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So you own a pickup truck. Do you mind answering a few questions?
1. If you have any reasons, why did you pick the truck you drive right now? 2. I live in NC. I currently drive a Honda Civic and have never owned a truck. "off road" to me is when I have to park in the grass at the fair. We don't get much snow here either. Would 4x4 be a waste for me? Is there a downside as far as being more mechanically complex, gas mileage etc?
3. With a "crew cab" is the bed shorter? I read somewhere about 6" being a sort of standard bed size for carrying sheets of plywood. I don't do much woodworking, but I might have to move a couch or mattress sometime. Do you often find you wish you had more length in the bed? (That sounds kinda like an Enzyte commercial, doesn't it?)
4. Some of the "extended cabs" have various small, fold down sort of seats; others just have storage. I have a small family; just me, the wife and my daughter, who is 4. But I keep thinking I really want real seats in the back, even though I can count the number of times my wife and child have been in the Civic on one hand. We always take the wife's car when we go out. Did you have this same argument with yourself? Which way did you land, and do you regret it?
Of what I've seen so far, I like the Dodge Dakota and Toyota Tacoma; the sort of bigger mid-size, V6 sort of thing. What else might I like and why?
Thanks, I do appreciate your feedback.
My husband bought a Civic 2 years ago. I was driving a 2001 Toyota Rav. As homeowners, there are plenty of times we needed more cargo capacity than the Rav could handle. I fell in love with the Honda Ridgeline trucks and bought one last year.
Why? It's an extremely versatile vehicle. The inside cab is smooth and quiet like a car, it's a 4 door with a super roomy and comfortable back seat and the seats fold up for cargo room if you prefer. It has a trunk. Yes, a trunk - coolest thing about it. It's 4WD but I'm going to say it's more like AWD - it's not for serious offroading. It has a decent size bed for hauling things like mattresses or compost. There are no wheel wells, so you get the full use of the bed. It has a nice protective bedliner too.
Um...what else...I average 16-17 mpg around town. The tailgate opens either down or out, so you could extend the bed by having the tailgate down. To me it's the perfect blend of SUV and truck. My husband and I take the Ridgeline on road trips instead of the Civic, that's how much we enjoy it.
So you own a pickup truck. Do you mind answering a few questions?
1. If you have any reasons, why did you pick the truck you drive right now?
I have been driving pickups since the mid 90's. I've always had a hobby that required some towing. Drag cars, Offshore boat, and snowmobiles. I have progressed from a Dakota (1996...hated it) to my current 01 Dodge Ram/ Cummins (love it). I picked a 3/4 ton diesel because nothing can compare with it as far as towing and fuel mileage.
2. I live in NC. I currently drive a Honda Civic and have never owned a truck. "off road" to me is when I have to park in the grass at the fair. We don't get much snow here either. Would 4x4 be a waste for me? Is there a downside as far as being more mechanically complex, gas mileage etc?
I live in MI, and in my opinion will never own a 2wd truck. And I'm not into "offroading" either. I hate driving my truck on a gravel road. So far I have had no down side's to a 4wd. Living in NC i guess I couldn't see much use for a 4x4 but I still can't get over not having it.
3. With a "crew cab" is the bed shorter? I read somewhere about 6" being a sort of standard bed size for carrying sheets of plywood. I don't do much woodworking, but I might have to move a couch or mattress sometime. Do you often find you wish you had more length in the bed? (That sounds kinda like an Enzyte commercial, doesn't it?)
My truck has a short bed, and the times I've wished for a larger one are VERY rare. It all depends on what your going to use it for.
4. Some of the "extended cabs" have various small, fold down sort of seats; others just have storage. I have a small family; just me, the wife and my daughter, who is 4. But I keep thinking I really want real seats in the back, even though I can count the number of times my wife and child have been in the Civic on one hand. We always take the wife's car when we go out. Did you have this same argument with yourself? Which way did you land, and do you regret it?
At the time all that was available was a Quad cab, which has a very small rear bench seat. Now I would go as big as possible, peferably a Dodge Mega cab. In my opinion you just never have enough room in a pickup.
Of what I've seen so far, I like the Dodge Dakota and Toyota Tacoma; the sort of bigger mid-size, V6 sort of thing. What else might I like and why?
I can't help on this one since I think Mid size trucks are a waste.. and also would never buy a Toyota , Nissan or Honda truck, or car for that matter.
Thanks, I do appreciate your feedback.
My husband bought a Civic 2 years ago. I was driving a 2001 Toyota Rav. As homeowners, there are plenty of times we needed more cargo capacity than the Rav could handle. I fell in love with the Honda Ridgeline trucks and bought one last year.
Why? It's an extremely versatile vehicle. The inside cab is smooth and quiet like a car, it's a 4 door with a super roomy and comfortable back seat and the seats fold up for cargo room if you prefer. It has a trunk. Yes, a trunk - coolest thing about it. It's 4WD but I'm going to say it's more like AWD - it's not for serious offroading. It has a decent size bed for hauling things like mattresses or compost. There are no wheel wells, so you get the full use of the bed. It has a nice protective bedliner too.
Um...what else...I average 16-17 mpg around town. The tailgate opens either down or out, so you could extend the bed by having the tailgate down. To me it's the perfect blend of SUV and truck. My husband and I take the Ridgeline on road trips instead of the Civic, that's how much we enjoy it.
Yes, I saw the Ridgeline too; in fact there is one in the parking lot at work; the only thing that concerns me with it is that the bed seems really shallow. It may be a sort of illusion due to the way the truck is shaped.
I think the tailgate on the Dodge Dakota opens both ways like that too, but I might be wrong.
