We have a nice Silverado and a little Buick. I want to sell the Buick or trade it in on a small pickup. Never had one so help me out guys on one that can be found pretty cheap and has a good track record for dependably? powdr

Datsun

Single cab, short bed F 150, small enough to get good mileage and strong enough to pull a good sized trailer & load. I’ve been using one se real years, works well for me,

Tacoma (toyota) especially if you want to use it to as a 4x4

I’ve always thought one of those Suzuki Samari’s would be good for that.

Lots of folks around here like those Ford Rangers.

Seem to be pretty good. And a HELL of a lot less money than a UTV.

Smaller cheap truck that is dependable?

Little Toyota’s and older 4 banger rangers run forever but can’t pull a greasy string outta a cat’s azz. If your not hauling much at all you're GTG.

Mid 90’s f150 with a straight 6 and a manual will go near forever. Except of course common consumables.

Find a S-10 chevy pu.

I just found out last week that i am the new owner of my Dad's 85 model.

It has the v6,standard trans and a long bed.

He went a little cheap because he got it without air.

The last time i drove 4 years ago it hauled ass and got good mileage at the same time.

Good news,they only go for about 3000.00 tops or so.

Early 90s Nissans ran forever. Didn't get that great of mileage and didn't have much power but they kept going.

Ford Ranger

GrandDad had one of those. It was a tough little truck and he abused the heck out of it. He hauled ass in it till we took away his keys.

My 2000 Nissan Frontier King Cab, 4-cylinder, has 330,000 miles as of this week. Does not use oil or leak oil, still gets 27mpg on the highway, a little less around town. It's now the backup for my 'new' 2013 Frontier SV quad-cab, V6.

Thanks guys. powdr

Had one. Single cab w/short bed & 4-wheel drive. I really liked it, but it did have terrible gas mileage. When Momma started dropping babies, it lost its usefulness. Sure wish I'd stuck it in storage somewhere!!

I had an S10 Chevy that had a manual trans and 4 cylinder.
30 mpg and didn't even spin tires in winter.
I loved it until it died and the dealership couldn't fix it. I drove it in and they asked how I got it there.
I drove it.
How can we fix it if it's running?
No more Chevrolet for me.
F150 is more reliable!

Ford Ranger. There is a world of 'em around here... Fuel economy sux for the size of it. But, otherwise, they just keep running...

I'm on my second Tacoma bought new last year. The one before that was 10yrs old. The only thing I had to replace on that truck was front brakes and rear shocks. If you not doing much towing, the 4cyl is ok but I get about the same mileage with the newer six than I did with the four. Drove to NL and Ont. this summer and got 30mpg (Imp. gallon) so was quite pleased.

I've got an '04 Tacoma that I'm very happy with.

It just rolled over 180,000. miles.

Virgil B.

Probably bigger than you want, but if you can find a 1997 or older Dodge Cummins for fair money... it WILL go up in value while you use it over the next 5-15 years.

I can think of a few that would be good. But around here you rarely see a basic pick-up for sale that hasn't been driven into the ground.

Lot's of big fancy rigs for big dollars. But working pick-ups in good running condition at a reasonable price are hard to find.

I found a 2005 F-150, V6, stick shift long bed with only 68K miles on it a couple of years ago. I probably paid more for it than it was worth. But it would have been a long time waiting for another like it to come along,...so I bought it.

96 or later Ranger. Simple. If you really want to burn some fuel an 8 cylinder Dakota is your huckleberry!

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2015/04/28/what-does-your-work-truck-say-about-you/

For a lot of years I did everything that I needed to maintenance wise with a Buick, trailer hitch and an aluminum 5x8 utility trailer. Years back I sold my V8 '89 F-150 cab and a half 4x4 manual with less than 100,000 on it for $1,000. Those deals are around if you can find them.

Nissan Frontier.

Older [90's-2005] Frontier/Nissan
Can be had for half of a Taco and just as good a truck.

What kind of place? What kind of work?

Trucks are like boats ime. Need more than 1

I’m using a F-150 for hauling boat and snowmachine trailers these days after many years of using 3/4 ton truck for that purpose.

So far, so good.


But when I want the young chicks to take notice I go rolling in the ‘99 taco. 120k miles and it looks like one of my claw hammers, that’s been well used.

Can’t let my sons or sil drive it, they have stuff to do and can’t be bothered w young hotties swooning over them

Nothing says sexy like an old man in an old truck 👍🏻

I don't know how it is in the rest of the country but around here older small Ford Ranger and Toyota pickup trucks still in decent, serviceable condition with less than 200k miles are extremely rare and if/when you can find one they aren't cheap relative to what you are getting.

Could be your best shot at finding a still decent condition, serviceable pickup that would probably suit your purpose at a reasonable price might be an older base model Ford or Chevy 'Work Truck', former fleet vehicle turn-in.

[

Courier's and Ram 50's

Beasts of the road!

My BIL had two Ford Rangers, between the two truck he put more 500K miles on them. Since '011 he's had a Tundra, uses it for work , drives it cross country, hunts and fishes with it probably 250K+ miles on it and still going strong.

Nissan square body. They go forever.

New Mid-Sized
There are no small/compact body-on-frame pickups being made. Smallest you can get are mid-sized: Toyo Taco, Nissan Fronty, Chevy Colorado, Ford Ranger.

