Recommend Me A Truck

[liftedtrucks]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this, but here goes. I figure a lot of you guys are car guys. I currently am considering a small pickup. I used to be all about full-size, but I need to be smart.
I'm going to college, might start commuting, and plan to move out of state sometime in the next couple years. Currently living in California, would like to move to the South or Midwest.
I'm considering a Ranger, Tacoma, T100, or 4Runner. No Explorers, no Chevys, no Jeeps. Don't want to spend over 5gs. I don't know much about the Ranger and nothing about Toyotas. I know I have a lot of research to do.
I currently have a 97 Expedition that I've became pretty familiar with. I don't need a full-size though, and the mileage is awful. I'm leaning towards the 4Runner, I like having an SUV. The first gens have a removable top. More traction in the rear, don't have to worry much about things getting stolen, etc.
My main concerns are mileage, off-road capability, reliability, ease of maintenance, reliably priced parts, and easy to find parts, aftermarket support, and comfort (I'm 6'). I go hunting, fishing, and stay pretty active outdoors. Anybody care to weigh in?

Thanks.

 

[bad_idea]

I have owned a 03 Nissan Frontier for 5 years now. 2 door w/ extended cab. 4 cylinder. 2WD. It is slow but steady. It rides the same empty or loaded down w/ 1200 lbs in the bed. Very reliable truck. In the 5 years I have owned it, it hasn't stranded me once. It has 160k on the clock now. It averages 20 mpg in town or on the highway.

 

[hockey88fan]

+1 for the Nissan...

 

[tskills10]

Don't know much about the Nissan, but I know my Dad has had Rangers since 1988. And he tends to drive them into the ground. Living here in Northeast Ohio in the snowbelt, the vehicles around here tend to rust out before the drivetrain dies. His 88 ranger had almost 200k but some of the main cross braces were rusted pretty bad when he sold it. He is on his third ranger and is upset that Ford doesn't make it anymore. He tends to put around 200K on each of them with no major mechanical repairs.

I personally prefer my 2008 GMC 2500HD, I know you said no Chevys. Good luck on your search. Tom

 

[Mister Moose]

I bought a 2002 Ford Ranger new and still have it. Was forced by Ford to take the 4.0L V-6 if I wanted extended cab 4WD. Wasn't happy about that, but gas was $1.50 a galllon. I get 17-19mpg hwy @70-75mph, 16-17 locally. (Stick shift) At $3.75 a gallon I'd have bought the 4 cyl 4WD Toyota.

Get the extended cab for more legroom and the ability to recline the seat, plus the bonus space.

Issues to date:
SLave cylinder on clutch leaked, had to be replaced. Cruise control crapped out 2 years ago, haven't bothered to fix it yet. Happy with the truck.

 

[miketoo2]

+1 for the NIssan, and you should consider the other Nissan: the xterra.

 

[38Chevy454]

A midsize SUV will not get that much better mileage than your Expedition. I also have a 97 Expy, 4wd with the 4.6. I get about 15 mpg mostly highway driving. You might get 20 in a 4runner or similar. Yes that is about 33% improvement, but I would not say 20 mpg is that great if mpg is one of your primary goals.

Older 4runners are going to get a price premium over a Nissan Xterra. Heard fairly good things about the Xterra.

 

[carhunter]

I second Tskills. Around here the most popular truck seems to be a 2000-ish ex cab 4x4 ranger. Lots of competition for them but for under 5k there seem to be some good ones.

 

[maddawg308]

Had a '96 Dakota that treated me real well for almost 10 years. Got over 230,000 miles before I traded it in. I have owned 3 Dodge trucks and they all are excellent. My opinion, get a used Mopar. Any size with be great.

 

[airbatica]

Really can't go wrong with a Ranger. Don't even look at a regular cab unless you want your knees in your stomach. Parts are reasonable and very plentiful. The biggest issues you'll probably run in to are OEM ball joints and the clutch slave cylinder. If you get one with the 3.0 V6, the camshaft synchronizer is also a known problem (and a pretty easy fix). Just make sure you use an OEM Motorcraft or Cardone reman.

 

[liftedtrucks]

A midsize SUV will not get that much better mileage than your Expedition. I also have a 97 Expy, 4wd with the 4.6. I get about 15 mpg mostly highway driving. You might get 20 in a 4runner or similar. Yes that is about 33% improvement, but I would not say 20 mpg is that great if mpg is one of your primary goals.

Older 4runners are going to get a price premium over a Nissan Xterra. Heard fairly good things about the Xterra.

I forgot to mention mine is lifted on BFG MTs, haha. How off-road capable is the Xterra?
Thanks for all your responds guys, I'm going over all of them.

