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Vehicle Shopping

L

LookBehindYou

Platinum Member
Morning everyone. Need some opinions if ya don't mind.

My wife is getting a new vehicle, with about a $20K limit and less that 40k miles or so. She originally wanted a used camaro which are around $22k but I am trying to talk her out of it into something more practical like a truck or SUV (used obviously). She is kind of liking the idea of a truck, which I am all for because it's useful and gas mileage isn't too much of a problem due to her working 5 miles from the house.

The problem is that for our budget and the mileage we want to stay at, her options are really limited. It pretty much rules out any type of extended cab/quad cab truck with 4wd. She definitely wants the quad cab but my question really is about the 4wd. I have never owned a truck before so i'm curious about the pros and cons of a 2wd truck. We found a 2011 Ram quad cab with 32k miles on it, that is 2wd. I have heard that 2wd trucks are something to avoid because they lose control easy and are hard to handle in any type of wet or slick road conditions.

So what say you guys, is a 2wd pickup something I should avoid? Her other options are getting a Nissan Juke used or a Mustang used. I know those all completely different types of vehicles, but its her choice, I'm just trying to persuade her to something more practical.
 
Either one could slide in wet conditions, the bed is light. I've always had shells on them and in snow country, sand bags in the bed during winter.
 
Depends on where you live. Water may make for some lightly bad traction, but snow and ice can be a real pain in the ass. If you have 2wd drive in those conditions, most people tend to load up the back with a bunch of weight. Be it wood or sand bags, but the back end is light and it is very easy to spin out when trying to accelerate.

If you don't live in snow country, a 2wd would be just fine. If you do, I'd really think twice about it.

As for your mark of 20k dollars and under 40k miles... you'll likely want to change the zip code, but this should give you an idea of what to look for:
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...minPrice=15000&showcaseOwnerId=66033779&Log=0

Dodge's seem to be the most highly available, be it Dakota or Ram. Probably get you a bit better MPG with a Dakota, and all have enough power to do nearly anything. (If you're towing heavy loads, look for something bigger.)

You might also find a Chevy Colorado in your price range, though those tend to be on the weaker side when it comes to towing and the like. May still work for you though.
 
Thanks, we live in Kentucky so it does snow occasionaly during the winter. As far as towing goes, no plans for a lot, maybe a pop camper or a bass boat in the future but nothing major. I'll start looking at dakotas and colorados too.
 
LookBehindYou said:
The problem is that for our budget and the mileage we want to stay at, her options are really limited. It pretty much rules out any type of extended cab/quad cab truck with 4wd.
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Really?

With a $20k price limit you've got a decent number of used truck options. A quick search on CL shows 5-6 trucks near me (just in the first page of results) that would meet your criteria. I searched for "quad cab" with prices between 15,000 and 20,000.

I would suggest doing whatever search you do with a price limit of 21k-23k, whatever you think you can haggle the seller down from.
 
Don't know how else to put this but recommending a Colorado or Dakota is the dumbest thing ever and obviously advice from someone that hasn't or doesn't use trucks. I owned a Colorado for two years. Big mistake. Not much usefulness in the truck dept. Small bed, small cab, woefully underpowered, same price as their big brothers Ram, Silverado, F150, brakes are just big enough to stop a passenger car and downright dangerous with the truck loaded. I remember towing a 400lb motorcycle with a uhaul motorcycle trailer I rented. The Colorado felt like it was really working on the hills and from a takeoff. Pathetic. I now own a F150 and it's night and day difference. I have twice as much room in the cab and bed, pulls loads that would literally break the Colorado into pieces without even breaking a sweat. I have to remind myself I am towing a trailer because it's that smooth.

Seeing how you are in Kentucky I'd suggest a 4Wd.
 
Forgot to also mention the small trucks don't add much of anything in the mpg dept. The small trucks are not money makers like their big brothers. And you'll see that in many areas. The R&D money goes to big brother and that's why you'll see a 2000lb heavier F150 that gets as good of gas mileage as the ranger.
 
i've seen a 2WD pickup spin out right in front of me on the freeway before while it was just raining (and not even a lot) in the bay area.

if it rains/snows in your area might be worth getting AWD. i've got AWD in my current car and i know when its raining it makes quite a bit of difference over a RWD car
 
OILFIELDTRASH said:
Forgot to also mention the small trucks don't add much of anything in the mpg dept. The small trucks are not money makers like their big brothers. And you'll see that in many areas. The R&D money goes to big brother and that's why you'll see a 2000lb heavier F150 that gets as good of gas mileage as the ranger.
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Unless the truck in question is a Tacoma. 😉
 
Not a Dodge fan myself. They do have the best diesel in the Cummings. Now, put that in an F250...
 
