Help me choose cheap transportation.

[ken]

Driving habits:

• ~28 miles each way to work 5 days / week on the expressway
• Occasional 15 mile jaunts on the weekends.

Previous vehicle:

• '98 Ford Ranger
• 2.5L 4 cyl.
• 5-speed
• Slipped timing belt / possibly burnt valve. Ready for a new truck anyway.

Budget:

• absolute max 6k
• more realistically 4k
• ideally 3k

Options:

• 5-speed Cherokee
• -- There's a couple on craigslist, one with the 2.5L and another with the 4.0L
• 5-speed Isuzu Rodeo/Honda Passport
• -- again, a couple on craigslist, but the one I like (and the cheapest) isn't 4x4. Also, I've read that the engines tend to lock up.
• Tacoma
• -- usually too pricey, but I've found a couple that might work.
• S-10 with ZR-2 package
• -- I don't really want another base-model pickup. If I get a pickup, I'd like it to be 4x4 / v6, or at least have a lift package (I've ran into trouble trying to traverse water in my Ranger).

I guess I'm looking for a daily driver that isn't a coupe or sedan and can get through Chicago winters. Reliability is, of course, a factor, but not a main one unless the issue is debilitating at ~200,000 miles.

Thoughts? Thanks.

 

[Pilot]

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...ype=b&num_records=25&cardist=6&standard=false

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...ype=b&num_records=25&cardist=4&standard=false

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...ype=b&num_records=25&cardist=8&standard=false

 

[tsacain]

Last week when I was at the beach they had a (96ish?) 3500 dually diesel 4x4 ram for $3,850. I did not look at miles or anything else because if I did I would have bought it. What you want is easily found. I know my 2002 nissan frontier v6 on a 4x4 frame but 4x2. with 125k miles I can get 5k easy. (I have taken it offroading with my buddies with 4x4's plus I have driven it in deep snow.) I learned deep snow from a stop I am screwed but as long as I have some forward force I am good. If you find someone who really wants to sell you can get a hell of a deal.

 

[HRoi]

if you are looking at cheap transportation, i wouldn't look at a 4.0L Cherokee or anything else that has a big engine. with the miles you drive the bump in fuel costs will certainly make your incremental total costs far over $3-4k even if you got the car itself cheap.

what did your Ranger get, like 20-25 mpg? a Cherokee might only give you 16.

do you have to have a pickup? a used Civic can be had well under your budget and with far better fuel consumption. reliable too.

otherwise, you're probably stuck with something like a Tacoma 4x4

 

[henrikc]

As HRoi asks, does it have to be a pickup truck?

I would take a look at Subaru at your price point -- you can get a late 1990s well within your budget, with a reasonable milage (100-150k). They come with AWD, good ground clearance and will probably have a much better MPG than a truck.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...pe=b&num_records=25&cardist=37&standard=false

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...pe=b&num_records=25&cardist=37&standard=false

This is newer (2003), but the milage is rather high and it's pushing it budget wise. Would take a look though. http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...pe=b&num_records=25&cardist=33&standard=false