CREW CAB 4DR TRUCKS WHICH ONE IS THE BEST OVERALL?

cb70

My wife and I got camping at a lot of national parks so we felt this would be a good option with a topper on the back. I don't have the need to haul cattle or sequoias out of the forest so I can't see spending the money to go full size for extra towing power. Just my 2c worth.

cadteacher

My Synopsis:

Sport Trac: If you're a backpacker, and need the 4WD with a place to throw your muddy boots, nice ride. Seeing the bed extender take up 3/4 of the bed lost my interest.

Dakota QC: If you really want a 4 door truck, don't have more than $23K, and your wife insists it fit into the garage, this could be your ride. My truck stays outside.

Frontier: Why are they bragging about 200 bhp. Everyone else is getting at least 15% more without blowing. Backseat is OK for toddlers.

Tacoma: C'mom, who's going to wrestle a bear? It's dainty, and underequipped!

S-10: I went to the truck manager at the dealer looking for this one. He didn't even know it existed. Still haven't seen one. Only available with full gingerbread and 4x4! Pricey!

Screw: If you're going to keep it 10+ years, and (by then) your kids will be over 6' tall, this is the one. It will be worth more than the others after 100K plus miles. Your wife, rednecks, and yuppies will all respect you. You can fit you lawn tractor in the back. Haul 8' sheets with the gate down, and your longest bicycles in the back (front wheels on) with the gate up.

bowhuntwi

Enough Said...........

sf0383

How do you get your lawn tractor past the bed extender?

ethuresson

This thread is finally starting to yield some useful information instead of the idiocy of the first few posts. Good.

#1) Some folks don't use their trucks to make a living and don't require full size capacity. Why insult them?

#2) Nothing wrong with wanting to keep your vehicle in a garage. I wouldn't base my truck buying decision on it, but certainly nothing wrong with it.

#3) I owned a teeny little 4cyl toyota truck for 11 TROUBLE FREE yrs and it had no problem lugging around Gas furnaces, oil burners, A/C units and all the sheet metal, copper, boatload of tools etc etc that go along with all that stuff. (Can you guess my previous occupation? LOL)

#4) I lust after the full size 4dr rigs, but it would be stupid of me to buy one since I am no longer in the construction biz. Does that make me a yuppie?

#5) To make a long post short(er), I decided on the Dakota 4x4 QC. With 2 kids, and it being a daily driver, it made the most sense for me. When I need to haul a few sheets of drywall or plywood, it'll do it, and it certainly will haul enough mulch and bushes and crap to fullfill my household needs. I felt the back seat of the Frontier was too small (and the bed, kinda), the F150SC was too big and $$. The 4dr Toyota would have been my top choice, but it felt cheap. I'm certain it would have been the most reliable and trouble free, but I didn't like it's looks either. (personal opinion, don't anyone take offense). I think it had the same grey, hard plastic dashboard my 1990 had. I swear I couldn't look at it every day for another 11 yrs.

Remember, there is no answer to this question. Different strokes 4 different folks...

briancorr

Etheresson, that is funny you said the dash is the same. I had an 81 toy truck as my first car. I got a 01 tacoma double cab in november and the first thing I noticed was the inside door handles are identical to the ones in my 81. I guess toyota feels if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

target=_blank

cb70

New Nissan long box-Fall 2001
Overall length 211"
Bed length 74.5"

Dodge Dakota Crew Cab
Overall length 215"
Tiny box-no way can we put a topper on and camp in it.

Ford Super Crew
Overall length 225.9"
Box length 5'5"
Still too short of a box.

I want a truck I can put a topper on and camp out of. Period. I do not need to tow anything and if I do I'll borrow my neighbor's Dodge. I don't think the size of the engine in your truck measures your worth as a man but it appears that many people here do.

cadteacher

Ken:
I didn't get the bed extender. The tractor (and my bikes) fit in, and I can close the gate. If I decide I want an extender later, I can get one for $150 at Pep Boys.
I will admit that if I wanted to sleep in the bed, 5 1/2 feet is about a foot to short.

sf0383

I think they are a good idea in some cases I was just curious as to how you got them out of the way for loading things. I guess you have to take it off which seems like kind of a pain but it's a trade off I guess.

daryl_j

Seems everything about these 4dr trucks is a compromise. I guess you need to know which compromise you are willing to take. Just purchased a 2001 Frontier Crew Cab. I drove and looked at everything in my price range and decided on Nissan. Car and Driver has some good drive test articles. The 40,000 mile test suggests to me that Nissan has the most reliable truck. I like the way this truck handles. Has a great turn radius and it has the best steering response (IMO) compared to others. tighter. I am getting 17MPG in city/hwy on the first 2 tanks of gas. Comes with a CD player standard!!! Only negative I'd say so far is the seats are a little low to the floor i guess due to the high ground clearance. wouldn't be too good for a tall person.

biglucy

Reminds me of the guy that walks into the Doctor's office and says, "Doc, I'm a teepee, I'm a Wigwam, I'm a teepee, I'm a wigwam..." The Doctor said, "chill out, your too tense"!!!