 

[dandan111]

If you want a cheap truck get a ford ranger. If you get a regular cab you will want a tool box to keep stuff in. The ranger may not be the best but it's been around forever and parts will be cheap. Look for a grandpa truck.

 

[Murphy4570]

I bought an '05 4.0L 4x4 Ranger new, it is my daily driver. Good little truck, I use it for everything. No complaints with it. Have not had any major issues whatsoever. Have done just regular scheduled maintenance to it, besides a new alternator at 35K miles. Has 60K on it now. I use it for towing and hauling stuff occasionally, you'd be surprised how much weight it can carry in the bed, or how much you can tow with it.

I got 17-19MPG when it was stock, now get 14-17MPG. I lifted it 2" and put 33" A/T's on it.

 

[pop pop]

Don't move out of Crazifornia. Too many of you have already. But consider Nissan for sure.

 

[Need4racin]

a car that gets 40+ mpg. Keep the fullsize truck too.

 

[liftedtrucks]

Don't move out of Crazifornia. Too many of you have already. But consider Nissan for sure.

Can't stand it here. My grandpa was born in Oklahoma but raised in Arkansas, a lot of my family lives there. I really like it there good fishing, duck hunting, no whacko liberals, ridiculous laws, or outrageous taxes. And most of the people over there have resepect and morals. Half the people here can't even control their own kids in a grocery store.

 

[dolfans]

If you get a 1st gen nissan frontier the gauges have problems. With a older auto like you may want (4runner etc) the inside could leak water when rains. Just find something you may want and join some forums. I would check into a dodge dakota. Good luck

 

[t100]

good luck finding a Tacoma.

 

[sam_i02]

I love my Taco! Have driven Toyotas since I was a kid. In fact my dad drove a 1975 Hilux (childhood memories) and loved it.

 

[Inventive1]

If you want a mid size SUV, I'd suggest a Jeep Cherokee. (not the Grand Cherokee) The ones with the handling package drive great. (look for a rear sway bar) These can bought for reasonable prices, parts are usually cheap, and they have a reputation for being real reliable. The 4.0 engine is the best choice.

I know a lot of guys love their Toyota trucks, but around here those trucks are expensive to purchase. They hold their value real well. Maintenance and upkeep may cost less on the Toyota. If a person has a commercial garage or a dealer maintain their vehicle, buying a Toyota may be a good move financially. Since I do nearly all of the work on my vehicles, I think it's cheaper overall buying a domestic vehicle for myself.

 

[laskt9]

Don't move to the midwest if you like cars/tools/any metal items lasting. And get the 4runner. I have an 85 and have had a 2nd gen and 3rd gen. They're awesome...except they attract rust.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I927 using Tapatalk 2

 

[SweetD]

Since you are out West, this might not be a problem, but a lot of the 95-04 Tacomas had bad frames that were actually "recalled" (actually extended warranty of 15 years from original purchase date). So you really have to be careful with the frames. It was a manufacturing defect whereby the corrosion-resistance processing in the metal was not done correctly.

I know first hand because my 00 Tacoma was bought back by Toyota this past Spring. I ended up buying a new Tacoma and I love it.

But just be careful on the frames if you are looking at them. My 00 was in awesome shape minus the frame, and I miss it. There is a ton of info on the Web.

Dave

 

[dandan111]

Buy American

 

[sam_i02]

Buy American

X2. Toyota is made in Indianapolis! Win-Win

 

[liftedtrucks]

Buy American

I try to, whenever I can. But it doesn't mean much when the majority of the American truck parts are foreign and they aren't even assembled here.

 

[cheechi]

I would recommend either a T100 or Taco for the fuel economy but they have chronic frame issues. Positive for Toyota is they will still recall and pay you near blue book for it (towards another Toyota at a dealership I think) if you have problems.

A friend at work has a 4 cylinder 96 Ranger that I think got 25+ mpg even after 100k with no maintenance more than just belts/oil/tires. It runs ok but the trans is too soft for me. Never been a big fan of Fords but he's got more room in the standard cab than any other 90's or newer truck I have been in. I'm sure being the least expensive Ford truck for years there's plenty of stuff you can get for it to put a top on it etc.

I personally have a 4 cylinder 98 Frontier and I love it for what it is. Parent's neighbor has the exact same one and says every time he sees one he made an offer for it. He hates his newer F150. I can get 30+ mpg on it if I'm on the highway and its had a fresh everything done recently. Stays consistently in the 25-30 range with mostly highway. Downsides are no lock on the tailgate, ball is mounted to the bumper, some of the trim wears off or curls in places. Not a lot of variety for bed accessories (factory plastic liner is about it). So if you're used to the Explorer might want to stick more mainstream for the top/cap options.

