Advice on buying a small truck?

[deb]

DH and I are talking about buying a 4WD truck. We live in rural area where trucks are common and very big trucks are the norm.

We don't have buckets of cash, no children and aren't going to be towing a boat or anything big so we are thinking that truck like the Ford Ranger or a Toyota Tacoma would suit us fine.

Can you give me any advice or recommendations on buying a "smaller" 4WD truck? Do you own one? Do you like it? Any opinions about buying new vs. used?

Thank you in advance!
Deb
in WI

[Beeman]

Are you buying new or used? I always liked Chevrolet S-10 pickups and Blazers with a 4.3L V-6. This would be a used truck as they aren't made any longer, the make the new Colorado which I have heard good things about but never owned one.

[Ramblin Wreck]

The Tacoma 4 cylinder 4x4 is a good truck, but it does not have that much towing capacity, which doesn't sound like a big deal for you. If you jump up to the 6 cylinder version, you get more towing/hauling capacity, but the gas mileage isn't very different from a full sized Tundra or a full size GM/Chevy truck (both of which have much more towing and hauling capaicity). I really don't know much about the little Ford, but Consumer Reports hasn't been high on them, mostly for esthetic reaons I think.

[countrysunshine]

Ol' Girl is a Ford Ranger. She has 265K on her. Our son works for a company that is tied to GE and got a gread deal on a Colorado. He says it is not a truck when compared to Ol' Girl. I know a guy at work that got an S-10 after his Ford Bronco II and HATED it.

So, I recommend a Ford Ranger. Tough little trucks - if you want a truck and not something that looks like a truck but is built like a car.

[Goatguy]

I would really consider whether you need 4x4 or not... I thought I did last year, but I bought a 2x4 ranger and got through winter just fine. I love that little thing, its perfect for me. Enough of a "truck" to get farm chores done, but carrish enough to easiy park and drive. I also get ~25mpg combined with it.

YOu can get the 2x4, 4cyl, 5sp ranger and get 22-27mpg, or the 4x4 v6 ranger that gets 16-18. Just isn't worth it to me, to spend 50% more on gas just to have a feature that I don't need.

NOt too mention, if you are only going to get 16-18mpg, might as well get an 1500, or F-250, same mileage with 3 times the truck.

Just my .02 cents, but my Ranger has been an amazingly capable and reliable truck. Good luck with your decision, think it through!

[Wis Bang]

I will 2nd the S10-T15 chev/gmc if you stay '92 or newer to avoid the smaller 2.8L v-6 [two point hate] as the 4.3L is made from a v8 and those from '92 have balance shafts to smoothe them out. I sold a '88 s10 4x2 @ 306,000mi but I had re-powered it @ 196,000 w/ a 3.4 crate engine to replace the 2.8...I also have a '93 Jimmy w/ 180,000 on the original 4.3 [thank you Mobil one] automatic and a rust problem. They are NOT full size 4x4s and handle dirt roads & snow very well but not deep muddy ruts. It gets around 18MPG commuting & 21MPG highway the front axles are engauged 100% w/ the front driveshaft disconnected in 4x2.

I replaced the '88 w/ a '93 ford ranger 3.0 v6, 140,000mi, 5-speed. 4x4 w/ a limited slip rear differential. I now know why ranger fans call it a three point slow! I find it to be a capable 4x4 but recommend the 4.0L engine. Mine has the Dana D-35 front end an improvement over the older D-25 but still a lightweight in the serious 4x4 world.

I'm not a ford person & I really hate this truck [so my complements really ring out!] but it was $500.00 w/ a blown trans. A rebuilt trans [$700.00] and another $600.00 in parts & labor got it on the road. I found the limited slip in 4x2 effective on snow covered dirt roads during hunting season as the 3.0 really feels under-powered in 4x4...It does 19MPG commuting and 22MPG highway using auto-locking hubs so the front drive/axle/diff are disconnected in 4x2. using 4x4 requires backing up after returning to 4x2 to unlock the hubs, leaving the hubs locked in, like during a snow storm, in 4x2 reduces the mileage.

