New Pickup Truck advice!
 

My boss is in the market for a new pickup. He is considering the following:

Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma in either 4WD or 2WD manual 5spd. I'm trying to persuade him to forgo 4WD as there is a big diff in fuel economy. I notice that the 2.3L 4cyl. Ford Ranger gets slightly better FE than the 2.7L 4cyl Tacoma. Through his brother, my boss can get a deal on the 6cyl 4wd (which gets terrible gas mileage and I'm not sure if that deal is good for the 2wd 4cyl which gets good gas mileage.) Toyota is offering him $1000 off in addition to any other incentives if he buys a new Toyota (his current Tacoma is a recall due to premature structural rot I believe)

Based on this, it seems his best bet is either the 2wd 2.7L 4cyl. Tacoma or the 2wd 2.3L 4cyl Ranger. He recongizes that his current Tacoma is overpowered and that he doesn't need a six cylinder engine, and with gas prices, 4 cyl. will be fine. He is a house painter and needs a pickup for lugging around all the paint equipment along with ladders on the roof rack. He does NOT need ground clearance. I'm wondering if it would be possible/easy to lower a Tacoma or Ranger? In the pictures, even the 2wd versions of both vehicles look like they ride a little high off the ground (his current Tacoma rides pretty low to the ground)

My brother has a new 4 cyl Tacoma, he is averaging about 24-5 MPG. Same situation as your boss, ladder rack, tools, etc.

Better resale on the Tacoma may be the deciding factor, or buy a slightly used Ranger to take advantage of depreciation.

regards
gary

i heard the rangers (2wd 4 bangers) epa numbers are rather impressive for a truck IMO.

and i laugh at that premature rot on the toyota, ive NEVER seen a toyota truck more than 8 years old that doesnt have some major frame rust...

one guy i know had a 93 toyota pickup, his frame was so weak you could literally punch holes thru the side of it with your thumb...

i think he was hauling something and the frame finally gave way in half...

I'll cast my vote for the Ranger too, based on pricing and fuel economy. When I was in the market for a car, I didn't specify body type, instead searching by price and FE; the Toyota never showed up, but the Ranger kept making the list (despite not wanting one).

The 1997 4wd 4.0L V6 automatic Ranger I drove for awhile was a PIG and a low-end Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra is probably faster AND more efficient, as well as being more capable, for the same price. A new 2wd 4 cylinder manual regular cab Ranger ought to be much better than the Ranger I drove.

Toyota did make good on their rotten frames, though; they issued a major recall, buying back those trucks at higher than blue book value regardless of their condition.

I've seen successful painters driving station wagons and minivans, too. More comfort, though more expensive than a manual transmission 4 cylinder Ranger.

Yeah, I know a painter who uses a Honda fit for his work. He's independent though and probably doesn't have a lot of equipment. I also know a carpenter who used a subaru legacy wagon, which was great for him. I'm a fan of wagons. I use a legacy outback to haul music equipment and I like it better in every way than using a truck.

Oh, that reminds me of another one: Sicon xB (the one that's a box on wheels). We have a user here who gets crazy MPG out of it.

My boss hauls around a 40 foot extension ladder and a large plank (not sure how long it is, about 20 feet) so I think he strictly is only interested in pick up trucks. Maybe a slightly used Ranger is the way to go. Thanks for the replies.

Ya, it really ticked me off when I had to force my foot to the break and gas pedal. If only the dash had been 3 inches higher.