Some people have one mid-life crisis; I’ve had a series of them, rearing their ugly heads in widely disparate manners, off and on over the past 20 years. In fact, I’m now having midlife crises that are repeats of previous crises.
Example: After a fairly successful knee surgery last month, I decided to buy some new BMX bikes and go riding again, the same way I did back in 2001 or thereabouts. Last time, my partners in this ill-advised venture were a bunch of Bolivian pro BMX racers whose constant orbits around my house combined with the glossy presence of a CL55 AMG and an Audi S8 in my driveway to convince my neighbors that I was involved with the cartels. This time, my main homeboy is my seven-year-old son, newly mounted-up on a watermelon-green Sunday Primer 16 skatepark bike.
The last time I got this serious about riding, I bought a Nissan Frontier. This time I’ve thought long and hard about doing something similar. True, I have a very nice Tahoe Z71 as part of the dowry from my recent marriage, but driving anything as profoundly elephantine as a Tahoe depresses the hell out of me. What to do?
Back in the millennial year, I had at least the following choices for a low-cost manual-transmission compact truck:
- Toyota Tacoma
- Nissan Frontier
- Ford Ranger
- Chevrolet S10/GMC Sonoma
- Dodge Dakota
Probably a few I’m missing in that list. In truth, I never really considered anything besides the Toyota, the Ford, and the Nissan. Of the three, the latter had the lowest transaction cost and the most attractive equipment spec, so that’s what I bought.
In 2017, my choices for an affordable stick-shift extra-cab compact truck are:
- Nissan Frontier
- Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon*
I’ve put an asterisk after the Chevy because, as far as I can tell, the stick shift is available in an extremely limited number of configurations. But that’s okay; I’m not talking about buying a whole fleet of different trucks. I really just need one.
About $22,000 would get me a decent example of the Nissan or the GM twins; compared to the $14,000 I paid 17 years ago for the Nissan, that seems reasonable enough. There’s a stripped-out $18,700 Nissan available, but it’s short a few things that I’d want, like a sliding rear window and A/C. In both cases, we’ve got a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine; the Nissan is a five-speed against the Chevy’s six-speed.
The Colorado is a brand-new truck that has proven popular; the Frontier is an old soldier. Nissan didn’t even bother to bring one to this year’s Detroit show. Both of them are considerably larger than my old 2000-model-year Frontier. It’s best to think of them as halfway between a traditional Eighties compact truck and a traditional Nineties full-sizer.
One immediate shock and annoyance; neither of them rides nice and low like the compact trucks of yore. It used to be that only the 4WD “import” trucks felt lifted, but even the humblest two-wheel-drive Frontier nowadays seems a long way from the ground. This matters, because a tall truck on relatively soft springs is a genuine annoyance to drive. It’s one of the reasons I don’t like the Tahoe. The lower the roll center is, the less you feel the wallowing effect that happens if your suspension is designed for the demands of the mid-Ohio (farm roads) and not the demands of the Mid-Ohio (Sports Car Course).
It might just be a combination of preconception and prejudice on my part, but I don’t get the feeling either the Frontier or Colorado are particularly proud of being compact pickups. The old Toyota Truck (don’t call it a “HiLux” unless you have a passport from a country where it’s sold as such, you jerkoff) never pretended to be an F-150. It was an alternative to the F-150, a vehicle that offered most of the functionality at a far lower operating cost and pavement shadow.
These “compact” trucks, by contrast, have the same high doors and dark cabin as their full-sized relatives, and they conduct themselves in the same ponderous fashion. Surely they’re not aimed at people who can’t afford a new F-150; with the lease rates the way they are, if you can afford a Frontier, you can absolutely afford an F-150. And by the time you equip either of them the way a common-and-garden XLT full-sized Ford sits at the dealer, the money is about the same anyway. The only way the small trucks make sense is if you buy them as low-equipment four-cylinder bargain-basement 36-month-finance specials.
Which truck to pick? This is where bias and pre-existing notions rule the roost for me. I’m intellectually aware that General Motors now offers vehicles that match the “foreign” competition for quality, but my heart tells me the Nissan will still be chuggin’ along 20 years from now while the Colorado will be sitting in a junkyard. Surely there is no factual basis for this — not even the Toyota Tacoma is built like the old half-ton minitrucks, and Nissan was never the small-truck quality leader anyway — but it’s how I feel.
So. A Nissan Frontier King Cab SV it is. Except. Do I really want to stick my son in the King Cab section? That looks and feels like the proverbial deathtrap to me. I grew up riding around to BMX tracks in the back of a 1984 Nissan King Cab, but let’s face it; life was cheaper back then. I’m too old to raise another son from scratch. I literally wouldn’t live to see him get a doctorate. So maybe I should get the Crew Cab. But is that any better, really? And at that point, I’ve lost a stick shift.
There’s also the little matter of am I really dumb enough to buy a truck that can’t tow my race car? What’s the point of buying a new truck if I’ll be back behind the wheel of the Tahoe every time I want to see a checkered flag? I’d better sit down and make a list of what I really need from a truck:
- Safe enough for a 7-year-old in a crash, particularly a side-impact crash, because we’re always best-equipped to fight our last war;
- Carries three BMX bikes and three people.
- Can haul a full-sized racing kart in the bed — there’s a story there, I’ll come back to it another time.
- Can pull a 2,500-pound Miata or Neon on an open trailer.
- Has a decent stereo, since you can’t swap them out any more.
If you try to meet that list of needs with a compact truck, you wind up with a very expensive compact truck. And then you’ll still find yourself wishing you had a larger truck every time you’re towing a car.
I don’t want a $40,000 compact truck. At that point, it makes more sense to get an F-150. So maybe I’ll do that. But the problem is that I really don’t want to drive an F-150. Not one single bit. Don’t want to park it, don’t want to struggle with its bulk everywhere I go, don’t want to get fifteen miles to the gallon, don’t want to fill up my driveway with one.
