whereas the 2.7 with a tune on 87 octane was making over 400tq by 2200rpm

[@Christri]

My 17 F150 2.7 w/ 6spd trans towing a Miata, 2000lb trailer, full bed of luggage and 4 people averaged 14mpg from Nebraska to Florida and 14.5mpg empty trailer Florida to Nebraska

[@davidritacurl797]

Interesting tow test. Enjoyed the results but it left me wondering what would be like with the 5.0 F150 non Raptor.

[@dt1064]

Would like to see the TRX Ram milage on this loop compared to the Raptor R.

[@jeffhull4647]

I enjoy your videos keep up the good work😎 I was amazed they were that close😳

[@cornfedproductions9773]

19:46 This is typical turbo charger versus super charger efficiency. The super chargers will always lose the efficiency challenge. They make power using a belt off of the crank. Like everyone else is saying in order for this to be a fair test, you would have to have two turbo charged engines in the same size truck. Super chargers are only designed for racing applications. They make boost instantly that’s their main benefit turbos used waste gas to produce boost, making them worlds more efficient. don’t get me wrong I’m not hating on the Contant. I would just rather the videos not mislead people telling them that this is a fair test of large versus small displacement. That’s all.

[@yoopernick1528]

It's all great that you're doing tons of videos about towing and off roading. Trouble for me is you almost totally ignore snow plowing, especially with a 1/2 ton. It's getting harder and harder to know if a truck is capable of snow plowing with all these new engine choices! I for one don't haul around huge trailers or go insane off roading. I want my truck as an everyday ride plus the weekend warrior bit. Here's the biggest issue, manufacturers are doing what your doing. Focusing on towing and off roading. The trucks are being made to have more and more ground clearance to the point a 3/4 ton won't fit through the average garage door height opening! Crazy! I for one live in an area that gets lots of snow and I'd like to keep my truck in the garage and not have to clear snow off it every 5 minutes. So a 1/2 ton works for me and It's getting harder to know if the new trucks with these smaller engines can still plow snow. Example the new Tundra. I for one like having an 8 cylinder without E-Torque nonsense to plow snow with. So what I'm trying to ask is for you to not ignore this aspect of truck owners, the one who only needs a 1/2 ton because we're not plowing as a business just for our own property. I hope you can do this. Thanks for all your videos that you do anyway, they're still entertaining.

[@aldojer5053]

Awesome video I own a 2021 Ford Ranger and I love it. Thank you guys for all you do. God bless you

[@kevinpennington4266]

At the end of the video, your graphic shows the Ranger is a V6. We all know better.

[@seagullsbtn]

I tow with my 21-F150 5.0/3.31. It’s always been with my old Defender on an auto trailer. Best mpg 14.2 if I keep below 60, but I plan on 12 and drive at speed limits which is mostly 65 or 70. I scaled everything on last trip, 12,160lbs with full tank, me and all my off road gear.

[@johnhufnagel]

I've found the same with my jeep. Using "hypermiling" techniques, I can get 16/17mpg with a full load (trailer+car) vs 18/19 empty. I roll no faster than posted speed limit, "toss" it down a hill to make the next one, and on grades with posted "flashers below XX MPH" I'll not kill the rig to keep at full posted, but let it gradually slow to that lower speed, hopefully by the time I get to the top of the hill. If I try to keep consistent speed all the time, I lose 2-3 mpg, and if I "speed" (above the usual posted 65) my economy absolutely PLUMMETS. I did 75-80 one time coming back from a track day, and my mpg was 10/11! *cue Eagles* Yea, we'll just Take It Easy. 😄 Plus I'm running 93 octane when towing, so it even helps to save a couple $$ not to speed!

[@douglasvieira1990dv]

I LOVE THIS VIDEO ! Please do it with every brand. Example the Ridgeline vs pilot or passport, Colorado vs Silverado , tundra vs Tacoma!!

[@ronhiegel7853]

I pulled my friends 29' camper,7500#, up to Lake Erie. My 2010 ,4x4 ,5.7 v-8 ,Toyota Tundra got 9.5 mpg going 65 in heavy cross winds. I expected 8 mpg ! I had a car hauler pass me and it got severe sway, I got on the brakes and it straightened out at 45 mph. Had I had a small truck, I don't I would have saved it!!!

[@joezephyr]

Great video thank you. It was uploaded two weeks ago and mysteriously I missed it. And I still love the Buhanka!

[@brianmichelson2185]

I have an 09 f150, with the 5.4.,fx4 with air bags......tow from sedro-woolley Washington to Merritt BC, over mountains... Average 12-13mpg. I tow 1600lbs trailer, witH 2300 lbs racecar.

