Recommend Me a Truck

[PayneTrain]

It is a sad time for me, and so I come to the best community around for comfort and advice. My long beloved 03 Impala has stage 4 transmission cancer, and I fear it won't last much longer. I spoke with a very good transmission shop owner, and he explained to me very well how there is nothing that can be done at a reasonable cost. I got it in August of 2005 with 75k on it, and now, almost ten years later, I'm 2k away from 300k and I can only pray that we reach it together. I was going to take it ~500 miles round trip today, but after its behavior yesterday and the amount of grey on the dipstick (even after a filter change last month), I don't know if it's worth the risk. We've been everywhere together, done everything together, and treated each other the best we possibly could. It's time to face the fact that the time is coming to replace her, because I just can't afford another irrationally negative investment vehicle like my 87 IROC (that is another story). It's the end of an era in my life, but also an opportunity for a great new beginning.

I want to replace her with a small truck. What I mean is I want a truck that will do everything the Impala has done for me with as few compromises as possible. Here is my list:

Cargo: The Impala is a large car, and I have moved cross-country with it. I don't imagine this is an issue for most any truck, so I'm not sure why I'm even including it, but I do want to rule out trucks that sacrifice bed space for spacious cabins.

Fuel: Even with a V6 rated for 30mpg highway, I regularly did 35mpg on the highway, hitting as high as 37 on the flat plains of Kansas. I need an engine that I can squeeze at least 30 out of on the highway. I drive slow to get better mileage, usually 60mph unless I'm in a hurry.

Towing: Believe it or not, I tow a boat with my Impala. The capacity is only around 1000 lbs, and that has limited the size of boat I can own. My friend and I want a bigger one, and this may be our chance to accommodate it. Figure at least 3000 lbs.

Passengers: The Impala was always the party vehicle, and it has the scratches, stains, and cigarette burns to prove it. I'd like to be able to carry four people, but not necessarily luxuriously. A modest back seat should be enough, especially if it equates to more cargo room and less size and mass.

Price: I'm poor, and this money is supposed to be going towards a down payment for my first house. I'm buying used, and trying to stay below $5000.

Other notes: I'm a GM loyalist, so the other two are out. Toyota and Nissan are ok. I do live in snow country, so 4WD would be a nice bonus, but not necessary. I'm not afraid to go older if it'll satisfy my price range, because I can fix most anything...except transmissions. I also find that the older they are, the easier they are to work on. Still, I think keeping it newer than 2000 might be a safe move, but not a rule. Age is just a number.

So my friends, I'd love to hear what you've driven and how it stacks up to what I'm looking for. Also feel free to poke holes in my plan. I'm writing this without having done much research at all yet, so I don't know if what I'm looking for even exists. I'm eager to hear your stories and comments. I want to make sure that whatever takes over for the Impala will be as capable, trustworthy, and serve with the same valor for at least as many miles, if not more. Thanks guys.

[The Deacon]

Have you considered getting an SUV? With the back seat down, you have almost as much cargo room as the smaller trucks, and you can still bring a stuff home on a rainy/snowy day with four people on board.

[MacLaren]

Just keep your eyes open. Start looking around. Couple years ago my Axiom came to its end. The last thing I wanted was a new vehicle with a payment. Long story short it took a few months butbI came away with an 07 Silverado Classic 4x4 ext cab - she had 213k on her but was a 1 owner and they were interstate miles. At any rate NADA booked at 15k, I paid 7k. And she has ran like a top. No troubles at all - knock on wood.
Just be patient and look around. Eventually, yours will arrive. I know I didnt recommend anything but i did want to share my experience with ya.

[OldHoosier62]

As Deacon pointed out, a small SUV may work out better AND as a general rule are cheaper on the used market than pick-ups right now. My ex drives a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer with 165.000 miles with nearly zero trouble since purchased used in 2006. It hauls almost anything short of major appliances with no issues and gets good mileage.

If a truck is the only answer to your situation then a Toyota Tacoma is my recommendation, unless you do something truly stupid they tend to run forever.

[chuckd]

The hardest item on your list is likely going to be fuel economy. I drive a 2011 Tacoma extended cab 4WD 6cyl and get 22-23mpg at best on the highway. My brother has an older Tacoma, I think a 2001, and his is the extended cab 4cyl manual and he gets about the same mpg as I do.

