Best truck under $10k?

[D2Cat]

Three months ago I found/bought a 2011 Dakota, 4x4, crew cab, no rust, like new interior, new tires, new battery, 99,820 miles. Underneath looks like it's a year old, Line-X bed liner. Guy had a 28% loan at a buy here pay here place and wanted to sell it because he had improved his credit and could get an 8% loan. Ipaid under 10K to clear his note. I replaced one tie rod. He was sure to tell me the oil will soon need to by changed and he used 5W-20 Castrol Edge Full Synthetic. Beautiful paint and interior. Negative is not much bed space.

 

[Muhammad]

Three months ago I found/bought a 2011 Dakota, 4x4, crew cab, no rust, like new interior, new tires, new battery, 99,820 miles. Underneath looks like it's a year old, Line-X bed liner. Guy had a 28% loan at a buy here pay here place and wanted to sell it because he had improved his credit and could get an 8% loan. Ipaid under 10K to clear his note. I replaced one tie rod. He was sure to tell me the oil will soon need to by changed and he used 5W-20 Castrol Edge Full Synthetic. Beautiful paint and interior. Negative is not much bed space.

I saw a couple of dakotas out there and wouldn't have been opposed to a deal like that but the selection was slim.

If I'm being biased, growing up my dad had a lot of bad luck with Ford products. I have seen mixed reviews about the new Ford stuff. I guess it all depends on the drive train, etc. Takes a while for the market to determine longevity of a platform.

@2manyrocks Yes I have the 3.0 V6 RWD configuration.

 

[deserteagle71]

If I'm being biased, growing up my dad had a lot of bad luck with Ford products. I have seen mixed reviews about the new Ford stuff. I guess it all depends on the drive train, etc. Takes a while for the market to determine longevity of a platform.

My luck has been just the opposite from your dad's. Up until 2016 I've had a few F250 and F350 trucks and each was relatively trouble free. In 2016 I bought a new F150 Supercab with the 3.5 Ecoboost engine and in 60,000 miles all I've had to do is change the oil and rotate the tires. Never been in a shop for any reason - and the overall fuel mileage since new (hand calculated) is 20.6 mpg.

My "heavy hauler" for the past few years has been a Dodge/Cummins dually. All I've ever had to fix on it was a leaky water pump a few years ago, so it has been very dependable also.

 

[rangerfredbob]

I've been a Ranger fan for a while (yeah, username is that Ranger...), I currently have two Rangers and two Explorers along with the F350 and the wife's Camry... The 3.0 is a good engine, just keep up on the fluids and it'll last a long time. If automatic transmission wouldn't hurt to shift it manually from time to time, the engine likes to rev (since it was designed for a Taurus it has a higher rpm camshaft) but Ford in their infinite wisdom makes it shift well below the torque peak so they are well known for being gutless turds... but then again I'm daily driving a '97 extended cab Ranger with a manual trans and a 2.3L so a 3.0L would be more peppy... There's downsides to Rangers of various configurations but whatever, I only go to shops for windshields and tires... I got my '97 for $450 with a bent I beam (towed out of a ditch with a chain from the middle of one I beam...), $150 in junkyard parts and some random used tires I mounted myself and I'm less than $1200 into it and have put almost 40k on it...

I'm not too brand loyal anymore, I'm just familiar with the drivetrain and wanted something reliable and decent on fuel so I got what I got... Everything has its plusses and minuses, the early 2000's are a good time for vehicles being a good balance of reliability, ease of maintenance and less fancy junk... the LS engines in GM's along with their fairly reliable transmissions are a good place to be, a 4L80 is going to be more reliable than a 4L60 trans but either if taken care of are fine, Ford's 4R70W and 4R100 and whatnot are apparently fine too but the 5.4L has issues in a few years, all can have their good and bad apples...

 

[coobie]

Let's just say, best general use pickup truck under $10,000 in the current market.

Factors to consider:

Reliability (starting from the age/mileage)
Features/performance
Practicality
Value

I purchased a 2004 chevy 1500 Silverado Z71 with 4X4 last June(2021) for $7500 bucks with 132,000 miles on the OD in decent shape with some rust around the rocker panels. I now have 154,000 miles on the OD and it has been flawless.Good trucks are out there just take your time to look..

 

[Muhammad]

I purchased a 2004 chevy 1500 Silverado Z71 with 4X4 last June(2021) for $7500 bucks with 132,000 miles on the OD in decent shape with some rust around the rocker panels. I now have 154,000 miles on the OD and it has been flawless.Good trucks are out there just take your time to look..

That sounds like a great deal on the current market. Also that truck out here in California would fetch 10k I think.

 

[D2Cat]

I saw a couple of dakotas out there and wouldn't have been opposed to a deal like that but the selection was slim.

If I'm being biased, growing up my dad had a lot of bad luck with Ford products. I have seen mixed reviews about the new Ford stuff. I guess it all depends on the drive train, etc. Takes a while for the market to determine longevity of a platform.

@2manyrocks Yes I have the 3.0 V6 RWD configuration.

The reason the selection is slim, and what you find is often beat up and rusted is because they quit making them in 2011. That is why I was looking for the latest model. I had a couple of them before and knew in insides fit my butt, legs and head room requirements. In fact, when wanting parts I have to tell the parts guys (who look everything up on their computer) it's a 2010 because 2011 in not in their computer.

The model is coming back this year, which seems odd for auto manufactures.

 

[MossRoad]

I purchased a 2004 chevy 1500 Silverado Z71 with 4X4 last June(2021) for $7500 bucks with 132,000 miles on the OD in decent shape with some rust around the rocker panels. I now have 154,000 miles on the OD and it has been flawless.Good trucks are out there just take your time to look..

That’s very similar to the 2003 Suburban we bought last May.

One thing, though, is that used prices have skyrocketed since just last year. So expect to pay a bit more in today’s world.

 

[Oaktree]

Three months ago I found/bought a 2011 Dakota, 4x4, crew cab, no rust, like new interior, new tires, new battery, 99,820 miles. Underneath looks like it's a year old, Line-X bed liner. Guy had a 28% loan at a buy here pay here place and wanted to sell it because he had improved his credit and could get an 8% loan. Ipaid under 10K to clear his note. I replaced one tie rod. He was sure to tell me the oil will soon need to by changed and he used 5W-20 Castrol Edge Full Synthetic. Beautiful paint and interior. Negative is not much bed space.

Yeah, the smaller trucks with the crew cab don't leave much room for a bed...tacoma's are even worse, doesn't look like the bed is much more than 3' long. Why even bother? Saw one a while back with a bicycle rack on the back!

IMHO the 2nd gen Dakotas ('96-04) were the best. I've got an '01 with the 4.7 and it's still going strong. Around here you see more of the 2nd gen ones than the 3rd gen...the newer ones were kind of rustbuckets.

 

[blee03]

1994 Dodge Ram 2500 - cars & trucks - by owner - vehicle automotive...

Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins 6 Cylinder Turbo Diesel SLT, with 2011 bed, Toolbox, power doors and windows, CD Radio. Runs good. The body is clean. Please call. Do not text.

sandiego.craigslist.org