YACT: Which of these small pickups would you choose?

[Triumph]

I'm looking for a small beaterish pickup. Must be 4x4, extended cab, and a 5 speed. I've found these two that fit the bill. What do you guys think?

1994 Ford Ranger

Autotrader link

- Big 4.0 L V6
- 125,000 miles
- $4,495

1993 Nissan Pickup

Autotrader link

- V6, don't know anything about Nissan's V6
- 100,000 miles
- $4,900

Price is comparable, mileage is comparable, assuming that both trucks are in reasonably good condition (haven't looked at them), which one would you choose and why? There's no poll because I want to hear actual facts, not just popularity.

 

[Tom]

except that they seem overpriced, but then I haven't actually looked to see if that's right, I had an 89 Ranger that was a great truck and wouldn't mind having another one.

 

[CraigRT]

I'd get the Nissan just cause I dont really like Ford.

 

[Tom]

nt
check this one out

less expensive

 

[notfred]

I'd get a bigger truck.

 

[vi edit]

Knock off another $500 and go for the ranger. We've had 3 of them in the family, all of them virtually indestrucible. The 4.0L is a solid engine.

 

[BigSmooth]

Between those two, I'd go with the Nissan... only because my grandpa owned an old Datsun pickup that ran forever until he traded it in on a Nissan pickup in '87(?) that still runs great. Both were 4-bangers, though.

 

[Nanotech]

Nisson, it has less miles and will out last the Ford by far regardless.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: Nanotech
Nisson, it has less miles and will out last the Ford by far regardless.

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: Dead Parrot Sketch
nt
check this one out

less expensive

Already bookmarked those two earlier. I'm looking for specific problems with the Ranger and Nissan, so I just picked one of the Ranger's that I'm looking at to post in this thread.

do you live around pittsburgh?

 

[StageLeft]

Ford v6 vs. a Nissan v6 with less miles. Hmm, let me think about it...NISSAN.

 

[Quixfire]

As much as I like Fords and the Ranger is a very good light truck, I would choose the Nissan over the Ranger due to the mileage difference.

Now Skoorb don't get a big head I'm not switching sides...










...yet.

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Ford v6 vs. a Nissan v6 with less miles. Hmm, let me think about it...NISSAN.

Why? That's the point of this thread, WHY is it better? The Ford V6 is basically a 5.4 liter with 2 cylinders chopped off. What's wrong with it?

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: Nanotech
Nisson, it has less miles and will out last the Ford by far regardless.

 

[Quixfire]

Originally posted by: Triumph

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Ford v6 vs. a Nissan v6 with less miles. Hmm, let me think about it...NISSAN.

Why? That's the point of this thread, WHY is it better? The Ford V6 is basically a 5.4 liter with 2 cylinders chopped off. What's wrong with it?

Ah, no it isn't. The 4.0L OHV V6 is an engine based on the older 2.9L V6 that was designed by the same German company that introduced the 2.6L & 2.8L V6 engines Ford started using in 1974.

The 4.0L V6 is a great engine, the only common problems with these engine is a rear main cap leak that looks like a rear main seal leak and the original cork valve cover gaskets would leak at a very early mileage.

 

[Parrotheader]

Despite people who might bash American reliability, the Rangers are great little trucks. I know plenty of people who have them who've had little or no problems.

That being said, I'd still personally go with the Nissan. It's got a good bit less miles already and I know it's a cliche, but those little Nissan and Toyota pickups will pretty much run until the wheels fall off. My dad's old '89 Nissan hardbody has over 300k miles on it is still going strong (he gave it to my grandfather at around 220k miles as a present since he needed a little pickup for around town.)

 

[Pliablemoose]

The Ford 4.0l V6 is a nice engine, I would actually go with an S10 Chevy 4.3l V6 because parts would be slightly more common...

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Triumph

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Ford v6 vs. a Nissan v6 with less miles. Hmm, let me think about it...NISSAN.

Why? That's the point of this thread, WHY is it better? The Ford V6 is basically a 5.4 liter with 2 cylinders chopped off. What's wrong with it?

Considering that quixfire is a Ford fanboi as much as I am a Nissan one and he asserts the same I feel thoroughly vindicated :heart:

Don't forget that there is more to a vehicle than the engine. Even if that Ford engine is a good one the rest of it is still a ford

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: Triumph

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Ford v6 vs. a Nissan v6 with less miles. Hmm, let me think about it...NISSAN.

Why? That's the point of this thread, WHY is it better? The Ford V6 is basically a 5.4 liter with 2 cylinders chopped off. What's wrong with it?

Considering that quixfire is a Ford fanboi as much as I am a Nissan one and he asserts the same I feel thoroughly vindicated :heart:

Don't forget that there is more to a vehicle than the engine. Even if that Ford engine is a good one the rest of it is still a ford

LOL. True.

The ranger is one of the few ford anythings that I would consider getting. Frankly, I find most ford vehicles absolutely horrible looking. The focus, bigger trucks, taurus, crown vic all are ugly IMO. I think the newest rangers have that same ugly boatish feel to them, but the old ones stuck to a nice basic small truck shape. My friend had one for awhile and didn't have any trouble with it. It seemed to handle pretty nice too.

I'd still get the nissan here though. It'll likely last forever.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
The Ford 4.0l V6 is a nice engine, I would actually go with an S10 Chevy 4.3l V6 because parts would be slightly more common...

Don't know about that. Is't this the same engine that the V6 Explorer uses? There's litterally millions of those things running around.

 

[Vic]

Toyota.

edit:

Originally posted by: vi_edit
Don't know about that. Is't this the same engine that the V6 Explorer uses? There's litterally millions of those things running around.

Yes. The Explorer and the Ranger even share the same platform/frame.

 

[psydancerqt]

my bf got his 94 ranger for $1500

 

[Triumph]

A Toyota truck is out of the question. They are just too expensive. You'll never find a decent extended cab 4x4 Tacoma for less than 5 grand. If you do, I'd like to see it (because I'd buy it)

Originally posted by: psydancerqt
my bf got his 94 ranger for $1500

4x4? Extended cab? 4 cylinder? Automatic? What?

 

[thedarkwolf]

Keep in mind 90% of this forum is extremely anti-domestic when looking at people comments.

Both are fine trucks and both are pretty reliable. I'd just keep looking cause they both seem a little over priced.

I will add I had a 93 nissan 2.4l 5 speed 2wd pickup and for the year and a half I owned it I never had any mechanical problems. The interior on the other had was falling apart. Everybody bitches about how bad domestic's interiors are but the plastic in that nissan was extremely brittle.


Don't forget to look at Mazda trucks either. They are just rebadge rangers.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Every person I know with a Ranger rides them hard and they keep on truckin' along. Ranger all the way.