I absolutely love the truck and she is still a youngin at 65k, but I am taking good care of her so the next car I get will be autonomous and I won't have to drive anymore! Hooray!

[PayneTrain]

As Deacon pointed out, a small SUV may work out better AND as a general rule are cheaper on the used market than pick-ups right now.

My issue with an SUV is it's taking a truck platform and loading more weight onto it, lowering mpg and towing capacity. I'll do some comparisons to see if this is really the case, but it's my impression. I'll keep an open mind though. I wonder what Subarus can tow...

The hardest item on your list is likely going to be fuel economy. I drive a 2011 Tacoma extended cab 4WD 6cyl and get 22-23mpg at best on the highway. My brother has an older Tacoma, I think a 2001, and his is the extended cab 4cyl manual and he gets about the same mpg as I do.

I absolutely love the truck and she is still a youngin at 65k, but I am taking good care of her so the next car I get will be autonomous and I won't have to drive anymore! Hooray!

Yeah I'm realizing this. I'm willing to stick with a 4 cylinder for the first time in my life, and from what I've read so far it's the best option for me because it sacrifices little in towing in the models I'm looking at. Tacomas are seeming like a good choice too. I just read some guys hitting around 30mpg, and if they can I know I can. They tow more than other small trucks as well, and I think there is one down the road from me now. Not that I'm ready yet...the Impala has to make it to 300,000. Just has to!

[Kirko]

Toyota HiLux

[SpyderNut]

I can feel your pain because I've been in your shoes: During my college years, money was nearly non-existent but I needed a good, dependable vehicle. I finally decided I would purchase a gently used a 2000 Chevy S10, single cab, with step sides. This was back in 2004. (It had a 4-cylinder 1.7 liter engine, IIRC. Probably put out about 55 hp on a good day. Jk. ) Anyway, this little truck was amazing during the four years that I owned it. I believe it got about 25 mpg if I drove conservatively. It had a manual 5-speed tranny too, which was a lot of fun to drive. Three seasons out of the year it was a pleasure to own and drive. During the winter months, however, this little truck could get stuck very easily. I finally got smart and placed about 300 lbs of water softener salt in the bed of the truck one winter and she drove a lot better through the snow. Obviously, this particular S10 was only 2WD. Chevy did make an S10 with an extended cab, as well as "quad cab," but the price would likely be higher for these models. I gave right around $7,000 for my 2000 S10 back in 2004. I ended up selling it for about $4,000 four years later (after I'd racked up a TON of miles on it). I never had any major mechanical issues or problems. I did most of the maintenance myself too. I would get on Cars.com or similar and do some searches for some S10's. Yes, they're not fancy or powerful, but they are fairly dependable (at least in my experience). I wish you the best of luck!

P.S. I've been a GM guy most of my life too. Although I have owned a Ford... And a Dodge. We'll leave it at that.

Michael

[spyderg]

HONDA RIDGELINE.
Well, not a GM,(I'll never get one again myself), and prob over $range. Also not quite the mileage you're hoping for but close (I can baby 21/29 out of mine, realistically more like 16/25). I've had mine since 2007, (bought new). Love the thing, decent mileage, 5000lbs towing, 1750lbs load capacity, (more than Chevy avalanches 1550) comfortable for 5 adults, it has a large trunk!(which also has a drain plug for tailgating!) Back seats fold up out of the way so you can squeeze in mountain bikes if you wanted, or in my case two golden retrievers fit nicely with the 70 side up leaving a seat open. AWD with the best traction control system I've used. I can't say enough good things about it, really.

[3rdGenRigger]

Chevy Colorado or GMC Canyon sounds like the ideal fit for your requirements.

[chuckd]

Yeah I'm realizing this. I'm willing to stick with a 4 cylinder for the first time in my life, and from what I've read so far it's the best option for me because it sacrifices little in towing in the models I'm looking at. Tacomas are seeming like a good choice too. I just read some guys hitting around 30mpg, and if they can I know I can. They tow more than other small trucks as well, and I think there is one down the road from me now. Not that I'm ready yet...the Impala has to make it to 300,000. Just has to!

Yeah, I would go with a 4cyl crewcab shortbed if I did it over, as I don't haul stuff in the bed such that the standard lengthis necessary, yet the big cab would be verryyy nice. The difficulty is that they are such great vehicles that they resell very well and thus even older models can be pricey (relatively).