Newer Frontiers than mine all have V6 options and the earlier ones that use the VG30 are the better choice if your primary concern is fuel economy, compared to the later 00's where the V6 got bigger (VQ series) and your only other option was the awful 2.5 Sentra/Altima engine. Newer gens do have beefier frames for a real tow hitch.

You can get some that are 4wd but they are less common because they're only 4 speeds.

B2000 can be good if you can find one in good condition and are patient, Mitsu's electronics are their weak point. The Y block from the early B2000's are great engines but a lot of people swap in 4G63's from Eclipses. Parts are more common though there are a lot of similarities between the two. S10's are a huge truck for a mid-size and don't have the fuel economy. Dodge trucks come with instructions for other drivers, that's something I guess.

 

[hockey88fan]

Since you are out West, this might not be a problem, but a lot of the 95-04 Tacomas had bad frames that were actually "recalled" (actually extended warranty of 15 years from original purchase date). So you really have to be careful with the frames. It was a manufacturing defect whereby the corrosion-resistance processing in the metal was not done correctly.

I know first hand because my 00 Tacoma was bought back by Toyota this past Spring. I ended up buying a new Tacoma and I love it.

But just be careful on the frames if you are looking at them. My 00 was in awesome shape minus the frame, and I miss it. There is a ton of info on the Web.

Dave

Yeah they're actually aren't many around anymore in that year range due to the recall, atleast in these parts.

 

[Humble Mechanic]

I gotta say another +1 for the Nissan Frontier!

 

[dandan111]

I know most parts are out sourced but I feel better staying with american brands.

 

[Tarheelgarage]

Anything from toyota or nissan.

 

[Crazy68Dart]

Xteras are hard on fuel.

I would opt for a Ranger, but that is me...

 

[cheechi]

Xterra is not as good as a Frontier, nor as good as any other suv its size. I am all about Nissan but it's a hard one to recommend.

Don't move to the south. Just don't. Especially if you can read and have any teeth.

 

[Kurn]

Had my 99 Ranger for 12 years now,4 cyl,5 speed.In 146,000 miles,I've replaced the brakes,ball joints,alternator,1 coil pack,and the starter.Everything else is original.Gonna be looking for a newer one as rust is taking its toll.But here in NE Ohio,clean used ones are stupidly expensive,as are all Ford pickups around here.But my Ranger is probably the most dependable vehicle I've ever owned.

 

[Fubeca]

Are you looking for 4x4 or 4x2? I have had a Nissan, Ranger and a few others. For bang-for-the-buck, I'd go with Nissan.

For what its worth - make sure you are realistic with mileage. I had a 97 ford ranger extended cab 4x4 with the 4.0 and a 5 speed and never got higher than 19mpg. I'm about 6'4" 240 and I was never comfortable in that truck.

I now drive a 2006 Silverado extended cab 4x4 with the 5.3 and an auto and get the same mileage. I can get above 20 on the highway if I treat it nicely.

 

[TXM]

My first post on this forum and here I am plugging for Ford vehicles....sheesh.

That said, I recently traided in my 2000 Ford Ranger. I purchased it when I was 18 and drove it until I was 32. 250,000mi. The 3L motor was absolutely bullet proof. I had 5spd regular cab. Definately grab the X-cab.

When I traded it in, the Ford guys said they'd never seen a Ranger with that many miles. It would have kept going, but I had to get another vehicle to fit two car seats into.

I would buy another one if they still sold them here...I just don't need an F150.

 

[Cooter_76]

You might also check-out the first generation Tundras. A buddy of mine out in NM has an '03(?) extended cab 4WD and he loves it. I think he said he gets 18-19mpg highway. It's a nice compromise between a full-size and compact truck.

 

[dandan111]

Stop. I cant take it. Toyota makes me sick!

 

[1stblack97ZJ]

Why no jeep?


-jeep owner.

 

[ChristopherLutz]

well - I can't blame you for wanting out of Cali....I moved the family to TX 8 years ago and am very happy about it.

Brother in Law has had 2 Nissan small pickups and did over 200k miles on each w/o any major problems, i was pretty impressed with the truck.

 

[liftedtrucks]

Why no jeep?


-jeep owner.

Nothing against them. I just am not a fan of the Cherokee, and I don't know of any other Jeeps getting good mileage. Chevy, I've driven 1500s and I don't like how they feel. I've heard about a lot of trouble with Chevy's fuel pumps and trannys too. Dodge I guess did one thing right with the Cummins then backed it with a weak ****** and a body that falls apart. I'm really not that biased. I've had good luck with Ford, but I'd consider almost any brand.