Used Cars: buying used pickup, chevy silverado, bells and whistles

Question
QUESTION: Robert,

We live in Calgary, Alberta and we are looking for a used pickup big enough to tow a medium sized tent trailer.  We don't want a regular 2 door pickup and would prefer one with 4 seats.  We don't need all of the bells and whistles but would like AC, auto, tow package, ps,pb, power windows.  Mileage under 60,000 miles and a budget of $16,000US.  I don't think we need a long box.  No preference on manufacturer.  Would prefer to be able to deal with a seller in Montana or washington states.

thanks for your advice.

ANSWER: Ron,
Well there are a few other things to factor in... full sized or mid-sized truck? the full size will usually get poorer fuel economy, but will be able to tow substantially more than a midsized - full sized will come with a diesel option.. and usually a diesel engine will get better fuel economy than even a mid-sized truck will... and they run forever... do you need a 4x4 or would two wheel drive be fine? the vehicles you should probably be looking for include: Midsized - Toyota tacoma (4 or 6 cyl with tow package) - nissan frontier v6 - Dodge Dakota V8... Full sized - Toyota Tundra, Ford F-Series, Chevy Silverado...

None of those trucks are bad trucks - the tacoma will probably run forever - as well as the diesel versions of the full-sized ones... All can be found in the budget.. your best bet will probably be a used 4 door tacoma, or older dakota... but check tow ratings and how much the tent weighs... it should have the towing capacities online, or on the vehicle's inner door (or owners manual) - The 2.7 litre 4 cyl tacoma is a bulletproof engine and comes highly recommended... but I don't know if it can tow what you need... You can use sites like oodle.com, google.com, autotrader.com, cars.com, and yahoo autos to search for cars in or around your area... craigslist.com works too... You will probably have to look out for a good deal and be patient.. toyotas hold resale very well and it will be hard to find one in your range... the Nissan will be easy to find, but they aren't on the same level as the others... a diesel will be very difficult, but it never hurts to look... The dakota is a good truck  - not tacoma quality, but the v8 sure is nice when pulling a big load...  these are all things to think about...

i hope this helps a little.. If you wish to reply with some more specific details perhaps I can help more.... Thanks.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Robert,

Thanks for the advice!  I was out of town.

We don't need a full sized truck, 2 wheel drive is fine.  We haven't bought a tent trailer yet but would be looking for one that isn't too big because we plan to go to campsites that are in the mountains or on the other side of the mountains.  I have read about the Tacomo and the reviews have been impressive.  We have also been researching Dodge Dakota V8 but I haven't any experience with Dodge since I usually buy GM but it seems to be well liked by owners.  I am not a diesel fan but I know that it would come in handy for mountain towing.

Ron

Answer
Ron,

The dakota is nice, but their build quality wont be nearly equal to a tacoma... they have a 318ci v8 - and if you have been in cars for any time - you probably know that dodge has had the 318 for a long time - and it is known for being pretty reliable. A 4cyl tacoma with a 22RE (2.7 litre) will be VERY reliable - they are hard to find because everyone knows how great they are... GM and Chevy don't really have a good mid-sized pick-up... the full size is a good truck - but even the classic 350 is no match for the 22RE's reliability... You may have to go with what you can afford - but I doubt you would be dissapointed in any of the main trucks - (tacoma, dakota, full sized fords/chevys)... Check out a tacoma in person - I think you will be amazed as to the build quality.. (friend of mine has an 89 toyota pickup with a 22RE - has over 250,000 miles without a rebuild.. it hasn't even given him trouble.. aside from standard things - and he drives it HARD)

I wish you good luck in your search - if you have any other questions just ask -

Thanks,
Rob
Http://thestealership.com