Still. I can see why compact trucks are a dying breed. It’s too easy to envision a situation where you won’t have enough capacity for the task. Which is, somehow, much worse than buying a car that can’t do truck things, because a compact truck still exacts a considerable penalty in terms of fuel economy, ride quality, crash safety, parking space, and interior comfort.
The sad part is that GM used to make the right vehicle for my task set. It was called the B-body wagon. They’re great. I know, because I used to own one. A Caprice Classic Estate built to modern standards would be the perfect BMX/racing/family-truckster car. Since they don’t exist, it’s F-150 or nothing. I’d kind of rather have nothing. Watch this space, I suppose.
[Image: Nissan]
Forget the truck. Buy a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
Yeah, there’s that as well as the Transit. The “fit a car in the bed” might be an issue as they’re both pretty narrow.
I’m really at a loss as to why the Tacoma and Ridgeline aren’t on this list. If you’re lusting after a B-Body, which while cool in in the enthusiast-hipster sense of the word, is basically a dropped truck with an automatic. If you’re okay with a B-Body but eliminating the Taco because you can’t get a stick, it’s kind of odd.
The problem really is that the F-150 makes all sorts of sense. You already own an Accord; you may as well put one more foot in the mainstream.
I’m not okay with a B-body as they currently exist — I’m just saying that such a vehicle is the perfect template. And it still has something that neither the Ridgeline nor the Tacoma have: a proven V8 with a shit-simple drivetrain.
V6 Taco with a manual sounds pretty proven to me.
Though, good luck finding one.
I’m trying to figure out why the Tacoma would not check off all the boxes. It will tow, it is bulletproof, pricing is in line with everything else, is reasonably good looking,and the crew cab version would haul everybody safely without the supersize footprint of domestic trucks.
IMO Tacomas may be the only pickups that look good with a quality fiberglass top over the bed, along with roof racks for toys. They are very popular with the hikey/bikey set, and have been for years, with good reason. It’s always nice to have a vehicle that can haul topsoil one day and be your residence the next.
Bonus points for having and incredibly low depreciation rate; along with Jeep Wranglers the resale values for Tacoma’s are crazy.
Jack, it’s a good thing you left a *new* Tacoma off the list. From everything I’ve read in the ToyotaNation and TacomaWorld forums, the 3.5l engine is a disappointment, especially the still-unresolved vibration problems (felt through the steering wheel, causing eventual numbness in the hands, and also through the floorpan). The second-gen trucks are great (mine is a ’13).
As for the 6-speed manual transmissions, some of them suffer from problems with the syncros and shift linkage, eventually leading to expensive rebuilds. Some people switch to a Tremec T56 conversion, but that’s expensive, too.
Manual transmission Toyota Tacomas are only with a 4×4 drivetrain.
My 2015 Tacoma 4×4, model # 7513, was only $22.5K after some haggling, before TTL. It’s the 2.7 four with 5 speed manual – which means its towing capacity is limited to about 3500 lbs.
There aren’t many hi-tech bells and whistles to write home about with regards to my Access Cab. For that stuff, you’ll need to step to a TRD OR model – which is $35, plus.
The GM twins with manuals are only available with the 2.5 liter four.
Somewhere out there are a few Nissan Frontier SV King cabs with a manual transmission. Most of them are Frontier S models – which are really stripped down.
The local Nissan dealer had two 5-speed extended cab 2WD trucks. Pretty plain jane (crank windows and white paint)
I believe they were on sale for $19,999.
Not bad when the cheapest (while more fancy) Chevrolet Colorado I’ve seen was $27K.
You can buy lots of toys for $7,000.
The B-Body wasn’t that “proven”. The drivetrain wasn’t too bad, but the accessories and body hardware sucked.
And if you scratch the “V8” portion, the Taco certain is simple and proven. I’m a little less sure of the Ridgeline’s transmission, but holistically I’d put it up against the Canyon/Colorado any day of the week.
Ignoring the F-150 and Tacoma seems deliberately contrarian.
Is the B-body’s V8 really a selling point when, except for the final LT1 versions, it had less power than most of today’s fours?
“ck, it’s a good thing you left a *new* Tacoma off the list. From everything I’ve read in the ToyotaNation and TacomaWorld forums, the 3.5l engine is a disappointment, especially the still-unresolved vibration problems (felt through the steering wheel, causing eventual numbness in the hands, and also through the floorpan). The second-gen trucks are great (mine is a ’13).”
Assuming one can live with the 3500lb tow limit (which I can), the solution is to go with the 4 cylinder/5-speed. the only place where I feel the need for a bit more power is on interstate grades where it won’t maintain 65mph without a downshift. Not a big deal for me, YMMV. The shifter is lovely, positive and precise, the clutch is also quite good. Mine is a 2015 4WD and I’ve never felt any engine vibration through the steering wheel. Finally, configured as such (base 4WD Access Cab with the SR package), it’s a bargain with a sticker near 28K.
“I’m not okay with a B-body as they currently exist — I’m just saying that such a vehicle is the perfect template.”
I don’t think he’s saying he wants an actual ’92 Caprice, but something like a Commodore wagon with the iron-block 6.0L, self-leveling suspension and a 5500lb towing capacity.
So a Tahoe? But really having driven both I think the Tahoe actually handles better.
Ford Expedition is the word your looking for. Covers all the bases, ace of the base, tows your race rig, safe for your son, and steers tight in a parking lot. 3.31 diff gets you 18 mpg at posted speed limit. Upgrade to E boost hills flatten.
Your welcome.
A Metris might also do the trick.
Sounds like you wrote your own Ask Bark inquiry.
And it sounds like you found your vehicle there at the bottom of the article. Go find a used B-Body with the towing package, and ride in style.
If a B-Body wagon is the ultimate option, then perhaps a lightly used Pentastar+8spd RWD Durango is worth taking a look at. Despite the high seating position, they are reputed to handle and ride quite well.
