What is a good small 4x4 pickup?

   / What is a good small 4x4 pickup? #101  
IslandTractor said:
A VW diesel Rabbit/Golf or other gasser FWD car with proper snow tires will do almost as well as a 4x4 pickup on snowy roads.
Tell you what, next winter I'll glady drive my 4x4 truck down to Rhode Island and we'll see just how well that VW with snow tires does compared to it.

Give me a break people, NO fwd car will be anywhere near as good in the snow as a 4x4 truck. I'd take a 2wd truck over a fwd car for the ground clearance alone...

BACK ON TOPIC: Any suggestions on Small Pickups...?
 
   / What is a good small 4x4 pickup? #102  
Tell you what, next winter I'll glady drive my 4x4 truck down to Rhode Island and we'll see just how well that VW with snow tires does compared to it.

Give me a break people, NO fwd car will be anywhere near as good in the snow as a 4x4 truck. I'd take a 2wd truck over a fwd car for the ground clearance alone...

BACK ON TOPIC: Any suggestions on Small Pickups...?

You might notice next time you are driving in the snow in NH that the vast majority of vehicles on the road as still small sedans usually FWD. You might ponder too that 4x4 and AWD did not exist for practical purposes until that past thirty or forty years. How did folks in NH, MA and VT survive? I don't argue the off road or >8 inches unplowed comparisons but if there has been a plow truck down the road in the past four hours a small sedan with snow tires (not all season) will do just fine. May I remind you that there are virtually no 4x4 pickup trucks or SUVs in places like Norway and Sweden or Russia and that sedans do just fine.

Small pickups are a hazard as they are light in back (sure load'm up with sand and watch your MPG drop further). They are markedly less comfortable and get worse gas mileage too. On top of that, there are so many yahoos who must have one to be cool that they keep their used value much better than small sedans too. Small pickups are great if you need the bed and modest towing or off road capabilities but they suck in every other way.

One more point: just how many 8" plus snow storms to you think they have per year between Fredricksburg VA and Northern VA/DC? I'm guessing about zero on average with once a decade snowzilla events where there might be three during the whole year. And you guys want to drive a subpar pickup truck 99+% of the time just on the off chance that you'll get a big snow? Save the money from fuel and put it into an emergency motel fund then stay overnight near the office once ever two or three years.
 
   / What is a good small 4x4 pickup?
  • Thread Starter
#103  
Guys, Guys, Guys...

Please do not fight. Honestly much of the time I will ride my high MPG Harley, but when the wether is bad, or I need to pick up feed, hay, tools etc ON THE WAY to/from work etc. A Small Truck is what I am looking for.

If I was asking about buying a Tractor would you all convince me to just buy a wheelbarrow and a shovel! It sure is more economical that a big tractor with big nasty payments...

Come on!If I wanted an Accord or a VW, or a CAR, I'd buy it and never asked here for an opinion. But I AM a farmer, even if just a Hobby Farmer, and I have different needs besides simple MPG.

I'm trying to discover what is the BEST Small 4x4 Truck & why. A TDI does not meet that criterion. I do appreciate all the data on good MPG cars.

Honestly, I was trying to justify an F-350 7.3 PSD asmy commuter and I simply could not do it.

I do NOT want another car. I bought my wife and excellent car and I've been driving it to death all because of a mere 5-6 MPG improvement from my F-150.

I can justify a small 4x4 pickup, and a large 4x4 pickup, and a car and THAT IS ALL I WANT. On weekends the small 4x4 will work the property with me and maybe haul firewood (much more than my bucket can haul), or who knows up and down back property trails.

Eventually I may sell a Harley to pay for an F-350 I want, but the F-150 will go when that happens.

The question at hand is simply, what is the best (and why) small 4x4 Pickup. I'm willing to drop the extra cab (but I might be forced to go with airbags at least for driver).

As Dmace has kindly pointed out, the topic is Pickup, not car. Let's PLEASE get back on topic.

Thanks for all the inputs, but I'm honestly looking for a small pickup.

But I am thinking maybe a 1980 F-150 4x4 shortbed would be the best way to go... Not sure...

