Buying advice: car or truck? or both?

[bigweedy]

I'm kind of torn on this one and thought I could get some input on what might best fit my needs.

I would really like to have a truck. Since buying a house 3 years ago I constantly find myself needing a way to haul things and always end up borrowing from someone. To clarify, I don't need to pull a trailer or anything like that. I'm mainly talking about yard waste and things like that. Here's where it gets a bit cloudy for me. If I purchased a truck just for this purpose, it would be a third vehicle. My work car is a 96 Dodge Intrepid in decent condition. I've been wanting to upgrade to something a bit newer in that area too. My thought was that I could possibly find a truck that would serve both purposes - primary work vehicle and also hauling odds and ends. The concerns I have in using a truck as my primary work transportation are mainly gas mileage and winter driving. I drive 20 miles each way, all highway, so I'd like something that isn't a gas hog. I'm thinking compact pickup of some sort. But I also live in the Midwest where we get plenty of snow and ice all winter long. A compact pickup that is strictly rear wheel drive isn't the greatest in those conditions, which makes me think I'd be better off with a 4WD model. 4WD models generally have worse fuel economy, so I'm kind of stumped on what the best option is.

What recommendations would everyone have on a good used compact pickup. I'd say $5000 or less. Could go a bit higher. I've always liked the smaller Nissans and Toyotas. I wouldn't be opposed to a Ranger, S10, or Dakota if I know reliability won't be an issue. Any recommendations on models/years or specific ones to stay away from? Anyone driving a 4WD model and getting tolerable gas mileage on the highway?

Or would I just be better off just shopping for a little Civic or other economy car and driving that to work and looking for a very basic older truck under $1000 that would take care of my occasional hauling needs?

Thanks in advance

[oldblu65]

Originally Posted by bigweedy

I'm kind of torn on this one and thought I could get some input on what might best fit my needs.

I would really like to have a truck. Since buying a house 3 years ago I constantly find myself needing a way to haul things and always end up borrowing from someone. To clarify, I don't need to pull a trailer or anything like that. I'm mainly talking about yard waste and things like that. Here's where it gets a bit cloudy for me. If I purchased a truck just for this purpose, it would be a third vehicle. My work car is a 96 Dodge Intrepid in decent condition. I've been wanting to upgrade to something a bit newer in that area too. My thought was that I could possibly find a truck that would serve both purposes - primary work vehicle and also hauling odds and ends. The concerns I have in using a truck as my primary work transportation are mainly gas mileage and winter driving. I drive 20 miles each way, all highway, so I'd like something that isn't a gas hog. I'm thinking compact pickup of some sort. But I also live in the Midwest where we get plenty of snow and ice all winter long. A compact pickup that is strictly rear wheel drive isn't the greatest in those conditions, which makes me think I'd be better off with a 4WD model. 4WD models generally have worse fuel economy, so I'm kind of stumped on what the best option is.

What recommendations would everyone have on a good used compact pickup. I'd say $5000 or less. Could go a bit higher. I've always liked the smaller Nissans and Toyotas. I wouldn't be opposed to a Ranger, S10, or Dakota if I know reliability won't be an issue. Any recommendations on models/years or specific ones to stay away from? Anyone driving a 4WD model and getting tolerable gas mileage on the highway?

Or would I just be better off just shopping for a little Civic or other economy car and driving that to work and looking for a very basic older truck under $1000 that would take care of my occasional hauling needs?

Thanks in advance

I can't think of any 4x4 that gets good gas mileage , it's just against their DNA. Too much weight and all that driveline apparatus involved ( even when only running 2wd ) really hurts your MPG . I'd go with your last option - a good MPG car ( i.e.- Civic or similar ) for the daily drive and a cheap truck for needed hauling . " Just thinking out loud " but that's what i would do if I were in your situation !

[bigweedy]

Originally Posted by oldblu65

I can't think of any 4x4 that gets good gas mileage , it's just against their DNA. Too much weight and all that driveline apparatus involved ( even when only running 2wd ) really hurts your MPG . I'd go with your last option - a good MPG car ( i.e.- Civic or similar ) for the daily drive and a cheap truck for needed hauling . " Just thinking out loud " but that's what i would do if I were in your situation !

Thanks for the reply. That's kind of what I had always thought about 4WD, but having never owned one, I wasn't sure if I was being unfair in making that assumption. I could tolerate 20 mpg maybe on the highway, but that's hard to stomach when I could get maybe 30 in a small car. It adds up. I know I could find an inexpensive truck to fit my needs. I wouldn't really care what it was in that case as long as it wasn't a money pit in the maintenance department.