Hey Scotty, what’s the best used pick up to get? I’m really wanting to trade my car in next spring for a pickup. Also any trading advice would be great too! Thanks
Scotty has videos on this. Toyota Tundras, Tacomas, Nissan Frontiers and old Ford Rangers are his top four or so picks. Stay away from newer GM consumer grade trucks. They don't have the quality that GM used to have. GM makes the rear ends in Mexico and they have the slop equivalent of driving an old US-sourced unit 60k miles from new.
He likes older F-150s as well. The newer 10-speeds aren't great.
Personally, I'd recommend the Rangers, because you can get 'em lots cheaper than the Toyotas, they made millions of them, and you see them everywhere. The 4×4s with the torsion bar front ends are very easy to work on the suspension if you ever need to. Ford did a nutty thing having to pull the whole upper control arm to replace its ball joints instead of pressing it in and out. Annoying, but it's only 3 bolts. There's tons of room, with the coil springs being out of there, especially on the models with the factory lift.
They can rust like mad underneath if they weren't taken care of. Bring anything you find to a trustworthy mechanic for a once over.
Yes, Toyotas are expensive but I want a reliable truck. Good ol ranger wouldn’t be bad if it’s newer and affordable! Appreciate the responses
Mine is a 1999 with a 3.0, it's gone up to 283k. I had the transmission overhauled. It wasn't done right, but it starts and runs every time. If the tranny goes out, I'll probably put a remanufactured one in (it still worked at 251k, original fluid and all, but would stick in overdrive).
It varies a lot depending on your needs, budget, and your preferences.
If you’re looking for a small truck and don’t mind it being a little older, go with an old Ford Ranger. My dad had a 1998 with a 4 cyl that made it to 336,000 miles and still ran like a top.