Be well,
David
 
   / What is a good small 4x4 pickup? #104  
Zombie Thread alert!

I have brought this back to life because my commute has just gotten worse. I need to be in the beltway 5 days a week, approx 160 mile round trip daily.

I am NOW looking for a simple 2-door 4x4 small truck. In a couple years it will become my oldest daughter's car. Until then I will drive it MOSTLY freeway/highway back and forth.

I'm leaning towards the older Ford Rangers with the 2.9 V6, I hear they get 25-26 mpg.

My neighbor has a 1989 long bed that is solid running I tried to buy, but his nephew is using it...

My concerns are longevity, and MPG.

Speak out now or forever hold your peace!

David

Sorry, I didn't see anything about hay, tools or considerations other than longevity and MPG. I surrender.
 
   / What is a good small 4x4 pickup? #105  
IslandTractor said:
Sorry, I didn't see anything about hay, tools or considerations other than longevity and MPG. I surrender.
Read the whole thread...
MossflowerWoods said:
OK, I currently have a VERY clean 2001 F-150 4-door 2wd Triton gasser with ~105k miles. Good truck, but

You may know that I am actively looking for a F-350 4 door 4x4 7.3psd (My target is a 2002) so I can pull my horses and pull my tractor.

The other thing you need to know is that my "customer" is approx 65 miles one way into DC area, and I'm up there 3-4 days a week.

I NEED a truck much of the time commuting as I pick up feed and supplies as I pass town on my way home. Therefore I'm looking at a TWO TRUCK strategy.

I am curious who makes the BEST small pickup. I want good gas mileage, and good relaibility. Must be 4x4, would be nice if I can get 4 door also so I can haul the kids. I want to buy USED and get a better deal.

So... Is it the Toyota Tacoma? (what years are best?) is it the Nissan Frontier? Who makes the best small 4x4 pickup?

Thanks in advance,
Be well,
David
 
   / What is a good small 4x4 pickup?
  • Thread Starter
#106  
IslandTractor said:
Sorry, I didn't see anything about hay, tools or considerations other than longevity and MPG. I surrender.

Island,

I am not looking for a feud here, but it also CLEARLY says "small 4x4 pickup".

The cooments about hay etc are buried in the first time or two I got this thread going. At least I think it is mentioned somewhere earlier in the thread.

I'm looking for a good little truck I can use often.

Cool?

David
 
   / What is a good small 4x4 pickup? #107  
Island,

I am not looking for a feud here, but it also CLEARLY says "small 4x4 pickup".

The cooments about hay etc are buried in the first time or two I got this thread going. At least I think it is mentioned somewhere earlier in the thread.

I'm looking for a good little truck I can use often.

Cool?

David

You are both right. I just read it from the most recent set of posts.

My vote then goes for the Subaru Baha. Good luck finding one but they are nice little car/trucks. Basically an El Camino version of the AWD Outback.
 
   / What is a good small 4x4 pickup? #108  
Fair enough, sorry if I helped lead the topic astray. I think you can understand that the rest of us still have a vested interest in leading you towards lower fuel consumption... it's just in our common interest, and the right thing to do. Nonetheless, we all have our lives to lead still, and the freedom of personal choice is part of what makes this country so rad.

Since you are limiting yourself to a small truck - I would then have to advocate you get a 2WD one. You still don't need (want?) 4WD but a few days per year. The improvement in mpg is directly correlated to a few factors. Much lower vehicle weight, driveline losses, and aerodynamic losses (due to the lower ride height). Also sometimes smaller tires (less weight/inertia). Still need snow tires for the winter and weight in the bed, but you'll save a lot of gallons in the long run. Ok, and a wife to plow the driveway before you get home. :)

With a bed cover and some reading over on ecomodder.com, you could end up over 30mpg with a 4cyl, 2wd truck.
 
   / What is a good small 4x4 pickup? #109  
   / What is a good small 4x4 pickup? #110  
I can justify a small 4x4 pickup, and a large 4x4 pickup, and a car and THAT IS ALL I WANT.
If I needed a 1/4 ton P/U, no question about it, I'd go looking for a Toyota Tacoma. I had one before and everyone I know who has had one liked theirs, too.
 

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