Any Car/Truck People in Here?

Equinox

I'm excited to say that this summer I will be getting a car of my own. The reasons why I can't get one now is because 1) I only just turned 16 and my parents don't feel like I have enough experience for my own car, and 2) they just bought a Toyota Prius, and don't feel up to paying for another car right afterwards.

It'll be a truck (!!!). I am tired of having to put protective covering over our nice, expensive leather seats and always being careful about Trent's nails scratching and scrambling on the sides of the car. I want a nice, sturdy, old manual truck. I know those are tough to drive, but I can handle it.

Budget is anywhere from $3,000 - $5,000, but I'm not sure what I should expect to pay for a used truck.

Could experienced car owners/buyers tell me what to look for in purchasing a used car? What make/model does everyone like? If not, any suggestions as to where I can start learning more about cars?

Labsnothers

You will find the same consensus about a truck as you do on dog food here. I hang out a lot at http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ Since it is quite non competitive Puppy and dog, i think it should be Ok to mention it here. It is oil oriented, but a good portal to the automotive world.

Me, I would look at a Chevy or GMC S10.

.308

I'm a Toyota truck guy, not really for heavy duty work, but for dependability.

I've found they are VERY reliable if taken care of (unlike some issues Ford, Chevy and Dodge may have), and for going into the mountains on the east coast, the smaller body of the Toyota will get you on some backroads that the larger frame trucks can't unless you want to bang the body up.

Taken a couple of Toyota trucks out west for kayaking and hiking, and the west side of the country has more open spaces and the size of vehicle isn't that important.

Under 5k for any truck limits your options. Honestly, I'd be afraid to get an American truck used with over 150,000 miles on it. That said, have a buddy who has a deisel Ford F350 with over 300,000 on it still going strong.

Depending on your weather, 4x4 would be mandatory. Here in NC, having 4x4 now only helps me out back when I'm taking the truck on my property for work (real light duty stuff) and if I only had to drive the truck on the roads around here, 4x4 would be a waste of money (never needed). However, when I lived in upstate NY, if I didn't have 4x4 (and still some weight in the back end) I really wouldn't of been able to get home from work (as well as Maine and West Virginia)

To give you an idea...

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...25&cardist=299

You may want something bigger.

Not sure if you a guy or girl, but if your a girl, there's nothing more sexy to a guy than a woman who can drive a straight drive (AKA manual) truck

digits mama

I am one of those buy American, drive American girls. I own a ford F150 and it is a great truck. It is a 2007 model but it is automatic. My other truck is a Dodge 3500 with a cummins diesal that has over 350,000 miles on it and recently had to change the fuel pump in the tank (what a biotch too) but that truck has been through heck and highwater for me.

Ford is the only american maker that refused the bailout money. They are reasonably priced compared to Dodge (*which is my first love) But I think because of that Im sticking with Ford. Not my first choice (cosmetically) but they are really good trucks.

And 308..as for your last comment. I still like pie.

nikkiluvsu15

For me... I love Ford!

We have an old (well its a '99) Ford F-250. It's the biggest tank you would ever imagine and it can't turn worth a crap (try taking your diver's test in that!LOL.), but its awesome to drive! We haven't had one single problem with it, the only thing we've ever had to replace is the battery. We've taken it out west on vacation about 4 times and we never had one single problem with it. (Think about it... Going from Florida to Wyoming (and numerous other places.. like Oregon!!!!=D) in a 99 F-250!)

It's got 350000 miles on it and its still going strong! Showing no signs of slowing down....

Anyways... if your looking for a smaller truck? I don't really want to recommend any certain make or model, but just to look for a truck that is in really good condition and that you feel good about, buying and driving.

I really wanted a truck too... but then gas got really expensive and I couldn't find one that I really liked... so I got a Ford Escort for really cheap... like 1,000 or something. It's an awesome car! The only thing we've had to do was replace the belt, but we got that for cheap because my uncle is a Ford Mechanic and family gets a discount. It's only got like 70,000 miles on it and Harleigh fits nicely in it. lol.

For us.. Ford works great. Maybe we're just lucky or something? The truck has 350000(maybe even more..) miles on it. My dad's car ('99) has almost 400000 miles on it and he drives it to work every day, which is in Jacksonville about 2 hours away. My mom's 2005 Expedition has like 250000 miles on it or something like that. I guess we just like to drive the wheels off of them.

Good luck on your truck hunting... I know I wasn't very helpful. Pretty much just rambling the whole time.

Marsh Muppet

Full sized trucks can be found very reasonably priced, on the used vehicle market. That's because people still have painful memories of $100 fill-ups. Yes Virginia, gas is going back up to $5/gal. Eventually.

The smaller Japanese trucks are cheaper to run, but they don't get really great mileage. 4WD will cost you MPGs. 2WD pickups and SUVs are some of the worst vehicles to drive in bad weather. You have not lived until you've watched your truck's tailgate racing the front bumper through an intersection.