SUZUKI EQUATOR OR GTFQ
Sounds like you need a Tranny. The Ford van, I mean.
I’m with Jack – I’d have second thoughts about putting a kid in those jumpseats in the Frontier too, particularly given his history of side-impact accidents.
How ’bout a *lightly used* F150? Shouldn’t be much more expensive. And you shouldn’t have any safety concerns.
Cheapest way to do an F150 is to lease a new one from a Michigan dealer, as long as you’re willing to take Ford Credit’s flavor of the month as far as configuration.
That’s they way I’d go, then. I don’t know if I’d want my kids in those jump seats in the Frontier.
Sorry not to resist talking sense here, but remember- that lease will probably still have many months left to pay after you fracture a few of your oft-broken bones, curtailing your BMX hobby. Is that a worse prospect, or the knowledge that you’re driving a three-ton truck to transport a couple of 20-pound bikes?
At your age and medical history, may I suggest a new hobby, such as racing drone aircraft, or learning the ukelele?
Both of those really threaten the carpal tunnels, though!
Went through the same costing exercise myself. Wants/needs: small(er) pick-up, Crew cab, long box, A/C, and unfortunately 4Wd as a 2Wd particularly RWD pick-up is a little treachorous for new drivers on icy roads and a Ridgeline was out of the question. No need for towing but used mainly to carry stuff and people
When it was all said and done the small(er) pick-ups were not really cheaper than a full sized one. And those were too expensive. Without the need for towing, a mini-van reared its off ridiculed head as the best available compromise for hauling both people and possessions.
I was going to suggest a Transit (the Sprinter/ProMaster/et al might be a bit high for Jack).
Or the Nissan NV series if you want to stick with Nissans.
Ram ProMaster 1500 with the three-seat option. I think it’s the only van that offers the three-seat option. Obviously, an F150 with a bench seat works too.
Get it in white and you can sell nearly-name-brand speakers in your spare time.
If it was my money I’d get a 4.6L Tundra Double cab, which you can get a decent price on these days.
Would the Ridgeline not work?
The 4.6L iForce definitely flies under the radar but it is a motor worth considering for people that don’t need to extract every last bit of capability out of their trucks. Usefully more efficient than the big-boy 3UR 5.7L, equally-or-more reliable, and like you said ajla perhaps more apt to have a discount applied as “real truck guys” turn their nose up at the lesser-motor option. Those Tundra Doublecabs are pretty darn roomy for what one would still call an extra-cab type setup. The only problem is that Tundras look/feel/are HUGE trucks.
I wish I could buy a brand new first-gen V8 Tundra. In my mind, that truck was the perfect combination of size, ease of handling, comfort, and reliability – I put almost 300K on two of them (combined). Fuel economy was not awesome. That would be the perfect size for Jack as well, 3/4 scale F150.
What about 2017 Ridgeline? Meets towing and BMX needs, should be able to fit a kart in the bed?, fits the people and does so very safely. Not a “truck” but seems like it would do everything you need and would give the Accord another Honda sibling.
I know that at least part of this is a hypotetical outcry for the wagons of youre, but in your specific situation , what law says you can’t buy used?
OK, wanting it to be safe in a side collision limits the years a bit, but preparing for the last battle you lost in this case would be to have decent tires for the situation, not buy a bunch of airbags.
Putting him in the middle up front may be an alternative?
I honestly know nothing about what ‘compact trucks’ you can get in the US, so I can’t give as good an advice as when I kinda made you buy the Accord Coupe.
No sense in buying a slightly used truck — if you work the manufacturer incentives correctly, this year’s truck is cheaper than the truck from two years ago.
+1 on this–between incentives and trade-in value of his 10-year-old pickup, I think my father paid as much for his brand-new ’16 F-150 as he did for the ’06 in 2008.
Yes, there are many 2-year old F150s and such with something like 30K miles selling for the discounted price of brand new ones advertised in the sunday paper.
That is exactly why I bought new. I started out pricing out used trucks for a friend and decided quickly that used made no sense.
Beat me too it. I was going to suggest Ridgeline. Towing might suck, but its got to be better than a Frontier with a 4 cly. Better Drive, plenty safe. No manual but hey. Tacoma SR5 leases are cheap. I was looking at 269 a month for quad cab (whatever they call it) V6 4WD.
Yeah Ridgeline seems like an obvious contender.
But there is nothing manly about a Ridgeline.
CUV’s are for pussies and the Ridgeline is a CUV with a balcony.
There’s no manual version of Ridge.
But speaking of that, one under-appreciated benefit of the automatic is that you can still drive one when injured. There’s no need to press clutch and gas together carefully, and you can use only one hand. I saw another demonstration of how useful that can be only 2 weeks ago when a student in our dojo broke a collar bone. He drove himself home once stabilized. Later they drove 10 titanium screws into him. You’d think that Jack had enough injuries to keep this in mind yet he insists on a manual transmission — in a truck! Surely he has enough Porsches to play with a stick.
Obvious answer is obvious- 2017 Ram 2500 Tradesman Crew Cab Cummins Diesel 6-speed manual 4×4. MSRP $51,045 found online for $37,666. Done.
Please provide the link to this truck. Thank You.
Dave Smith ram Idaho fly in drive home
But why just the Tradesman, when you could go full-unicorn and option out a Laramie Mega Cab 4×4 and still get the stick shift for just $57,865 MSRP before options?
Heck, why stop there? A 3500 DRW Laramie Mega Cab 4×4 is only $59,990 MSRP before options.
A 2500 series truck is going to both drive worse and use more fuel than the F150 for which he wrote: “I really don’t want to drive an F-150. Not one single bit. Don’t want to park it, don’t want to struggle with its bulk everywhere I go, don’t want to get fifteen miles to the gallon, don’t want to fill up my driveway with one.”
Sounds like a gargantuan waste of $38K to me when a full size SUV is already in the driveway.
I’m pretty sure Eric’s original comment was tongue in cheek. Mine certainly was. But FWIW, a Cummins can (not will, just can) get better MPG (not better fuel economy, just better MPG) than a gas half-ton.
