Woodworking As Hobby=Need New Vehicle Advice

[sawdustman]

After putting up with the severe cargo limitations of my car for the last few years, I've finally decided to break down and buy a really cheap, used truck to use as a lumber wagon. By cheap I mean about $2000 or less--yep, a beater.

I was considering either a Toyota Pickup or Chevy S-10, preferably with four cylinders (gotta love that gas mileage) and two wheel drive to keep the cost and complexity down (fewer parts means fewer things to go wrong). I don't care about appearance or rust, only if it's sound mechanically.

I have a Toyota car right now and love the reliability, but finding a truck in my price range means higher mileage; versus a Chevy for the same price, better mileage, but more questionable reliability.

I've had Chevy cars in the past and they haven't been as reliable as the Toyota I have now.

Also, I realize a truck this small will have it's limitations as well, but I can't afford a larger model and it'll still be worlds better than using my car.

Does anyone here own a small Toyota pickup or Chevy S-10? Or pehaps another small pickup I haven't considered (I've never owned a truck before so I'm not familiar with a lot of the models) If so, what's your experience been like and how many miles does it have?

Thanks.

[Jim Boyd]

I drive a full sized GMC. But in your position I would chose a Toyota over a S-10 any day. In small trucks a Toyota is hard to beat. The only reason I got a GMC instead of a Tundra was I got twice the options for the same price. But I bet the Tundra would last longer.

[Tamarack]

Personally, I much prefer my Ford Ranger. Bought it new as a left-over model at reduced price and have been delighted with the service. Four cylinder, standard trans, standard cab, no-frills model. It gets much better fuel economy (about 23-27) than the Toyota pickup a friend let me use for a few weeks,has been extremely reliable for about 104k miles. Still doesn't use oil (thanks to regular changes) and if someone ran into it I would definitely replace it with another Ranger. It will carry about 1,000 lbs, will carry 4x8 sheet goods with the tailgate down and a couple of short 2x6s laid in two recesses in the sides. It has done everything I need it to do, and if I'm not going 60mph when I get to the top of the mountain that doesn't bother me at all. Most S10s I've known have been six cylinder gas guzzlers compared to mine, and that is becoming a more significant factor these days.

Paul in Idaho

[drumpriest]

I use a Pontiac Aztek to move wood, but my brother tortured a Toyota pick-up for years. Also his wife hails from Honduras and her family uses small toyota trucks down there because the roads are horrid and the trucks take the abuse, lasting many many years.

I used to have a corolla, and now have a celica, both very good cars. And for the "buy American" crowd, my Celica was designed and assembled in California, where-as my Aztek is Mexican.

cheers,

[Shipwreck]

quote:Originally posted by sawdustman

After putting up with the severe cargo limitations of my car for the last few years, I've finally decided to break down and buy a really cheap, used truck to use as a lumber wagon. By cheap I mean about $2000 or less--yep, a beater.

I was considering either a Toyota Pickup or Chevy S-10, preferably with four cylinders (gotta love that gas mileage) and two wheel drive to keep the cost and complexity down (fewer parts means fewer things to go wrong). I don't care about appearance or rust, only if it's sound mechanically.

I have a Toyota car right now and love the reliability, but finding a truck in my price range means higher mileage; versus a Chevy for the same price, better mileage, but more questionable reliability.

I've had Chevy cars in the past and they haven't been as reliable as the Toyota I have now.

Also, I realize a truck this small will have it's limitations as well, but I can't afford a larger model and it'll still be worlds better than using my car.

Does anyone here own a small Toyota pickup or Chevy S-10? Or pehaps another small pickup I haven't considered (I've never owned a truck before so I'm not familiar with a lot of the models) If so, what's your experience been like and how many miles does it have?

Thanks.

I had the Chevy S-10 (4 cyl) in 2000, had it for about a year and a half, sweet truck, but my son got rear ended in it and it was a total loss. Fuel milegae wasn't all that great for a (4 cyl). I got about 300 miles from a tank of fuel.

I replaced it with a Dodge Dakota in 2002, small V-6 eng,. Mileage was about the same as the S-10, and wasn't built as well. Also got about 300 miles from a tank of fuel. The truck had too many problems to list, and I got fed up with the service dept and traded it in.

In 2004 I looked at the Toyota Tacoma and the GMC 1500 4X4 Sierra. I got the Sierra, and I love it. Gas prices being what they are....It hurts to fill it up, but its a great p/u and wouldn't part with it.

I think the smaller Toyota Tacoma is a better built truck than the american counter parts,but I would opt for the small V-6 over the 4 cyl.
Its fuel mileage is very comaprable. Also the 4 cyl seemed really sluggish when I test drove it.

I hope this helps

[LCHIEN]

From Consumer Reports, they took member surveys of cars and trucks from 1997 to 2004.
I seem to own one car in the top list and onbe in the bottom list...
In their more comprehensive list they say avoid Chevy S-10 '97-98 and '00-03
I know you're probably looking at one older than that but you can probably predict the reliability of the older ones looking at these.

quote:
CR Good Bets


These are the best of both worlds: vehicles that have performed well in Consumer Reports road tests over the years and have proved to have several or more years of better-than-average overall reliability. They are listed alphabetically.


