Best 2000 - 2012 smaller trucks

[gungirl65]

I don't need a truck, but I need a truck. Kind of like how I need a sweet little snub nose Colt revolver.

I'm trashing my Odyssey hauling the things that I do. I'd really like to be able to haul some dirt, rocks and lumber this summer without having to depend on anyone else to do it for me.

I keep finding myself perusing the marketplace for an inexpensive but bad ass little truck.

I'm only 5 ft tall so I need a truck that is small enough that I can reach the pedals but big enough I could pull a little trailer if I wanted to haul something later on. Probably a 4 or 6 cylinder so I can still afford to go out of town in it if gas prices go crazy.

I've driven a couple rangers a couple times in the past but I'm a little disappointed by how rusty some of the ones I am seeing are.

I've seen a lot of gorgeous looking little Dodge trucks that have bad engines or transmission issues.

What's the best little truck for the money?

What can I expect to find for $4,500 or less? Preferably less since I don't really need it.

What are the little trucks or models or years I should avoid?

What little trucks are going to be the most likely to start every time?

Anyone have any little truck experience or suggestions?

 

[BigRed]

Good luck at that price point.

I have a couple of older trucks... body on boxed frame, 4x4 etc.... they are not pretty, but they work like tops.

Ugly as they are, they are way overpriced in today's market where simple trucks are hard to come by... so folks hang on to them.

 

[boogieman]

The chevy and GMC models like the S10, sonoma , Colorado, etc are good little trucks. Most of them have a 4.3 liter 6 cylinder that is generally a good engine. I have had a couple of trucks with the 4.3 with over 200K miles on them and still running strong. If you are wanting to occasionally pull a small trailer I would stay away from a 4 cylinder. As far as fuel mileage goes the 6 isn't much different than the 4. The 4 has to work harder so ends up using more gas.

 

[indyartisan]

Trucks, guns, shoes, everyone has their own preferences.
Within your parameters I would look for a 1998 to 2004 Chevy S10 with the V6.
It may lack some in the tow vehicle catagory but should fit your petite frame well.
CarGurus.com has a pretty good search engine.
I used it to find my last vehicle.

 

[gregkl]

Like was said, at that price point it's going to be tough. Trucks just hold their value.

Probably the best truck would be a Tacoma but those will be out of your price range.

To keep the price low, the aforementioned S10 could fit the bill. I don't think they are very good trucks and certainly not "bad ass", but they would be serviceable.

The beauty of an older, tarnished truck is you don't worry about hauling dirt, rocks, lumber, etc. And all that stuff stays out of the passenger areas.

 

[marvin02]

I don't know what the used market is like for them, but a Ford Transit Connect (pre 2013) may suit your needs. They are ugly, but dependable. Where I used to work we had a number of them that went 250,000 miles of rough use. Well - I just did a quick check and even these ugly ducklings are out of your budget.

 

[gungirl65]

Trucks, guns, shoes, everyone has their own preferences.
Within your parameters I would look for a 1998 to 2004 Chevy S10 with the V6.
It may lack some in the tow vehicle catagory but should fit your petite frame well.
CarGurus.com has a pretty good search engine.
I used it to find my last vehicle.

CarGurus is how I found my Odyssey Elite. I had to drive 2 hours to get it but it was well worth the trip.

I bought it at the Toy Barn in Dublin, Ohio. Awesome place. Beautiful van for about $2 to $3,000 less than the going rate.

I need a deal to justify pulling the trigger on a truck. I do not need a truck. I just want one.

It took me a couple months to find what I wanted at a price I was willing to give for my van but my patience paid off.

I hope it'll be the same with finding a truck.

 

[gungirl65]

What I'm trying to find out is what trucks are money pits and what trucks are good deals.

I'm a single girl and I need a truck that is dependable. I don't have any handy friends.

I have seen absolutely crazy prices for 15 -20 plus year old trucks. But I've also seen some awesome deals in my price range. Those however are often scooped up long before I could ever make arrangements to go look at them.

I am not going to drive the truck enough to justify spending crazy money.

For the right deal and the right truck I might be persuaded to spend more. I'm looking for a cash truck. If I finance something I feel like I have to be nicer to it. I want to haul cool stuff this summer not pamper a truck.

When I say badass I mean I want the truck to purr like a kitten. I want it to shift nicely and I want to be tall enough to see out the windows and see over the nose so I can park it.

You know, a cute little stocky truck that even a girl can drive that won't leave me stranded.

 

[gungirl65]

Like was said, at that price point it's going to be tough. Trucks just hold their value.

Probably the best truck would be a Tacoma but those will be out of your price range.

To keep the price low, the aforementioned S10 could fit the bill. I don't think they are very good trucks and certainly not "bad ass", but they would be serviceable.

The beauty of an older, tarnished truck is you don't worry about hauling dirt, rocks, lumber, etc. And all that stuff stays out of the passenger areas.

I've been looking at the Tacomas too. The right Tacoma could definitely increase my price range I'm willing to spend.