If so, my apologies to Eric. I don’t always pick up on subtleties and there are number of commenters here who would make a suggestion like that in earnest.
In your defense, it’s hard to tell the difference between sarcasm and earnestness anywhere on the Internet without the /s tag.
FWIW, you _can_ get a 6-speed manual on crew cab Frontiers (5′ bed only), but the Build and Price is of the idiotic Toyota type that changes the available options based on the ZIP code you enter. So putting, say, 11111 might show a manual crew cab available, but 12345 might not. The Big 3 also require a ZIP, but it doesn’t actually affect what they offer you. Which is how it should be.
Paging through the brochures, one can track when certain options were dropped on an otherwise same ol’, same ol’ truck. Until 2011, you could get a crew cab/6′ bed model in 4×2 or 4×4 with the 6-speed.
Yeah the Big 3 largely want your zip code so they can decide how much incentives to offer you.
Frontier is the cheapest small truck. A fleet spec double cab costs as much as an extended cab Colorado.
Im confused…. I don’t think an old mini truck could do any of the things you require. You know what can though?
The Nissan Pathfinder.
LOL!!!!!
Hrrmmmmm.
Tahoe for the race cars, smallish utility trailer for the bikes/cart on a class 1/2 hitch that you might fit on one of your existing passenger cars?
Looking at your list of requirements I’d just put the racing kart on a trailer behind the Tahoe and get a hitch-mounted bike rack for the BMXs. Simultaneous Tahoe and F150 ownership would be silly since you don’t like the way either drive and the current compact pickups are expensive and compromised and don’t seem to excite you. Save the $22K for racing expenses that will.
This seems like the obvious solution to me. I’m surprised I had to scroll this far to see someone else suggest it.
Side note – I’m surprised at the manual transmission requirement, considering the Baruth fleet includes the Accord Coupe with 6MT, an air-cooled Porsche, Fiesta ST, a Corvette that I’m going to guess has an MT, and at least one motorcycle. Jack also gets to partake in PCOTY and other events for R&T. And the Neon race car that I’m guessing is MT. I had no idea that Jack hated automatics so much that even the utility vehicle has to have an MT. Jack – where do you park/store all of these?
I haul my mountain bikes, road bikes, and cross bikes on an FR-S, I think he could easily get some roof/hitch setup for the Accord that would carry 3 BMX bikes.
Forget the truck, buy a nice enclosed v-nose trailer to hook behind the Tahoe. Not only will it carry all of your stuff out of the elements but you can also set it up inside to be a portable man cave. Then you have a nice place to repair/tune the bikes while your at the events. Buy a decent all aluminum trailer and when you decide to get rid of it you’ll get most of your initial investment back. They’re not tuff to sell.
What’s the point of a Frontier? Same mileage as the Tahoe and I suspect it also has a larger turning radius if it’s a crew cab. Seems silly that the reason for driving a Frontier is because the Tahoe is too big. Really?
Yes, really. Same reason I cannot stand driving a Mustang.
I still have a B-body wagon… Although towing a car behind it gets a bit scary… (Especially when you are towing a 1993 E32 740iL BMW with it… 2,000lb uhaul trailer, 3,000lb car.)
I would go to Harbor Freight and buy a trailer that you assemble yourself. Pay the $50 to get a license place for it and put the bikes in that when you need to cart them around.
Surely *one* of the vehicles you own has a trailer hitch or could have one installed. The v6 Honda would pull this thing just fine. Plus the trailer can basically fold up and be stored in a shed or next to it.
Disappointing that Ford’s going to make everyone wait until 2019 for a Ranger. As for the Bronco, 2020? By then, tastes could change, and it could turn out to be a flop.
Traditional BOF trucks seldom flop, though they can hit rock bottom at “fair to middling.” Worst comes to worst, fleets will still buy white 4×2 extended cab midsizers.
Option C…. buy a 12 year old SRT-10 Ram
Compact…no
Safe…well it’s big
Fuel economy….bahahahahahha
Worth it… absolutely.
Can be had for $20k with less than 40k miles… with a manual!
Get a Silverado and be done with it.
I seem to recall somebody around here saying there is nothing Nissan makes that we would want to buy. And I agree.
Maybe I was mistaken…..
Reading your requirements makes me wonder what if anything would satisfy your requirements. Manual transmission, lower to the ground than a Frontier, able to tow a race car yet not be overly large like an F-150…Has anyone ever made a vehicle like this? Not saying your unreasonable, just that you have tastes that don’t exactly match the current light truck market.
Yes a 2WD Dakota with 5.2 engine, but that was many years ago and their crash standards are not up to par today. Until the new Ranger shows up the only real choice is a Colorado with a drop kit to lower back down to normal levels. I’m surprised that GM even offers a manual for these.
My unicorn truck is the size of my current Dakota Quad Cab, but with a diesel for towing. I need a truck that fits in my garage, has room for 2 full size people and on rare occasions a 3rd. Big enough bed for Home Depots runs but I have no need (nor desire) to haul full size drywall sheets. Honestly the Colorado is very close, expect as mentioned it sits VERY high off the ground, the hood appears to be level with a full size truck. Its almost like GM wanted to make it look bigger so people didn’t laugh at your Trucklet Jr.
Keep the Tahoe. Upgrade the suspension. Can’t you retrofit the police package or something? That Tahoe lowered with some black Cragar 397’s would look mean!
http://www.cragarwheel.com/wheels/wheelsdetails/series-397-soft-8
Seems kind of backwards to put a lowering kit on a Z71 Tahoe. If he had one w/20″ wheels and the autoride suspension w/electronic dampening he’d like the ride and handling a whole lot more. When you use the tow/haul mode on my LTZ the autoride systems firms up the suspension for towing.
