What is a good small 4x4 pickup?

[dodge man]

Well, since you made up your mind, a 1 ton, extended cab, long bed diesel is probably your best option.:thumbsup:

Back to reality, don't overlook the older Dakotas. At one time, we had a bunch or Rangers where I work. They were O.K., but the shock tower broke off on the front end of two of them. I'm not sure if it was rust or what, but the trucks were solid otherwise. I'm only about 6' tall, and I found them to be pretty small for leg room.

 

[clemsonfor]

Here is my sugestion. I use to commute 105 miles a day round trip. I did it in my 1990 ranger. I had all the power i needed for highway travel at 80mph for 20 mins, the rest was town and then winding uphill and down backroads. I got gas every 3 days. It was due to me living 25+ miles from a cheap gas location that i could not go longer, i had to get it when i passed on the way home or i had to go into town the opposite direction when i got home to get fuel. This was 04/05 so fuel if i remember right sayed over $1.90 a gallon but under $2.75 gallon here in SC. It was not that bad but i still think i spent $200ish dollars a month on fuel?? id have to do the math i really dont remember. i put like 25K miles a year on just going to work. The ranger gave no trouble i just did monthly oil changes in it or every 5 weeks or so. It burned about a qt a week or so then, but was not bad. But i was just starting my carreer and had little money. This was my truck i bought in college for $900. I am 6'2" and at that time about 195lbs. It was ok but not terribly comfortable esp after a long day.

This is what i would do today if i had to do it again. Look for a late 90's civic. They get upwards of 40+ mpg. the right combo will get 45mpg this is what the epa sites even say!! Anyway buy one for like $3000. In the 2 years (till your daughter is 15)driving to work that many miles you will save at least $4000 based on your miles and the price of VA gas right now!! Then you can buy her a bit nicer ranger. Also to find a ranger for $2000 your gonna have 170k miles on it. You will have close to 250k on it by the time you pass it to her. Thats fine after all mine is still im my vehicle lineup at 290k and runs just as well as it did in college. You can even buy a civic and a ranger now and just use the ranger in snow if you have to have it and still come out cheaper geting 35-40 mpg in a honda or toy. I have 4 vehicles insured myself. Each addition vehicle like a truck your talking costs me $20/month. Esp if your talking leaving the ranger to sit untill the snow?? And i have been in civic and i drive a saturn everyday, there way more comfortable than that vintage of ranger your talking.


I have like i said a 90 ranger 2.3L 5sp. Reg cab short bed 2wd. I can get if i baby it on the backroads highways to work 25mpg. If i was on interstate and traffic the best i think i would see is 23mpg. I have never heard the v6's getting better than that. The epa site lists it lower if i remember.

But here are some real world #s. 160mile commute 5 days a week, assuming 4 week months will means 800 miles a week or 3,200 month. assuing you can get 25mpg in a ranger, i dont think you can!!! you will use 128 gallons a month and im figuring an average price of $3.50 gallon (yes i know its prolly lower like it is here now at $3.23/gal), thats $450/month in fuel!!!

If you got a 1997 or so civic 5spd. You can get an honest 40mpg(u will most likely get more!!) but i will use 40mpg here. we take the same 3200 miles/month but divide by 40, giving you 80 gallons of fuel consumption. At the price above is $280.

This is a savings of $180 month!! which like i said over the 2 years equals $4,320!! That will buy a way nicer Truck for her than your $2k will today, then you will still have your civic or whatever.

Even if you buy both like i said so that 2 days a year you have snow you can still go to work :confused2:. You will only pay about $200 more dollars a year on insurance (at least with mine i do). Yea you will have to buy 2 vehicles at first, but your insistant upon getting out of this snowy drive those few days a year.

I have a masters degree in econ based study so i tend to think these things through. Yea i like trucks but i like saving money more!!

 

[Carl_NH]

Its in VA.
Toyota : 4WD Pickups SR-5 Toyota : 4WD Pickups SR-5 | eBay

This should fit the need nicely - good find!

 

[clemsonfor]

As for the car. You can still put like 4 bales maybe 2 in a car, with the seats laid down. You can but any shovel rake, ho, or whatever in them as well. I dive the saturn like i mention. Its only 32mpg but we already owned it when we bought an suv for the wife. and i dont hypercommute, if i did id get a better mpg car.

I hunt and buy stuff every now and then out of the saturn. i went to a sellout sale at the local hardware store oneday bought the whole reest of the salt blocks. I think it worked out to be something like 12 or so of them? These were full size 40lb block. I folded the seat back spread my sheet i always have and they went in the floorboard (1) in the front and the rest in the trunk and folded seats in back. I squated but still got 30+ mpg on the 7 mile trip home!!


Seriously i see what you want to do with it but still think a car is the best choice, but as others have said you have convinced yourself of the truck.

Yes the old f150 with the str8 6, 300ci will bive you 20+ mpg easy if u drive it slower, but i dont think flying down the interstate at 70 mpg you will se that?

And for the guy that says Sub baha, there not for sale for $2000!!

 

[clemsonfor]

This should fit the need nicely - good find!

I looked at that truck. Nice truck with low miles!! BUT its already at $2600 and not even met the reserve. It will go for $3k at least and maybe $3500. He said he wants to spend $2k!! This truck will in no way get 22+mpg. I have known plenty of people with them, the 4cy yes but this is a v6.