Were I to go out car shopping with my new-to-driving teen, I'd be looking for a Subaru Outback or Forester. In your price range, you can find a clean one with comfortably under 150,000 miles on it. That'll keep wheels under you for years, and they are not too thirsty. They don't have the ground clearance to really go off road, but they will get you in and out of places you couldn't go in a normal car. They handle very nicely (esp. in bad weather conditions), and are very crashworthy for a small car.

Spitzy

Fun! The first car that was dubbed "mine" after I learned to drive was a little, old, manual drive Ford Ranger truck. I loved it - I really loved the visibility with the shell off. Of course, with the shell off there isn't much weight on the back wheels, so I had one particular scary turn in the rain where the back tires broke a little loose. So I agree with others that handling in bad weather is certainly something to take into account.

Another thing to consider - would you want Trent to be on the front bench seat with you? Or are you looking into one of the cabs with a second row of seats where he could go? I guess I'm saying... where you fall on issues of doggie safety will probably dictate the style of truck.

Anyway, mostly I wanted to post this link for a car research site: edmunds.com I've found it really useful when researching cars - they have data going back through the years for (used) cars, what typical (used) prices should be, lots of reviews, and features (I seem to recall) like being able to check cars you're interested in and have a screen where the specs are lined up for comparison.

Also, wanted to agree with this.... If I had to get another (dog friendly!) car right now, I'd probably be looking for an Outback or Forester - particularly if/when I move back into the rain of the Pacific Northwest. Last time I looked, though, I thought they were a little pricier?

Equinox

Thank you for the recommendations and links everyone, keep them coming. Surprising how much I can learn on DF, even if it's entirely unrelated to dogs.

I'm a girl.

and THAT is what sealed the deal for me

My girl friends think I'm crazy for wanting a truck. They think trucks are "ugly" and "bulky". Their loss - I personally love the look and feel of a truck.

By the way, what should I expect to pay for a good used truck? Is over $10,000 actually considered the norm? Because the budget isn't too tight, and I know my dad wouldn't mind paying over that if it's enough "bang for buck". On the other hand, $10,000 may be pushing it.

Thank you for the recommendation. Aesthetics aren't something I get caught up in - any nice, sturdy, reliable truck will work for me. I will definitely be looking into all of these.

Size isn't too big of an issue, and definitely not a deal breaker.

I'm glad someone my age is just as excited about trucks as I am! I wasn't exaggerating when I said my friends think I'm crazy.


Thank you for the information and pointers. Gas isn't $5 a gallon yet, but I can see my parents not being all too happy with expensive, frequent trips to the gas station. I will have to keep that in the front of my mind.


Dog safety is pretty much one of the most important aspects. Trent will be sitting right up in the front next to me. My father's old truck (resold a long time ago) also had only two seats, and it was great.

Plus, no loud, crazy friends begging to hitch a ride with me. I love them to death, but I know how many people die in car crashes because they were distracted by their friends.



Thank you for the recommendation. Price isn't too big of a deal, as long as it isn't $10,000 and is worth the money. I do see a lot of those (Outbacks and Foresters) around here, so hopefully it won't be too hard to get my hands on a good used one.

FilleBelle

My dad LOVES his Ford Ranger. I know it's a small pickup, but it's a pickup nonetheless and it gets way better gas mileage than a full-size.

I wanted my first car to be an old school pickup, but I couldn't swallow the amount I'd have been paying in gas.

Cracker

I can't give you any info or advice except to say have fun! LOL

I am 43 years old, have been driving since I was 18 and I JUST got my first vehicle (it was a freebie..gotta love that). It's a 99 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport. Some body damage, 130 thousand Kms on it. Me and the "dogwalking" dogs have a ball tooting around in it. I took the middle seats out, left the back bench and the dogs have the whole middle of the cargo area to themselves. Now, if I could just find a car wash place with a strong enough vacuum to get the white GSD hair out of the carpet..lol. Memphis the GSD sheds like a son of a gun!

CoverTune

For trucks, I'm a Ford girl, it's what our family has always owned. My parents had an old Ford truck that they drove until the body fell apart (not sure what the milage was, but I know it was way up there!!) and they immediately replaced it with another Ford. That was about 7 years ago, and the '02 F150 is still going strong and looks and runs like brand new.

Personally, I've always wanted a Ranger. I was SO close to getting one too.. test drove it, came home and talked the parents, called the place within an hour to say I would take it, and it had sold! Anyway, it was a '91 manual with under 100,000km.. the tranny was shot, but they were only asking $1,000 for the truck.. new tranny was going to be a few hundred bucks, so it was a STEAL.

Anyway, that's my opinion, Go Ford Rangers!

Skeeski

My first vehicle after I got my license was a 1998 lifted Dodge Ram 1500. I have had it now for almost 4 years and it has been nothing but a tank the whole time I've had it. (sans a power steering pump from off roading and stuff from when my ex totaled two cars with it).
I would look at older dodges/chevys, you could get a really nice example of one with that kind of price range, especially a manual.
That being said I FULLY agree about looking to to a Subaru, Forester or Outback. They are fun and reliable as long as you keep up on general maintenance. Fantastic in the snow and nasty weather. And as stated above, you wouldn't be at the gas station every 15 miles.
Good luck and have fun!