Looking for an older, 2001-2004, small truck that will be able to pull a small camper, 1.5 tons. Any recommendations out there? Will also be my primary driving vehicle so I am interested in acceptable gas mileage and handling.
small truck recommendations??
- Thread starter CyCloned
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F150. You're not going to get that much better mileage going to a mid size truck. One of the reasons Ford quit making the Ranger.
I did not know Ford stopped making the Ranger, but I have noticed that there is not a lot of difference in the EPA ratings for a mid-size and a full sized trucks.
How about a Nissan Frontier regular drive, or a Toyota? What do you know about these Bobber?
From most people that I know that have bought small trucks eg. GMC Canyon or Chevy Colorado, they don't get much better mileage than the 1/2 ton pickups such as the F-150 or the Silverado. It seems like most people that buy the smaller trucks wish they had just went ahead and bought the full size (from people I talk to). When you decide on a small truck your interested in, I would go ahead and check the price/economy against the full size version and see if you are really going to be benefiting form the sacrifice in size and horsepower. Just my two cents.
Get a f150 even base models have all the pulling power you need. I have a ranger it pulls ok but has no weight in the back end and tends to get squirrelly. My ranger gets 17mpg my dads f150 gets the same mpg with a bigger engine
If you really want a small truck, the Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma are the pick of the litter. You can, however, sometimes acquire a Ford Ranger for a bargain price. Stay away from any GM product with the five cylinder engine.
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Well, just to throw out a different option: what about a minivan? Probably more practical for non-towing everyday use, which will be 90% of your mileage. Still holds a ton of stuff in the back. Some of them have big enough engine/tranny to do towing (I think).
I'm not smart enough to make a specific recommendation, just thought it might be something to consider.
I'm not smart enough to make a specific recommendation, just thought it might be something to consider.
I have a 2001 Ranger that gets around 22mpg in my commuting that has over 150k miles but agree I wouldn't want to tow anything that heavy with it. I have had a very good experience with my Ranger but if I got another truck it would be an F150 - they are sweet!
It sounds like a lot of you are thinking F150, which I had thought about. Does anyone have a F150 with a v-6? Is the mileage much better than the 5.4 v-8? The 5.4 is the motor that seems pretty common on these trucks.
I did not consider a Mini-van. I currently have a 2002 Buick Rendevous that can pull the trailer, but it feels like the trailer is a bit much for it, and I would expect the same from a mini van.
I did not consider a Mini-van. I currently have a 2002 Buick Rendevous that can pull the trailer, but it feels like the trailer is a bit much for it, and I would expect the same from a mini van.
Don't know anything about them. Just know my brother drove a Ranger for years and recently got a cheap F150 and has been extremely pleased. Nearly the same mileage and lot more room and towing capacity. Hard to go wrong with a Ford pick up. There's a reason they've been #1 in the truck market for over 30 years.
Agree with this. Love the looks of the Chevy Colorado's and GMC Canyons but too many issues with the I4 and I5 engines.
If you get a F150 Ford and you want good fuel economy, stay away from the inline 6 cylinder because that one is thirsty engine regardless of the make.
I have a 2006 Colorado with an I4 and it has been a pretty solid vehicle for me. I get anywhere from 19-22 in town and between 24-28 on the highway. Now I see the mileage ratings for these are down to much lower than those numbers.
I had an S10 in the 90's (maybe a 94) with a 4.3 V6 that got about 19 in town and 23 on the highway with a lot more get up and go than the Colorados.
I don't tow anything or haul any large loads of anything. I just like a little pickup because of the convenience of be able to go out and buy something large and be able to throw it in the back. I might just drive this until it dies.
I had an S10 in the 90's (maybe a 94) with a 4.3 V6 that got about 19 in town and 23 on the highway with a lot more get up and go than the Colorados.
I don't tow anything or haul any large loads of anything. I just like a little pickup because of the convenience of be able to go out and buy something large and be able to throw it in the back. I might just drive this until it dies.
S-10 suck IMO but I'm a Ford man. I have one and it gets a little over 17 mpg. I have used it to pull a small enclosed trailer and a small single axle trailer with a John Deere gator on it and it pulls just fine. If you want to go a small truck route i would go with a Ranger or a Toyota Tacoma. The Tacoma is a good truck have driven a few in the 2003-2007 range and i like how they drove and pulled (plenty of power) but i still cant get over how it feels in the drivers seat (legs straight out in front of you). If your over 6 foot and have driven one you know what I mean; it feel like your laying down. Honestly i would go with a full-sized pick up its a all around package mpg, power, size to handle the load, and price wise not much more then a small pickup but i think the advantages are worth the higher price.
This is for my son, a college student at Iowa State. This truck would not be used for pulling anything, mainly, just driving. Also, it would have to be a automatic.