What truck/SUV do you recommend?

[JMaster]

My dad just got a Honda Pilot, and I'm thinking of getting a truck when my Maxima's lease is over too. Right now, I'm looking at the Nissan Frontier (4 door), but unfortunately it doesn't have much power.
What truck/SUV do you guys recommend and why? Thanks.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: JMaster
My dad just got a Honda Pilot, and I'm thinking of getting a truck when my Maxima's lease is over too. Right now, I'm looking at the Nissan Frontier (4 door), but unfortunately it doesn't have much power.
What truck/SUV do you guys recommend and why? Thanks.

None, get a car.

 

[Hoober]

F250 with the 7.3L turbocharged Diesel.


But then I haul a lot of stuff.

 

[Fausto]

I think if I were going to get a truck I'd opt for a Toyota Tundra. Full size, V8 power, and Toyota quality.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Hoober
F250 with the 7.3L turbocharged Diesel.


But then I haul a lot of stuff.

Like what? Delaware?

 

[CraigRT]

2003 or 2004 Dakota... 4.7L 4x4 SLT trim

really nice truck.

why? lots of power, looks great, has a good warranty, is a "light truck" but is still fairly large to be useful.

 

[PricklyPete]

Toyota Tundra if you need a truck...otherwise stick with a quality car.

 

[AthlonXP]

Ford Excursion.

 

[SuperTool]

Infiniti FX45

 

[Hoober]

Originally posted by: Fausto1

Originally posted by: Hoober
F250 with the 7.3L turbocharged Diesel.


But then I haul a lot of stuff.

Like what? Delaware?

It doesn't quite fit in the bed. Besides, it's only rated to 20,000lbs.

 

[Scarpozzi]

What do you need it for? If you're going to be hauling a trailer or a lot of gravel, go with a V8. If you're just going to be driving it empty most of the time go for an inline 6 or a V6.

I personally have a 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport. It's not too big (easy to park), but has some cargo space and a class 3 trailer hitch on it. Inline 6 with enough power to haul stuff if needed and gets around 16/18mpg. Just decide what you're looking for.... There are 4 basic groups:

Small/Mid truck - To look pretty and haul furniture or bikes
Mid/Large truck - To haul heavy gear/rock/pull a trailer

Small/Mid SUV - To look pretty and sometimes carry a few peeps
Mid/Large SUV - To haul lotsa peeps and perhaps a trailer

 

[fastz28]

Originally posted by: JMaster
My dad just got a Honda Pilot, and I'm thinking of getting a truck when my Maxima's lease is over too. Right now, I'm looking at the Nissan Frontier (4 door), but unfortunately it doesn't have much power.
What truck/SUV do you guys recommend and why? Thanks.

What do you want to use it for?

Chevy Avalanche.

Why? It's a "truck/SUV", like you asked. And it has plenty of power. It satisfied all your requirements as stated.

 

[MuffD]

F250
Dodge Ram

 

[grillmasterP]

check out the forums at TTORA

We love our Toyota Tacoma's

I've got a 99 Xtracab V6 4wd
Great resale value, easy to maintain, expect mine to go 200K , Tows a 19ft Mastercraft Ski boat with ease, great offroad capabilities. (Available factory rear locker- much better than limited slip for wheelin)
Offered in many different configurations

The Toyota Doublecab has an available 2.7L 4cyl w/ 150hp or a 3.4L v6 w 190hp, TRD factory superchargers are available for both engines. The super charged V6 should offer approx 220-230hp I believe.

Last year my fiance & I were shopping for a 4runner but felt the Xterra was more bang for the buck- So she has enjoyed her '02 Xterra v6 Xe. I felt that the Xterra had the most to offer for its price class-

I test drove the Frontier when I was shopping for a Truck- and was not the least bit impressed with the Nissan compared to the Tacoma. - there is a pretty significant price diff between the two trucks though.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: SuperTool
Infiniti FX45

ya those are nice

but neither it nor the honda pilot are trucks

 

[Hoober]

I looked at the XTerra's too for a while. I'm thinking of getting a Volvo Cross Country, though. We won't need to pull anything, because I have the truck, and it's got an unbelievable safety record.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Another vote for the Dakota. But some important reccomendations:

If you want some pep, the 4.7+5 speed is the way to go.
Get the limited slip differential.
The gas milage difference between the 3.92 and 3.55 is minimal, go with the 3.92.
Tire and handling package. Worth it.
The 4.7 V8 gets better gas milage than the 3.9 V6. If you get a V6, kick yourself in the head. Repeatedly.
The stock tires suck. But that's true with most cars/trucks.


