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Best bang-for-buck small pickup truck?

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s10 is a great truck. Just be sure to get the 6 cylinder version. Mine has a 2.8v6, but I also believe that you can get (or you used to be able to get) a 4.3v6 engine. The gas mileage is decent and you get a great amount of "go". I dunno much about foreign vehicles, but from what i've seen, if there's anything the big 3 do right, its trucks. Oh, and 4x4 is great, but a lot of the time its just more trouble than its worth. So unless you do a lot of driving in the snow or do some serious mudriding, I wouldnt reccomend it. Just more stuff to fix later on, no matter who makes the truck.
 
Originally posted by: Parrotheader
If I liked the body styling on the current Frontiers more (still not nuts about the plastic/rivet industrial look on the current gen) I'd personally say the Nissan's a better value than the Toyota. Both hold up amazingly well and the Nissans are usually a good bit cheaper for the same configuration. My dad's old '90 Hardbody pickup which he gave to my grandfather a few years ago is closing in on 300,000 miles with the original engine and hardly a single problem. I know plenty of other people who likewise have old Nissan trucks who have gobs of miles on them just like Toyota owners. But I like the looks of the Tacomas better.
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Same here. I like the old Frontier body style 🙁

Nate
 
I have a 2003 ranger edge 3.0 that i got for approx 12k after the big rebate they have going now...it's pretty basic but it gets from here to there and it has a/c and all that jazz, so it was a pretty good buy.
 
Originally posted by: MovingTarget
s10 is a great truck. Just be sure to get the 6 cylinder version. Mine has a 2.8v6, but I also believe that you can get (or you used to be able to get) a 4.3v6 engine. The gas mileage is decent and you get a great amount of "go". I dunno much about foreign vehicles, but from what i've seen, if there's anything the big 3 do right, its trucks. Oh, and 4x4 is great, but a lot of the time its just more trouble than its worth. So unless you do a lot of driving in the snow or do some serious mudriding, I wouldnt reccomend it. Just more stuff to fix later on, no matter who makes the truck.
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Now this is something I wish I could do. I have an old 4.3L sitting in my garage; I just need to find a truck w/ a blown engine to drop it into. Had a lot of work done on the engine last year and then some idiot hit me broadside about a month or so later. Engine's still in good shape, but the rest of the truck ('93 S10-Blazer 4x4) is junk.

Nate
 
Originally posted by: LeRocks
I have a 2003 ranger edge 3.0 that i got for approx 12k after the big rebate they have going now...it's pretty basic but it gets from here to there and it has a/c and all that jazz, so it was a pretty good buy.
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12k? I take it that truck has a manual transmission?

Nate
 
Originally posted by: bob4432
i love my tacoma, 4cyl / manual. very basic. a/c, radio. gets me to and from @ 25-27mpg 🙂
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Not bad 😀 Problem is, I'm not quite coordinated enough to drive a stick. One of those "walking and chewing gum at the same time" kind of things. Believe me, I've tried (tried to learn on my mom's Saturn, and have tried it off and on again over the last few years) and it ain't a pretty sight 😛

Nate
 
Originally posted by: slag
I bought a 1989 Toyota 4x4 off ebay a couple months ago for 3150. 4 cyl, automatic, but runs great!

Pics are HERE if anyone cares.

I'd buy another in a heartbeat, but probably a 5 speed. The auto is fine, but i like a stick for a small truck.

Since I bought it i put new rubber on it, changed the oil, and thats about it. Runs like a top!
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$3150 for a 1989 4 cylinder automatic?
 
yep.. and it runs like a top..

Rebuilt motor with 86k on it..

Tranny and transfer case have geen gone through before I got it and rebuilt.

New driveline.

Its a solid rust free extended cab truck with a good interior.

KBB shows the truck to be worth: Private Party Value $3,215

I paid 115 less than that.

And that figure doesnt mean squat really since the trucks go for a lot more around here. Just do a search for a toyota pickup in the 66049 area code and you'll see.. they are hard to come by.. and i used a 250 mile radius.

 
I would vote for the Ford Ranger. Though I'm not crazy about ford in general it is a nice truck.

If you have money coming out of your ears then the Tacoma is a great peice of work. To bad they cost so much. I was thinking of replacing my Xterra with one until I priced one at the dealer.
 
I was looking at trucks last year. I test drove:

'96 Dodge Dakota 4 cyl
'98 Ford Ranger 4 cyl
'98 Chevrolet S-10 6 cyl

Now, obviously the S-10 was the peppiest, but I think the Ranger had the best drive to it. I felt like I was rolling around in a B-36 with the Dodge.
 
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