Used Trucks: Recommendations?

Hi,

I've been looking for a good deal on a used truck for several months now and haven't been successful. I looked at a couple but there was always something that wasn't right. I have to say that I have never owned a truck before so I don't have a lot of experience. I did/do quite some online research though. So far, I've only looked on Craigslist in the area where I live (Midwest). If any of you have some advice, that would be highly appreciated. Here are some of my considerations...

Intended uses:

Commuting to work in the winter (7 miles roundtrip, lol), Mustang will be garaged; occasional 3-hour trips to in-laws; has to comfortably fit me, my fiancée and our little dog (15lbs); I would say no more than 5k miles/year since I also have the Mustang and my fiancée has her sedan; planning on doing quite a bit of yard and patio work in the spring and finishing garage; no boat, trailer, etc. towing. No off-roading, so no need for 4WD.

Budget: between 5 and 10k.

Trucks I consider:

Dodge (Ram, Dakota)
Chevy (Silverado, Colorado)
Ford (F150, Ranger)
GMC (Sierra, Canyon)

As you can see, I am not set on a specific brand or size, but I want at least an extended cab. I do like the 4-door-car-like feeling and convenience of a quad-cab, but the trade off is a shorter bed though 5ft vs 6ft - maybe this isn't that big of a difference? I noticed that full size and mid-size trucks aren't super far apart in regards to pricing but I tend to lean a little more towards a midsize truck because of maneuverability and better gas mileage due to smaller engine and less weight.

Additional thoughts: Dodge seems to be a good bang for your back but I'm not sure about built quality/reliability. I would like something worry-free and reliable but I am not sure about newer & higher mileage vs older and lower mileage. I have no clue why used Rangers are so expensive. Quite spartan interior. I was thinking about looking at a 2011 Ranger ext cab with 90k miles, but manual locks and windows for $9,200 - how was that even possible in 2011? Also, the new one is coming out soon. I thought the Dakota was a good overall size but hard to find a decent one. I looked at a 2008 Ram quad cab with 150k miles yesterday, which was in good condition. It is pretty big though and that V8 is thirsty. Looking at a loaded 2006 Colorado ext. cab with 98k miles on Saturday. Original owner (retired GM engineer), has every bit of information about it (even keeps gas receipts) but is asking 1k over blue book and more than 2k over the Ram. GMC seem quite pricey, let alone Tacomas :shrug:

Thank you!

I feel you on the rangers wanted one but man quite a bit $$$ unless you get to 200k miles

Jon|3.7 said:

I feel you on the rangers wanted one but man quite a bit $$$ unless you get to 200k miles

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Exactly. Feel like I should've gone on a truck forum, don't think there is too much interest here. People are too busy with their Mustangs, haha

Yup rode a truck a few weeks back and it was so smooth, made me want to look into one now and give my girl the mustang

We've been looking at trucks lately and we will definitely get one next year. The only reason we're waiting is because we decided to buy a house first. We were shopping new trucks. Make sure you go and drive as many as you can to figure out what you like. My choices were completely different after test driving than before.

1) I started with the Ram Rebel thinking I'd love it, but I hated it. It seems nice and all, but the engine was obtrusively loud and not in a good way, which says a lot coming from someone who drives a GT with the MBRP exhaust. The ride was OK and the discount offered was like $11k off the sticker without even haggling.

2) Then I tried the F-150. We drove the platinum version and it was super nice, but too flashy. It felt like a guy who dresses like a cowboy and says he's a cowboy, but he's not a real cowboy because he gets his nails done. That, and $68k is ridiculously expensive.

4) Nissan Titan for the win. We drove the bright yellow Pro4-X and loved it. Super responsive V8 engine and 7-speed transmission, tons of features, great interior quality, awesome ride, and best warranty out of the entire bunch.

5) We got in, and promptly out of, the Tacoma.

6) The Tundra drove well, but "meh". It's a Toyota for sure.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I think I will go a different route and drive a 2015+ Colorado. I didn't even know they made an all new one. I really like the size and design.

That's interesting. Around me the cost difference between the Colorado/Canyon and the Silverado/Sierra wasn't enough to make it worth it. If you really want a small truck I guess it makes sense but I'd rather pay the difference for the full size.

Same here. I just don't have the need for a full size truck right now - maybe in the future.

If you're really interested in a compact truck for the utility, I'd suggest the Nissan Frontier. It's an older design, but the discounts are huge, the reliability is amazing because all of the bugs have been worked out, you can get a manual transmission with the 4WD, and the V6 is a torquey little beast of a power plant.

Thanks, I will take that into consideration. Though I'd prefer to buy "domestic", I'm open to try something else. I checked out the 2017 Colorado yesterday and as much as I like it, it is pretty big. Also, not sure if I want to have a car payment. I'll look at a 2007 Ranger today, seems like a decent offer.

Just a quick update: I bought the 2007 Ranger. Its an XLT extended cab (2 door - I looked like an idiot trying to open the small doors, didn't know there was also a 2 door version) with 127k miles on it. Has the 2.3 4-cylinder engine, bed liner and hard tonneau cover. Paid 5k. Guy who sold it works for Dent Wizard and bought it from the company for his son (who didn't want it). I was told it was on a flat fee maintenance plan so it received all necessary maintenance. It was almost dark when I looked at it but I thought what the hell, I'll give it a try. The next day I brought it in for the state safety inspection. After the mechanic was done, he asked me: Where did you get this thing? I said I bought it off Craigslist from some guy the night before. He said: You got yourself a good deal, because this thing is in excellent condition. Parts that needed to be replaced, have been replaced. It also has new brakes, new ball joints, new tires, no rust.

I am pretty happy with my purchase, love driving that little thing. It is slow, its basic, its nothing special, but its somehow fun. My GT is sitting in the garage probably pouting, haha.

derklink said:

Just a quick update: I bought the 2007 Ranger. Its an XLT extended cab (2 door - I looked like an idiot trying to open the small doors, didn't know there was also a 2 door version) with 127k miles on it. Has the 2.3 4-cylinder engine, bed liner and hard tonneau cover. Paid 5k. Guy who sold it works for Dent Wizard and bought it from the company for his son (who didn't want it). I was told it was on a flat fee maintenance plan so it received all necessary maintenance. It was almost dark when I looked at it but I thought what the hell, I'll give it a try. The next day I brought it in for the state safety inspection. After the mechanic was done, he asked me: Where did you get this thing? I said I bought it off Craigslist from some guy the night before. He said: You got yourself a good deal, because this thing is in excellent condition. Parts that needed to be replaced, have been replaced. It also has new brakes, new ball joints, new tires, no rust.

I am pretty happy with my purchase, love driving that little thing. It is slow, its basic, its nothing special, but its somehow fun. My GT is sitting in the garage probably pouting, haha.

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pics!

nice! im looking at an 08 right now but wont buy till december saving to pay mustang off then purchasing it hopefully no one buys it! lol

only thing im worried its had 5 owners! but looks super clean

Named him "Rangertron" :headbonk:

Jon|3.7 said:

pics!

nice! im looking at an 08 right now but wont buy till december saving to pay mustang off then purchasing it hopefully no one buys it! lol

only thing im worried its had 5 owners! but looks super clean

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Haha, at least you know! If it is mechanically sound, I wouldn't see that as an issue. Did you pull a carfax on it? How many miles and what is the asking price (if you don't mind sharing)?

derklink said:

Haha, at least you know! If it is mechanically sound, I wouldn't see that as an issue. Did you pull a carfax on it? How many miles and what is the asking price (if you don't mind sharing)?

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https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...=false&filtersModified=true#listing=186429818