[@frankbrowning328]

Great video! Interesting results. I'd like to see what we would get if we were to use identical full sized Chevy or Ford trucks but just changed motor size. Compare the 4 cyl turbos and 6 cylinder models to each other and to the V8 models using the same basic full size (and same equipment) trucks

[@kaiudall2583]

Agreed this would be a better comparison

[@lunamaria1048]

You guys should've at leased used the same truck, with different engines. Silly silly😝 I always love Andre and Nathan together lol. Great video as usual!

[@VarosVapor]

Intro card to the Ranger tow says “small displacement V6”? Did you engine swap it and not tell anyone? 😂

[@mikefoehr235]

I noticed that. Maybe TFL added two cylinders.

[@wellthatdidntwork]

First off, ive said this b4 and ill say it again...Nathan is the king of automotive enuendo!! I think its a good test for these two vehicles but not to bust the myth. To do that id like to see a v8 yote f150 vs this ranger. That would be a better test bcuz the yote's mpg isnt so dern close to the rangers towing mpg outcome. Keep up the great work guys!

[@cruzlopez4449]

Speaking of optimistic MPG computers, I had a Crosstrek a couple years ago. It would say I would get like 42 mpg open highway from gas station to gas station and I’d calculate it out at the pump like you do and I’d get like 35. Made me mad every time. Like how can it be off THAT much?

[@ow-my-achilles1106]

Every single fuel economy estimator built into the vehicle is wrong by at least 10%. All of them. Hand calculating is the only way to get the truth. I say 10% because two of my last vehicles were optomistic by 10% almost exactly. A 22mpg computer guess-timate would always calculate by hand to 20mpg. And 28mpg computer guess-timate would calculate out to 25mpg.

[@craigcarpenter6541]

overly optimistic MPG trip computer readings help sell cars on test drives...

[@collinsimmons7156]

For all tests you should use the same high quality fuel. So you the priemun fuel for every test with a petrol engine.

[@Mr-pn2eh]

No use regular

[@collinsimmons7156]

@Mr1611 as long as they use the same fuel for all tests I don't care.

[@marnielarocque9412]

The Buhanca is mid engine so when you lined the front bumper to where you thought the weight would be good but the engine is back almost centre. Good lesson is that any load in your thing you are towing might be unbalanced because of the junk inside the thing you're towing

[@Black70Fastback]

im not surprised that the ranger was more efficient but there is so much more going on here than just small vs big displacement.

[@jackbrandon5569]

Reason the straps were loose on 2nd run is because the warmer frame was on the trailered rig :) Ha did ya know a Rail on a train track is 30 ft long and will stretch out 3 inch in the heat of the day ? anyways... my guess any frame expansion would be compensated by the trailer frame stretching. real problem is you bent the frame on the trailered rig, (appreciate the testing you do guys) :)

[@jaykanngiesser3454]

Miss my Colorado diesel. Pulling my lifted Toyota trail truck with a roof top tent on the Colorado, I would get 13-14 mpg. GCW was 12,400.

[@ronjohnson9032]

My Silverado with the slug 5.3 struggled to pull 10,000 pounds of trailer and, at best, got 21 mpg. Dumped it for a 3.5 Ecobeast. Like night and day pulling and got 15 mpg with the Ford. Never looked back.

[@___Karma__]

Here i am in Commiefornia and not allowed to tow a trailer past 55 mph....😅I agree with other commenters regarding restarting the Ranger for most accurate mpg (though that would probably only change around +.5-1.5 gallon per mile). I would only consider a full sized if I was towing most of the time. If I was only towing once ina while I would get the mid sized, when you dont have load the mpg is pretty much doubled with smaller truck benefits.

[@Danzilly]

That R sounds so good towing! I'm a tall guy so I would have to use the f150!

[@rowerwet]

Andre is a tall guy, the ranger is okay for tall people

[@Danzilly]

@@rowerwet the console shifter bothers my leg while I drive.

[@alanj7306]

I had a 98’ B4000 (same as a Ranger) and I remember reading a review that the bigger 4.0 V6 actually got better mpg than the 3.0 V6. The review claimed that the 4.0 had better low end torque, so you didn’t have to give it as much throttle to accelerate. I found that to be very true. I’d always get 1 mpg better than my friend with the 3.0, and we had pretty similar driving styles and everything. In this comparison, the Ranger loses a much higher percentage of mpg compared to the Raptor. Going from 21 to 9 is way worse than going 11-12 to 8.

[@jguil4d]

Hardly surprising. But you did give the Ranger the absolute best chance to be the more fuel efficient truck.

[@RS4Ship]

That paint job should be illegal

[@slmjake]

Great video guys!!!! That Ranger is impressive! Wish they had a cre cab with 6 foot bed.

[@Steven-xj2rf]

Wow those orange graphics on the Ranger are something.

