Hey guys;
Just want to say hello. I,m new to your forum and I'm looking for your expert advice. I'm looking at a 97 F-150 to buy that I found on "Craigslist". The lady that owns the truck says it get's around 10mph. so I'm guessing it's the 5.4L engine. My question is how much better is the 4.6L over the 5.4L as far as gas milage is concerned and which engine is considered the better of the two on an overall basis.

Thanks: Jammer

both engines are v8's so they'll both get close to the same mileage, however 10 seems a little low seeing as my 4.6 get 13mpg city when i lead foot it

Yeah, make sure the "check engine" light comes on and goes out again when you first start the truck. If it doesn't come on at all, it is burned out or possibly has been removed, hiding the presence of codes. 10 mpg is pretty low, I knew a guy with a 93 460 ci F350 dually that was getting 13 mpg suburban 20 mpg highway (light no cargo or trailer). He had an air tailgate (slats). If you're hauling a big trailer a lot on grades you need the 5.4, else 4.6 is fine for most things.

Jammer
My 97 F150 with 84,000 and the 4.6 gets 15mpg in the summer but only 10mpg in the winter, mostly because it has a snow plow on it the winter.
redwrench

First of all, check for the engine. No doubt, both are V8 engines and both of them will give the approximate similar mileage, but still 4.6L is better I suppose. Again, the 97 F-150 is a full-size smart truck with aggressive and attractive aerodynamic featured styling. The 97 F-150 features a new body shape, suitable chassis and a well engine lineup.

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