Older Toyotas are having frame rust problems that ruin an otherwise well built unit...

[Windy in Kansas]

"Can you give me any advice or recommendations on buying a "smaller" 4WD truck?"

I'll throw in my two cents worth via a story even though it may not apply in your area.

Decades ago we learned of a fire at a neighbors farm and since there was no rural fire department at the time we proceeded to load up the pickup and go there to help out if possible. This was at night and we had received a heavy rain leaving the dirt and gravel roads quite muddy.

We did great for the first three miles or so and then came upon the vehicle tracks of another neighbor also heading to help with the fire. The problem quickly arose that the other neighbor was driving an old military Jeep with a narrow tread design. Our pickup couldn't quite straddle the Jeep tracks nor did it want to get traction with one side in the tracks and one side out of the tracks which gave us great difficulty reaching the fire in a timely manner. Didn't really matter as it was a stack of alfalfa bales that lightning had set afire and were nearly burned by the time we arrived.

What the story relates is that if everyone in your area has large vehicles and you will be following in snowy or muddy conditions behind them having a narrower tread design might not be a wise choice. Granted, in our case we were using a two wheel drive pickup (1949) whereas a modern small four wheeled drive following a large one might not be a problem like we encountered. Just giving you something to consider.

I purchased a Ford Ranger from my kids when they traded to a full sized truck and really like it. It is two wheeled drive with four cylinder and five speed transmission and it consistantly gives me 24 mpg and I've even had 22 mpg towing a 4X8 loaded trailer at highway speed.

I figure that I'll go back to a Ranger for my next replacement pickup IF I have no need for a vehicle to use for towing. However I am thinking of getting a travel trailer so will need a towing vehicle.

[RedneckPete]

Buy Toyota. The domestic trucks can't hold a candle to them in terms of reliability. If you enjoy fixing, buy domestic. If you hate fixing and demand reliability, buy Toyota.

There is a good reason the domestic auto makers are going bankrupt.

Pete

[sammyd]

We were happy with our little Ford Ranger.
It had the 4WD and it was nice to have on certain occasions.
Buddy has had his Chevy S-10 for years and years. Motor is holding up well. It's only a 2WD but he manages to get through the WI winters with it.
I borrowed a little Isuzu from a guy while my F150 was down a few years back. It was only 2 WD but handled the WI winter easily. I was expecting it to fall apart (several cobble jobs to keep it running) but the guy was still driving it last fall, 3 years after I used it.
With a little weight and some common sense a 2WD truck is fine for WI.

[foxtrapper]

Little 4-banger 4x4's work so hard they barely get better gas mileage than the largish V6's and V8's. Keep that in mind.

Toyota, avoid the 3.0 V6. The 3.4 is just fine. As are the V8's. The 4 cylinder will all be slow and weak.

Beat old Ford Rangers with the 2.3 engine (4 cylinder) are quite tough and cheap.

[PhilJohnson]

One thing to look out for on those older Toyota trucks is a busted frame. I don't know how many 80s and early 90s Toyota trucks I have seen with some sort of redneck cobble fix to fix the frame section between the cab and the box. They all pretty much rust out in the same spot. On the newer ones I have noticed the cab will stay solid while the frame and bed dissapear. Also it may be pretty tough to find any Toyota truck these days in the rust belt since Toyota had a massive recall on trucks made between 1995-2000 due to the frames falling apart. They were paying up to 150 percent of retail value. I have heard the newer ones are also having troubles with rust as well. If you have your heart set on one you better be prepared to travel down south or out west to avoid the rust. The drivetrain itself is pretty durable stuff but the rest of the truck just doesn't hold up well here in Wisconsin.

