Looking for a truck, any suggestions?

[elwesso]

So next week I start my new job, and depending where I live I will need to commute up to an hour... I find having the utility of a SUV or pickup very handy..

Im not looking for a "beater", but I am looking for something thats not so nice that I would feel bad about hauling stuff or anything like that. In other words, a scratch here or there isnt going to really make me sad, so something nice but not mint. Im kind of indifferent to an SUV or pickup, but I think if I got an SUV it would need to be a bigger one.

I want to spend around 10k but if theres something fitting for less thats fine too.. I dont care if its late model or anything like that, I just want it to do its job.

Heres my "list"

- Would like some towing capacity, but its not required.
- Dont really care about gas mileage to a certain extent.. my Q gets about 20 MPG mixed, so 17+ would be good.
- Needs 4x4
- Manual or Automatic trans
- Im looking for a solid chassis and drivetrain.. I want something thats going to last.
- Dont care about domestic or foreign

Start throwing out suggestions... thanks

[tigersharkdude]

[PoorManQ45]

Wait, what's wrong with using the Q for that commute?

And I'd go with a early 90s F350. They can be picked up for a song!

For looks, a late 90s F350 would be awesome

[Encryptshun]

Not sure if it meets your "big" qualification, but I've put 98K+ miles on my '05 Xterra 4x4 and *knock on wood* have had ZERO problems with it. I commute 44 miles a day. I know they can be had in great shape in your price range. As a matter of fact, I'd be willing to part with mine for $10K if you're interested... lol

[Bubba1]

Not sure if it meets your "big" qualification, but I've put 98K+ miles on my '05 Xterra 4x4 and *knock on wood* have had ZERO problems with it. I commute 44 miles a day. I know they can be had in great shape in your price range. As a matter of fact, I'd be willing to part with mine for $10K if you're interested... lol

I'd suggest an old V6 4 Runner for SUV, or Tacoma for p/u. Both are built like tanks, part time 4wd, reasonably comfortable and will give you around 20 mpg in RWD. Mine's approaching 200K with regular maintenance. (it's a 5 speed SR-5, loaded) she hauls everything I put in (or on top of) it but as far as towing, they're rated at 5K max.

[Kompresshun]

I'd look for a '98+ Ford Ranger 4x4 with a manual transmission. They can be had for really reasonable prices and are great trucks, i've had 3 Rangers and drove my last one for 6 years with hardly any issues at all. There's also a ton of aftermarket support for them and they're easy to mod.

Others i'd consider would be:

Chevrolet S10 4x4s(I'd try to find one of the crew cab ones or at least a 98+ Ext cab)- they're also bulletproof from my experience. The 4.3L V6 can go on for 300,000+ miles with proper maintenance.

Toyota Tacoma 4x4s - The only issues I have against them is it's hard to find them without rust issues or the beginnings of it in this area. Other than that a great buy for a truck that will last forever.

There's quite a few trucks out there on the market in the price range you're wanting to spend, i'd stick to smaller ones if you can for the fuel mileage range you're looking to be in.

[Koshin]

2002 Ford F250 7.3 PSD 5-speed

best truck ever made, great mileage, runs forever, will tow a house, and awesome looking

[Kompresshun]

2002 Ford F250 7.3 PSD 5-speed

best truck ever made, great mileage, runs forever, will tow a house, and awesome looking

nothing like an F250 for sure, my buddy has one and hauls 2 Jeeps on a trailer behind it all the time with no struggle at all.

[Rex]

Frontier http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/1926731303.html
Tacoma
T100
F?50
Xterra http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail/ph ... national#0 <-- just get rid of those wheels.

[Koshin]

f250 7.3 PSD or bust

[elwesso]

Wait, what's wrong with using the Q for that commute?

And I'd go with a early 90s F350. They can be picked up for a song!

For looks, a late 90s F350 would be awesome

Main thing is weather, and also I want to have an extra car for when I want to do projects.. Main thing is I want to paint the Q this winter, and that would obviously need it staying out of the salt for a while.. I still plan on driving the Q most of the time... Im saying if we get 12" of snow overnight, I dont want to have to worry about getting out of my driveway...

I have only experienced GM trucks, are ford trucks pretty reliable? American trucks are attractive to me because parts are dime a dozen, so even if it has a few more problems then its Japanese counterpart it may offset...

[Jesda]

Ford F-series is good with excellent body integrity and a smooth ride. Some years of Toyotas have rust issues, so look up the recall info. If you go for a GM truck and get a 5.3, listen for piston slap.

