Help buying a car.
 

So, here is my situation. I just got my promotion at work, and I have settled on buying a quad cab truck. I am kind of torn between buying a Frontier and Tacoma and maybe xterra. My criteria are... Proper manual gear box.... Atleast a V6, 4wd, and can tow my car to and from the track, and whatever else I decide to get into. I would like to stay under 27k, new or within the past 2 years or so on the model. Does anyone have an idea on what I should get?

Are you certain you want a manual on a truck?

They've always been a major PITA over an auto for me.

I could negotiate on the manual part... dependent on the price and vehicle... Mainly Price. I bought a auto truck years back, and it was sold within a year, because I simply didn't like driving it. I don't want to go buy something newer then still beat on my poor car all the time.

Yeah, but a manual while towing is a -serious- pain in the ass man. Plus it's -seriously- irritating to deal with trucks recockulously low rev range and shifting.

My buddy had a V6 Ranger and he'd pulled a trailer with a bunch of ATV's off road with relative ease, dont know if it ever came in quad cab though. Theres also the Chevy S10 ZR2, its higher then the normal S10 and looks like it has some off road stuff.
If you want somthing a bit bigger you could go for a Dodge Dakota, I have a '97 5.2L V8 Club cab 4x2 auto, It would tow anything but gas mileage isn't great, if your just off roading and towing but not useing it as a DD. The newer V8's get better mileage and I'd imagine that the newer V6's get low to mid 20's on the highway and would tow well.
If the truck is just a tow rig then why buy a new one? you can get an older truck (*caugh mine caugh*) for easily >$5K

27k? Buy a Dodge 2500. Cummins.

The wife is bitching for me to get something newer.... I was going to go buy a new 5.0, but a quad cab truck is something else to play with, can be used when we have kids, and justifies me keeping the miata. My clutch going out and costing 300 dollars to fix once is too expensive, and i need to pay 400 every month for something else I probably can't work on as well. Right now I have a potential. 09 tacoma 4wd 6 speed quad cab for 24k with 12k miles. I was thinking about a newer colorado too.

Are you serious? It gives you so much more control.

I don't tow but everyone I have ever talked to says stick with an auto tranny. FWIW, we have an 06 Tacoma and like it. I had no problem towing a Miata on a Uhaul flatbed with it.

If I could find a cummins with the mileage and year my bank would accept i would be happy. But however I am driving it between work and back too, so one of the v6 smaller trucks would be preferable. As long as it tows the miata and has 4wd and hits my budget I am good.

Update... the toyota guys seem much less ri'tard than the nissan guys. The toyota guy calls me saying "the truck you want will be tough to find but i will try" and the nissan guy calls saying "hey we have a manual altima" So points to toyota.... I am open to used vehicles too. I would like a certified one. I am willing to buy a new car to show my wife new car buying is stupid pretty much. I found a 2003 quad cab 4wd cummins for 4000 dollars... that is more up my alley. Oh wait.... manual trans. Also, I have been doing some thinking (scary when the alcohol has set in.) Don't semis have manuals? They tow more shit than anyone on here does in their lifetime. So... if auto is so much better for towing, why do semis not use autos? Just sayin..... BTW.... first DP (drunk post, not double penatration) of the night. Forgive anything that happens beyond this post. I know autos are easier, but so are fat girls with cottage cheese asses.

Auto is easier to tow with, not necessarily better. In 2003 the Dodge's auto sucked. It wasn't good until 2005.

Also, are you seriously basing your brand choice on the salesman? I mean I'd pick a Toyota no matter what, but really?

http://www.toyota.com/fjcruiser/

No serious. My girlfriend's friend's husband has one. It's like driving one of your Tonka trucks from your childhood. I was amazed when he said it only has a V6. He has the manual and it drove fine, he didn't seem bothered by any love revs.

I was quite happy with my old 2000 Xterra. It's built like a tank and never given me or my family any major problems, pushing 100k miles. I've pulled a loaded 8x10 trailer from Beaumont to Chicago. The Xterra did the duty, but I'd be hesitant to consistently pull heavy loads in an Xterra. From my understanding, the Frontier and Xterra are the same platform, just one is open bed, the other enclosed. I'm not too sure how the newer ones compare.

I don't have experience with the Colorado, but this about sums up every review I've heard from those in the construction industry that have owned one. http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/200...ew-cab-review/

I like the Silverados.


Can you actually see out the back window of those? I can't see the review mirror when I'm in traffic behind one because of the spare tire.

cummins= 600+lb/ft torque and you might actualy get 18 mpg with it if you drive it right.

No idea about rear viability. I thought the windshield was very flat and short, I've only had one ride in it at night, I didn't drive.

Pretty much this.

Auto makes things a shit ton easier to tow with, but are not necessarily better. Having a load come up on you mid-shift can be a bit more than a lot of drivers are used to on the road as an example. Any truck I own for towing has an auto for this reason - I don't want to babysit my goddamn load.

The instant I bought my 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 QC, I regretted it. The 5.9 was a beast, and the tow package meant the temp gauges never moved, but 12mpg was crap... and it was my DD when the Miata was broke, which was often.

For the $12k I spend on it at the time, it seemed like a good deal.
I KNOW BETTER NOW.

You want a tow vehicle, get a used full-size diesel for cheap. If all it has to do is tow your shit and not work as DD, it'll last as long as you'll need to tow stuff... decades. Spend good money on a solid DD that will hold your family.

Buy this truck:
http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/2183020110.html
If you hafta have a manual:
http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/2184541903.html

For you DD, get a gently used Merc or VW diesel sedan:
http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/2144309759.html

There, I just saved you $15k and quadrupled your ability to do everything. Send me nakeds of the wife and we'll call it even.

For $27k, a fucking quad-cab V6 import truck is a joke of a compromise when you can spend half of that and get the real deal.

I've had experience with both manual trucks and automatic trucks for towing. If anything I'm more used to the manuals, but the automatics are just easier to drive.

Our work trucks are all manuals and I've towed anything from our small steel bender trailers to our large plank trailer. I like the fact that I can keep it in 2nd going down a steep hill, but dealing with it in stop and go traffic can be a bitch.

The farm truck was a brand new Toyota Tacoma (I think it was an '08) and it was automatic. I used that with the dump trailer to haul the horse shit from the barn to the compost field. It was easy peasy. Almost too easy.

If you want something comfortable, smooth and lady like, get an automatic. If you want to feel like your actually driving a truck and can deal with the stop and go shit when it comes time, get a manual.

Not to mention, I'd rather replace a clutch on the lift any day than drop the truck off for a A/T service. lol