So Ive have been wanting a truck for sometime now and I have pretty much drove cars my whole life (except for the gas hog Jeep Grand Cherokee im driving now)...I want to buy a decent truck that if need be I can put my F4i in the bed and take a trip. I want something that will not eat my whole paycheck for gas so I can start saving a bit. Like anyone else I want something dependable and gas friendly. I was leaning toward something like an S-10 or a Ranger( For the benefit of cheap gas plus i like the body styles of them). Kind of wanted something with the backseat/bench capability. I am a college student so I dont have a ton of money to begin with. Not too sure how much I want/can afford to spend yet but i was thinking somewhere around 4-6K. Any Recommendations???

 

Ranger or S-10 is probably going to be your only real option. A gutless 4 cylinder too, because even the V6 get "terrible" mpgs.

FWIW, I love my F-150 and even with the 5.5' bed, my F2 fit in it just fine. It isn't gas friendly though... no truck really is.

Might be able to find a Tacoma in decent shape. That would be an option too.

 

Yeah I know those were pretty much my only 2 options lol...I just wanted to get some advice and some different perspectives maybe if anyone had experience etc...thanks!

 

I had a 97 Ranger. It was a decent truck. 5 spd and 4 cyl. Slow as dog turds. Bed was decent size though. Never had a bike in it but I am sure you could. It wasn't the extended cab though. My buddy had one but those only had two "jump" seats in the back. Not much room.

You probably could find an older F-150 in decent shape in your price range that is extended cab. Might be better size wise. Won't be better on gas though.

 

Like mentioned earlier, ALL trucks are gas hogs. I have an 02 S10 ZR2, and it too is a gas hog. It only has the one jumper seat in the back, no bench seat. The next question you need to know, is do you want 4x4? If not, a 4 cylinder will you by fine hauling your bike around. Your bike should fit in the back of the bed, but to able to keep the tailgate closed, you have to load it from corner to corner of the bed.

 

This.

 

Yeah like I said I dont know much but at this point anything is better than my $120-160 gas charges for a 10-12 day period of minor to moderate driving...I like all the input keep em coming! Never thought of a tacoma that might be an option too!

 

If you want cheap(er) skip the 4wd, and just go with an old 90's truck. I've got a '90 chevy cheyenne I paid $900 for, and it get's just fine mileage. 5spd will save you on gas every time, depending on your driving style. Plus the Bed is huge, and I'd have no prob fitting a bike in there.

 

Mazda B-Series
I personally owned a 1986 B2000 a hand me down from my grandpa. Ran great until a cop ran a stop sign and totaled it. No major engine work was ever done to it except replaced clutch and oil changes.

Nissan King Cab
My dad had a 1984 that lasted till the late 90's.

 

If you get an older S-10 or Ranger don't spend to much money. (Especially on a Ranger) If your looking at getting an older one personally would find one that costs under $1500.00. No offense to anyone who has them, but they are a terrible investment. Especially if you are going cheap and buying an older body style. They are known for some common issues. (What car isn't) They depreciate terribly and once they start rusting no one wants them since an older 4x4 F150 can be had for the same money. (Guessing that you are looking at a mid-late 90's truck.
If you're looking at this from the perspective that you want a cheap fuel economy pick-up that can't really do that much or really haul that much, but is good on gas then I say go for it. Just don't spend to much money on one and don't expect to fit that full size couch you found at a garage sale in the back of it either.

If you're wanting to spend a little extra money and looking at a newer body style I would look at the second-third year of a generation of any build. For example 2004-2008 F-150's all have the same body style and hold their value better than say an 02-03 since it's a newer generation F-150. I would never buy the first year of the generation since they haven't worked the bugs out yet (I'd stay away from 04's). That said why would you buy an 08 when you can get an 05-06 for probably 50-60% of what an 08 would cost.