S-10 in my opinion is pretty decent but out of the three domestically made small trucks it rust the worst. My friend's father had one with a five speed and a 4.3 v-6. It was an extended cab shortbox 4x4. He got right around mid 20s with it, motor had plenty of power, and it was reliable. My parents have had two Astrovans with the 4.3. The current van has 285,000 miles the original never been opened up motor. It smokes a little starting up but otherwise runs well. I would say for a large V-6 the 4.3 probably gets better mileage than either Ford or Dodge's v-6 versions. I haven't had much experience with the newer 4 cylinder engines in the S-10 so I can't comment there. The bed is probably the smallest out of the trio, the 94 and up S-10s had deeper beds.

My experience with Ford Rangers have been decent enough. I would stay away from the 80s v-6 powered ones. The 4.0 is a good motor, sort of gutless with the automatic though. Gas mileage is lack luster in my experience, about 20 mpg tops. The four cylinder is also not really all that powerful, but it is good on gas and reasonably reliable.

The Dodge Dakota is the worker out of the bunch, it has the biggest bed and is larger overall. The bodies seem to hold up the best too. A four cylinder isn't even offered in the 4x4 version (as far as I know). I would go for the V-8 version myself. My friend had one with a 5 speed and it was a 4x4. That combination got right around 21 mpg. He had a v-6 version an it actually got 1 mpg less. He sold it two years ago with 180,000 very hard miles on the odometer. The truck had been totaled once and was used off-road quite a bit. I still see it driving everyday in town.

[clovis]

I have a '95 GMC Sonoma, which is the same truck as the Chevy S-10. It has been a wonderful truck, and I love it. It has the 4.3, and is 2WD. At a 160,000+ miles, I figure it might be years before I ever think about replacing it.

My dad has a 97 S-10 with a 2.5, and has about 115,000 miles on it. It is also 2WD. He has had 2 repairs since buying the truck new, one was a windshield wiper circuit, about $20. The other was a water pump, and the repair was less than $100. Pretty good for a 12 year old truck.

Don't believe a word that Toyota builds a better truck. While some will falsely brag about high resale values, the real truth is this: Toyota has had a mass recall on the older trucks, and has been buying them back from customers because of the frames rusting and rotting away.

One of the Toyota engines has had an oil sludge problem. Just be aware of that. I don't know which engine or models that it affected, but it is a real problem.

BTW, do you really need 4WD? You are going to pay a premium for that option...how often would you really need it?

Clove

[deb]

Originally Posted by Beeman

Are you buying new or used?

We started out talking used, but are now thinking about buying new.

It used to be we would see nice used trucks for sale everywhere (around here folks park their cars on their lawn near the road with "for sale" signs) because folks were constantly buying new trucks, but that has changed. Folks are keeping their cars and trucks and there are very few used vehicles being put out for sale or advertised in the newspaper. The used car lots have fewer vehicles and prices are also higher.

I walked into a large Ford dealership at noon looking to get a brochure and it was devoid of customers. It was also devoid of sales staff! I'm thinking that between the lack of customers and manufacturer incentives that buying a new truck might end up being a better deal for us.

deb
in wi

[clovis]

If you are looking at full sized Fords, Andy Mohr Ford in the Indianapolis area has a number of good deals that they are advertising on TV. I cant remember exact...an 09 F-150 for $10,900, with 75 trucks to chose from at that price. Not a 'come-on' deal; I almost bought one a year ago.

See their web site for exact pricing....agian, they don't play games with those trucks priced like that. Just tell them which one you want.

New would come with warranty, and probably a much lower interest rate than a used car loan. This is something you should factor into the equation!!!!

[Sawmill Jim]

I got a S10 4x4 2.8 4 speed it came out with 235x15 tires on it . Got zillon miles on it just put new real mud grips on it not those wimpy all seasons I use it cruising timber in low 4x4 you got to draw a line to see if you are moving will clean the treads out good in 2nd gear or 3rd .Rides almost like my log truck too. It is camoed completely out have to hunt it in the woods

[soulsurvivor]

In 89, DH bought a new Chevy S-10 4x4. It's still going strong. Will probably outlast us. Up until the past year, DH has always worked on the county snow removal crew, so he had to make sure he could get to his workplace in bad weather.