[@danatkinson6698]

The ranger is a really good tow vehicle regardless of the test results i haven't seen yet.

[@HSstudio.Ytchnnl]

I think this is the last TFL video for the Buhanka

[@GTFORDMAN]

wow who would have thought a 600hp truck was thirsty!

[@joshc606]

The Supercharger has its own cooling system. Hence the separate coolant tank.

[@Funtimes670]

You guys talking about the sway and fixing it. It looked wrong when I first saw it on the ranger.

[@Arexodius]

I think what's interesting is how much the fuel economy is impacted by towing vs unladen looking at each platform separately. The Ranger is smaller, lighter and uses less fuel to produce the needed amount of power for the vehicle combination, and fuel economy dropped by ~60% vs unladen. The Raptor is the opposite, which means it needs to produce more power because it needs to do more overall work than the Ranger, which means it needs to use more fuel than if the same V8 was in the Ranger, and it dropped by ~30% vs unladen. But in terms of fuel consumed per amount of work, you could say the V8 did comparatively the same when towing as the I4 if you factor in the weight, drag and rolling resistance differences between the two vehicle combinations.

[@enz6312]

Holy cow!!! Gas prices!!!!! Glad I live in South Carolina....

[@davidkendall6801]

All things equal, the science should say that for a given weight, it takes x amount of energy to move it regardless whether it is a V8, V6.

[@isaaclarson]

I would also like to see this against the 3.5L Ecoboost and a normal 5.0L F-150. Obviously a cool video, but Ford is going to sell oodles more of those other trucks than the Raptor R (as much as most of us would probably love to have it).

[@swamprobin3291]

They did this test years ago. My recollection is that any advantage the 3.5 had in MPG evaporated in a real towing test. The 5.0 was slightly better, but nearly the same.

[@JT-ko3rv]

More work requires more fuel thats a no brainer. "Work" is all factors affecting moving an object from point A to B. Good test though to show people to get the right "tool" for the job "they" have to do. More options is better than the narrow market we are heading towards.

[@slaphands7703]

The best test would be the Chevy 5.3 vs the exact same truck with the 2.7 and 6.2

[@WillPittenger]

While they used trucks on hand, this would more realistic to compare the turbo engine with a naturally aspirated engine otherwise identical trucks. So you're really limited to the GM 5.3 versus their turbo 4 and the Eco-boost V6 versus Coyote.

[@scottyellis3442]

Love these videos, very interesting. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@WW-wf8tu]

What did I learn? Um, nothing new. But for a lot of people that are trying to answer the question of what would be better for them, this does not shed a ton of light on a great efficiency difference. Variables for every trip and scenario are going to be so drastically different to this test, it is hard to still find the answer. But IF you drive mostly unladen, don't care about the looks and sound of a big V8, sure, don't bother with it. Save a few pennies in purchase price. Save a few pennies in gas. Save a few pennies in operating costs.(tires, oil, etc) But IF you are towing 3-7 days a week, I would opt. for V8 performance. Better to have what you need when you need it, than struggle for it in something less. 😉

[@scottbionicnerf8727]

That was a great comparison guys. There will wonderful discussions around fire pits, cookouts, and campfires thanks to the wealth of knowledge gained by this video. Now, all y'all have to do is at least 5 more videos comparing different trucks and towing packages. I'd like to see the Maverick b!tchslap.....I mean, go up against the Toyota Tacoma, both AWD/4WD, with roughly the same cargo, and towing capacity. You know Maverick owners are gonna load those things up in the back, put a tarp over their stuff, then hook up a little camper to the back, and head out. I'd be interested in seeing what the hybrid can do, against maybe 4cylinder Tacoma if you can find anything like that in your area, without having to drive 2 states away to get it.

[@jldude84]

I'd wager that the difference in mpg is mostly just due to the aero drag difference between smaller frontal area and smaller tires vs what's basically a Super Duty in the wind. If the aero drag was equal, I'd bet $20 the mpg towing that same load would also be identical.

[@sock979]

I wish that you could do the test with the exact same vehicle with the same tires and transmission gearing and everything. So it really is exactly the engines versus the engines

[@johnm.harper773]

You should have checked the noise level in the cabs while pulling! The Rapture sounded real loud!

[@LuisGarcia-tb9po]

In reality it depends on how often you’re gonna be towing. If you’re gonna go most of the time with no to little load get the ranger, if you’re doing to tow every/most weekends get a full-size truck, and if it’s going to be your profession get a diesel truck instead

[@Flyinghook]

You got way closer results than I have, but having compared 4 big/little combinations, I can assure you the smaller vehicle will ALWAYS get better efficiency (not including hybrids, of coarse), regardless of the engine option. it's physics. ram 1500 22mpg down to 12 (highway) towing an empty utility trailer, honda ridgeline 24mpg down to 14 (city) (33/16 highway) towing an enclosed trailer with a light load, ford escape 24mpg down to 17 (35/19 highway) with the same enclosed trailer and load, saturn ion 35mpg down to 24 with a fully loaded (highway) (for the trailer, technically overloaded for the car) 6x12 utility trailer.