Titans have diff issues, but they're nice.

Really though, unless you need to carry sheets of drywall, a half-ton with a 48" wide bed isn't really needed. For carrying cargo or towing a boat, you can get away with a 4Runner or QX4.


Oh hey there you go, get a second Q. A QX. I'm personally a huge fan of all Jeep products.

[elwesso]

Ford F-series is good with excellent body integrity and a smooth ride. Some years of Toyotas have rust issues, so look up the recall info. If you go for a GM truck and get a 5.3, listen for piston slap.

Titans have diff issues, but they're nice.

Really though, unless you need to carry sheets of drywall, a half-ton with a 48" wide bed isn't really needed. For carrying cargo or towing a boat, you can get away with a 4Runner or QX4.


Oh hey there you go, get a second Q. A QX. I'm personally a huge fan of all Jeep products.

Good points.. Ive heard with the QX or pathy that they're really underpowered and fuel mileage isnt that good for their size, especially with the 3.3L..

[Jesda]

Good points.. Ive heard with the QX or pathy that they're really underpowered and fuel mileage isnt that good for their size, especially with the 3.3L..

Yeah if you do a QX you absolutely need the 01+ with the 3.5. I've seen them for $6k-$10k. I almost bought one until I let myself get sucked into buying another Caddy (feels good, man).

[Kompresshun]

Oh hey there you go, get a second Q. A QX. I'm personally a huge fan of all Jeep products.

Good points.. Ive heard with the QX or pathy that they're really underpowered and fuel mileage isnt that good for their size, especially with the 3.3L..

We had an '02 QX4 for about 2 years with the 3.5L in it, I loved the look of it and it drove pretty nice but it was underpowered even with the 3.5 and it averaged 14-15mpg around town and got around 16-17mpg on the highway. Also it was kinda cramped for me to drive since i'm tall, but it wasn't enough to keep me from driving it at all. It also was a terrible highway vehicle, I hated taking it on trips because it strained so much on the interstate. Overall it was a very nice SUV though and I don't regret owning it, nor do I think it's a bad choice to look at, but there are a lot more SUVs on the market.

I'm with Jesda though, especially after buying the Jeep Commander we replaced the QX4 with. Gets better fuel mileage than the QX4, has tons more room, and was a great deal. You do have to be selective with some Jeep models but most are good if you look them over real good. Look for a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited(Before the body change to 4drs), they are a lot like the old Jeep CJ8 Scrambler and can go anywhere you need it to along with being able to haul some stuff too.

[elwesso]

Unfortunately it seems that any nissan truck that would be a decent fit is either not very solid (titan), too slow (older frontier/pathy) or too expensive (newer frontier with 4.0), or both.

My parents have an 03 suburban and thats a really nice truck. That year would be a little pricey for me, but it drives nice on the highway, and overall they have only had 1 problem outside of warranty which was an easy fix. It can go anywhere, and we've towed a Q on a full size trailer with it...

[Repo Man]

Dammit Wes, you act like you don't know anyone in the car business. Call me.

[Eikon]

If I were in your shoes.. 02-03 Chev 2500 truck with the 6.0L. I've always preferred Chev Trucks over Ford.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

I would try to get a Trailblazer SS, but the price is still kind of high for them. Fits all your criteria and would be fun to drive as well. Gas mileage would be dependent on your foot, lol.

But also, if you're a big commuter, I'd definitely look into the 7.3 F250. Great trucks, last forever.

[Jesda]

Unfortunately it seems that any nissan truck that would be a decent fit is either not very solid (titan), too slow (older frontier/pathy) or too expensive (newer frontier with 4.0), or both.

My parents have an 03 suburban and thats a really nice truck. That year would be a little pricey for me, but it drives nice on the highway, and overall they have only had 1 problem outside of warranty which was an easy fix. It can go anywhere, and we've towed a Q on a full size trailer with it...

I'd personally be happy with any GMT800 truck. I think 99 is when they came out.

5.3 piston slap is the only issue.

[ScrapMetal]

I own a 91 Ford Bronco with a 5 liter V8 and it's been a terrific truck. I take it mudding in the Everglades once in a while and it's never even given me a hicup. My buddy's 4x4 Explorer died on him out there in the trails and he was too broke to call a tow truck. We tied a steel cable to the back of the Broncy and I towed him out of the Glades and then just towed him all the way home. The 5.0 doesn't have much power but it has enough torque to tow a building. And mine has the EO4D 4 speed transmission so it get's about 15mpg, not bad for a 6K pound truck with a V8. I also drive down to Key West almost every weekend, I live in Miami, and it has never left me stranded. Most reliable automobile I've ever owned. I love my Broncy.