For anecdotal evidence, my the diff in my friend's '05 Ram blew up a few weeks ago. He's been having trouble finding a used replacement as they are apparently in high demand....
 
Important to note there's a difference between 4X4 and full time AWD.

On my Titan, although it's 4X4, it's really part time 4WD. And driving on 4-Hi on tarmac is not recommended unless conditions are slippery.

And if you don't really need a truck, why not a Subaru Outback or Forester?
 
ionno
ive owned several trucks f's,tacos,sierra etc
never owned a colorado but owned a couple rangers and they were ok for what they are
any fullsize is going to be mighty thirsty and tbh maybe u guys wnna travel in it, instead of it being purpose limited
2wd vs 4wd depends on where u are/needs

a small pu is an unsexy option,4 wheels and a bed, but with a 2.7 yota or 2.4 ranger in 2wd, youll see ~10mpg better city highway vs a fullsize
if u need a full size then u do, but a few peices of plywoods and trash fit in a ranger.
im broke, but when i wasnt never liked sinking $40 into a vehicle and not seeing the needle move

for 20k u could get a used 2wd taco ext 2.7l in perfect shape,closer to half that pp
a good ranger dime a dozen,ext cab,for 10 u could have a nice little pu.
$100+ fillups, fuck that.
imo
 
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OILFIELDTRASH said:
Don't know how else to put this but recommending a Colorado or Dakota is the dumbest thing ever and obviously advice from someone that hasn't or doesn't use trucks. I owned a Colorado for two years. Big mistake. Not much usefulness in the truck dept. Small bed, small cab, woefully underpowered, same price as their big brothers Ram, Silverado, F150, brakes are just big enough to stop a passenger car and downright dangerous with the truck loaded. I remember towing a 400lb motorcycle with a uhaul motorcycle trailer I rented. The Colorado felt like it was really working on the hills and from a takeoff. Pathetic. I now own a F150 and it's night and day difference. I have twice as much room in the cab and bed, pulls loads that would literally break the Colorado into pieces without even breaking a sweat. I have to remind myself I am towing a trailer because it's that smooth.

Seeing how you are in Kentucky I'd suggest a 4Wd.
Click to expand...

You did a wonderful job reading my words:

You might also find a Chevy Colorado in your price range, though those tend to be on the weaker side when it comes to towing and the like. May still work for you though.
Click to expand...

Generally speaking, many people who own trucks don't tow or haul serious loads of anything. However, general landscaping may require them to go get a small load of dirt. Lawn mowing may require them to go fill up a small gas container. There are many uses for trucks that don't require the balls of a full size truck. For many, small size trucks suit them just fine. I am not one, but most people that don't own a truck and think about getting one generally just need the utility of the truck bed.

Dakotas are a step up from the Canyon, IMO, and I'm not a Dodge fan. Dakota's have an available V8, so their towing capability should be a notch above Canyon. Canyon should have better fuel economy though.

My earlier post was simply a list of vehicles one can easily find in the price range the op mentioned.
 
JCH13 said:
This, above all else. AWD does not help braking or turning. *hits the dead horse one more time*
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Yes, but AWD does help you get going, and often helps you get out of a problematic situation where you'd be stuck with 2WD. I've been stuck on ice on a flat road in a 2wd car (granted, no traction control and likely a shitty drive train on that '89 Regal, but had it been AWD, I'd have moved just fine).

I know the snows thing gets beat to death around here, but the reality is, when driving in snow, one ought to be mindful of the conditions and drive to what they allow. If it's some nasty stuff, you shouldn't be driving the speed limit, nor should you be a meager 2 car lengths behind the person in front of you, I'd suggest twice that or more if possible.

I do agree that snows would improve the situation, but not everyone has room for a second set of tires.
 
The only trouble with the Colorado/Canyon is woeful reliability issues. Otherwise they'd be a reasonable alternative.
 
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