Anyone out there with first-hand experience on these trucks, or their GMC counterpart? I've been surfing ebay lately looking for a replacement vehicle for my daily driver Ranger and have noticed that you can pick up low mileage examples of these trucks for a song -- I would say cheaper than Rangers of an equivalent age and mileage.

My daily driver choices are somewhat limited by the fact that I drive enough miles every year that I want to get decent mileage, but still have to have the ability to haul around the occasional 4x8 sheet of OSB that's taken off a jobsite for testing purposes.

Thoughts.....???

 

From what I have heard, they were not tremendously popular in sales, but I have not heard of any major problems, but have not really researched that.

 

I'd only want one in their ZR1(?) trim level. They look like econo-boxes without OEM flares, crew cab and the big tire package.

 

Two words. Nissan Frontier.

 

Colorado and Canyon are grossly overpriced.

 

The guys who have company trucks are in the process of turning in their full-size Chevys for those. I'll be interested in their take on the truck, although since they're getting 4-door 4x4's, I doubt the mileage will be that good.

I want cheap to buy and cheap to run so I can bank as much mileage money as possible to use for my toys. In the end, another Ranger may be my best bet. I've driven one for the past 12 years and can't complain about the service it's given me, but I'd kind of like to stare at a different dashboard for the next 12 years......

 

The GM offering you are considering has been plagued with endless build quality issues. Yet another UAW POS. They are prone to electrical issues, brakes, cooling systems, electronic failures, structural, and suspension issues....just to name a few. At one time Consumer Reports had the truck listed as a not recommended buy, a first for CR. Too bad, it is now offered with the 5.3 V8 flex and that should be quite a hot rod if GM didn't screw it up like Ford did the 4.6 Sport Trac with the drive by wire that doesn't allow full throttle launches. I'd avoid this model truck. It's basically a GM Yugo and now you know why they are cheap.
The Frontier has been an extremely reliable truck for the newer body style. I'd have one myself if they had a little more room for my 6'4" body. Not near enough head room for me. The V6 has been on Wards Ten Best Engines List and the transmission is the same as is behind the V8 Titan so the running gear is top shelf...if any of that info is important to you.

 

No problem there -- I'm 5' 7-1/2" tall, so a Mini Cooper feels roomy to me......

 

Glad to hear. Unfortunately you wont be able to find a new body style Frontier too cheap. My crew cab 4x4 is getting 20 MPG right now, 16 in the winter. The ext cabs in 2wd are cabable of 27+mpg at 65mph cruising.

 

I drove and considered a GMC Sonoma. It was the full package Z something or nother. I liked the truck. It was a V6 crew cab. However it was a tad overall small when compared to a full size truck. Of course. I coulda lived with it. I probably would have bought it had I already sold my F350 before it sold. I also looked at the Colorado Counterpart (A Z package Crew Cab too) which was a 5 cylinder. Also liked it fairly much. Also was sold before I got back into the market of buying. Both of these had 5K towing limits IIRC. Neither of their fuel milage ratings was much better than a 5.4L Ford motor for that matter.


But once I had my money free I ended up back at full size trucks because I wanted to be able to do a bit of towing (not heavy but not limited too much) and for similar money I could get a F150 with all the stuff needed to tow better. I did not need 4 wheel drive but could use the more towing that the F150 gave me. So A full size truck with the right gearing and towing package made more sense.