[PoorManQ45]

Dammit Wes, you act like you don't know anyone in the car business. Call me.

Who are you again? I <3 Andy!

Also, why don't you save a hell of a lot of money and get a Ford F150. Any cab and bed combo you could want for very little money. V6 or V8. 2wd or 4wd. Two door, four door, three door. Full bed, half bed(extended cab), or extended cab and bed...

You can pick up year 2000 F150s for around $6k decked out in your area.

[C-Kwik]

Titans have diff issues, but they're nice.

IIRC, they updated the diff in 05 or 06. I wanna say it was 06 but its been a while since I discussed the issue with anyone. Even then, its still a relatively rare issue. The common suggestion among Titan owners for people who own potentially affected models is to replace open diff with a helical diff made by TrueTrac (sp?). Since its the spider gears in the diff that break, replacing the differential would eliminate the problem. The bonus would be that you would have a LSD in it. And that would be a big plus by itself as the VDC tends to kick in a little too easily (for me anyways).

[elwesso]

Dammit Wes, you act like you don't know anyone in the car business. Call me.

For sure, when it comes closer to the time I'll be sure to hit you up.

[bcar240]

I went through a work truck purchase a few months ago. My requirements were virtually identical to yours, except I wanted a manual. I was lurking the car ad websites basically just specifying a 4x4 manual truck and found several, but all like 500+ miles away. One day I ran my search and found one 14 miles away. Two days later it was in my driveway. It's a '95 Chevy K1500. In the progress of doing some mods to free up power and mpg (engine doesn't breathe well stock), it should easily get 16mpg or better combined. It is really huge though, even with the short bed. Most people probably don't need a truck this big, but as a second vehicle, I wanted the capacity. Plus, I can now transport dirtbikes in the bed! It's hard to go wrong with just about any American pickup from the 90s in my opinion, save for a few exceptions.

One thing on trucks (any car I guess), I have found that buying from the south you tend to have less problems with rust. Even the difference between Kentucky (where I come from) and Alabama (where I bought this truck) the differences are pretty stark.

[Oatmealman]

s-10 or bust.I've got a 2000 s-10 zr2 and it's been one of the best vehicles i've owned.The motor runs like a top after some serious abuse.I've beat this truck and it just laughs and trust me when i say beat i mean beast.I'm a big fourwheeler and this truck does s*** i thought would break it.I just recently went camping with my women and got lost in the backwoods,like in between 5 mountains and 20 miles from the nearest life form bashing on rocks,tree stumps,through rivers,old mining equipment that had to be pulled out of the way(thanks procomp for awesome tow straps).It really suprised me what the truck took.I've had 3 thousand pounds in the bed and while yes it was squatting hard it still drove just fine.I towed a 48 apache from 200 miles away and 75 miles an hour without a problem.

I'll get pictures from when we got lost(s*** camping directions,women ) I was moving mining equipment(i.e trucks,not backhoes) that probably hadn't been touched in 20-25 years out of the way easily,the only problem was the truck was hopping a bit(gravel) and even hopping like a bunny at WOT it didn't damage anything.This truck is a serious badass and takes what i can dish out,i drive roughly 60-80 miles a day and i can generally pull 250-260 out of a 14 gallon tank of gas 25/75 highway/city driving.

[nissangirl74]

I know the (newer) Frontier might be more than you want to spend, but if you can manage it, I would highly recommend it. Mine has everything you want: 4.0L V6, 4x4, 6MT, crew cab (back seat is reasonably decent, Christian and the kids have all ridden in it for over 400 miles), 6500 Lb. towing capacity, 18.2 mpg on the last tank, and the truck is solid. On our last trip back from CA, we hauled the 411 wagon over the mountains at +/- 80 mph. Never even knew the trailer was back there. It never overheats, the air is awesome, the seats are comfortable. With over 67K miles, all I have ever had to do to it was change the oil and replace the brake pads. They aren't bad on insurance either. if you want to test drive it, I'm only a short plane flight away! Good luck with your decision!

[PEZi]

CUMMINS TARBO DEEEZEL!

[Dano]

Frontier or Tacoma.

[gniknave]

Hello Wes!!

I've had my Titan going on 3 years now. I've beaten it to pieces, carried all sorts of equipment in it (heavy DJ equipment), and even played with it in the snow. It's my daily driver and then some. I've had ZERO issues. Not sure if you'll find one for $10k but its possible to get close if you search hard enough.