learn me small capable trucks (gasp!)

I've always been a car dude to be completely honest (imports imports imports)...

but I am not biased. I love every wheeled vehicle if it is done right.

I have a love for vintage vintage vintage AND late 80s to mid 90s vehicles. Boxy headlights are a plus.

So: if i wanted a truck that:

1) was small

2) could fit a bike in the back

3) was reliable

4) got > 27 mpg highway

5) was awesome in the snow

6) was a 4 banger

7) could take a berkeleying beating off road

8) could be fun in the twisties (is that possible???)

what would you suggest?

Don't give me awesome ideas or I might sell my impreza (Maine beast) and spend a lot of money

/thread.

DOH! It's a sixer, not a 4-banger. But it has everything else.......

Though you may not WANT to beat it off road.

I don't know of a single truck that fits all those needs. I feel like items five and seven require 4x4 which then negates items four and sorta eight, depending on what you mean by fun. My truck has some pretty wicked body roll that makes corners "fun" in the exact opposite way my Miata does.

EDIT: I think Marty wins.

Syclone... I should have known that would make a cameo appearance here.

I bought my Impreza Wagon as strictly utility + fun in dirty + fun in snow + reliable + decent gas mileage...

Now I'm finding that I wish I had a bed....

Taiden wrote: I've always been a car dude to be completely honest (imports imports imports)... but I am not biased. I love every wheeled vehicle if it is done right. I have a love for vintage vintage vintage AND late 80s to mid 90s vehicles. Boxy headlights are a plus. So: if i wanted a truck that: 1) was small 2) could fit a bike in the back 3) was reliable 4) got > 27 mpg highway 5) was awesome in the snow 6) was a 4 banger 7) could take a berkeleying beating off road 8) could be fun in the twisties (is that possible???) what would you suggest?

-__ #4 only happens with 2wd 4cylinder models. 4x4 won't happen unless you have a diesel. A 4x4 4cylinder tacoma might hit 25mpg... Maybe, on a good day. A 4cylinder 4x4 ranger (rare beast) might do it as well...

-- #7 If you made the 2wd 4cyl ranger into a prerunner you could beat it offroad, but it then wouldn't hit 27mpg.

7 and 8 are in direct competition. Sorry can't happen unless you have some stupid silly adjustable suspension.

how big of a bike in the back? I know short bed rangers have issues fitting regular dirtbikes...

Maybe a subaru brat?

1) Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, GM and Ford all made small pick ups.

2) They can all fit a bicycle (or four) in the back.

3) They're all pretty reliable.

4) Dunno about the 4 cylinders, but my 2.8 and 4.3 GMs bested about 22mpg

5) 4x4 for sure, would work in the snow; proper winter tires would help a 2WD.

6) 4 bangers can be had in all of the above, but I don't think the GMs and Fords can be had with 4 cyl AND 4x4

7) & 8) conflict.

maybe a vw caddy truck with a tdi swap and lifted on mk3 suspension and knobbie tires would work? You might even get to handle in the twisties. It would still only be fwd (syncro swap?) But with an lsd and snow tires it would do fine in the snow.

My first thought was Nissan Hardbody or a Jeep Comanche.

Marty McFly's truck.

/thread.

Well, my first answer was Ranger, or Tacoma... but since someone posted a picture of their Syclone, then I'm gonna post a pic of my truck. Hotlinked of course.

I have a 98 Frontier 5spd, 4WD, 4cyl. It gets 18-20mpg.

Or you could have a full-size V8 and get about the same mileage and actually have power, towing capability, etc.

Hard to beat a Nissan or Toyota for a small truck. They are tough as nails. Especially after ~1986 when they started galvanizing (or whatever) to keep them from rotting. I'm on my fifth Nissan truck. I'm ashamed to say that I don't really maintain them like I should and yet they never let me down.

7 and 8 are in direct competition... but my main point was I don't want something boring to drive. I want to be able to hit up some rough stuff and not yawn on the way home...

My impreza is not inspiring in corners.. but it's fun to whip around.

Also, we're talking motorcycles, not bicycles... Street bikes. It's OK with me if the gate has to be down as long as it's safe with the right straps.

Sorry, couldn't resist...

I have Tokico shocks and Michelin LTX tires on the Frontier. Does well off-road and on (for a truck.)

Vintage and can obviously fit a bike in the back.

2001 Ranger. 2.3, 5 spd. 20 mpg and I beat the crap out of it.

wow that thing is awesome! :D

PS: if it could achieve much better gas mileage with a megasquirt install consider that a distinct possibility

I am completing a subaru 6/7 setup on my MS2 and I am itching to do another... would be cool to convert something to fuel injection.

Taiden wrote: Syclone... I should have known that would make a cameo appearance here. I bought my Impreza Wagon as strictly utility + fun in dirty + fun in snow + reliable + decent gas mileage... Now I'm finding that I wish I had a bed....

Impreza Wagon + small lightweight trailer = WIN

Forester XT with a harbor freight 4x8 utility trailer. I have a wrx with said trailer, and I have nearly eliminated my need for a truck. I have rallycrossed the wrx, could HPDE the thing, and will build a 16x20 garage with all materials moved by said vehicle. Unless you're rock crawling, I don't think you need a truck to have a good time offroad.

Im with everyone: There is NO way to do all of that. Mostly because of your mileage requirements.

If you said "Can do better than 22 mpg MOST of the time" you would move into the realm of possibility, at least.

Actually, though, my 90 caravan when it was non-turbo, 5spd manual, with all the seats out, AVG'd 27 mpg, and could fit a motorcycle in the back, but it had to be leaned over. Smaller scooters would fit upright. It also has a LOT of ground clearance and there's not much to break.

as stated before a 2.3 4x4 ranger is as close as you're going to come...

Aside from the off-road thing I love my REPU.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/reader-rides/3795/

My 96 Nissan hardbody does a lot of things well. here is your checklist

1) was small - YUP

2) could fit a bike in the back - YUP, SEVERAL

3) was reliable - STILL GOING

4) got > 27 mpg highway - MY BEST WAS AROUND 25, BUT TYPICALLY GOT OVER 20

5) was awesome in the snow - DO NOT KNOW ABOUT AWESOME, BUT IT HELD ITS OWN.

6) was a 4 banger - YUP KA24E

7) could take a berkeleying beating off road - SEEN MORE OFF ROAD THAN MOST 4X IN MY AREA

8) could be fun in the twisties (is that possible???) IS FUN, BUT KNOW YOUR LIMITS

My truck was the cheapest thing on the lot when I bought it. 2wd, base model, no rear bumper, no radio, no ac. Over the years, I have put on a suspension lift in the front (fabtech) add a leaf, shackles and air overload springs in the back, smittybuilt bumper with 2" hitch included and I run 235-75-15 tires. tool box on the bed and bed rack. Had hella e spec rectangular head lights and loved them. Found some rocks and replaced with US approved and they were OK, but not as good as the E code. Also ran 500 series driving lights at school where there were no street lights.

Off road I have done high speed runs on forest service roads, gone thru mud pits and gone up small rivers (water about 2" from the doors)

This is my second one and much prefer the KA motor to the z24.

At stock height, the truck can take up to 225-75-15 tires on 6" nissan wheels, but would not go much bigger due to rubbing. Can get 31" if both body and suspension lifts are done to the 2wd trucks.