I work with a guy with an 03 TACO with the prerunner package and its 4doors. The prerunner for the non ford/toy guys is the 4wd truck basically but with 2wd. anyway this guy will get at best 21mpg but says 19 is more like normal and says his small utility trailer is a bear to pull around.


My cousin's duck hunting budy has a toyota similar to the one in the pics. It cant pull his 18ft Aluminum Jon boat and hold 60mph on hills so they drive my cousins f150 on thier trips all over the state hunting. Im pretty sure he has the 4cy but it may be a v6. I think he easy gets 20+ unloaded but with the boat it drinks fuel and has to stay floored and down shift every hill.

 

[foreman Etexas]

I looked at that truck. Nice truck with low miles!! BUT its already at $2600 and not even met the reserve. It will go for $3k at least and maybe $3500. He said he wants to spend $2k!! This truck will in no way get 22+mpg. I have known plenty of people with them, the 4cy yes but this is a v6.

I work with a guy with an 03 TACO with the prerunner package and its 4doors. The prerunner for the non ford/toy guys is the 4wd truck basically but with 2wd. anyway this guy will get at best 21mpg but says 19 is more like normal and says his small utility trailer is a bear to pull around.


My cousin's duck hunting budy has a toyota similar to the one in the pics. It cant pull his 18ft Aluminum Jon boat and hold 60mph on hills so they drive my cousins f150 on thier trips all over the state hunting. Im pretty sure he has the 4cy but it may be a v6. I think he easy gets 20+ unloaded but with the boat it drinks fuel and has to stay floored and down shift every hill.

You keep stating in your post he cant get this and that for $2,000 but then while we are showing him trucks you suggest a CIVIC,so im gonna say its not a truck,he ask about a small truck,not a car,a truck.
Then you talk how the Tacoma will not pull a boat at 60mph,how good is that Honda Civic going to handle it?And now hes down to a cple bales of hay in back seat.Im thinking im alittle more in-line what he's asking,mite be alittle over budget but it has 4x4,and a bed...
Here's my small 4x4 ,this is me making suggestion off being an OWNER of a good small pickup...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=nkgU--XnAC8

 

[big e]

Unless you really must tow something, you might consider a 4x4 Honda Element.
My driveway is extremely steep with sharp curves at bottom and is prone to ice. Elements are awesome in snow. Better ground clearance than a car - not a good as a truck. Comfortable to commute (I'm a ripped 6'4" 200lb). Modern airbags for daughter later. I haul firewood and do everything I'd do with a truck except tow. With rear seats out you have a flat loading surface similar in size to an S-10.
And it looks cool as heck (to people with taste.)
We needed another vehicle last summer. Tried to buy a truck (and I really could use one). Couldn't do it. We now own two Elements and LOVE them.

NOTE PIX
The brainiac tire store owner and helpers thought they were wasting their time trying to load a rear tractor tire in the Element. BTW, note the steepness of the driveway in non-snow pic... thats not even the steepest part.

INFO
Element Owners Club | Honda Element Owners Club - Home

 

[IslandTractor]

You keep stating in your post he cant get this and that for $2,000 but then while we are showing him trucks you suggest a CIVIC,so im gonna say its not a truck,he ask about a small truck,not a car,a truck.
Then you talk how the Tacoma will not pull a boat at 60mph,how good is that Honda Civic going to handle it?And now hes down to a cple bales of hay in back seat.Im thinking im alittle more in-line what he's asking,mite be alittle over budget but it has 4x4,and a bed...
Here's my small 4x4View attachment 266199,this is me making suggestion off being an owner of a good small pickup...

I've never seen anything with the Toyota name on it sell for $2000 or even close unless it was a rust bucket. A 4x4 Tacoma in good shape with mid 150K mileage in this part of the country would be selling for $5-6000 range. I'd be surprised if the bidding on eBay doesn't get up there in the last half hour or so of the auction.

Here is a completed auction for $5300 from eBay on almost the identical truck except it has more miles and less added toys: Toyota : 4WD Pickups SR5 Toyota : 4WD Pickups SR5 | eBay

The problem with buying Toyota trucks used is that everyone recognizes how good and trouble free they are (minus rust issues). An equivalent era Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, Mazda B etc will cost a couple thousand or more less than a Toy.

 

[foreman Etexas]

I've never seen anything with the Toyota name on it sell for $2000 or even close unless it was a rust bucket. A 4x4 Tacoma in good shape with mid 150K mileage in this part of the country would be selling for $5-6000 range. I'd be surprised if the bidding on eBay doesn't get up there in the last half hour or so of the auction.

Here is a completed auction for $5300 from eBay on almost the identical truck except it has more miles and less added toys: Toyota : 4WD Pickups SR5 Toyota : 4WD Pickups SR5 | eBay

I was lucky and picked mine up for $2400 but I also had to buy new tires and cple other little things,nothing major..
So im around $3400...

 

[IslandTractor]

Unless you really must tow something, you might consider a 4x4 Honda Element.

I also really like the Element but they are way out of the price range. Never seen even a 200,000mile early Element for less than 6-7K and most are considerably more. Fabulous multipurpose vehicle though. I love that they designed it to have the interior hosed out.