Best Winter Truck For $2500?
 

Dont mean to jack to forum with this question but I want to know what you guys suggest and why you are suggesting it? I need a wnter truck and I need it fast. We are projected to get 8-12in of snow the next day or two and my rx7 is getting stored today.:yes:

I was looking at jeep xj's, jeep wranglers "any year", 93-99 dodge ram's, 91-99 dodge dakota's, 92-99 chevy s10's, isuzu trooper's, mazda b2200's etc... I was leaning more towards a jeep cherokee or wrangler with an i6 4.0. My dad use to have one and it was a tank. Nothing ever went wrong on it and he beat the crap out of it.

I will not buy a ford... "sorry ford fans".

anything but they foreign jobs and the jeeps.here in the natti salt seems to playn seek and destroy on jeeps and anything mazda,nissan,izuzu,etc.id go with the S10s or the rams.both have great and most importantly cheap aftermarket support and are very dependable.although im not saying the others arent dependable,but they just rot out very quickly.--josh

Ive heard nothing bad about the 4.0l I6 jeeps. There engines last quite awhile but I have heard a few instances with the trannies being sour and going out. But that doesnt bother me. It only has to last til spring.

Hmm, can you say rebadged ford ranger? Good, now say it three times so you remember!

Out of that bunch the jeep sounds like the best bet.

The dakota, s10 and isuzu are all crap. But cheap, so that may fit you budget better. I am guessing you want a 4x4?

Yea I know their the same thing. I just will not drive anything with a ford badge on it, thats all Im saying. Im a huge hater.

Yep, you sound like a chevy boy to me...

Nope not at all, I dont mind them but their definately not my favorite. I am a dodge fan. I just will not drive a ford.

Out of that list:
#1) Wrangler or Wagoneer
#2) If you can find one of those Rams with a Cummins in it for that price, take it.

the wife has/had a 4x4 '96 cherokee I6 it has over 200k miles on it, she delivered Italian food (pizzas) with it for 5 years in Chicago winters (as well as daily driver) We just handed it down to her nephew a few months ago after it was sitting in the driveway untouched for 3 years. Threw a new battery in it and drove away. Reliable truck !

Buy a used snowmobile? :whistle:

fwd car. 4x4 is just more stuff to fix. I know all about the snow and have made it through winters in a camaro. I have not met anybody yet that "required" 4 wheel drive, but everybody thinks they need it.

If you must have a 4x4 Jeeps are great, and that 4.0 is a very dependable engine. If you won't drive anything with a Ford badge then buy the Mazda, same excellent truck with a different badge on it. B2200, B3000, B4000 they're all great trucks (the different numbers are for what engine it has, 2200 has a 2.2L I-4, 3000 has the 3.0 V6, 4000 has the 4.0L V6). The Ford Ranger has the highest customer loyalty of any vehicle and for good reason, so I'd expect it's Japanese clone to be the same great vehicle.

If you don't HAVE to have a 4x4 spend your money on some good tires (I like Bridgestone Blizzaks) and drive your RX7, that should do just fine in the snow and ice as long as it's not several feet deep. Tires make all the difference, my Mazda Protege will get stuck in 2 inches of snow with my Summer tires on it but just last night I busted through a 2 foot snow drift with my snow tires on it.

I'd say get a Tacoma from the 90's. My dad used a 95 to start his construction company many years ago and many dents scratches and salty Winters in NYC the truck has 170k and it's still running as strong as the day that he bought it.

late 80's nissan/toyota trucks are built tough and to last.. i hate to admit that beings how ima chevy guy (that drives a 86' Dodge Ramcharger and if u dont know what the ramcharger is picture the old dodge truck with square headlights and put a topper on it and cut the middle out..)i've know plenty ppl that drive mainly 87-89 models that they will put forever my friend worked at a nissan dealearship and they had one guy bout his truck in 89' and its still on the road after a million miles!!..

Stay away from the isuzus. They tend to have computer problem and finding a used computer is tough. Jeeps with the 6 are pretty good, the only problem I ever had with mine was a transfer case chain. S10 are also pretty good but fuel pumps can be a problem (not that common). Mine went out at 45k but that seemed like an isolated case. A Tacoma would be a great find but they tend to be a bit more expensive.

-JB

The guys are right about the Toys and the Nissan 4x4's. Owned a couple myslef when I was younger. Only problem is that in cold weather (for those of you south the mason dixon line, that means anything below 10) the drive train never warms up due to the thin cases and they can take a beating if the oils dont flow well. Just something to be aware of, not afraid of. There was one trip where I couldn't get mine to go over 45 mph 'cause it was so cold - and I had to drive 400 miles like that.

Sorry to hear your a Ford hater, I'm a Ford fan, particularly the Ranger. They are great little trucks. Of your choices I would say get a Jeep. The I-6 is a great motor, not the most powerful but asolid motor either way. Dodge fan or not, stay away from the Ram unless you want to go in debt putting gas in it! I had an '02 Ram before I got my current F-150. I now have a bigger truck with a bigger motor and still get better gas mileage! Ram was an '02 1500 4x4 reg cab with the 4.7L V8(11 MPG), Ford is an '04 F-150 FX4 ext cab 5.4L V8(15-16MPG)

If you get a jeep, make sure it isn't lifted at all - they get top heavy and slide around more. Make sure it has good snow tires on it, and they do fine. Also make sure the heater & wipers work well... especially the heater. The older they are, the worse the heater sucked.

