New Truck: Midsize Edition (1 Viewer)

[pollardsvision]

Going to be in the market for a new/used truck soon. But I don't want a full-sized truck, and it seems the midsize category is a dying breed, at least for American companies, so the choices are limited. I'd go compact, but that seems to have been killed already/replaced by midsize.

I don't haul much, and value longevity/reliability over performance/bells/whistles. I drive vehicles until they die (only owned 3 in my 18 years of driving, 2 of which I'm still driving). Would prefer 2WD very basic models. Manual, if there are any of those still around. Only real need is some sort of extended cab (only reason I'm looking to upgrade my 20 YO beater Mazda).

Don't mind going used, but from what I can tell, it doesn't make a ton of sense in the truck market. It likes you can get a brand new Tacoma or Frontier for around $20K, but to get under $15K on any sort of extended cab, you've got to find something with 150K miles and/or is 10 years old.

Anyway, is there any reason not to just go Tacoma here? Any Frontier owners on here?

Not totally against a Colorado, but they don't seem to be any cheaper, and I don't totally feel comfortable buying a mid-sized truck from a company that doesn't seem to take the category very seriously. Like Rangers, but of course, those were killed.

 

[Nugget]

I think you pretty much nailed it. I would still take a look at full sized - they are not that much bigger than the Colorado/Tacoma. Ford makes Ranger for the rest of the world - just not North America as the powertrains were the same and the vehicle was 90% of the size of an F150.

Good luck - I have been looking for a beater F150 and they just hold their value too well. $10K for a 12 year old, 160K mile truck is a bit painful.

 

[bblue]

I have a Frontier. It has 156+K miles on it. Extended cab/crew cab I don't know what they call it. 4 door truck with short bed. It is a working truck on weekends and I drive 50 miles a day to work in the I.

Only basic routine maint. I highly recommend.

 

[Punchie]

I have a 2015 Colorado and love it. It can tow my camper, has enough room in the backseat (crew cab) for my kids and has reasonable gas mileage (around 20MPG avg over 8k miles, mostly city). I looked at the full size trucks but couldn't fit any of them in my garage, so went with the smaller one and I'm glad I did

 

[Wooderson]

Don't rule out full size. Not that much bigger and more inventory.

 

[Prince Myshkin]

Frontier owner and love everything about it except the gas mileage. I get 16-17 normally, might stretch to 18 if I'm on a highway trip. But mine is 4wd and that hurts the mileage. I have the crew cab with the short bed. I was worried about that at first, but I don't do much hauling and it hasn't been a problem at all. It also has a railing system in the back that is handy as pocket on a smoker's shirt. Haven't checked the prices lately, but when I got mine (2012) the Frontier was substantially cheaper than the Tacoma.

 

[Wooderson]

The Tacoma is spendy. I went with a 4 door short box f150. Having the more interior room has been great.

 

[DocHolliday]

I have a 2009 frontier 4x4 with the crew cab and long bed. I use it to haul stuff almost every weekend. I really like the truck. It feels solid and does have that useful rail system in the bed. My friend has a 4x4 crew cab Tacoma. It is a really nice truck too.

If I could make the purchase over again, I would go with a full size ford or dodge. The gas mileage is about the same as a full size truck but I would get more hauling space. You never have enough hauling space.

 

[Prince Myshkin]

Is there something up with production of the Frontier? Looking at the website of the place where I bought mine, they don't have any in stock. Slightly bigger dealership in Lexington has 3 and one in Louisville doesn't have any.

 

[pollardsvision]

I think you pretty much nailed it. I would still take a look at full sized - they are not that much bigger than the Colorado/Tacoma. Ford makes Ranger for the rest of the world - just not North America as the powertrains were the same and the vehicle was 90% of the size of an F150.

Good luck - I have been looking for a beater F150 and they just hold their value too well. $10K for a 12 year old, 160K mile truck is a bit painful.

Beater F150 could make the most sense at this point.

If I don't go that route, and it makes my stomach queasy to even type this, I might look for an old minivan (I don't even have ####### kids).

The truck market is just crazy. And the hiccup is really that I need a cab big enough either for an 80 lb dog or a folded up wheelchair, in addition to the other crap that needs to be hauled, preferably in the dry. Basic extended cab probably won't cut it.

To get a truck with that much storage space looks like it'll either mean something used with a ton of miles and still expensive, or a $30K new truck with way more bells/whistles than I need. Overkill for a secondary vehicle.

Instead of swimming upstream looking for value in a truck when every Tom, ****, and Harry is trying to get one, might go to the vehicle nobody wants and everyone is looking to unload as soon as the last rugrat can open an SUV door on their own.

$5K and under looks like it can buy all kinds of these things.

I kind of think the minivan makes mores sense as a beater work truck than an actual truck.

 

[pollardsvision]

Frontier owner and love everything about it except the gas mileage. I get 16-17 normally, might stretch to 18 if I'm on a highway trip. But mine is 4wd and that hurts the mileage. I have the crew cab with the short bed. I was worried about that at first, but I don't do much hauling and it hasn't been a problem at all. It also has a railing system in the back that is handy as pocket on a smoker's shirt. Haven't checked the prices lately, but when I got mine (2012) the Frontier was substantially cheaper than the Tacoma.

Glancing around here, new, they seem to pretty much be the same. Basic models around $22K, going up to $35-38K for the decked out ones.