B body wagon replacements
Durango
Acadia
Traverse
Flex
Explorer
Tahoe
Armada
Expedition
NV
Things that will do most of whats on the list,
Nissan NV
Ram Promaster
Transit
All the full size pickups
Colorado
Frontier
Tacoma
Ram express 2wd are cheap this time of year.
For me I would buy used Tacoma X runner or ZQ8 colorado. But that’s me.
I did this a year or so ago (and ended up with a used Expedition and a box trailer (literally the box of a Mitsubishi Mighty Max).
I don’t know if you’re after 4×4 or not, but if you are, I believe that only the GMC offers an auto 4×4. Having driven trucks with all kinds of 4×4 (locked-centre-diff only, open centre diff, and auto centre diff), you WANT a full time 4×4/AWD/open centre diff option. It is night and day better on the road in bad weather than either 2wd or locked-centre-diff.
By that criteria, the Ridgeline is also a good option. Or you could import a Crew Cab Ranger from Mexico before the wall goes up, and ship-of-theseus it into a USDM 4.0
And on the trailer front: It all sounds good but, every time you want to use it you have to:
1. Take a dirty/greasy piece of metal (receiver) and install it into a dirty/greasy part of your car (hitch).
2. Grab dirty/greasy chains and hook them up to another dirty/greasy part of your car
3. Connect your greasy trailer plug to the greasy socket on your car.
It’s not the end of the world, but you always need to wash your hands between hooking up the trailer and getting into your nice car. Plus you’re using 2 parking spots, parking way-the-eff out of the way anywhere you stop along the way, and other little inconveniences that make buying the luxury of a pickup worth while.
Plus, there is always the temptation to use the trailer for other projects, or to “store” things in it before bringing them to their final destination, so you either have to forego using it for your planned day, or unload it before and re-load it after your fun-related use.
#1 makes the assumption that you have a receiver hitch and that you actually take the ball mount out when not towing. Leave it in place or use a standard hitch and you don’t have to mess with it. Even if you go the reciever and ball mount set up the only part that should have any grease on it should be the ball itself.
#2 & #3 If your chains and electrical connection is greasy then you are doing it wrong. Seriously fix the leak on the tow vehicle.
Even if you refuse to fix the leak or wash your stuff there is this wonderful new invention known as gloves. They are made to protect your hands from all sorts of things. In all of my trucks and most of my cars there is always at least one pair of leather work gloves or mechanic’s gloves and/or some rubber gloves.
I agree that the storage, driving and parking with a trailer is a pain.
It’s Canada Dude. Greasy or Rusty; Pick 1. Also there is no washing below freezing, only ice.
I like my Expo for the driving experience, I use the 3rd row enough that I wouldn’t want to get rid of it. My real problem is that our OTHER car is also an SUV (also with a longitudinal engine, low range and 4 wheel independent suspension. What can I say, I have a type) when it probably could and should be a crew cab mid-sized truck.
As an aside: What will fit Jack’s wants most closely is a Wrangler pickup. Odds are good it will be available in manual trans and crew cab for a reasonable price. This despite his article against it.
A properly cared-for hitch can be rust-free without being constantly covered in grease. Besides the aforementioned gloves, there’s this thing called a disposable shop towel…
And if there’s anything BMX riders want nothing to do with, it’s dirty/greasy pieces of metal and dirty/greasy chains.
Or you go a little more crazy after buying a tow vehicle and a trailer and spend ANOTHER $1.97 for a set of leather-palmed gloves from Home Depot that you keep in the truck/SUV and only pull out when needing to touch the trailer bits.
But yeah, if there is ANY way to avoid regularly dealing with a trailer unless you have to, avoid it.
Call me crazy, but if I suddenly had the need to transport 3 BMXs, I’d probably just spend a couple grand on a 22RE Toyota pickup… or that old Frontier from 200X. Granted, I don’t have a 7 year old to worry about, but still.
Do BMX bikes fit on a trunk or hitch-mounted bike rack?
Seems like that would solve the problem for about $300 and a couple of hours.
There are lots of ways to solve this for under a thousand, but I don’t think that’s the point.
I went through this a couple of years ago. Was about to pull the trigger on a Frontier crew cab, but the towing capacity was bothering me, as was the size of the rear seat.
I ended up buying a used RAM 1500 express and honestly I couldn’t be happier. Hemi power and plenty of room for people and hauling. Tows my car trailer around very nicely fully loaded.
Given the F-150’s bulk, is there really any advantage to it over the Tahoe you already have?
There are a couple of big advantages to a pickup over a SUV for these applications.
#1 is safety. If that tool box knocked off of the bed rail can puncture the aluminum bed of the new F150 think about what it will do to a person if it starts bouncing around the cabin in a collision.
#2 the bikes and cart will be dirty and likely have things that could damage the interior of a SUV, not to mention the fuel and possibly oil that would be carried when taking the car.
#3 to get that cart in the Tahoe means a big PITA and it becoming a 2 person vehicle and one of the requirements was that it would safely hold 3 people.
All good points.
Captain Obvious
Point 1. The modern full size station wagon with a bed is the Ridgeline. The Ridgeline was designed for these use cases, price be damned and assuming the cart can fit the 63″ length by removing bumpers if necessary.
Point 2. Ego, crisis #4-5-6-?, emotional connection to the past, and the rants about crossover sellouts (something about not being a MAN) will guarantee anything other than a Ridgeline wins — as it does for nearly everyone else with similar needs choosing the big, brawny, cool-er choice.
Thanks for read, enjoyed it.
Nissan Frontier SV crew with the value package… Comes with the fancy spray bedliner, railed tie down system, seat heaters, tow package, fog lights, backup camera, dual zone climate, and backup sonar things… It’s faster in a practical sense than my “sporty” mazda3 hatchback around town and on crappy roads because of the softer suspension and bigger tires. Back seats are comfy enough for short adults or giant kids… The stereo also isn’t tied into everything else so you can just drop in any double DIN head unit you want, but I haven’t found the need to do so yet in spite of the oontz oontz nature of my other car. $25k
I vote for the Tahoe, I’d rather drive that than a Frontier or an F-150. You owned a Town Car, I figured you could appreciate the softly sprung heft of an American land yacht.
