Ranger, s10, Sonoma, or Dakota

[DRIVEN]

I've never owned one but I've worked on many. It's a discontinued orphan like the Ranger. They get crappy MPG and have mediocre performance. All the OHV engines leak oil and the OHC is expensive to work on. Expect to spend quite a bit on front suspension repairs and hub replacements. They cost about the same as a full-size Ram to operate and maintain you just get a smaller payload. As much as I don't love them, I'd probably take a 4.7 Dakota over a 4.0 Ranger. Neither would make my top 5 list though.
It's too bad that there aren't any newer small turbo diesel trucks available. I would think a Tacoma diesel or baby Duramax Colorado would sell pretty well for fleet use.

 

[dream on mcss]

It's too bad that there aren't any newer small turbo diesel trucks available. I would think a Tacoma diesel or baby Duramax Colorado would sell pretty well for fleet use.

I'm not sure if its cummins or not but I know there is a 5.6 liter v8 and a 4.2 liter v6 diesel in development for the half ton rams and the jeeps. Power output of the v8 is near 380hp I think and supposedly gets around 25mpg.

 

[outsider_27]

Just get an old 70's 4x4 beater pickup. Doesn't matter which brand since they were all easy to work on back then, and the 4x4 could get you out of more sh*t than the newer ones. I miss my old 73 Chevy. It could get through anything and who cares if it got beat up?

 

[hurst1979olds]

I have a 2000 S10 4.3L 4x4 with a 5spd manual. It is a great truck. Ive owned it since end of Oct 2004. I bought it with 44,000 miles and it now has 204,000. I got 160,000 miles on the cluck in it now. I drove this truck as far as Illinois, down to Florida, and back and forth from Ohio to Connecticut a couple times a years. Great truck. I get a consistant 19-21mpg. I drive an hour to work everyday and its all back roads and slight highway. If I do a trip on the highway I can see as high as 22mpg.

My dad has an 2004 ranger with the 4.0l 4x4 and a 5spd manual. He get about 16mpg. He does like it tho....He only has 40,000miles on it, as he drives his Bonneville.

 

[marcar1993]

As the only dodge advocate here, hope I'm not too late. I have a 95 3.9l v6 5speed 4wd dakota and it is a great truck. Personally I would have preferred a ram so I didn't have an ifs, but the truck itself if great. It has over 160k miles on it and all I've ever done was a timing chain, water pump, and associated parts, which I'd consider wear items at 160k. The 4wd works great and there is room for 31's on stock 4x4's. Never had an issue with going through just about anything you will find on the street even in the worst winter scenario. Fuel economy isn't great, but it makes up for it in low end torque, it has no problem pulling out much bigger trucks from rocker panel to windshield deep mud! It has carried nearly 2 tons of scrap before (a side job of mine) and aside from some sagging it didn't really complain and now it has coil overs and that really helps with pay load. It has also towed several full sized cars on trailers and dollies. No complaints from me on this truck!
My dad has an 02 quad cab and my girlfriend's step dad has an 02 club cab, and they are just as good and reliable. I love my truck.