Mid-sized pickups will cost less than a full-sized half-ton, about 2/3 the cost all else kept constant. Fuel economy for mid-sized pickups and full-sized half ton pickups will be about the same. The auto makers have invested a lot of money in half ton V-8 engines & trannies.

I own a basic 2013 Nissan Frontier, 4-door, 4.0 V6, 2WD, auto trans. Have 140k miles on it. Done basic maint as well as beefed up the front & rear springs a bit. Only thing I don't like about it is that I was in such a tight spot, I could not find one with a manual transmission when buying. The Nissan Fronty is the oldest (debut 2005) mid-sized pickup being built and generally you can get it for much less than the competition. Bang/buck winner.

The Toyota Tacomoa is the standard by which all mid-sized trucks are judged. Period.

Don;t know or care about the Chevy or Ford mid-sized. I always thought the Chevy small & mid sized pickups were rolling POS and the Rangers not much better. Maybe that has changed.

New Full-Sized
Full sized trucks have bloated over the years. Wheelbase is not much different, but it is like they were allergic to bees and got stung all over and are puffed out in every direction. Makes it harder to use them. Things like grabbing up items in the front of the truck bed, you gotta be an NBA forward with orangutan arms to reach over the newer full-sized trucks. The regular cab short beds are the smallest of them.

F-150 is the standard. Nissan & Toyo still don't know how to get it right, or as right as Ford. Chevy is iffy and Dodge is a joke. Except for the Cummins. A 3/4-1ton Dodge with a Cummins is a diamond set in a pot metal ring.

Older Small Pickups
Ford kept the Ranger in production longer then other small pickup truck makers. But they are Ford Rangers and their longevity makes them rarer or in worse condition than small Toyos and Nissans.

Again, Nissan is the best bang for the buck. Their last small pickup was built from 1985 1/2 to 2003 or 2004. Up to 1997 it was the Hard Body sheet metal. Nissans lose out to Toyo small pickups in interior quality and resale. Meaning, you can pick them up much more cheaply and lose nothing in the realm of basic pickup functionality. I owned the last Hard Body, built in 1997. Extended cab, 4-cy, 5sp manual. What a great little pickup. Drove it 185k miles until an old lady ran into me and totaled the 14YO workhorse.

Again, Toyo is the standard.

Transmissions
Manuals are the most trouble-free. Toyota has strong automatics, but the rest all leave something to be desired.

Looks like I'm doing ok for once. Have both a 98 Ranger with manual transmission and only 110K miles. Have a 15 Tacoma 4x4 with manual transmission. Love them both for different reasons.

I saw an ad for a John Deere UTV with heat AND A/C it was like $18,000

I have to ask - why in the world would you buy that for $18K when you could get a truck that would do everything it does and take you to the grocery store

Gates and ground. I've a few smaller gates that a truck won't fit through. Could go the long way around and open more gates but there's a reason I put the small gates in the locations I did for quick access. Several spots a truck will sink to the axle but an atv doesn't spin a tire. This is all for farm work and I use an atv rather than a utv...and cost is the main factor there so I understand not wanting to spend $18K.

$2200. Put a wagon behind it.

https://www.motobuys.com/jet-moto-c...28-ej5QIVax-tBh0HFw36EAQYASABEgI18fD_BwE

Damnit Briostoe now I want one of those things!

I've owned five Nissans over the years, and am quite fond of them. I really, REALLY liked the old 2.4l 4 banger, it was all but bulletproof, but they quit that motor when they came out with the current Frontiers. The 4.0l V-6 is a pretty good motor with lousy mileage, but it's pretty strong, and a good motor. I've had sterling service out of the Nissans.

No, they aren't a full-sized truck, but they seem to get the job done, regardless.

You could load it up in your 18 wheeler and then ride it around the Walmart’s you stop to shop at on the road! 😜

I have a 2001 Ford Range 4x4 with the 4.0 L. auto.

I will never sell it!!!

What a little work horse.

I can get into all kinds of spots between trees, steep terrain. It will haul 1/2 yards of DG or what ever.

I could have written this. I have had five of 'em as well. I posted the pic above of my green 4 cylinder. That little Nissan 4 cylinder is one of the best engines ever made. Sadly, 4WD no longer available with the 4 cylinder.
So now I have this one.


2010 3 liter, 4WD


If they are so great, why have I had 5? Let the girlfriend drive my first one, she totalled it. Second and third ones rusted out here in the mountains in the snow and salt. And a drunk gal crashed into me on I 85 one night in the 4th one, totalled it.

Ford Ranger

Me too!

I was just kind of kidding around when I posted the info for them. But they look like a heck of a toy for $2200 delivered.

I've watched the video a half dozen times. The specs say they'll do 37 mph,...which is as fast as I'd want to go in one of them. But they would be handy with a trailer for somebody on a small acreage place. I'm always moving something around here that's too heavy to pack, but not big enough to need to get out the pick-up.

Late 90's Tacoma........this '98 had the 3.4L V6......

5 speed....4x4 w/rear diff loc......23 mpg........

Never had the inline 4 banger.......

Heard they are bullet proof.....

That's what my 2000 Frontier has. Same engine used in the Altima and Pathfinder. I've been able to ask for Altima/Pathfinder parts that will work when I'm told that Frontier parts aren't available, they shared a few parts.