Truck Shopping
 

I'm going truck shopping today. I say with a 10k budget. So I'm really going used truck shopping today. What do you think I should get? Mind you that I have been in 3 car accidents and want a safe truck. Also nothing too large but nothing too small. More of a safe Mid sized truck with decent power.

Aside from my recent bitching about how difficult it is to replace the spark plugs in my truck, it's been an extremely reliable little vehicle. Great horsepower, lots of torque, plenty of payload capacity, small overall dimensions, tight turning radius, nice handling, and it looks pretty damn good to boot. :)

But since you said you're looking for something in the midsize range, then that rules out my S10. I'd highly recommend getting an American truck, so that would be the likes of the Dodge Dakota and Chevy Colorado / GMC Canyon (if you can find used ones yet). You could also probably get a full-size truck for that price if you look around a bit. Being full-size doesn't necessarily mean it's got to be huge, though. You could easily find a regular cab short bed Silverado / Sierra, F-150, or Ram for less than $10K. These are what I'd recommend.

Only truck I've ever really driven around was an Isuzu Elf. It's kinda mid-sized, depends what you mean by Truck. It's also just below the weight where you need a truck license to drive it, hence I could drive it with my car license, at least in this country.

I'd probably recommend the Ford Ranger if you're looking for a compact truck (Compact, yes, but it's roomy enough to pass as a wannabe mid-size :p )...A good condition 2000 XLT with 2WD and the Supercab (Extended cab) would probably cost around ~$6500, and a 2001 can be had for around $8000-$9000...Very cheap for the level of refinement the Ranger packs...

Standard engine was an OHC 2.5L I4 which put out a measly 119 horsepower and 149 lb-ft torque and only came in 4WD...An OHV 3.0L V6 could be had that puts out 154 horsepower and 190 lb-ft torque and the top engine was an OHV 4.0L V6 with 160-hp and 225 lb-ft torque...For 2001, the OHV 4.0L V6 was replaced with an OHC 4.0L V6 which had 207-hp and 238 lb-ft torque, and a slightly stronger base 4-cylinder engine was introduced, the DOHC 2.3L I4 with 143 horsepower and 154 lb-ft torque...5-speed manuals were standard, with a 4-speed auto optional for 4-cylinders and 3.0L V6s while the 4.0L V6 got a 5-speed auto...

The NHTSA crash test has recognized the Ranger Ext. Cab with a crash rating of 4/5 for both driver and passenger sides...

I don't know what your definition of "decent power" is, but if you can find the 4.0L V6 within your price range, you must get that...Otherwise, the 3.0L V6 is still no slouch either if you can find one around the 2001 model year, as you should still have some money left over as well...

The Mazda B-Series trucks are also basically just the same as the Ford Ranger, only with slightly different styling and a Mazda badge instead...They didn't sell as sucessful as the identical Ranger counterpart, so if you find a B-Series and are concious on pricing, you could buy one of those for even cheaper...

the F-150 is another step up, but I'm not sure about the specs on those...The 1992-1997 XLT body styles are really cheap for what they are with torquey 4.6L V6 engines, and they aren't very big either...

Yeah, I'd recommend an F-150 as well, if you're looking for a midsize truck. Make sure to get one with a 5.4l V8, then it'll have plenty of guts too. If you look for one made between '97 and '03, you should be able to find lots of good examples, with whatever configuration you prefer (standard/extended/crew cab, short or long bed, standard or flareside, etc). Frankly, if I had $10k to spend on a truck, I'd buy an M35A2. :D

Oh, and Viper, the 4.6l is a modular V8 (same as they use in the Mustang and Crown Victoria), not a V6. The V6 is a 4.2l if I remember correctly. ;)

Can I ask, what is the advantage of a truck over a regular car? No one drives trucks in Britain.

Get one of these bastards, you'll be king of the road: No more waiting at lights, no more queing at the drive thru, park anywhere you like, - Just pure, 100%, Road ownage.


http://www.rccartips.com/rc-monster-trucks.jpg

Off-roading ability (if it's a 4x4), cargo capacity, towing capacity, and general overall utility.

Yeah, but doesn't it cost a bomb to run it. Petrol and that.

My car gets worse gas mileage than any new truck.

Look buddy, I ain't no truck guy so cut me some slack... :p

My cousin has a '95 F-150 XLT that has the 4.2L V6 but I couldn't think of what the displacement was (All I knew as it was 4.*L)...

Well, I have no idea what you British people do when it comes to self-transportation of mass personal items (Or finding your definiton of "utility"), but alot of Americans like to haul shit and need to do it...Not the types that drive an SUV or whatever and don't even have a large-member family or don't use it to carry mass items, but the kind of people that actually do need a truck to carry that stuff that you wouldn't normally be able to fit in any passenger car...My dad's used my step-mom's Ford Explorer SUV to carry fencing panels from the Home Depot, tow Christmas trees and riding lawnmowers in a trailor from one place to another, and stuff like that, and my cousin probably does the same kind of stuff with his F-150 truck...

yea, my car drinks gas like crazy. as for trucks, I want a big ass ram 3500. But, I can't even begin to afford that. You might want to look into a used toyota. They seem to hold up pretty well for a long time.

http://www.pbsoft.terramail.pl/fabia...bia_pickup.jpg

Go Skoda.

(yes, I know its Fake, they only made a Felicia pickup, not a fabia.)

What about getting a custom Ford Mustang with a truck bed?

http://www.musclemustangfastfords.co...0406mm_pickup/

:p

So you didn't actually want a truck anyway, you wanted a ute. Damn language barrier. :p

Go Trabant!

http://www.trabant.automoto*****images/tm/pickup.jpg

Not sure of the price, but Id imagine its within your range.