Tricks like leaving the tailgate down or using a bed cover also improve MPG by around ~10% or more depending on the set up which is a great plus. When I put new tires on my truck I got a slightly taller tire and that even resulted in a 2-3mpg decrease in fuel efficiency which was surprising, and I will be getting the shorter tire next time ha

[Surfingringo]

Yeah I'm realizing this. I'm willing to stick with a 4 cylinder for the first time in my life, and from what I've read so far it's the best option for me because it sacrifices little in towing in the models I'm looking at. Tacomas are seeming like a good choice too. I just read some guys hitting around 30mpg, and if they can I know I can. They tow more than other small trucks as well, and I think there is one down the road from me now. Not that I'm ready yet...the Impala has to make it to 300,000. Just has to!

Yeah, I would go with a 4cyl crewcab shortbed if I did it over, as I don't haul stuff in the bed such that the standard lengthis necessary, yet the big cab would be verryyy nice. The difficulty is that they are such great vehicles that they resell very well and thus even older models can be pricey (relatively).

Tricks like leaving the tailgate down or using a bed cover also improve MPG by around ~10% or more depending on the set up which is a great plus. When I put new tires on my truck I got a slightly taller tire and that even resulted in a 2-3mpg decrease in fuel efficiency which was surprising, and I will be getting the shorter tire next time ha

Thats likely due to your odometer no longer reading accurately. For every mile your odometer marks with the bigger tires, you are actually traveling a bit further than 1 mile. So if your odometer shows you drove 20 miles on a gallon, you might have actually done 22.

Anyway, to the OP, I would agree with others that fuel efficiency is going to be the tough one with a truck. 4 cylinder compact might be your only chance at getting near the range you want.

[3rdGenRigger]

I average about 12-12.5L/100km on a 50/50 city/highway driving cycle with my GMC Canyon with a fairly heavy foot. My truck is not stock however, but some of the modifications I've done that have improved economy have been offset by added weight. Mine's a 2005 crew cab with the offroad package , 3.5L 5 cylinder L52 engine, 3.73 axle gearing, etc. I've done some modifications as I've said, but additionally I've added a bit of weight to the already heaviest possible configuration of a Colorado/Canyon...my truck weighs 5000 pounds with me in it, which is quite heavy for a midsize pickup. Before I lifted my truck and started running 32" tires (31's are stock, but my 32's are 10 ply, so quite a lot more inertial resistance...I could run them on a 1-ton truck), the best I've been able to accomplish on the highway was slightly below 8L/100km. That was before the lift, before removing the chin spoiler, before adding weight, etc. The 5 cylinder Colorado/Canyons will get very close to the same mileage as the 4 cylinder versions in 4x4 configurations because they don't have to work as hard most of the time...the exception will be in 2wd trucks with the 5-speed stick and 3.42 highway gears. In a 4x4 extended or crew cab, the 5 cylinder engine with 3.73 gears will likely be your best bet.

[jabba359]

Tricks like leaving the tailgate down or using a bed cover also improve MPG by around ~10% or more depending on the set up which is a great plus.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but this just isn't true. Consumer Reports did tests and found that lowering the tailgate actually decreased gas mileage: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news ... /index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Myth Busters also came to the same conclusion: http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythb ... nsumption/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[chuckd]

Tricks like leaving the tailgate down or using a bed cover also improve MPG by around ~10% or more depending on the set up which is a great plus.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but this just isn't true. Consumer Reports did tests and found that lowering the tailgate actually decreased gas mileage: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news ... /index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Myth Busters also came to the same conclusion: http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythb ... nsumption/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I must have misremembered that mythbusters episode! I had never tried it out myself, and certainly not worries about bursting my bubble, it is always nice to be corrected! Spreading mis-information is not something I want to be doing!

[Ankerson]

Yeah I'm realizing this. I'm willing to stick with a 4 cylinder for the first time in my life, and from what I've read so far it's the best option for me because it sacrifices little in towing in the models I'm looking at. Tacomas are seeming like a good choice too. I just read some guys hitting around 30mpg, and if they can I know I can. They tow more than other small trucks as well, and I think there is one down the road from me now. Not that I'm ready yet...the Impala has to make it to 300,000. Just has to!