(I have a '80 cj-7, lifted, and it's the worst thing ever on snow... doesn't matter, though, it's a soft top, no heater, no wipers, and never going out in the cold!)

Tony

yeah man check the heater on the jeep/cherokee... they suck yay America if its fubared $350... still runs hot off the block heat

Do you need a truck? A suby is great in the snow still drives/has room like a car. Pack your junk in a wagon and still keep it dry.

I was concidering a suby or an older audi quattro. But yea I would really want to avoid driving fwd this year. Last year I drove my saturn sc1 and it was a pain in the ass.

Well Ive found a few trucks that I might want to check out this weekend if not early next week.

1995 Dodge Ram 1500- http://appleton.craigslist.org/cto/1469052459.html

1990 Dodge Ram Cummins Diesel- http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/ctd/1490845996.html

1994 Dodge Ram 1500 5.9L- http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/1480442140.html

1994 Dodge Ram 1500- 1800- http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/ctd/1466680150.html

1996 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 Laramie SLT- http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/ctd/1495359292.html

JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 1994- http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/1499498357.html

WRANGLER 6 Cylinder 4.0 L- http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/1498226779.html

1994 Jeep Cherokee- http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/1488420285.html

1990 Jeep Cherokee- http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/1486021682.html

'94 Jeep Laredo- http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/1462188848.html


I found a ton more but thats what I expect to get. Any left over cash wil go into the truck.

THe last two look like the best of the bunch

that last ones nice. thats what my wife had the laredo cherokee, if the heat blows and the transfer case works thats a deal, someone offered me 3g for hers a year ago and it didnt look that nice cosmetically

subies are AWD usually. Here was an AWD outback for $2k. Its sold now, but you may be able to find somethign like that or a legacy for not too much. Huge cars and good on gas. Great in snow. My father in law had one until 200K that ran really well in hilly, icy NY winters. They had a cherokee I6 before that that also made it to 200K, tho the sub was in better shape by then. g/l

$1250 isnt bad at all if everything is mechanically sound. Id stick the extra into upgrades and winter tires.

The 90 cherokee has been for sale for a few months
the 94 is straight garbage (I live in WB and took a look at it)
and the 90 dodge at Richfield Car Company would require a very good going through. RCC has a piss poor reputation. FYI.

-JB

I just had an idea: Buy a Subaru Baja. You get 4wd and a bed like a truck (bed is smaller, but still functional) and it'll be cheaper to own than any of those other vehicles. Plus, Subies are endlessly reliable. My brother's '97 Legacy has over 280,000 miles on it and still runs like new and I just bought an '04 Legacy and it's an excellent vehicle.

The Cheros usually need a good heater core flush, and they'll come right back. I wouldn't sweat that one...

Here you go:

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/1500671717.html
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/1490236244.html
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/1477789466.html

Texassp, the first and 3rd one really caught my attention. It would be nice to have a lifted truck. And the snow is really starting to come down here, currently in a blizzard warning til tomorro which by then we will have atleast 10in on the ground....

I'm hoping for a late start tomorrow. It started snowing at 6 this morning, and it's supposed to stop at 6 tomorrow morning. At 3pm we had 3 inches. The snow is on it's way to you over in wisconsin!

Love the snow. Did some great drifting and cookies in my rwd dakota. Did a small workout this morning powercleaning sandbags into the back.. lol.

I highly suggest getting some cardboard and using sup ties to secure it to the grille. It will run better, get better gas mileage, give you warm air twice as fast, and the engine will last longer. Even though I'm guessing on all that, I love the cardboard on my grille. I left an opening on the passenger side by the air intake...

There are a lot of jeeps around here, and not so many pickups. I think I'd go with a jeep.

The first toyota isn't road worthy. The SAC is pretty half-assed and the axle needs a rebuild. (looked at this one too.)

-JB

Here's a couple Nissans too.
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/1500303287.html

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/1496849875.html



Ditto that. You could tell just from the description that one is a rebuilder.

Lifted trucks with big tires look cool, but they dont do worth a crap in the snow and on the ice. Anything over a 31-10.50 on a pint size truck is going to be a pain in the butt.

Yea I just dont want something low were I cant offroad.

actually...
the VW beetle was MADE for this!!
the heater gets to work really quickly too as a bonus. put aside their nazi designed flaws and look at the good stuff, RR engine configuration. EASY AS PIE to fix!! the whole engine comes out with 4 bolts!

edit: he did say truck...so in america that's a ute right? so in that case following my theroy you'll wanna look up the VW bus flat bed thing.

Can I add in i want it to be somewhat attractive looking.:lol:

The older toyota p/u's have definately caught my attention but I still would like a jeep aswell. Plus the p/u's biggest engine is a 3.0l v6 at 150hp and the nominal 2.4l I4 at 112hp. I really dont think either of those two would do much when it came to torque, power and offroading.
The nominal 2.5l I4 in the older jeeps puts out 130hp while the 4.0l I6 puts out 190hp and has 235ft/lbs of torque. Thats pretty much double the power of the p/u's engines.

And the jeep GC's nominal weight is around 3100lbs, compared to the 3450lbs that the p/u weighs.