[@adaycj]

The Raptor gets such poor MPG under real conditions anyway. I agree with the 300 comments. Test the Ranger again against something more reasonable with a V8 or big V6. Also hand off the numbers to someone and have them calculate % changed with both vehicles on the same loops at the same time. 😊

[@nfnauto285]

Nice I have 2019 freightliner m106 18480lbs make 11 empty, with 26k lbs make 7.7 per gallon with diesel

[@WoodrowWoods2007]

Now do a deleted and tuned HD diesel vs the 4-banger

[@donaldbrown7252]

the thing is that the big block will do jt easier LONGER.

[@jeremymunn8854]

You should do this test with the Silverado 4 cylinder vs V6 vs V8 and see the difference between the three

[@rileynelson6447]

I find it interesting how thirsty these new motors are. My 99 GMC Yukon with a solid axle swap and 35" tires gets 15 mpg on the highway, and pulling a 4,500 lb travel trailer it'll get 10 mpg. But then I don't push it to 75 while pulling said trailer, I only do about 60-65. Oh and shout-out to all those of us dinosaurs still using old school face watches

[@mikefoehr235]

Back in 2018 my wife bought a ROCKWOOD ROO and it weighs around 5 000 pounds. Towing with my 13 Tacoma with the 4 litre v6 saw me getting around 40 litres per hundred. With my 2020 Tundra I see 20 litres per 100 kms.

[@DownRange02]

2013 Tacoma V6 shouldn’t have been hooked to 5k pounds at all. It’s towing capacity was 3.5k. Just saying.

[@mikefoehr235]

@@DownRange02 You are way wrong. It's rated at 6500 pounds. I know..I owned the truck

[@nlken7175]

I like to see an gas HD truck try this test. My 2016 power wagon got better towing mpg than my current Tundra.

[@j.joe.b3384]

% change in mpg would give an indication of how hard the job was for each truck

[@npsit1]

There are so many factors that affect fuel economy - it's hard to compare one to another. Smaller engines are getting better, but you can't really compare a 1.4L to an 8.1L, for example. If they're both forced induction and built well - to the same specs, the 8.1L will always have more power but may not always have better economy. The 1.4L can be great for toodling around town in a mid size vehicle, but it can't tow the same weight a large engine can. Try to tow 15000lbs with a 1.4L and it just won't. The 8.1L will handle it just fine.

[@AB-coyote]

The coolant is a Different color for the engine, and the super charger Intercooler. Using different colors makes it easier to pinpoint leaks if one of the systems are leaking. No coolant is shared between the engine and Intercooler.

[@claytoncoolidge992]

I can speak from experience. Truck was originally a 2 wheel drive 1500 92 Chevy 4.3l tbi 5speed that I towed with for several years on the farm towing double 40ton silage wagons hay wagons and equipment trailer and skid steer way too much for a half ton let alone a v6 and I consistently got 8-10mpg depending on what I was pulling and the speed i was going. Once I finally blew the engine i bolted a 5.7l tbi engine in its place same trans gears and all and with the 5.7l i averaged 9-12mpg I am sure that it was that high only cause the 4.10 rear gear meant to make sure that you would be able to tow everything a v8 could with a v6. The only real difference was empty mpg the v6 i could easily average 18mpg and with the v8 was a steady 15mpg regardless of how i drove it again gear killed me 70mph in 5th gear was 2800rpm so way to high for the v8 to be in its zone

[@dustinhunt6764]

I want to see Y'all test old school 460 vs 454 towing efficiency

[@larryw5429]

Holy crap that Ranger is chunky.. It weighs as much as my 2001 ford supercrew 4x4!

[@jayski9410]

If you know that towing is something you're going to do a lot of, then diesel is the way to go. Even though the price per gallon is sometimes above gasoline these days, you get more miles per gallon. And loads more torque. But if you mostly use your truck as a car and rarely tow with it, then don't worry about the fuel economy of gasoline trucks under load. A few weekends every summer won't break the bank.

[@enz6312]

Let's see the ranger compared to a naturally aspirated v8 (5L?) A more fair comparison

[@NathanKahrsPersonal]

When paying attention in school pays off. Woot!!

[@slocavky]

The bigger truck will be way more confidence inspiring and safer. I used to tow a 4k pound travel trailer with a Tacoma and it was sketchy at best, I upgraded to a 21 Silverado 1500 3.0 Duramax and It's literally night and day difference.