Mid-sized pickup with manual transmission?

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Other than the abysmal Taco 4 cyl, the Ranger with DOHC mazda engine is the only thing that will get decent gas mileage - everything else is just a tick better than a V8 guzzla. At some year on the Ford Ranger they extended the std cab so its acceptably roomy (4 me).
I fit OK (in the last stick built which I bought a couple years ago) and Im 6-1+ 235lbs. 34" inseam.
OK now this is getting 2weird .. ... . 2 bad the one I got had a bad engine(HG and knock) made in spain.
 
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depending on what you intend to use it for, you may want to consider standard cab basic fullsize V6. dodge ram had the 3.7 and I believe there are a few sticks out there. same with the others. it's really hard to find a midsize that gets much better mpg. dodge 3.9, if you can find it, can do pretty well. 'yotas are pretty thirsty, as was the rangers in general.
 
If you are alright with 2wd I'd buy a early 2000s half ton chevy with the 4.3 v6. You can find them with the manual transmission. 4.3s are awesome and reliable engines.
 
I would suggest a 3.0 Ranger extended cab if you want to stay in a mid size truck. My cousin had a 96 5 speed that stayed in his family for quite some time. Started out as the company vehicle used for pizza delivery. He took it off to college and used it for typical college kid stuff. Helping buddy's move, hauling wood for parties and towing pop up camper on weekends. Gave it back to his dad who finally sold it with around 320k miles on it.
 
Hilux or Defender for simple, rugged, reliable go-anywhere ability.
They're cheap, too
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Originally Posted By: Olas
Hilux or Defender for simple, rugged, reliable go-anywhere ability.
They're cheap, too
smile.gif



Those aren't american choices.
 
Originally Posted By: badtlc
Originally Posted By: Olas
Hilux or Defender for simple, rugged, reliable go-anywhere ability.
They're cheap, too
smile.gif



Those aren't american choices.


Correct.
Although you will notice the OP did not specify a rootin' tootin' uncle sam mobile, only a pickup of mid-size, which they both are.
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Originally Posted By: pacem
Originally Posted By: JTK
The first brand-new vehicle I ever bought was a 1993 Dodge Dakota, 2wd, reg cab, shorty with a 5spd manual and Magnum 3.9L. That thing had so much power (for the time) it was hard to keep the back end to the back!

The p/u truck and Jeep standard transmissions I've owned were nicer shifting vehicles than my new Subaru XV Crosstrek 5spd.


Question. Is the 3.9L something new or a derivative of the old slant 6 Dodge engine? If so, it should be powerful, reliable and not get very good MPG, meaning not close to 30mpg. That's the combo I am looking at. Don't want to get into 4.7L, or 5.2L engines.



The 3.9 was based on the 318 block (a 318 minus two cylinders). It was a very stout and reliable engine, that was replaced by the 3.7L v6 around 1999 or 2000. When the 4.7L SOHC v8 replaced the 5.2/318 in circa 1999 or 2000, the 3.7 was created by "sawing off" two of the 4.7's cylinders much the same way the 3.9 was created from the 5.2. It remained in production until the end of production of the Jeep Liberty last year.

Of the two, the 3.7 gets better mileage and has a little less low-end torque but more overall power. And its what you'll find in any Dakota newer than ~2000 model year. The 3.9 was the original Dakota v6 (in carbureted form) in the 80s, and stayed around in "Magnum" EFI form all through the 90s. The Dakota may have been available with the v8 and a stick at some point in time, but when a friend bought one back in around 2005 or so, a stick was only possible with the v6, not the v8.
 
My sister still has a V6 manual 4wd Nissan Frontier, for at least 10-12 years now. Aside from one sensor, fluids and tires it has been super for her.
 
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Originally Posted By: badtlc
Originally Posted By: Olas
Hilux or Defender for simple, rugged, reliable go-anywhere ability.
They're cheap, too
smile.gif



Those aren't american choices.

They can be imported though, there's a RHD diesel manual toyota 4 runner in my area. Its not a shiney toy either, it seems to be worked pretty hard, so I think it must've been fairly cost effective to bring it over.
I've been waiting for a couple years to see him stopped somewhere to talk to him about it.
 
