What is a good small 4x4 pickup?

[Car Doc]

I am a Toyota mechanic probably the very best newer small 4wd pickup imo is a 96 and up Tacoma with the 3.4 v6 and auto trans. Lots of power and very decent gas mileage going to be expensive though they hold their value very well. my .002

 

[schmism]

early 2000 toyota.

you need 4wd for snow? if not go 2wd. 4cyl gets about 25% better millage than the 5vze 3.4 v6

EXcab taco. 5 speed is my prefered version as it gets better millage and doesnt feel as slugish as the auto with the 4cyl.


As for what to get for that commute. not a pickup. mid 90's honda civic or toyota corolla. Either one will get twice the millage of a pickup and still do 10mpg better than anything built today (even hybrids)

 

[RoMad]

I currently have an 06 tacoma with a 4cyl 5 speed. I have put 135k miles on it and it has been great. I get 25 to 26 on most tanks with my record being 28mpg. I did a lot of coasting on that tank and slow easy take offs.
Mine is an extended cab. I tried to find a used one when I bought mine, but they hold thier resale so well, I gave up and bought a new one. My first new truck since my 1973 Datsun pick-up.

I had a Ford 6cyl 4wd ranger and never got over 17mpg
I have had 2wd 4.3 S-10's and got 21mpg.

Just remember this when talking to people about thier trucks.

The three biggest lies men tell
1. their sex lives
2. their taxes owed
3. their gas mileage.

 

[dusty3030]

I currently have an 06 tacoma with a 4cyl 5 speed. I have put 135k miles on it and it has been great. I get 25 to 26 on most tanks with my record being 28mpg. I did a lot of coasting on that tank and slow easy take offs.
Mine is an extended cab. I tried to find a used one when I bought mine, but they hold thier resale so well, I gave up and bought a new one. My first new truck since my 1973 Datsun pick-up.

I had a Ford 6cyl 4wd ranger and never got over 17mpg
I have had 2wd 4.3 S-10's and got 21mpg.

Just remember this when talking to people about thier trucks.

The three biggest lies men tell
1. thier sex lives
2. thier taxes owed
3. thier gas mileage.

Hey now, I get it whenever I want it as long as it is the fifth Sunday of the month, full moon, and a leap year.

 

[deezler]

I just don't get it when people say they need 4WD for snow (unless they live in the rockies or sierras/cascades where 2'+ dumps are the norm). I have to believe that people who think they need 4WD have simply never invested in good quality snow tires to run during the winter time. You can buy a set of steel wheels to leave them mounted and balanced on for $200 or less. 30 minutes with a jack, twice a year, and they are on and off. Simple.

I live in Michigan. Some winters we have snow on the roads for over 40 days of the year. My little VW Jetta diesel with proper snow tires is virtually unstoppable, even with 8" of snow on the road, and returns 45 mpg in the winter. Over 50 in the summer. Why commute so far with any less mpg?

How many days of the year are the roads truly covered with snow in VA? Like, 5 or 6? And are you really even going to try to get to work if the occasional snowmageddon drops?

Why spend SO much cash on extra fuel, support war and send money overseas, for a vehicle who's capability you don't even need.

Sorry to sound presumptive and rude. Just sayin', you really don't need 4WD.

 

[dodge man]

I just don't get it when people say they need 4WD for snow (unless they live in the rockies or sierras/cascades where 2'+ dumps are the norm). I have to believe that people who think they need 4WD have simply never invested in good quality snow tires to run during the winter time. You can buy a set of steel wheels to leave them mounted and balanced on for $200 or less. 30 minutes with a jack, twice a year, and they are on and off. Simple.

I live in Michigan. Some winters we have snow on the roads for over 40 days of the year. My little VW Jetta diesel with proper snow tires is virtually unstoppable, even with 8" of snow on the road, and returns 45 mpg in the winter. Over 50 in the summer. Why commute so far with any less mpg?

How many days of the year are the roads truly covered with snow in VA? Like, 5 or 6? And are you really even going to try to get to work if the occasional snowmageddon drops?

Why spend SO much cash on extra fuel, support war and send money overseas, for a vehicle who's capability you don't even need.

Sorry to sound presumptive and rude. Just sayin', you really don't need 4WD.

I can say I agree with this logic. I have a 4 wheel drive truck, but the truth is, I need it maybe 10 days out of the year, and about 7 of those days its for my job. The truth is, most of those days, its a want, not a need. Its not as big a deal for me since my comute is about 14 miles. I have had a 4 wheel drive for maybe 15 years, and there is maybe 5 times I really needed it to get into town because of the weather, and I could have just stayed home those days.

Now if you WANT 4 wheel drive, thats another thing. Most of the vehicles I've bought over the years have been more of a want than a need.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Sorry to sound presumptive and rude. Just sayin', you really don't need 4WD.

Deezler,

It is my very steep gravel driveway that is the problem...

Not really the roads...

I just can't get to the roads if there is more than 4 to 6" of snow on my driveway...

It is merely nice to have everywhere else...

David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

I am a Toyota mechanic probably the very best newer small 4wd pickup imo is a 96 and up Tacoma with the 3.4 v6 and auto trans. Lots of power and very decent gas mileage going to be expensive though they hold their value very well. my .002

How about a good older Toyota? I'm not spending that much on this...

David

 

[downslope]

i second bigfoots statement i was helping my brother find a pickup last fall the thing here is full size pickups get as good or better mpg than small ones my exprience the toyota is by far the toughest mid size truck if you are satisfied with 19 mpg some full size trucks are rated up to 24 mpg

I agree with you guys. What Mossflower is looking for is simply not attainable in an older used 4x4 truck. I would never drive a 4x4 pickup if I had a 140 mile commute. And wanting good mileage AND 4X4 AND extra cab is a dream. And even talking about late 80's vehicles to pass on to a daughter years later may not make sense. The truck will be approaching 30 years old by that time.

The reason you need/want 4X4 in a pickup is because the rear is so light a 2WD doesn't like to go in snow.

If I were in Mossflower's shoes I'd look for a Corolla, Civic, Mazda 3, VW diesel for the commute or 4cyl Camry, Accord etc and keep the F150 for local use. With radial snow tires on the F150 and some good weight in the bed you should be able to get by in VA winters. I've learned it's better to plow and maintain the driveway proper than to have to use 4x4 the few times it snows. A 4 cyl small car can get double the mileage of a small 4x4 truck.

 

[Dmace]

I've driven many small pickups as company trucks all over New England and while the Toyota's are nice I feel they're not very comfortable. The seats are thin and suspension is stiff. For a long commute like that, the Ford Ranger is much more comfortable and just as reliable. We have gone through plenty of 2000-2004 Rangers all sold with about 250k miles for new ones. The older 4 cyl 2.3l is a great engine even though it has dual spark plugs which some think are such a big deal...

A nice 98-00 4x4 2.3l 5 speed or 01+ 4x4 2.5l 5 speed would be a nice little transporter. Don't let everyone else change your mind, you know you want a 4x4 compact truck so that's what you should get.