What is a good small 4x4 pickup?

[Diamondpilot]

Diamondpilot,
I have been sleeping today. Yes it is gas cubby. Not sure about what android has to offer. I am going to buy the full version this week because my daughter starts driving alone starting Friday. The full version allows syncing and she has an iPhone too. That is how I will know how much she needs reimbursed. He is another screen shot with some neat stats.
Jeff

Thanks Jeff

I downloaded one today called "Millage" recommended by another member for my Android and it works about the same.

Thanks.

Chris

 

[foreman Etexas]

I like having the toyota around so I dont put the miles on my 3500 and it keeps the un-needed wear and tear off it,that alone is worth having the Toyota.

 

[RavensRoost]

My 2003 Tacoma V-6 4x4 has 150K on it, gets right at 20 MPG -- not great, not bad -- best truck I have ever owned.

 

[TBDonnelly]

I've been surfing the vehicle ads for the last several weeks. I initially started looking at the small pickup trucks, but the low mileage numbers with 4x4 turned me away. Now, I'm leaning toward a Ford Escape 3.0 V6. The escapes come in Front wheel drive or automatic 4WD (>2005). Their towing capacity is rated for upto 3500 pounds. I figure I could buy a trailer to take the place of the pickup bed and only have to haul the trailer when needed. The used car/truck prices are amazingly high. :confused2:

Don

 

[ejb69]

I have a 05 chev colorado i5/ auto/4x4. I get 19 mpg. I feel the small trucks should get better mpg than they do. I use it for hunting and drive it to work. I have a dodge 2500 that I tow my boat and haul stuff with. It only gets 10-12 mpg.

 

[IndyIan]

Another data point is the 99-03 Chevy Tracker/Suzuki Vitara. Our worst tanks are around 24mpg and best around 30mpg but we do mostly 55mph road driving. It's not luxurious but the interior is about the same as the 90's Toyota pickups I've been in. Our '03 is a 4cyl, manual trans, and hi/lo 4x4, but for commuting an auto probably would be better for the taller top gear. Going over 65mph gets a bit buzzy and also kills mileage. They should be dirt cheap now and unabused as I'm sure most have never been off-road or towed anything.
I tow 2 4x5 bales at a time with it on a 800lb trailer and it seems not to mind much. I think the solid rear axle helps.

 

[crazyal]

I had a 95 2wd Tacoma plain Jane Toyota. It's the one truck I wish I had kept. If driven softly it would easily get in the low 30s mpg. It was a great truck for when I needed to put something in the bed but also drive more than a few miles. Not much room inside it and the ride wasn't great (I added overloads in the rear) but most times it was only me.

 

[sbussell]

Just traded an 09 Tacoma 4cyl, 5spd, 4x4. Great little truck, but I needed more that 3500 lb towing capacity. With careful driving I could get 27-28mpg in the summer and 25 in the winter. Now have a 2012 6cyl, auto, 4x4 and currently getting 21-22 mpg, hope to get 25ish when winter gas is gone. I put 20-25k miles on per year and have no complaints.

 

[Birdhunter1]

My everyday vehicle is a 2007 Ford ranger reg. cab 4wd with a 3.0 v6 and a 5 speed automatic. If I am driving back and forth to work and tooling around town or backroading I get 19.5 mpg, and have averaged this for almost 5 years now. My dads 2007 F-150 with 4.6 v8 gets 15 doing the same driving.

If I am doing alot of idling or short 1/4 mile under 20 mph trips it gets closer to 17, this is where I am using it on the farm moving stuff around fields, traveling 100 yard trips through the field etc.

The only time I've ever got worse than this is after i rolled it on its side a year ago and afterwards the mileage was in the 13-15. granted this was a cold outdoor temp at the time but it had never been this bad. Pulled the spark plugs and all of them on the drivers side were oil fouled )from sitting on its side in a ditch) and the air filter was oil soaked. Replaced plugs, wires and filter and back to normal.

Now this truck isn't going to haul a ton in the bed or pull a dozer around but it will handle a bed full of feed, firewood, deer, beer, tractor parts, tools and lumber. Best part is even being 4wd it doesn't sit too high where I can't reach over the bedside and get things out (unlike my previous f150 where I couldn't reach over the bed for anything.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

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