Towing question that will decide if i swap my taco for a ranger

[CCRyder]

I would add, I had a 2014 F150 Supercab short bed with the 5.0 /6 speed auto. I LOVED that truck. Comfy, handled like a dream, powerful, and as a DD got 17 mpg, on road trips 20 to 22! I miss that truck. I traded it because I needed a diesel. The F350 Lariat is awesome but not as nice to simply drive.

I had a similar year F150 Supercab also, never should have sold of it.

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[Rollo]

Coming from a 2013 5.0L F150 there are some really good deals going on right now for Truck Month. I love my new 2025 2.7L Ranger XLT now and wouldn't go back to my F150 as the Ranger is a better daily driver for us. However, if I was doing a lot of towing I might go back to the F150. It's really your preference depending upon what you value more.

 

[OxygenMask]

I had a similar year F150 Supercab also, never should have sold of it.

Color was Green Gem. So is my F350....

 

[auam72]

Consider braking also when towing that load.

 

[Skip74]

I would look at an F-150 STX with the 2.7.

 

[Bill W]

I am new here so my 2 cents are worth 2 cents but Getty’s Garage has some good info on towing.

 

[moproblems]

So funnily enough I just bought a Futura Supersport to haul my many car projects to racetracks and to and from the shop. The Raptor pulls it well, haven't put my M4 on it yet however which will be right about at the weight limit of the truck. I will probably put bags on it soon enough (when Boss or AAA comes back into stock) but if I was doing it every day for a business I would still probably get something a bit larger. Side winds can still make things feel a bit funny with the truck being on the smaller side.

I have also towed cars with a 6mt Tacoma (albeit not with this trailer) and it really kinda sucks rowing gears while pulling. I would recommend the Ranger at the minimum over the Tacoma.

The Futura kicks ass though, if you are in the Midwest hit up Brian at MOTOVAULT.

 

[Racingchris44]

You can definitely do that towing with a Ranger, esp the 2.7L. I towed my 718T across the midwest to the SCCA Nationals in Lincoln Nebraska (two days of driving) and the truck didn't break a sweat. I tow my car around quite a bit with it and am impressed by the mileage also - Sometimes I'm getting 17+ mpg. Yes you need be wary of the brakes, but if you have your trailer brakes adjusted right, it seems to do fine (just don't tailgate people). I'm looking forward to racing season so I can do more towing

 

[ADVNTURR]

For the short duration tows and trailer/vehicle weights you're talking about the 2.7 Ranger would honestly be fine, even with that frequency IMHO. Yes, an F150+ would likely tow better but you're going to get eaten up by fuel costs when you aren't towing and you'll lose maneuverability and day-to-day benefits of the smaller truck when you aren't towing.

FWIW, I have a '24 XLT with the 2.7 and a Futura SuperSport that I use to tow my track car (and eventually other cars) to track events and such; less frequency, but longer distances. I towed my setup from OH to KY last fall and with the trailer at ~5k and a tongue load around 600lb it did spectacular and was getting ~12mpg with cruise set at 75mph (my friend's F250 with the small V8 gets that empty puttering around town). Definitely invest in a Weigh Safe hitch or similar because you really need to mind your tongue load with the smaller truck.

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