small - midsize trucks

I'm looking to replace my outback with a small or midsize truck. Crew cab, 4wd - looking at Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, Chevy Colorado/Canyon, Dodge Dakota, Honda Ridgeline. Anyone have recommendations on what is good/bad? The main things I care about are mpg's and reliability

 

I've been doing tons of research on this over the past few years as I'd love to jump into a compact truck, but I'll try to shorten the stuff I came up with. The biggest thing is just getting out and test driving a few and seeing what car fits best.

If you want the short version: 1st choice: Tacoma. 2nd choice: Ridgeline

The longer version (all vehicles compared to Tacoma - which is the industries top seller and has highest ratings)

Frontier: Comes standard with things tacoma does not, even the most loaded model. Things like heated rear view mirrors, leather seats, upgraded stereo are available options - but increase the cost. Downsides however is an interior that feels very cheap. The "leather" seats wear out quickly, the plastics are very thin, and there is lots of road noise. These are very difficult to work on as well. A good friend of mine owned one, and said that when it needed maintenance the costs were outrageous. He had to remove the entire hub assembly to replace his front brakes discs. They have very hit or miss reliability, but are really liked by the enthusiast community. Re-sell is much lower than the Tacoma. They get similar gas mileage figures to Ranger and Tacoma.

Colorado: Run, dont walk. Power is below comparible models, motors and trans combinations are plagued with problems, interior offers very little space and uses low quality materials, and load/towing capacity is terrible due to the five cylinder's power band matched to a transmission with poor lower gears. The numbers advertised are NOT numbers that can be done safely. Low numbers were produced and sold, so replacement parts can be expensive according to the forum members and comparisons to other trucks. Most guys on those forums openly admit that their trucks don't have many strong suits, but "like how they look". They do look tough from certain angles, admittedly.

Dakota: The only one that offers a V8 powertrain, not that it means much because the other powertrain components remain largely the same. They have terrible reliability numbers which balances out to a high cost of ownership and poor resale. They also have been known to rust quickly due to design problems. Ask some mechanics what the average lifespan on a dakota's transmission is - the guys I know who have them say about 80-90k.

Ridgeline: If you want a truck that drives like a car, and comes with the MOST standard options, this is the ticket. Its not really a "truck" if you look at its chassi, motor, and transmission, but it does have a bed and has a TON of room. They are very reliable, have a low cost of ownership, and owners report higher than advertised fuel economy (around 23-24 mpg highway in cases). It has really cool options like a tailgate that flips both down AND sideways for easier access to loads - the bed is small, but will be on nearly all double cabs you buy. Even cooler is the lockable storage in the bed that is massive. Its waterproof too - which means in the winter you can store roadside assistance gear, and in the summer you can fill it up with ice as a cooler. Did I mention it has a drain plug in the bottom? It has a phenomenal AWD system that powers through snow and while it has an available electronic "rear locker" for mud, don't expect it to do much because it lacks the ground clearance and is heavy. The interior is by far the best out of all of the above listed trucks, with tons of interior storage, a truly ingenius rear seat design, and every available option you could ask for, from heated seats to navigation and great sound system.

The Tacoma is the best seller in this category because of its unsurpassable reliability, resale value, ruggedness, and all around utility. Its good offroad and has solid onroad manners - with a quiet ride that soaks up bumps but feels like a truck. The offered powertrains are strong and have a 100,000 mile warrantee - so even though most 2nd generation owners report 150+k without anything other than routine maintenance or service on recalls, you've got a backup. There is a massive aftermarket if you're looking to modify it. They lack the many available options in ther trucks like heated rear view mirrors, leather seats, heated seats, etc. but make up for SOME of those lacking options with a standard 110v power plug in in the bed, rear locking differential, 4 different transmission combinations paired to two strong and reliable motors. The interior is reportedly very solid and well put together, with Consumer reports rating it 5/5 on having no "squeeks or rattles". Owners report that the EPA advertised numbers are accurate - most averaging 19-20 mpg city/highway combined with the powerful V6 and much higher numbers with 4cyl which still puts out solid power. Surprisingly, reliability and gas mileage is better on the automatics per www.fuelly.com numbers posted on Tacomaworld by thousands of owners. Towing is solid and while the truck is strong enough to pull something large like a car or boat the brakes cannot stomach the extra weight. The forums say when buying a 2nd generation Tacoma, to make sure the dealership has already fixed the recall on the rear suspension, as the early years of this truck needed an extra leaf added. Also, check for frame rust on 05-09 trucks. They should be undercoated but in the northern states some owners don't maintain them properly.

Remember that most of the manufacturers of the above are boasting about the release of their next generation of compact trucks in '13 - meaning early release in mid-late 2012. If you're into the newest truck on the market and don't mind chancing a lemon, get in line soon.

 

^ MPG's will round off to being around the same. You might suffer a drop of 1-2 on average, depending on how much you favor the right pedal.

You'd make up for it in available options, towing/hauling capacity, interior room, and bed size, just to name a few of the advantages.

 

I have an F350 already so I don't really care about towing/hauling and size all that much

 

this is an acceptable answer

 

Stage 3 Subaru Baja GT???

 

I've been looking at Raptors, don't really want to spend that much though.

 

Pras4sno analysis are spot on. Had '01 Tacoma Double Cab 4 X 4 for 70K miles and it was very tight overall like all Toyotas. It was an animal off-road and in deep snow. Nissan Frontier has been known to have cab/frame seperation issues.

If you go Ridgeline and plan on putting on a topper then research who all sells these since mfg. offering these maybe slim.

The frustrating part is the GPM for smaller trucks and 1/2 TON trucks are too close in comparison.

 

Tacoma is definitely my first choice, the only problem is they don't seem to depreciate at all. In fact, I'm pretty sure after looking at used ones vs. new ones they gain value as they age.

edit, which is a good thing once you own one. but prohibitive to getting one in the first place

 

the price difference is so small with the low mileage ones i may just get a new one

 

^ you could fit a lot of groceries in that and spend less time on the commute.

 

I should check what my insurance would be on that

 

The only downside to Toyotas, is also a big upside. Resale value.....

A big part of that was a recall on the frame. I know of 3 people who got a huge payout (150% KBB value, IIRC) for a slightly rusty Taco frame.




That said, if you get a raptor, I will never come to another rally. Ever

 

If he gets a Raptor, I'd expect everyone to be there just for an chance to witness the infamous "Ford Raptor Twisted Frame". If you don't know about it, I promise google does.

And Chux is right on the rusted frame. Beware of buying an uncertified used Tacoma as is. You'll be safe if you get a certified pre-owned, or something thats still under warrantee. The 100,000 mile powertrain doesn't touch it, but its an obvious enough issue for anyone with (an) eyeball and a flashlight to diagnose before shelling out the green ones. Word is Toyota watched this one closely and adapted the newer models, but there is no way to prove whatever they did until owners of 11's and 12's start putting some salty miles down.

 

I love my Landcruiser.. $9K 190K and still tighter than a............... ok the thing is built like John Holmes... VERY WELL

so my vote would be a Toyota!!

 

Sounds like FORD= Found Off Road Dead