So, your looking for something to haul your stuff around. Your rightfully concerned about rear seat safety. That, and your looking for the best lease/buy deal you can find.
Its a no brainer Jack . For me , given the same criteria ? I would go with a Silverado/Sierra double cab. The only reason i would go with GM ,is that with my discount Ford and Ram can’t match the lease payment/terms.
Your leaning towards the F150 ??? Good plan. Don’t screw around with toys. If you want/need a truck ? Get a truck
A grand caravan with the stow and go seats might fit the cart, not sure how big the cart is. The bikes should definitely fit.
Looks like towing rating is 3,600lb. It’d be better to tow the race car with the Tahoe.
I feel like I should defend the F150 a bit, though… all of them don’t get 15mpg around town. The 2.7 in RWD form is rated for 19 and that’s probably pretty accurate from my experience with mine. Highway mileage depends on speed and wind, 22mpg is pretty easy to achieve but the rated 26 is rare. Not sure why, but at higher altitudes mine seems to get better highway MPG.
The point about size is fair, and the way these trucks are the front and side visibility is pretty bad compared to trucks from the 80s and early 90s.
However, the backup camera and sensors and the fish-eye mirrors on the sides make it fairly easy to back in as long as you guide by where other cars are (can’t see the lines of the parking spot unless you point the mirrors down)
Since you have had a lot of fast cars I don’t think you’d be thrilled with a 2.5l four cylinder in a truck, especially hauling or towing things.
The ecoboost Fords are pretty quick or very quick depending on gearing and potential aftermarket tuning.
My daughter has a 12 Frontier Pro 4X crew cab with the 4.0 v6. It can easily do everything on your list. We bought it last year with just 32000 miles on it for $20000. It has been great plus with the locking diff that comes with the Pro 4X it will go just about anywhere.
The right answer is a USED F150, stop listening to your brother’s rants that a new vehicle is cheaper, and put your vanity aside that says you are too good to buy a used vehicle.
It certainly doesn’t sound like you would use if for a daily driver so you aren’t that likely to rack up the miles very quickly. So buy the high mile 3 year old F150 and in another 3-5 years have a truck with average to low miles. It will cost you much much less overall and there really haven’t been any significant safety advances in that time.
I’ve bought plenty of used cars up to and including an ’82 VW Quantum. I have no shame about being seen in a shit box.
Then here’s what you need:
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/ctd/5956286809.html
Sierra Double Cab. The base model 4.3L V6 with a tow package and sliding window. Sorry no manual, but it does everything else for ~30k. I’d change the suspension to something stiffer to mitigate the body roll. I’m not a ford guy but I test drove a new one and I dislike their ergonomics and steering.
A 4.3L double cab *almost* gets me into a truck. I just wish you could do a 2WD one with the 3.42 axle.
I had a 4.3 Crew cab as a rental drove across IL and WI got 18.5 mpg average including getting stuck in traffic outside O-hare for awhile. It’s a nice truck for sure. For me on a fullsize it would be between Silverado and Ram.
I thought they offered one. Must’ve changed it through the years. Kind of irks me that GM makes it so hard to spec the ideal truck without moving up trim levels.
The cheap truck wont have the upgraded speaker option either. One would think they’d offer it on lower trim levels but I guess they upsell trim levels easier than they do single options.
I’d like to try the V6. So far I’m averaging 16.5mpg with my 5.3L, 4WD, 3.42 gears, LT tires, and the front valence removed. I figure thats all good for at least 1.5mpg.
Unfortunately, the stumbling block is the manual transmission. Go automatic, and your options open up considerably. I think any of the 6-cyl mid sized pickups would tow your trailer.
But as much as I think I’d like a Colorado or Tacoma, I know as soon as I needed to tow anything, I’d be wishing for a full sized pickup.
Standard cab F150 XLT with the bench. It will be more comfy and safer than the king cab Frontier. I have a crew cab and I haul 3 across when doing scout camp outs and it is fine if it isn’t an every day occurrence. Throw in the 3.5 EB with the low rear end and enjoy a modern lightning.
It would have to be a RCLB–you can’t get the 3.5 EB in a RCSB–but that’s a plus in my book.
Yeah I just saw that when I went to build it LOL. You can get the 2.7 though with the 6 speed auto, XL sport, and the power/sync package for under 29k. I can’t wait until my kids are grown and I can get a regular cab again. cab again.
Better mileage than the Frontier too (not sure about the 4 cyl.). This I know first hand as my current rig replaced a Frontier.
Why the insistence on a manual transmission? Driving home from a BMX track in a three pedal truck with only one functioning leg is no picnic.
I drove my 5-speed Discovery 410 miles home from a race once with 3 broken ribs on the right side. You might have a point.
I once had to drive myself home from a class where I tore the left ACL. Man, was I glad I didn’t have a clutch to press that day.
Twice I have had to drive home by shutting the car off when I stopped to put it back in gear and starting it in gear when the light turned green. Synchronizers are the greatest invention making it easy once you are moving.
I am also glad I didn’t have a clutch/ignition interconnect.
I once had to ride my dirt bike home with a non functioning left knee through muddy trails about 20 miles. That was not fun.
I briefly (and somewhat aggressively) drove two F-150’s at the dealer. One was a 2WD XLT 2.7, the other a 4WD 3.5TT. The 2.7 was surprisingly sprightly in acceleration, handled decently, and with its 4-pot calipers braked like a current-gen Mustang. The 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost has decidedly ponderous and nautical in comparison — though in fairness, the 4WD may have been equipped with some kind of off-road-ready suspension: I can’t remember.
What we have here is a mutually exclusive list of requirements that cannot all be met with one vehicle. In addition to these:
– Safe enough for a 7-year-old in a crash
– Carries three BMX bikes and three people.