Yes, I saw the Ridgeline too; in fact there is one in the parking lot at work; the only thing that concerns me with it is that the bed seems really shallow. It may be a sort of illusion due to the way the truck is shaped.
I think the tailgate on the Dodge Dakota opens both ways like that too, but I might be wrong.
We owned a Toyota Tacoma at one time and the bed of the Ridgeline is bigger and deeper than it was. It may be shallower though because of the trunk underneath - it's a pretty decent sized trunk!
What you need to determine is if you need a truck or just a light hauloer. Nothing beats a full isze truck for really hauling or towing.That said for many a SUV with a light 4X8 trailer is all they really need.I would buy a 4X4 unlerss you need it as they ride worse;eat more gas and they are usually raised more and harder to get into.The only tacomna I would consider is the long bed for any real hauling. Also it is pretty cramped compared to a full size truck and the exernded cab is pretty much storage space. The 4 door is better but try it oput as iot does have near the speace that a full size extended cab has.
A bit on Dakotas. They are gas hogs. Their tailgates only open down too. The quality isn't as high as some other trucks. They aren't bad if you search around to find a good used one, cheap.
4x4's aren't really 4wd either. Trucks with 4wd still come with open diffs. Meaning that ony one wheel on each axle is driving the truck forward. If you buy a 2wd, and find that you need extra traction, you can buy a limited slip or similar for around $500. This would help keep both rear wheels turning instead of one spinning. It's a simple add on, does not decrease gas mileage, doesn't add weight, or raise the height. Much better than 4wd in my book.
I have a 2003 F-150 extended cab, 2wd with limited slip differential, 6 1/2 ft. bed. I do have a set of dedicated snow tires for it, they come off next week. It suits me, while I do haul some things in it my main hauling is goose decoys and cart. The rear seat is uncomfortable for anyone over about 15. I can average about 21mpg highway with the 4.2 V-6. I do wish I had opted for the small 8. It's the work truck model so it's really bare bones, vinyl bench seat, rubber floor instead of carpet, AC, auto. That was what I wanted because I tend to be a bit OCD and knew I'd go nuts if I got mud in it from the fields I hunt from.
Last edited by North Beach Person; 04-01-2009 at 08:12 PM..
Reason: spelling
Without a need to drive in adverse conditions ... snow, off-roading ... you don't need a 4x4 truck, which not only costs more in fuel economy, but has much more tire wear, suspension wear, and front end component wear all the time. That's going on whether or not you're using the 4x4 drive. Tires are also bigger and more expensive than on a 4x2.
Unless you need to haul a big trailer, than a full size pick up is also not needed for the larger frame and bigger brakes than the smaller trucks.
IMO, a Ford Ranger 4x2 is ideal for the transportation and modest hauling needs you'd have from time to time. With an extended cab model, there's a back seating area which is more than adequate for kids, and we've had adults in back for modest (under 40 mile) trips to auctions or to pick up firewood.
You get a more nimble vehicle, good comfort and ergonomics, a great heater/A/C, and it's easy to drive. Ours will easily handle furniture, building materials ... and with our topper shell, sheep and goats on our livestock buying trips. I've been to farm auctions with it where I've filled the bed with a ton of stuff and piled a lot more on top ... roped securely in place for the trip home. We've got the 3.0 V-6, which is more than adequate for our needs. I've hauled a 22' keelboat with it to the mountains, and launched the boat down the ramp, too. No speed demon on the Colorado mountain grades, but I don't haul the boat much faster than 55 mph because that boat trailer doesn't have brakes on it.
I'd beware of the Dodge Dakota line ... I've not heard happy owners with these, and most won't tell you the fuel mileage because it's so poor. My 1996 Dodge 2500 Cummins Turbodiesel gets better fuel economy than the Dakota's ....
Without a need to drive in adverse conditions ... snow, off-roading ... you don't need a 4x4 truck, which not only costs more in fuel economy, but has much more tire wear, suspension wear, and front end component wear all the time. That's going on whether or not you're using the 4x4 drive. Tires are also bigger and more expensive than on a 4x2.
Unless you need to haul a big trailer, than a full size pick up is also not needed for the larger frame and bigger brakes than the smaller trucks.
IMO, a Ford Ranger 4x2 is ideal for the transportation and modest hauling needs you'd have from time to time. With an extended cab model, there's a back seating area which is more than adequate for kids, and we've had adults in back for modest (under 40 mile) trips to auctions or to pick up firewood.
You get a more nimble vehicle, good comfort and ergonomics, a great heater/A/C, and it's easy to drive. Ours will easily handle furniture, building materials ... and with our topper shell, sheep and goats on our livestock buying trips. I've been to farm auctions with it where I've filled the bed with a ton of stuff and piled a lot more on top ... roped securely in place for the trip home. We've got the 3.0 V-6, which is more than adequate for our needs. I've hauled a 22' keelboat with it to the mountains, and launched the boat down the ramp, too. No speed demon on the Colorado mountain grades, but I don't haul the boat much faster than 55 mph because that boat trailer doesn't have brakes on it.
I'd beware of the Dodge Dakota line ... I've not heard happy owners with these, and most won't tell you the fuel mileage because it's so poor. My 1996 Dodge 2500 Cummins Turbodiesel gets better fuel economy than the Dakota's ....
This is really excellent feedback, thank you.
Yeah, I really have no need at all for 4x4; I'm just having fantasies about being able to rescue cars stuck in mud, and stuff like that. I did not know the tires were different.
And I also don't do any towing. Now that might be a chicken/egg situation; I've never had a vehicle capable of towing. But as of now, no boat, no trailer, no camper.
I'm thinking small to mid-size because I am used to a car, and a small car at that.
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