Yeah, I would go with a 4cyl crewcab shortbed if I did it over, as I don't haul stuff in the bed such that the standard lengthis necessary, yet the big cab would be verryyy nice. The difficulty is that they are such great vehicles that they resell very well and thus even older models can be pricey (relatively).

Tricks like leaving the tailgate down or using a bed cover also improve MPG by around ~10% or more depending on the set up which is a great plus. When I put new tires on my truck I got a slightly taller tire and that even resulted in a 2-3mpg decrease in fuel efficiency which was surprising, and I will be getting the shorter tire next time ha

Thats likely due to your odometer no longer reading accurately. For every mile your odometer marks with the bigger tires, you are actually traveling a bit further than 1 mile. So if your odometer shows you drove 20 miles on a gallon, you might have actually done 22.

Anyway, to the OP, I would agree with others that fuel efficiency is going to be the tough one with a truck. 4 cylinder compact might be your only chance at getting near the range you want.

Yeah, a truck is going to get truck type gas mileage for the most part unless it's geared like a car then one would lose a lot of towing and or hauling capacity.

That said I averaged around 28 MPG in the 2006 Jeep Liberty 4X4 going to Atlanta, 3.7L V6.

But then Jeeps are geared different, put that thing in 4WD and the gearing changes.

Now my 2005 Dodge Ram 1500.... Well I am lucky to get 17 MPG out of that thing on a good day, maybe 20 MAX on the HWY on a good day.

[Knivesinedc]

GM.......Pshhh But in all honesty, our 2003 Ford Escape V6 XLT 4x4 has been a great car. It has a towing capacity of 3,500 lbs and gets semi decent gas mileage (18/23) although we get more like 27 highway. We have only ever had really minor problems with it, like those dang air conditioning vent levers busting, and now at 179,000 miles, we are finally having to replace the timing belt. but its always ran like a dream and has never given us any major problems in the 12 years we've owned it. Oh and cargo space is great!

[Tdhurl1103]

I know you won't want to hear this, and will ignore it, but perhaps you should look into a Truck and take a monthly payment. That way you can spend a bit more and get something made in this century (being facetious of course) reliable, with less miles that will last you into your dotage (if there really is such a truck). I have a 2010 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner Crew Cab (not a 4x) and it is the best vehicle I have ever owned. Carries the family comfortably as well as hauls away what I need it to haul. It will also tow my hybrid camper trailer with ease. Although, I wish I could have gotten a 4x.

Anyway, I was a GM loyalist ever since my first vehicle back in 86, but when I had a chance and a need for a truck, considering cost, I didn't go anywhere near GM. I needed reasonable gas mileage, and not necessarily a huge hard to park beast. I chose the Tacoma because I had heard how long they last, besides it is all the truck I need (minus the 4x).

Regardless of what you decide to get, consider spending a bit more than 5k, and get a good truck that will last you a very very long time, and won't have you spending all your free time at the gas station. Good luck!!!

[Ankerson]

The biggest problem with looking at stuff in the $5,000 range is they all will be very high mileage, that's not a good thing these days.

Now taking that into count and how most people actually maintain their cars these days (They don't) I would want all of the work orders for everything that was ever done to it before I would even think about it.

And then take it to a good mechanic and have it really checked out.

Just way too many things... That's expensive things that can go wrong.

And a truck or an SUV?

I dunno......

[SpyderNut]

Tom (a.k.a tdhurl) offers some good advice: buy a vehicle that will last you at least more than two to three years, if you can. Yeah, I know, college is outrageously expensive--and so are homes. But, you'll likely need to look at a mortgage payment at some point in the near future anyway, so you might as well as get a decent ride. Again, I mentioned the Chevy S10 because it fits a lot of your basic criteria fairly well. I forgot to mention in my original post that Chevy did make a 4x4 S10, although they probably are NOT made for heavy-duty off road action. I like the mention of the GM Colorado or Canyon, although you will certainly pay more for those than a S10. If not an S10, I would think a Subaru wagon with AWD would likely work well too, especially in the winter months. (I once had a co-worker who had a good 300,000 miles on her '03 Subaru wagon and that puppy kept ticking right along like a clock. All she had done was regular oil changes and maintenance when it was due. That thing would also pull through snow/slush quite admirably for a car).