Acura Integra
Acura MDX
Acura RL
Acura RSX
Acura TL
Buick Regal
Chevrolet/Geo Prizm
Chrysler PT Cruiser
Ford Crown Victoria
Ford Escort, ZX2
Honda Accord
Honda Civic
Honda CR-V
Honda Odyssey
Honda Prelude
Honda S2000
Infiniti G20
Infiniti I30, I35
Infiniti Q45

Infiniti QX4
Lexus ES300, ES330
Lexus GS300/ GS400,
GS430
Lexus IS300
Lexus LS400, LS430
Lexus RX300, RX330
Lincoln Town Car
Mazda 626
Mazda Millenia
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Mazda Protegé
Mercury Grand Marquis
Mercury Tracer
Mitsubishi Galant
Nissan Altima
Nissan Maxima
Nissan Pathfinder

Subaru Forester
Subaru Impreza
Subaru Legacy
Subaru Outback
Toyota 4Runner
Toyota Avalon
Toyota Camry
Toyota Camry Solara
Toyota Celica
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Echo
Toyota Highlander
Toyota Land Cruiser
Toyota Prius
Toyota RAV4
Toyota Sequoia
Toyota Sienna
Toyota Tundra





CR Bad Bets

Be especially careful when considering these models. They have shown several years of much-worse-than-average overall reliability in their 1997 to 2004 models. They are listed alphabetically.
Audi A6
BMW 7 Series
Chevrolet Astro
Chevrolet Blazer
Chevrolet Express1500
Chevrolet S-10 (4WD)
Chevrolet TrailBlazer
Chrysler Town & Country (AWD)
Dodge Dakota (4WD)
Dodge Grand Caravan (AWD)
Ford Windstar
GMC Envoy
GMC Jimmy
GMC Safari
GMC Savana 1500
GMC Sonoma (4WD)
Jaguar S-Type
Jaguar X-Type
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Land Rover Discovery
Lincoln Navigator
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (V6)
Mercedes-Benz CLK
Mercedes-Benz M-Class
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Oldsmobile Bravada
Oldsmobile Cutlass
Plymouth Neon
Pontiac Aztek
Saturn Vue
Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Jetta
Volkswagen
New Beetle
Volvo S80

[DaveS]

Personally, I'll take a nice trailer over a beater pick-up any day. Even my lowley minivan can tow 3000 pounds.

A nice trailer that can hold as much weight and volume as your little pickup can be built or bought fairly reasonably (way less than $2000 if you don't get too fancy). Don't forget to factor in the cost of the hitch if you don't have one already.

Plus, in many states, you pay a one time license fee. So, no registration expense, no insurance expense, drastically smaller maintenance expense, easier to store.

The downside is that you have to plan your supply trips so that you have the trailer - there is no "let's stop here on the way home" stuff. Also, with a pickup,you could add an overhead lumber rack and use it to haul really long lumber (>12-14 feet). I've seen lumber racks on really big trailers, but never on small ones.

[smc331]

I'll chime in with a vote for Nissan pickups - my first Nissan was forcibly retired with 210,000 trouble free miles by an accident (otherwise I think it would still be going strong).

My second Nissan was retired with 245,000 miles - toward the end it started with some minor issues, water pump, starter - I was jonesin' for a new truck anyway...

I now have a 2000 Nissan Frontier - got about 46000 miles - so far, so good. YMMV.

[Jim-Iowa]

Last September, I replaced my 92 Buick Le Sabre (200,000 miles) with a nice 96 S-10 Extended Cab 4cyl 5 speed.I paid $3,100 for it. I love the little truck, since it came with a nice fiberglass topper, lumber hauling is limited. So I have to rebuild my old trailer to haul materials. But be careful, the 4 cyl used to commute 28 miles each way, interstate crusing runs between 23-27 mpg. It does best if speed is kept under 70mph. My Le Sabre V6 averaged 26 at average speed of 75mph.
Don`t turn down a V6 if you get a chance, my dad does as good or better with his 92 S-10 with 4.3 V6.

[Tundra_Man]

I can't believe that everyone is missing the obvious! The 1986-1993 Mazda B-series pickups are hands-down the finest trucks ever built. Kind of hard to come by because everyone who has one knows what a gem they are. Generally they will rust in half before you have any major mechanical problems.

I've had many vehicles in my lifetime, but my first Mazda is the only one to ever move me to the point of poetry: http://www.tundraman.com/About/Truck/TruckHaiku.CFM

After my last one was totalled by a red-light runner, I wasn't able to find another one for sale within 500 miles. I needed a truck, so I picked up a '96 Ford Ranger. It's nice, but it doesn't have the mojo of my Mazdas.

[frumper64]

I'll throw in another vote for Nissan trucks - I've had two and they have both been absolutely bulletproof mechanically. They also tend to go pretty cheap in both the new and used car markets compared to Toyota trucks. If my current one were to get totalled, I would get another one in a heartbeat.

[billwmeyer]

I have an 85 S-10 and win it finally dies, I will look for another s-10. It has been a great truck.
Bill

[axio]

I'm in the same predicament as I have a 2001 Honda prelude with a rear-strut tower bar, which means I can't really carry any wood at all, so I'm forced to either use my girlfriend's accord (which works great for 2X4's and long pieces of wood, but doesn't do sheets of ply unless it's cut down which isn't ideal at all), or ask my friends with their tacomas to help me out at the HD, which I feel bad for troubling them with. I've been meaning to get an old Tacoma as well, but this thread is giving me a thought towards the nissan trucks as well. My budget is extrememly limited as well since I just bought an engagement ring.

LChien, you work for CR or something? This is the second time in a few days I've heard you mention CR...

[JR]

quote:Originally posted by axio

use my [u]girlfriend's</u> accord ... My budget is extrememly limited as well since I [u]just bought an engagement ring</u>.

Um, axio, does your girlfriend know you're engaged?

JR

[maxparot]

I have a Toyota Tacoma with the standard sized cab/bed. It is still too small for full sheet goods so I find myself using a 4x8 trailer if I need to bring home full sheets. I've been borrowing my sister-in-law's trailer but I see myself buying a HF trailer in the future.
You may want to skip the lite truck for a trailer unless you are looking for a full sized truck.