 

[ghuns]

The best small truck is hands down a Toyota Tacoma. Everything else is fighting for a distant second place.

Of course finding one in the $4500 range will be a tough putt.

Honestly, you'll have better luck looking for an early 2000s full size truck in that price range. Find one with a V6, regular cab, shortbed, and it won't be much different than a little one.

 

[indyartisan]

It took a year to find the van I wanted.
I received the CarGuru notice the day the dealership put it on the lot.
700 miles on the clock and traded in by a church for a bigger bus.
Patience and persistence prevailed.

 

[Jaybird1980]

I've been looking at the Tacomas too. The right Tacoma could definitely increase my price range I'm willing to spend.

The Tacoma's are nice trucks, but the ones in this price range have real rust issues (worse than others if you can believe that). Best bet would be from farther South with those.

That said I picked up an 02 Ranger that is really clean this spring for &3500. 4cyl, auto, 78k, reg cab, 2wd. Nothing special, guy moved last spring here from Florida and didn't like it in the snow. Had to be patient though.

 

[Biggredchev]

S10 or ranger. For $4500 i dont think youll find a tacoma with reasonably low miles.

 

[marvin02]

Nissan Frontiers are also pretty solid trucks, but I would choose a Tacoma over them.

 

[indyartisan]

The best small truck is hands down a Toyota Tacoma. Everything else is fighting for a distant second place.

Of course finding one in the $4500 range will be a tough putt.

Honestly, you'll have better luck looking for an early 2000s full size truck in that price range. Find one with a V6, regular cab, shortbed, and it won't be much different than a little one.

I like my full size better as well but I’m not 4’ 11”.
Same V6 motor and gas mileage as the S10 with more room and better ride.
Test drive one and see how it fits.

 

[gungirl65]

The Tacoma's are nice trucks, but the ones in this price range have real rust issues (worse than others if you can believe that). Best bet would be from farther South with those.

That said I picked up an 02 Ranger that is really clean this spring for &3500. 4cyl, auto, 78k, reg cab, 2wd. Nothing special, guy moved last spring here from Florida and didn't like it in the snow. Had to be patient though.

That's the kind of deal I'm talking about. I want someone's truck that they've loved while they've had it and just don't need it anymore and just want to get rid of it. Not someone who's trying to get rich from selling it.

 

[gungirl65]

S10 or ranger. For $4500 i dont think youll find a tacoma with reasonably low miles.

I've already accepted for what I want to spend I'll be looking for something with higher mileage. I'm not afraid of high miles if a truck has been well maintained.

I'm not looking for a daily driver just something dependable enough if I want to go to Indy or Columbus to pick something up it'll make it there and back.

 

[gungirl65]

The best small truck is hands down a Toyota Tacoma. Everything else is fighting for a distant second place.

Of course finding one in the $4500 range will be a tough putt.

Honestly, you'll have better luck looking for an early 2000s full size truck in that price range. Find one with a V6, regular cab, shortbed, and it won't be much different than a little one.

I thought about that too. It almost seems like the full size trucks are cheaper than the smaller ones. I'm not opposed to a full size truck if it's a good fit.

It seems to be the same way with vans. I had considered a CRV when I bought my Odyssey but didn't see enough of a price difference to give up on what I actually wanted.

The question of the day is what are the most dependable trucks for a girl to buy?

 

[Jaybird1980]

That's the kind of deal I'm talking about. I want someone's truck that they've loved while they've had it and just don't need it anymore and just want to get rid of it. Not someone who's trying to get rich from selling it.

Took me a few years, and I looked at plenty that were misrepresented. Patience and Persistent like mentioned up thread.

 

[jinks]

Last year, I purchased a 05 Ranger with a V6 manual transmission for $1500. It has over 200K miles but it was a one-owner trade-in. I inspected the truck prior to purchase and it indicated a cylinder #4 misfire. I pulled the #4 sparkplug and found a very worn sparkplug. The frontend clicked occasionally and there were two new Walmart tires so I expected worn ball joints. The frame was was solid and the body had a rusty area at the back of the driver's side cab. The body was in good shape and Carfax reported a frontend collision without airbag deployment.

After purchasing the Ranger I found the #4 misfire was caused by a bad injector. After replacing the sparkplugs, the Check Engine light came on because the fuel trim was out of specifications. I should have checked the live feed data but I did not. The click from the frontend was from a worn upper balljoint. I replaced most of the parts in the frontend to remove any other potential problems. I also purchased two more matching tires from Walmart. One area I did not check was the front bed cross member. I was changing the rear center brake light and I noticed a soft spot in the front right corner of the bed. The bed was coated with LineX so I did not notice the rust. I have not fixed this yet. I will probably wait until I remove the bed to replace the in-tank fuel pump (something I want to replace because of age/miles).

I have spent a little less than $1000 on parts to increase the reliability of a 16-year-old truck. Many parts were replaced just because of the mileage on the Ranger. Most of the repairs should never be required again.