Ford Ranger or GMC Sonoma. If you get it brand new, you might be able to afford one, but definatley a used older model.

I want one!

Yeah American trucks totaly kick ass. We need trucks to haul around our enormus purchases and serve as a mobile place to have sex. We also use them to haul our 2x4's and plywood that we buy every other weekend. Cuz thats what American's do.

I got a 1998 Chevy Silverado Z71 package :) 5.3l V8. Its like her Suburban but two years older. Same engine and chasis so I already know how to drive the thing. 136k miles on it and they wanted 12k but my mom negotiated them down to 8k. Thats a pretty good deal for a used car. I looked it over. Nothing glaringly wrong with her. Few scratches but those are battle scares. The previous owner kept her guts in good shape. Fluids are all good. They are still going to run it through service though as they just got it on the lot and that should fix a few of the things that weren't there like a broken seat belt. Seats 5 maybe even six. Thats just like my current sedan :). I can't wait to take this thing camping. I finally have something more comfortable than dirt and rocks to sleep on. The bed is composite lined. I'll post pics tomorrow or tuesday. Whichever day has the nicer lighting.

Well we have them too you know, but they're called utes.
Ute = Utility see.
A truck is something bigger. Doesn't have to be a huge 18 wheeler kinda thing, but it's bigger than a ute. Utes are more like cars in design, without backs. Trucks are trucks.
And we have weird (better :p) brands like Holdens:
http://life.xzxzzx.com/Images/Extra/Holden.jpg

Looks like an El Camino. :p

In my opinion, the line between trucks and cars is clearly drawn. In order to be a "truck," it has to have a full frame (not unibody), and a bed. If it has these two things, it is a truck. These "utes" you refer to most likely have a car chassis (unibody), just with the rear seats and trunk removed in favour of a bed. I like the concept; they're just following in the footsteps of the El Camino and Ranchero of yesteryear. Doesn't make them real trucks though. ;)

Would you guys consider this a ute, or a truck?

Ironically, Holden's the Australian division of GM... ;) :p

And that Ford F-350 you posted is a truck, no questions asked!

Schmeet, I refuse to drive a radio controlled truck down the highway. I'd need one for each foot. And I can't skate well.

Well dictionary.com says:

Ute: A Native American people formerly inhabiting a large area of Colorado, Utah, and northern New Mexico, with present-day populations in northeast Utah and along the Colorado-New Mexico border.

SO that sums it up pretty well, but I found another different definition:
Ute: A high-performance four-wheel drive car built on a truck chassis

And another slightly different again:
Ute: Utility truck or vehicle

So now I'm not even sure. General Geoff, what you say in your definition sounds about right. A truck has a body separate from the bed, that would be the line of difference.
The one you posted, that'd be a truck then, but actually, we don't have many vehicles like that, they're just not made/imported.

I don't know what people used to call the old Ford Ranchero (Based off the Ford Falcon) and Chevy El Camino (Based off the Chevy Impala) of the 1960's, but like those examples, a "ute" (As you Aussies put it) is basically a car with a truck's bed out back...

Trucks ride on a completly different and specific chassis and the powertrain is also built different, to allow for heavier work with towing/hauling, etc. The Chrysler PT Cruiser was labeled as a "truck" to insurance companies when it first came out, so that's a bad example of what not to call a truck... :p This and this - These are trucks...

http://www.statesmanclassifieds.com/...hevy_ssr01.jpg

Chevy's SSR is labeled as a truck...It's a car/truck crossover, but it's not really much of a truck, since it doesn't have a good towing/payload capacity at all, and you can't put shit in it's small bed either... :p It's cool, though... :D

Seems I came a little too late but I too would recomend an American truck. Don't get me wrong but Toyota Tacomas give you great mileage and an unbeatable reputation for reliability. I was considering buying one for myself jsut last year. The reason why I can't recomend it is becuase it has a high resale value. Since you're buying used that's a no no. A few thousand dollars more is a turn off.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... You will never know how much of a twat i felt when i realised that :P

I thought it was a joke!

hahaha, yes, I thought schmeet was joking too. It comes from rccartips.com!

http://www.velos-motos-keller.ch/bil...cke_gr%FCn.gif

http://www.velos-motos-keller.ch/bil...ipp_gr%FCn.gif

I'll try to get some pictures out tomorrow. I had my teeth pulled today so I was sleeping all day and the previous days was either raining all day or I was out all day at school or making money and didn't get home until it was completely dark out. I'll get a picture take of it side by side with my older barely running truck.

I've got a Nissan Frontier Quad-Cab with about a 4 foot bed.

Tiny bed. So whats the difference between King, Extended, and Quad cab trucks? And how can I tell if I have a half ton or 3/quarter ton truck without actually going outside right now. :P

If it's a 1500, it's a 1/2 ton. 2500 is a 3/4 ton, and 3500 is 1 ton. If it has 5 or 6 lugs per wheel, it's 1/2 ton. If it's got 8 lugs per wheel, it's a 3/4 ton. :)

King Cab is what Nissan calls their extended cab model. Chevy calls their extended cab model simply "extended cab" since it's easy. The difference between the three is: Regular cab has no passenger space behind the front seats. Extended cab has passenger space behind the front seats, but usually either has small suicide-style doors or no doors at all for the rear seat passengers. Crew cab trucks have four full-size doors with even more passenger space behind the front seats than the extended cab models.