I want a reliable truck that can take off-roading and use as a daily driver for under 8k midsize or full size not really into Tacomas any recommendations?
nissan frontier ford ranger
I also agree, the market is going to be slim pickings for that price range and larger trucks. If you can tolerate a small domestic, try to find a 4x4 Ford Ranger with the styleside bed, not the flareside (Ford lingo for a stepside). $8,000 should buy a pretty decent one. I have a '99 4x4 Flareside with the Off-Road package and it performs well off-road on a hilly farm. It handles great in snow as well. I move tools, car parts and build radio telescopes out of satellite dishes I find. It works well for that stuff. They're slow, but who cares, it's a truck, not a Mustang. I daily drive mine with 267k. No problems.
Yeah I loved the Ford ranger my grandfather had one with a v6 4x4 but it kept spinning out on highway speeds would I have to worry about that?
Mine doesn't have any handling issues on the highway, and I drive about 30 miles a day via highway. You may want to mind the yellow speed limit signs going around curvy on-ramps, going 45-50 on a 35 ramp makes the factory lifted truck feel like it wants to roll over, but it's fine otherwise. I have cheap Kelly All-Terrain tires on mine and they hold the road quite well. I also replaced rusted shocks with Monroe heavy-duty shocks. They seem decent, so far. It's a stiffer ride, but it laughs at the potholes in town.
One thing about the Ranger is that they were rust prone. If you are in a place like Houston Texas it probably won't be a big issues for you. But if you are right in the rust belt like I am, you really need a good inspection on the body.
That is true. The rear frame of my truck had some rot around the shock mounts, but it was early and some quarter inch plate with a welder made short work of it. My truck was in Kentucky and Tennessee its whole life, so it's still pretty solid. I paid $3000 for it.
thats gonna be tough right now
i found a 2002 V8 tundra 4x4 this week for $8600 roadside , dont plan to drive it much, maybe pull a trailer occasionally
Fullsize I would go F150, Tundra, Ridgeline. In that order. On used Tundras thats gonna put you in the first few years they were made. There was a frame rot issue some had. Take a screwdriver or small hammer and check the frame. Toyota did frame replacements on some. Coatings on others. If nothing was done most of the time the truck can look great, and underneath be falling apart.
Midsize trucks only ones I would touch is a Tacoma, or an older S10 with the 4.3 V6. Those older 4.3 GM motors are tanks if taken care off properly.
Are older f150 like 2005 or 2007 4x4 a good choice because I was looking at some that were 8,000 or 9000 with a little over 100,000 miles
Yep, if taken care off most F150’s go well over 200k miles.