As it turns out, driving is turning into a real chore so I've decided that I want to sell my subaru and just get a pickup that I can use to haul my bike around to trackdays on + use in the winter/random daily driving. Now, I've got 0 knowledge about pickups and it's hard to get info when it comes to pickups in relation to loading bikes n' stuff.

What I'm looking for:
4wd (if possible).
Enough room and ability to secure a bike in the back.
Low enough (or aftermarket suspension support) so getting a bike on/off by myself wouldn't be an issue.
Good gas mileage (if it's even possible with a pickup).
Reliability (I'll be buying used, which means I'll be looking at trucks with a good 80k+ miles on 'em).
And as cheesy as it sounds, I want a good looking truck.

What I don't want:
Overkill in terms of torque/power.
Ginormity.

Any advice would be helpful.

 

1 major problem is your not going to get a LOW 4x4, with easy access for a bike.

If having a low bed is very important, I would go for a 90s/early2000 2wd nissan or toyota 4 cyl, and minitruck it... barebones and indestructable.

buy an el camino?

personally once i get my financing in order i am getting a 4x4 frontier and lifting it, so kinda opposite what you want...

could you get a trailer for your bike instead of a truck? probably smartest method.

 

Man an el camino would be sweet... however, I'm looking for reliability.

 

bought myself a 05 toyota x runner. i love the thing. gets about 20mpg. its lowered 2in. extended cab. 4.0 v 6. 2wd but thats all i need. has plenty of power. and its a yota. its reliable(unless the pedal sticks)

 

Oh man, that thing looks pretty sweet. How'd you lower it? Do they sell lowering springs or even outright coilover kits? I know you guys get some snow down in VA, how's it deal with the snow? Oh, and I'm not worried about the gas pedal sticking, I took the course on moving your right foot and hitting the middle pedal.

 

haha. thanks for that laugh! i havent had it in snow. last year i bought an A4 awd for that . but ill let you know this year. but im positive its like any other vehicle if you take it slow you will be fine. as for lowering kits. they sell blocks for the back and springs for the front. check out SittinSic products. bought my kit for $200. also invest in some 1Qa shocks. i havent done that yet its next on the list. i get plenty of compliments on it. most dont know what it is.

 

that X Runner is a sexy truck!

 

Have you considered just getting a trailer for your bike? It would be so much easier for one person to load and unload. Just drop the ramp and drive the bike on. Plus, you can pimp out the trailer and have all of your track gear stuff on it. Being your only going to be hauling one bike, you can get away with a pretty small trailer. Or, if you ever want to go to the track and haul a friends bike too, its much easier. You can even get into a nice enclosed trailer for a decent price.

If you can do that, it will open the door for just about any vehicle you want.

 

+1 on getting a trailer. Does the subaru have a hitch? That would be perfect.
Small trailers are cheap and you can probably find a nice used one for uber cheap.

 

My 01 Chevy 1500 Z71 fits 2 bikes in the back. 5.4 V8 gets 400miles per tank all highway and about 300 normally. Amazing driving in the snow. Your going to need a ramp to put the bike in the truck. Your gonna WANT help putting it in as well, basically just start it up put it in first stand on the left side and slowly clutch it up and walk beside it while someone guides it and use front brake if necessary. Very easy to get the bike in. Dont not get a truck because of its height because youll pass up some good trucks.

Although you can probs find a damn cheap one on craigslist, a trailer is a complete waste of money unless you use it frequently. First you need to find a suitable one, buy it possibly pay sales tax, buy the tow hitch and ball (other stuff if ur car doesn thave two package w/ a harness) insure it, pay for a new title and then pay to register and inspect every year. Youll need some one to guide you to back it up so your ball is under the hitch. Lower it, make sure its on there real nice. Then you gotta unhook it when your done so you are by no means saving time. If anything its more of a hassle than grabbing a 2x10 out of the garage. Then you need somewhere to keep it 99% of the year when your not using it.

Trucks are a perfect combo of trailer and car imo. You can even get a V6 if your worried about gas. If u live anywhere that it snows u want the 4WD anyway.

Chevy and GMC are the most reliable trucks in the 98-02 range (most probs have 80-125k miles by now). Tacomas are excellent as well. Forget about Dodges with those miles.