[Beeman]

Originally Posted by deb

We started out talking used, but are now thinking about buying new.

It used to be we would see nice used trucks for sale everywhere (around here folks park their cars on their lawn near the road with "for sale" signs) because folks were constantly buying new trucks, but that has changed. Folks are keeping their cars and trucks and there are very few used vehicles being put out for sale or advertised in the newspaper. The used car lots have fewer vehicles and prices are also higher.

I walked into a large Ford dealership at noon looking to get a brochure and it was devoid of customers. It was also devoid of sales staff! I'm thinking that between the lack of customers and manufacturer incentives that buying a new truck might end up being a better deal for us.

deb
in wi

I don't doubt the deals are good, I've been to the dealers lately and they're just happy to have someone stop by. Only problem I have with new or newer is the long term expense. They haven't improved fuel economy but they sure have gotten complicated and expensive to repair. I'm a big fan of simple and the GM throttle body fuel injection is as simple and cost effective as you can get.

[HermitJohn]

Depends what era/price range, whether you want 2wd/4wd, and so on. All the makes made some good stuff and some not so good stuff. Buying older, means price more dependent on individual truck's condition and miles.

The nineties era 2wd Ranger with 5spd and 2.3L/2.5L is good truck, holds up well, and engine cheap to rebuild or replace. Good gas mileage. There is enough power to do what a little truck should be able to do. I personally wouldnt mess with a V6 small truck, get you a full size if you need the power as mileage wont be that different. And Fords little V6s, yuck. I replaced the 2.8L in my 4wd Ranger with an old carb 300 straight six (4.9L) and no it wasnt easy to do.... definitely not just a bolt in, but that straight six will outlast just about anything and its cheap and easy to work on. Will maintain speed going up a hill too. Havent had it back on road enough to figure gas mileage but cant be any worse than that pathetic gutless 2.8L getting whopping 14mpg.

[calliemoonbeam]

I bought a little used Chevy Blazer (which is the small SUV, not a pickup) with 4WD and a tow package in October. My son and I had decided I needed the 4WD because of the really bad road and hill I live on, the tow package was just a bonus, lol.

I wasn't sure I'd like it, but so far I really love it. It has a roof rack, and the back seat folds down flat, so I've been able to haul anything I needed to so far. I've actually only had to use the 4WD once when it was bad icy and snow on top, but it worked like a champ!

Mine has the smaller V6, and I get 20-21 mpg overall, never broke it down to compare city to highway miles, sorry. It's a '99 model and they were asking $2995, but we got it for $2000 even. My son is a die-hard Ford man and was really hoping to find me a Ford, but we looked at dozens of Chevys, Fords, Toyotas, and Jeeps, anything that was within my price range of up to $3000, and this was definitely the best of the lot. Even he said it was a darned good vehicle and he's glad we found this one for me!

I used to only buy new or almost new vehicles just because it was hard to get good service without getting ripped off and not having to deal with all that, but they depreciate so MUCH the minute you drive them off the lot and I even got a couple of brand new lemons, so I figured why waste my money? I've got good service now when I need it, knock on wood, so I'm happy, and when everyone finds out what we paid for it they're all really surprised and said we did great!

[Cornhusker]

I don't know about the S-10 but my son had a Ranger.
While it was a good little pickup, the thing both of us didn't like about it was the lack of leg room for us taller guys. It felt very cramped.
I have a 2005 Dodge Dakota that I really like.
Plenty of room, gobs of power even for a V6 (The V8 version is amazing) and fit and finish is very good.
It's smooth, quiet, and tough.
I get about 22 mpg on the highway and around 19-20 just buzzing around.