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Help me decide which Light Truck to buy!

A

AaronP

Diamond Member
you guys seem pretty knowledgeable about cars and all.

I don't need to hear anything like "light trucks suck" or stuff like that, I would just like some help deciding which of these is best:

Ford Ranger
Toyota Tacoma
Dodge Dakota

I will be buying a regular cab 2WD with a smallish engine, 4 cyl, probably 2.5 liter or 2.3 liter, and automatic transmission.

So, what are the pro's and cons of each of these?

Thanks Gang
 
Dakota, man! You can afford at least the 3.9L V6! Plenty of getup and go, more room than those lil' trucks. I've got the 5.7L V8 and it kicks boo-tay. Also, I've never had a lick of trouble.
 
I'm planning on buying the Dakota when I have enough to cover the downpayment (moving costs were atrocious for me!). I would recommend AGAINST buying the Ranger with the 4 cylinder engine. My Dad had one for awhile and hated it -- WAAAAYYY underpowered.
 
I'm a cheapskate, and with 4 bangers, these trucks get like 22-26 MPG. With 6 cylinders, they get like 17-19, I have researched em quite a bit, and am looking for another opinion.
 
It seems your mind is already made up. You are seeking validation, not opinions.

(That'll be $150 for the psychoanalysis.) 😀
 
no, my mind isn't made up, I have not chosen yet. it will probably be one of the three I listed though. And Tundra is a great truck, but too expensive, and too big for what I need it for. It's more truck than I need.

 


<< Dakota, man! You can afford at least the 3.9L V6! Plenty of getup and go, more room than those lil' trucks. I've got the 5.7L V8 and it kicks boo-tay. Also, I've never had a lick of trouble. >>




I'm pretty sure Dodge doesn't have a 5.7 350, they had a 5.9 360 engine available in the Rams and Dakotas. 5.7 is usually Chevy. I have a 5.7 in my 97 Silverado, great engine!
 
out of your choices I'm gonna have to go with the tacoma, because it WILL run the longest. I don't think I'd trade my 94 full size Z71 Blazer for any of them though, blazers rule. They shouldnt have stopped making them. Bad GM.
 
If your looking for value,go for the Ford Ranger a new one stripped is around 10 grand.
I don't like Toyotas just because their so damn ugly
 
I've seen so many Dakota's with problems. I would test drive the Tacoma and Ranger and see which dealer can get you a better deal, maybe you can play them against each other ... &quot;Well the Toyota dealer said I could get a Tacoma for $1,000 less than this Ranger, what can you do for me?&quot;. My friend's father got a white &quot;loss leader&quot; (advertised in Saturday morning newspaper) Ford Ranger for $1,000 below invoice he got a really good deal. Only catch is they only have 2-3 per dealership and you have to be there when they first open their doors. If it were me I'd go with Toyota or maybe a Hyundai Santa Fe 😉
 
Dakota has a 4.7L V8 and a 5.9L V8.

Test drive all three and see which one you like best. That's the only way to be sure!
 
Find a Ranger that is a couple years old and low miles that has dropped to about 50% of retail in price.

Get the 5 speed, you will kick yourself everyday for buying a 4cyl with an automatic.
 
Ummm, I'm flaming but how about a Chevy, all around and not too much truck. You should really test drive used trucks of the kind you are considering and seeing how they have held up after wear and abuse.
 
My stepmother has a tacoma, and its really nice. it's an extended cab, and it's green. I like it a lot 🙂
 
Are we talking new here?

I went looking for small 4banger trucks back in Jan and ended up with a 93 nissian 2wd 2.4l 5-speed. Lets see I get around 25mpg, it rides well, and has plenty of power, about the only thing I can think of I don't like about it is mine doesn't have a/c. I mainly looked at toyotas, rangers, and nissians. Alot of the toyotas and nissians I looked at had some major rust problems and several of the toyotas had or have had blown head gaskets. Most of the rangers I looked at had been ragged and the 2.3l just felt weak. I drove one that was 4wd with the 2.3l 5-speed and holy crap that thing was painfully slow.

 
hmm thanks for the info. I haven't decided between new or used yet, with new trucks, you know, ya get the appeal of having a new vehicle, plus you get lower interest rates on car loan, and also with the kinda slow car market right now, new cars are relatively inexpensive, especially something like a new Ranger for 14,000 or less.

I will probably go used though. If I can find something like a 96-99 model year truck with < 45,000 miles on it and around 7000-9000 bucks, that would be great.

I guess the 2.3 liter 4 cylinder on the Rangers is really weak, I've heard that from a few different people. I wonder if the 2.5 liter is much better. I don't need a lot of towing power, but I do want a vehicle that will be able to pass decently on some of the 2 lane highways around where I live. And I will definitely be getting an automatic.
 
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