– Can haul a full-sized racing kart in the bed
– Can pull a 2,500-pound Miata or Neon on an open trailer
– Decent stereo
There are also a number of “wants” embedded in the narrative:
– Not too big
– Reasonably pleasant to drive
– Gets decent gas mileage
– Manual transmission
– Reasonably priced
– New not used
And probably a couple more that I’m too lazy to go back and extract. No one vehicle does all these things. Trade the Tahoe in on a mid-size SUV (Grand Cherokee Pentastar) and get a hitch-rack for the bikes. That covers everything except the kart and the manual transmission. Get a trailer for the kart, live with the slush-box. Done. One vehicle instead of two, less insurance, tires, etc.
GC is da bomb, but it’s still wide as heck. Just 4% off F-150.
Sure, but it’s a lot shorter and way nicer to drive. A hitch rack is a PITA with a top-hinged tailgate, but they make hinged racks that swing out of the way. The GC will be ~$5k more as well, but he’ll make most if not all of that up selling the Tahoe.
True enough. I know a guy who is a semi-pro, does club racing. He drives a RAM with diesel and same 8-speed. I asked him about that, he said that “the transmission is slow-shifting, but I like it”. FWIW. Apparently despite being “slow-shifting”, it does not have weird behaviors. Not all racers are dead-set on having a manual in their tow vehicles.
Why don’t you procure a 15mm wrench, remove the 20″ front wheels from the bicycles, and throw everything in the trunk of your new Nissan Sentra POS Edition? You could even afford several chain catchers if you also wanted to remove the back wheels for extra space savings.
So…I’m a man of similar age with two kids of similar age. And I have also bought more vehicle (and vehicles) than needed more often than I care to remember. Not quite the stable of the world famous Baruth, but still.
I gotta say-suck it up buttercup. You already have your answer. You already own the Tahoe. Don’t like driving it? So what. You’ve got the Honda for daily use. No vehicle that can do all the required tasks is going to be enjoyable to drive. But the Tahoe is comfortable, capable, safe, and (presumably) paid for.
I wouldn’t put my kids in the jump seats in a Frontier on a regular basis either.
Just buy a damned minivan and get over the pickup thing. Sienna with a tow package can haul 5500, and your stuff stays dry.
If the stick is a nice to have: GMC Savannah fleet van. Tow your race car _and_ carry your cart+BMX bikes inside at the same time. They would be secure, dry and the space can be used for other purposes too.
If the stick and the handling is a must: Tacoma X-Runner.
Why GMC Savana over a newer design?
The only reason I can see would be V8 and american but the most up to date of that style van is actually the NV.
Exactly. If you absolutely must have an old-school trucky van, go for the one designed in the late ’00s, not the early ’90s.
What you and mopar4wd said. I’m behind on my GMC van nomenclature.
I think they are better than equivalent trucks because they are low to the ground, and so loading cargo like a go-cart is easy.
No no, you’re absolutely right on GMC nomenclature; it’s the van itself that’s been essentially the same since 1996.
The “newer designs” would be the NV, which is basically the same as a traditional van but a slightly more modern powertrain; the Transit, which is very modern in comparison; and the ProMaster, which is FWD, so it has only 21″ of floor to ground (compared to Ford and Chevy/GMC’s 28″).
RAM 1500 HFE single-cab, 3 row bench. 18/25 mpg, bed big enough for 3 bikes, and will tow your Miata/Neon
Jack Baruth –
Go and drive a truck with a “Max Towing Package” or the like. They come with stiffer springs. Often have an anti-roll or sway bar. Rides a bit worse but thing is, they handle surprisingly well for a truck. Zero wallowing.
I drive a 2013 Chevy Silverado with the Max Towing package. It’s basically stiffer springs with anti roll bars, bigger axles, bigger cooling capacity. 1″ taller vs other Chevys. It has the 5.3 V8 – other Max Towing packages come with that awesome 6.2 V8… I had lots of time in a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Chevy actually wallows less and has better steering feel. I’m driving on twisty narrow roads in Maine and am constantly surprised on how little the truck leans in tight turns.
No getting over the sheer bulk, tho. I tire of the bulk. Since you say you’re tired of the Tahoe’s bulk, you might as well trade it in for a pickup with max towing package. It’ll ride worse but handle better. Same mileage. Less clogging up your driveway – not worth buying a truck and keeping the Tahoe – that is clogging up the driveway even worse.
One other suggestion that might be cheaper and more fun: Upgrade the Tahoe with better springs and anti-roll bars. Lower it a touch. It should then handle better. There are tons of aftermarket support for the Tahoe. Use a trailer. If you don’t want a trailer then go for a pickup with max towing package…
As a former owner of a Nissan Frontier King Cab SV with the 6spd and a V6, I can tell you 2 things:
1) The stick shift is vague and shifts like crap. I have owned 8 other manual vehicles and it was by far the worst. You could get the Auto but there is a known cross contamination issue with the transmission cooler that you should do research on.
2) The 2005 Crew Cab Chevy Silverado LT 5.3 I bought to replace it was older but better in every way other than on OHV trails. You can pick one up for between 10 and 20k and sell it when you get bored.
2a) The Silverado also got the same real world gas mileage as the V6 Frontier. The Frontier engine has nice torque but it is a pig.
FWIW 2012 and up models fixed the cross contamination issue (better radiator design) These motors also had problems with the timing chain guides and tensioners which was fixed around that time as well. I had a 2013 and had no issues except the fuel economy. Yes they are pigs.
FWIW I really enjoyed running an Xterra Pro-4X 6spd through the gears. Yeah it’s not a slick sports car shifter, but nor would I expect it to be. I love long-throw truck shifters.
Can’t be worse than Wrangler.
Maybe mine wasn’t well put together from the factory (only vehicle I ever bought new). The manual was worse than the the Wrangler TJ, Ram 2500, and Toyota Tacoma manual transmissions I have driven (and all the other manual cars). The throw distance (back/forth) was fine but there was a lot of slack side to side (proper term?).
