"YukonBound" wrote in message
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"Harryk" wrote in message
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On 1/3/11 11:49 PM, Tim wrote:
I haven't seen where smaller trucks are really that great of a savings
compared to their bigger counter parts, Especially if you plan on
really using them.

It depends on how you plan to use a truck. I no longer have a trailer boat
so I don't need a full-sized truck to tow a heavy boat. The smaller trucks
are...smaller...and therefore easier to park, easier to maneuver, a little
easier on the gas. Most of the time the "stuff" my wife buys at the garden
shops and other stores will easily fit into a smaller truck. The other
times, the "stuff" is too large for even a full-size pickup truck.

I happened to park next to a new Toyota Tundra the other day, and thought
that truck was just humongous. I owned a Tundra some years ago; it was
significantly smaller than the current models.

The new trucks do seem way too big for a city dwelling weekend warrior.
I did have the Ranger for three years , but I have mixed feelings about
them.
I could never claim to be tall in a newsgroup where every second poster
claims to be 6' 4" and weighing 230 or so .................... but on the
other hand, if you stood me next to Scotty..................
anyway, they jack the Rangers up.. even the 2WD versions and seem to
compress the cab height so you have to sit in a lower seat that say, a
mini-van or even a RAV4.
I found the seat of firm foam uncomfortable for a couple of months and even
called the salesman to see if I could unload the Ranger and move up to a
F150.
He told me to wait and the foam would conform to my shape.. and he was
mostly right.
If I was in the market today, I'd take advantage of the great sales Ford has
been offering and try to find a short wheelbase regular cab F150. (6.5 foot
box).
That's all I would need the vast majority of the time and I could always put
a cap over the box to accommodate the dog.


Reply:
Son in law has an older Tundra. Nice size truck. I drove it about 500
miles. Ride and driving did not impress me. Sloppy steering and truck did
not give a solid feel. Felt like lots of road steer. My 1989 s-10 extended
cab was a nice size truck for most city people. Hauled just about every
thing you needed to haul as a home owner. I love my 2004 Crew cab, short
bed diesel Chevy 2500. Comfortable, decent mileage. 19 mpg no towing and
driving 80 mph to Los Angeles. 14 towing a 3300# boat and trailer with a
1500# pop-up camper. Drawbacks? Takes huge area to turn around in and
large parking spaces. Newer Tundra's seem to be oversized, poor mileage
from the people I have talked to. Seems as if most of the trucks are
supersized these days. The Tacoma would be the small truck I would get
today if not towing or hauling a camper. Is a nice size unit. Was looking
at an F-100 Ford the other day driving down the road. Seemed to be about
the same size as the Tacoma. And the F-100 was a popular truck for a lot of
years.

On 12/26/10 6:07 PM, I am Tosk wrote:
In ,
says...

On Sun, 26 Dec 2010 15:06:57 -0500,
wrote:


Who has a recent vintage "smaller" 4x4 pickup truck and what has been
your experience with it in terms of durability, fit and finish, small
boat towing capabilities, gas mileage, et cetera.

By smaller, I mean pickups like:

Ford Ranger
Toyota Tacoma
Chevy Colorado
Nissan Frontier

I had a 4WD Colorado with the I-5. Limited carrying capacity and even
my son's 17 foot aluminum G3 felt like towing an anchor. It got 20 MPG
on the highway, unless towing the boat and then it got about 14 MPG. I
think, even with the new V8, they just aren't designed to tow that
much.

I now have a 4WD Silverado with the 5.3L V-8 and can tow anything less
than the Grady effortlessly. I get 20MPG in the winter on the highway
and 18.5 MPG towing my MC trailer and the G3. I think I can tow about
9,700#.

I had owned a Chevy big block dually that got 8 MPG, regardless...
then an S-10 and the Colorado... so, I thought the increase in mileage
was worth it.... I won't own another mid size truck, I don't think.

I had the Dodge Dakota and hated it... At 5'7" there was no room to move
the seat back far enough for even my comfort on long trips driving. The
gas mileage sucked at about 17 miles per gallon at best... For around
town and as a work truck I think it would have done fine with the big
engine. It was a nice "tough" solid feeling truck but it was just a
glorified car with a bed, no passenger space, and bad mileage. Ours had
the big engine though...


Thanks.