Recommend a used truck

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: AmigaMan

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: thecoolnessrune
GMC / Chevy also gets my vote unless you're looking for compact in which case I'd say a 4.0L Ranger Edge.

I was about to say Ranger/ mazda b4000 when I saw the headline but he did say he wanted a "decent sized bed".


I got a B4000 but wanted a Full size GMC/Chevy. Price was just to good to pass up.

What do you get for gas mileage out of that? I've been looking for a compact truck. Lots of rangers for sale around here, but there's lots of chevy 1500s too and the ranger seems to get the same gas mileage as full size 1500s. Only thing I saw going for it was maybe cheaper tires and easier to park.

Compact truck tradeoffs for mileage seem lame mostly, only the tacoma and I think the colorado I4 get much of an improvement over larger trucks for gas mileage.

Edit: I'm looking only at 4WD myself.

My 04 Tacoma gets horrible gas mileage. For a compact v6 you should expect more than 17-19 highway. Maybe the newer generation (05+) gets better mileage, but there are v8 fullsize pickups with teh same gas mileage. My next truck will be either a used F150 or Silverado/Sierra. No more of this premium $$$ for Toyota brand name crap.

Yeah, from all my reading V6s have always gotten pretty worthless gas mileage on the toyotas. I was more referring to the I4s. Fueleconomy.gov has a lot of people getting low 20s with an I4 4WD tacoma, usually with stick. The I4s on the new colorados with 4WD actually seem similar to the Toyotas and I like the way those trucks look.

2WD compacts seem to get easily in the mid-20s range with the 4 cylinder engines, but with my driveway and the weather around here I just don't think it would be a great idea. As far as I know, ford has never had the I4 as an option on the ranger w/4wd, the newer nissans don't offer it with 4wd.

It seems like if you're trying to save gas and still have 4WD, there aren't a lot of options. You can give up a lot of hauling ability an interior space and gain next to nothing for gas mileage.

 

[HannibalX]

My 4x4 Explorer with the 4.0L V6 and 5-Speed Auto (same engine and transmission in the Ranger) does 18-19MPG around town and 21-22MPG on the highway. That's pretty good if you ask me. I don't drive like batman though. My Explorer has a 3:73, LSD rear if anyone is wondering.

Gas mileage has a lot to do with how you drive, keep that in mind. If you gun it from green lights, accelerate toward red lights instead of coasting to them, do unnecessary WOT runs, etc you are going to get poor mileage. If you drive sensibly you will be surprised what you can achieve.

 

[drum]

Rangers are solid trucks but a 7' bed will probably force you into a regular cab.
I would recommend the F150

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: Turin39789

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
I don't plan on doing any off real off roading. I'm not going to be on unfinished work sites with it either. I really need this for business purposes distributing some goods to customers. And other "light" work.

Why the need for 4wd then?

I picked up an 06 Ranger XLT I4 with 40k miles a few months ago for $8k OTD including about $800 of taxes.

The duratec I4's are nice engines, plenty of power. It won't tow a whole lot but I can pull my VW or bikes with it and load up the bed for hardware runs.

It seems to be a really solid truck, it hasn't been redesigned in a while, so you have non digital gauges and there is no bluetooth heated seats and it doesn't wipe my behind, but it's a truck.

I live in CT. Snow, sleet, ice......that kinda shit.

 

[Turin39789]

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: Turin39789

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
I don't plan on doing any off real off roading. I'm not going to be on unfinished work sites with it either. I really need this for business purposes distributing some goods to customers. And other "light" work.

Why the need for 4wd then?

I picked up an 06 Ranger XLT I4 with 40k miles a few months ago for $8k OTD including about $800 of taxes.

The duratec I4's are nice engines, plenty of power. It won't tow a whole lot but I can pull my VW or bikes with it and load up the bed for hardware runs.

It seems to be a really solid truck, it hasn't been redesigned in a while, so you have non digital gauges and there is no bluetooth heated seats and it doesn't wipe my behind, but it's a truck.

I live in CT. Snow, sleet, ice......that kinda shit.

We don't get it as often down here, but we just went through the semiannual Kentucky Federal Disaster Area Ice storm and I got around just fine, but to each his own.

The ranger makes a very capable off roader with 4 wheel drive, but for the price and the fact that you can't get the I4 in a 4x4 ranger you should just step up to an F150.

 

[marvdmartian]

Don't know if it fits all your needs, but I'm currently driving a 98 Nissan Frontier 4x4, that I bought in 99 (used). It's a regular cab truck, so the bed is as long as in any of the older Frontiers (don't know about the newer models), at ~6 feet long. Driving in 2high in town gets me 20mpg in the summer (maybe 19mpg in the winter months) with the 4-cylinder (2.4liter), but I have a pretty heavy foot.

So far as towing capacity, I haven't a clue, since I've never towed anything with it. I have, however, had two complete 350 small block Chevy engines in the truck bed, and it still drove just fine, albeit a little slower in the acceleration.

The only thing I've had go wrong with it is the A/C compressor went out (probably due more to my non-usage of it than anything else), and I put new front brake pads on it a few times over the years, plus new calipers on it last year. I've never had to change the rear brakes, since I don't do heavy braking, but did check the shoes last year while I had it on the lift to do the calipers & pads (and my buddy the auto mechanic said the shoes still looked like they were practically new).

Nice little trucks, plenty of acceleration with the 4-banger, and decent mileage. I've gotten upper 20's on the highway, btw.