Ugh. You can think all you want on this six ways to Sunday, but at the end of the day, the full size pickup is the only option. I saw a new Titan out this AM, looks like total dogs**t. Can’t imagine driving one. There is one thing I’d like to know – what is Danger Girl’s position on this? Does she want the Tahoe to stick around, or is she looking for a new hauler as well?
I ve had the same idea, but……
“residency restriction apply”
If the new V6/6MT Tacoma is no good, might as well go all the way.
Anything worth doing is worth doing fully: F450 Platinum.
Why stop there? A Class D license means you can drive any truck you want up to a Class 6.
There’s a philosophical line in the sand that exists between an F450 and an International Most Xtreme Truck that I assume most are unwilling to cross.
That said, I would own a 1st or 2nd generation TopKick pickup if I owned a warehouse, so I understand where you’re coming from.
Used Ford Econoline – while you can still get a nice one. Fleet spec with some mods and tasteful accessories. It’s really the only useful vehicle to use at races. Keeps your stuff dry and locked up.
Safety was one of Jack’s benchmarks and Econolines aren’t passenger friendly in a crash.
I have a 2008 Frontier King Cab. 4 cyl. Automatic. Not much difference between that and a new one. I don’t tow anything in it. I use it to haul stuff to the dump and bring stuff home from the big box home improvement store. Where I live there are no hills and I consider it under-powered. If I lived in a hilly area, I would not have purchased it. I wouldn’t have bought the V-6 either because high-octane gas is recommended. I don’t dislike anyone enough to make them sit in back. Mine accepted an after-market stereo just fine. Can’t you do that anymore? Mine has a cap and visibility out back isn’t good.
It’s been pretty reliable, but mileage around town isn’t anything to write home about. It rides like a truck and has the turning circle of a much larger vehicle. I have taken it on a few trips of about 250 miles. On the highway, it’s much more comfortable cruising at 70 than at 75. Plus, the dealer is kind of scummy. They charge me much more for parts at the service counter than at the parts counter in the same building, so I’ve stopped taking it to that dealer for service.
I’m satisfied with it based on what I use it for, but I don’t think I’d buy another one.
Must be going around. I bought a winter place in FL, and am thinking that I need something cheap and cheerful to haul stuff around with for DIY projects and as a beater to leave at the airport for weeks on end. And since Mom is insisting on visiting for a month or two in the winter, it has to be an automatic so she can drive it. Currently my M235i is my only car down here, it is only useful for hauling @ss, and a stick to boot.
First choice is yet another Volvo 945, but I am finding that my second choice, and MUCH easier to come by in the Sunshine State, is a basic Ford Ranger (or Mazda equivalent). Just a 4cyl 2wd regular cab, auto and A/C stripper in utility company white would be great. Quite a few around, prices aren’t that cheap for them though. I know a few people with them in Maine, the only issue seems to be rust. Not really a factor way down south… Third choice is probably a minivan, but I just don’t need something that big. Maybe one of the last of the SWB Chrysler vans wouldn’t be too bad, or one of those RWD Mazda vans?
“or one of those RWD Mazda vans”
Do it! The only thing that really kills them off is rust. Mechanically robust. A few harder to find parts, but again, without the rust factor you won’t be dealing with things like chasing down replacement e-brake cables and corroded rear a/c lines. An Aerostar or Astro or Previa are also all good options for utilitarian vans. Older Astros’s 4.3s have finicky fuel injection ‘spiders’ and their front ends seem to need constant tinkering. Aerostars have Ford’s fairly hit or miss automatic transmissions. The biggest downside to any of these choices is keeping such a big greenhouse cool.
The F-150 may seem overkill, but once you have it loaded with occupants, gear, a full bed, hit the drive-thru, then it feels just right. The RCSB is perfectly fine for towing most of what a Tahoe is good for, and the V8 doesn’t force an 8′ bed (or 145″ wb).
Parking it (OMG) about centered in a space doesn’t take too much skill (or a spotter). A girl can do it.
You’ll be glad you didn’t settle for anything smaller (life’s too short!) and probably wish you got a Super cab (extra cab), if anything.
Put a nice bike rack on the Tahoe and be done with it.
Trailer hitch on the Honda with a nice bike rack
Tow with the Tahoe
Or
Trade the Tahoe in for a F150 SuperCrew
I cast another vote for the Ridgeline (or “El Hondamino,” as I call mine). The one I have meets every criteria you list. It would haul your bikes and/or your cart (and has the “in-bed truck” you can fill with ice and beer), and would transport your son more safely than any of the trucks you’re considering. It handles much better than any body-on-frame pickup could ever dream of, and it outruns most any any other midsize truck. Unless you just have to have something that projects a more manly image (aka “overcompensating”), the Ridgeline is worth a long, hard look.
I might buy a Ridgeline myself, but Jack mentioned manual gearboxes and low purchase prices, two features unavailable in a Ridgeline.
He also mentioned knee (and other) injuries, which would be a lot easier to accommodate with an automatic (I speak from personal experience on this topic). And the Ridgeline is MUCH easier to get in and out of than a “traditional” pickup where you almost need a step ladder. The base Ridgeline isn’t too outrageously more than what he’s been looking at.
The Ridgeline ticks the most boxes on his vehicle mission statement, but I strongly suspect he wouldn’t be caught dead in one, so I didn’t bother suggesting it in my post above.
I have a PILE of money just lying around. I have numerous vehicles but feel the need to buy another. I am American and my balls will drop
off soon if I don’t have a pickup truck. I like to live vicariously through my kids, and can justify any outlay if they are remotely involved.
Even though I have drunk myself half to death and been reckless my entire life, I now need to have a SAFE vehicle that will do 0-60 in 5.8 seconds,
like a F-150 with TWO turbos so I can drag with 3.5 Altima enroute to the
BMX racecourse conveniently located three hours away.
Can you please help me spend this money? I don’t know much about cars and things.