What is a good small 4x4 pickup?

[radioman]

Have you thought about blazers? like compact chevy/gmc blazers or similar instead of pickups? seats in back folds down for larger cargo, has 4wd. I would never get a 4 banger due to short lived engines when used hard. I currently have 6 cylinder and mpg is not too bad. its just a little better then your ford pickup.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I had a Toyota with a 4 cylinder. Traded at about 160,000 miles. Ran like a top. We also had a ranger. 130,000 it was ready for a overhaul but worked hard and neglected. It was so worn out that the pistons fell out if that a few of the cylinders when we removed the crank.

So you ask what is best? Tough question. Both were good in my eyes. The guys are right though, you are only going to get maybe 18 to 20 mpg.

Chris

 

[dodge man]

Through my work, we have used a lot of pick ups over the years. We used to have Rangers and S10's. Like others have said, they really weren't that much better on gas. If I were in your situation, I'd get a commuter car. When things look a little dicey, drive your big pickup.

 

[tractorski]

I would think that the PSD you're looking for could easily get the same mileage that a v6 Tacoma is going to get if set up right

 

[Dmace]

I honestly thought those compact 4x4's did better on gas but an underpowered engine will just work harder. All our compact fleet trucks are 2wd V6 that do OK. Considering that, I would recommend the Dodge Dakota V6 or V8 also. I had a 98 V6 club cab (2 door rear bench seat) that was great! It's still on the road with 250k plus. 16-18mpg normal driving and 12-14 towing two sleds in an enclosed trailer plus one in the bed and three guys in the truck. I also had numerous Jeep Grand Cherokee's with the V8 4.7l which got 20mpg no matter what and both engines were typical bullet-proof Chrysler engines. Plus the mid sized Dakota doesnt feel as small inside as the compacts.

 

[Swiftriver]

We've had 8 Toyota pickups and 1 Landcruiser. Bought my first SR5 new in '81 for $9500. We currently have a '10 Double Cab TRD and still have the '70 FJ40. My parents were so impressed with the good luck I had with Toyota that they have been driving them since '95. Dad just traded his FJ Criuser for a new Tundra last week and Mom is stuck on the Highlanders. That being said, this '10 Double Cab is the worst Toyota I have owned. Way too many electronic nannys and I just can not get comfortable driving it. We are heading out on a trip in April and we are taking my '08 GMC D-Max worktruck instead of the Toyota. You still can't beat Toyota dependibility though. I wish like he** that I had kept my '90. That was the best one. As far as the frame problem, if you live in the snowbelt and want to keep any vehicle a long time, OIL THE UNDERCARRIAGE!
How about a Subaru wagon? My neighbor runs them and has great luck. Fold the back seat down and there is a ton of space back there.

 

[catskinner]

I'd go with a 1/2 ton chevy, extened cab, they get around 20mpg with the small v8. Plenty of the used out there to.

 

[timswi]

I'd go with a 1/2 ton chevy, extened cab, they get around 20mpg with the small v8. Plenty of the used out there to.

I agree...A couple of people at work downsized to smaller pickups and were quite disappointed in the gas mileage savings..At best they saw a 2 mpg improvement over their previous full size...The smaller ones are easier to park in urban areas though. I get around 16 general use and almost 20 on the highway with a GMC 6.2 gasser.

 

[Jamming]

the new ford f-150 with the new v-8 does better than any mid size truck on the planet and has more power than government motors does, the Toyota would be the second choice. But wait because next year will bring new Hybrid trucks to Ford, Nissan, Toyota and Mazda.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've been thinking of doing something similar. Most of my jobs can be done from a small truck, and I would use the bigger when I need it.

My brother has a extra cab ranger, auto with a 4 cylinder that has really impressed me. Great milage and a really nice ride.

In the 80's I had a Mitsubishi mini truck that was one of the best trucks I ever owned. 4 cyl, man transmission and power steering. My brother bought a similar Nissan that just wanst in the same league. That's one of those vehicles I should have kept!!!! Sadly, I don't trust Mitsubishi anymore.

Edmunds.com has some decent reviews. I like to read them when looking at vehicles. I avoid the car magazines, they are all about what is great about everything and ignore the flaws so they can keep the company ads.

With all the incentives, and it being something that you will be putting some miles on, I would also consider buying new.

Good luck, its always tough to decide what is the best of anything.

Eddie