Originally Posted By: pacem
Originally Posted By: millerbl00
How about a silverado? I have a 2012 thats a V6, auto that averages 20 mpg in town and 23+ hwy. Got it very cheap.


That is actually an interesting idea. How common are the 6-cylinder / 5-speed combinations?


You could get 5spd/v6 combo's in the f-150 up through 2010 I assume around the same with the silverado. I've seen a few Chevy's with the 4.8 and a stick shift. Take a look on autotrader and sort by manual transmission. They are out there.
 
Originally Posted By: pacem

Wondering if I should upgrade to a 3.0L Ranger with X-cab, or a Dakota. Dakota seems to have a lot of quality issues more so than Ford however and despite the appearance, seems to be very marginally bigger, just 1" wider.

Tacoma I hear is the best value in mid sized pickups but in my area all Toyota vehicles are vastly overpriced. For the price it sells for, I could get a full sized F150.


The Super Cab Ranger has a lot more room and seat travel than the regular cab.

You can say good bye to 30 MPG with a 3.0. Never going to happen. 20 MPG, maybe slightly more is possible depending on how you drive it.

You could get the Duratec 2.3 I4 in a Super Cab from 2003-2011. The Duratec has a lot more power than the old Lima 2.5. A little less torque than a 3.0, but not much less HP. It is a very reliable engine.

Tacomas are good trucks, but value isn't the word I would use. Low mile Rangers can be pricey too though.
 
Originally Posted By: nwjones18
Originally Posted By: pacem
Originally Posted By: millerbl00
How about a silverado? I have a 2012 thats a V6, auto that averages 20 mpg in town and 23+ hwy. Got it very cheap.


That is actually an interesting idea. How common are the 6-cylinder / 5-speed combinations?


You could get 5spd/v6 combo's in the f-150 up through 2010 I assume around the same with the silverado. I've seen a few Chevy's with the 4.8 and a stick shift. Take a look on autotrader and sort by manual transmission. They are out there.


GM dropped the manual option for 2007 with the GMT-900 body style. It was available up to 2006 in the GMT-800s though.
 
I'm getting around 18 or so with my 2003, 3.9, A/T. with 3.55 gears. It is a super cab 2 wheel drive. I like it a lot, rides so much nicer than a Ranger. A few of you are mis-informed. The 3.7 came out in 2004 in the Dakota.
 
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Almost certainly the Ranger will get a little better mileage than the Dakota. For a ten year old vehicle though, you buy on condition and price.
 
My Ranger with the OHV 4.0 pulls down 18-19 MPG. I have a co-worker that bought one of the last new Rangers off a dealer lot. He got the 4cyl auto xtra cab and is pulling down 25 MPG freeway. Very nice truck and rides far better than my 4x4.
 
Originally Posted By: jimbrewer
Almost certainly the Ranger will get a little better mileage than the Dakota. For a ten year old vehicle though, you buy on condition and price.


That's the understatement of the year!

Seriously, we own a B2300 Mazda, just a Ranger with a different bed on it. I cannot imagine anyone thinking it is a "midsize" truck. It is very tiny, gets 27 - 29 mpg.

No Dakota ever got those kind of numbers even downhill with a tailwind! But the Ranger needs a bit of a tailwind as it is a little short on go power with the 4 banger/5 speed stick...
 
An old Chevy, why do you want a stick? Just get an auto.

Finding a stick will be hard they discontinued them some time ago.
 
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Originally Posted By: nwjones18

You could get 5spd/v6 combo's in the f-150 up through 2010


^^^This.
My work truck is a 2004 Ford F150 4X4. It has the 4.2 V6 and a 5-speed manual transmission. I never was a big fan of this engine until I actually drove one. Gas mileage is decent (for an F150) and it never let me down during last winter's snow storms. Compared to my Jeep Cherokee that has a manual transmission, the F150 has a clutch that is easy to push in and the transmission has been flawless.
If I could find a Texas version of this truck that hasn't been driven on any salt roads, I'd buy an exact version of this truck for my own personal use.
 
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