Need a cheap and reliable truck/SUV for hauling things around

[kevman]

A japanese sedan just doesnt cut it for buying things for the house, any suggestions on a cheap but reliable truck/suv ?

 

[Gibson486]

what your def. of cheap?

 

[Pliablemoose]

Well...

Unless you want to spend the $, just rent something. No Taxes, no licensing, no insurance.

 

[Fenixgoon]

used F150? hell, new ones should be cheap too

 

[kevman]

I'm thinking 5-6k range tops

 

[desy]

A 2wd Ranger or Mazda would be great on gas if you get the 4 cyl and reliable.
If you want the full size truck then a F150 or Chev would be next.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

A friend of mine picked up a '46 Chevy flatbed with dump for $25 at an estate auction. A coworker got a '79 Datsun pickup that needed a battery and the carb rebuilt. Ended up getting sideswiped by some lady, insurance paid him off. He ended up with a very usable truck that after battery, brakes, carb rebuilt, registered, and insured for a year cost him -$100. (yes, he came out ahead)

Define "cheap" 😀

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon
used F150? hell, new ones should be cheap too

F150 gets my vote too. You can get them used for REAL cheap if you look and they are rather reliable as long as they are maintained.

 

[kevman]

what year f150 is a good one to look at ?

 

[GoatMonkey]

Home Depot rents trucks for hauling large items home.

 

[woodie1]

Another vote for renting when needed rather than owning one full time.

 

[nweaver]

vote here for no SUV. A minivan is better for hauling stuff then an SUV.

 

[Pliablemoose]

If you put a pencil to it, it really makes more sense to rent, unless you need a second car for something other than hauling stuff too.

Insurance for a year for me per vehicle is ~$800
Inspection ~$40
Tags ~$150
Maintenance varies, figure $1000/year including oil changes, tires, consumables like fuel filters, plugs, blah blah blah...

Lowball cost is ~$2k/year after purchase.

Buy new or finance & you have to add in finance costs and depreciation.


Home Depot truck rental per hour is ~$19 IIRC

U Haul is pretty reasonable too.



If you're bound & determined to buy a truck, an F150 is pretty good for a F/S, and owned by more millionaires than any other single vehicle.

Ford always claims they have the best selling trucks, but if GM added Chevrolet & GM trucks all together, they actually sell more.

<--Have owned a truck for all but 4 years of my adult life :heart:

3 Ford Rangers, 1 F150, 1 F250 (current), 2 FS Dodge vans, and a FS Chevrolet van.