If you want to haul people around in comfort, look at the Chrystler Pacifica. Roomy, stylish, a fair amount of power (250HP/250LB/ft), and AWD.

 

[Rob9874]

Take it from someone with experience, do not buy a Dodge. I have a 2000 Durango, and the quality sucks. I've had so many things go wrong with it. It's in the shop almost once a month with little things: window motor breaks, steering wheel volume knob falls off, back hatch won't lock, steering fluid leaks, etc. I live in AZ, where AC is a must, and my air takes 30 minutes to cool off. And even then, it's just cool and not cold. Yes, I've had it serviced. The truck is 3 years old, and I'm afraid that if I don't get rid of it soon, I'm going to have more serious problems like transmission failure. Oh, and gas mileage sucks. I get 12/mpg.

I have friends with 4Runners and Tacomas, and they never take their trucks in the shop, except for oil changes. And best of all, freezing AC within 15 seconds! I think it's the difference between foreign and Japanese. I never thought I'd say it. That's why I bought the Dodge, to have a heavy duty American truck.

My friend just got a Honda Pilot, and showed me where it got 5-star ratings on every safety category. That equates to a <5% chance of serious injury in a 35 mph collision. My Durango has a 2 star rating for driver side safety. That's a 45% chance of serious injury. So I have a 50/50 chance, not bad. Don't buy American!

 

[Spamela]

SUV bad. F250 crew cab good (cavernous interior, hauls/pulls about anything).

 

[Hoober]

Originally posted by: Spamela
SUV bad. F250 crew cab good (cavernous interior, hauls/pulls about anything).

They're a pain to parallel park, though.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Rob: funny, I own an '02 Dakota, my dad owns a '99 Ram, my brother in law owns an '03 Ram, and we've had very few problems. My dad's only problem has been a faulty oil pressure sensor, mine has been a cracked hose on the evap system. Everything else on them has been fine. (we get 18, 17, 16 MPG respectively, but then they're all trucks, and I drive mine fast)

 

[Parrotheader]

I drive a Nissan Frontier Crew Cab, much like what you were looking at. Mine's a 2000 model though. I prefer its more Tacoma-like body styling over the current Frontiers, but that's just personal preference.

I LOVE this truck. It's the ultimate in usability if you're a suburban dweller like I am who needs more than just a daily commuter car like I used to have. I need 4 doors for passenger room and a backseat for our future family, but I also need a truck bed to haul stuff without having to worry about the confines and cleanliness of an SUV. The back seat is by no means huge, it's about the same size as the back seat in my old 4-door Sentra. But it does have enough room to haul myself and 3 coworkers to lunch in relative comfort. I obviously wouldn't want to drive across country with adults, but the back seat's fine for short trips with adults or longer trips with kids. It's not huge like a full size truck/SUV so it handles great and is easy to manuver in traffic and parking lots. And while it's about 15hp short of the Tacoma it'll still get up and go at non-highway speeds since it has its torque in the lower RPM range (which is where a truck is supposed to have it) and will tow up to 5,000lbs. The truck bed's obviously not as big as a full-size pickup (however, if you take a full-sized extended cab pickup with a short bed and mount a toolbox back there it's the same length as this bed) but for my needs it works great. Plus, I can always hitch up the trailer on the rare occasion I need gobs of hauling room.

I was originally looking at the new Crew Cab Tacomas when we bought this six months ago, but when I saw this body style on the Nissan and realized I could get it for substantially less since it was three years old I was hooked.

 

[richardycc]

03 4runner, it drives like a lexus gx470 for 12k+ less!

 

[Rob9874]

Yeah, I would assume trucks to have fewer problems. My friends advise me to get a truck, but I need the comfort of an SUV. We do go on cross-country trips, and camping trips, and the trip is much better with a roomy backseat. I really don't have any hauling needs that would call for a truck (that I couldn't put in my SUV with the seats folded down). I never really understood the need for a truck unless you were a farmer or construction worker.

 

[Spamela]

Originally posted by: Hoober

Originally posted by: Spamela
SUV bad. F250 crew cab good (cavernous interior, hauls/pulls about anything).

They're a pain to parallel park, though.

they're a pain to pay for, too (i sold mine last year & now i want another one).