Cory,
I'm a hiker/backpacker/climber and that really determines what kind of vehicle I choose. What's better than a pickup truck to put all your gear in and a cab that can fit three or four adults comfortably?!? The Dodge Quad Cab is awesome. Power, tough, utilitarian, and great looks. So take away nine inches from the bed so you can fit four hikers comfy for the ride, it works out great. Buy a nice tent and sleep on terra firma instead!

cb70

My wife and I are also backpackers. We love to hike the national parks. That said, we live in Iowa so we have to drive a long ways to get to the parks and inevitably sleep in our front seats of our car at a rest stop somewhere on the way. A six foot air mattress would be much nicer than our front seats. One other thing, there is only two of us but we are thinking of starting a family so that is why we want a crew cab. That is why we do not need a large back seat. We do like the Dakota extended cab, but the quad has just a ridiculously small box on it. To each his own I guess.

ethuresson

The Sport Trac has en even MORE ridiculously small box. Hmmm, the Frontier Crew Cab's box is smaller also (for now). Son of a gun, the Toyota double cab box is smaller than the Dodge QC also. The only way to get a bigger box and EQUAL cab room is to go with a full size truck like F150SC.
cb70, it sounds like you two would be cool with a club cab of some kind since you don't have any rugrats yet. I wouldna bought a 4dr truck if I didn't have kids. But I do.

eric2001

Crew Cab? Since it is only you & your wife currently, and a full bed is a pre-req, wouldn't an extended cab be more in line? A full size extended cab with real back seat (Chevy / GMC have this category hands down - any arguements - try being the passenger back there for any length of time) offers more choices, i.e. different brands and more options than the limited crew cab selection. Just my $.02, and I am not saying to buy any certain brand of truck, but more to view all your options... And get what you would be comfortable with.
-Eric

cb70

I like the looks of the Frontier (my own personal tastes, I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea) and I can get a Nissan for a lot less than a full size or even a Dakota. One other thing I like is the rack on top. I can see that would be a great place to put luggage, backpacks, dirty clothes after a 3 day hike or other stuff. I'm still keeping my options open though! Thanks for the tips guys!

Cory

chadc777

There is only one dealer near our town (southern Illinois) that has an S-10 crew cab. It is surprisingly nice. It is only available in 4x4, LS trim, and with lots of extras. As a matter of fact, there are only 6 options you can add: leather rapped stearing wheel, larger tires, fog lights, cold weather package, limited slip, and upgraded stereo.

The back seat feels like it has about the same amount of room as a Dakota Quad cab or 4door Explorer.

It is pricey with all these options. Add each of these options, and the MSRP is $26,271. Most dealers would come down, but Chev is already offering a $500 rebate and my wife decided to get one. She didn't like the interiors or cheap seats in the Mazdas, Rangers, Nissans, etc. S-10's may not have the dependability of some other manufactures, but if the others are uncomfortable, no point in buying them. This is a personal desicion since everyone has different needs. Dakotas Quads were in the running for a short time, but she didn't want a truck quite that long. She drives my 98 Dakota Extended cab 4x4 enough to know what it handles like, and she preferred the shorter wheelbase and narrower S-10 Crew.

We shopped three dealers and looked at their inbound list. Most had build dates for 2 - 4 truckes. We ended up making a deal for $500 over invoice plus we get the $500 rebate. Not bad for a brand new truck.

The bed is small, but it is getting a fiberglass bed cover anyway and will be used as an easy to access and plenty large trunk. Same as my Dakotas covered bed. Short beds are of no concern for hauling since 70% of the time, only 1/4 of the bed is used. 25% of the time 3/4 of the bed is used. The remaining 5% of the time the oversized cargo requires the tailgate to be down regardless of if it is a 5 foot or 6.5 foot bed so who cares. That cargo will either ride strapped down with the tailgate open or I'll use the 6.5 x 12 foot utility trailer which is easier to load anyway since it has a ramp. I can't see driving around a truck with an 8 foot bed or an crew cab with a 6 foot bed as a daily driver when, for us, that extra couple of feet is only used 5% or less of the time when we haul anything. A $1,000 for a 12 foot trailer that will last many many years was the way to go for us since we have the room to store it.

The redesigned S-10 sounds like it is going to be nice. A little bigger and some nice new engine choices. It will be interesting to see how big it gets. As big as a Dakota or between the current S-10 size and the Dakota. The next generation with a crew cab and 4.8L V8 will likely be a nice truck.

Chad

mdb3930

I enjoy reading all of the posts even though I have to sift through a lot of garbage and chest-pounding. Unfortunately, I am deeply entrenched in the truck market. If it were a perfect world,Toyota would make a 4-door Tundra with the power of a Cummins Diesel at the cost of an Isuzu Hombre. But...this world is far from perfect. I am 24, married with no kids. We are both not very big so a huge interior isn't paramount. We make decent money but not enough to buy full-size (for now). We do lots of outdoors stuff (biking, camping,etc), trips to Home Depot are about average and we have a dog. I am keen on research and basically I have found that every truck is different in its own way. What I need is some expert opinion or testimonials on the new compact 4 door trucks (Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Dodge). Here is what matters most to me:
VALUE - am I getting what I am paying? not concerned with resale as I will drive it till it dies
QUALITY - reliability, peace of mind, cost of service, ease of repair, will it last >150,000m
APPEARANCE - I like the Toyota and Nissan best, nice interior
PERFORMANCE - capable power (not necessarily "most" power), V6, reasonable mpg, good handling/ride, would you take it on a long road trip?
FEATURES - bed extender, step bars, etc

Any thoughts?

obyone

"like" best for appearance, I would get the Nissan cause of the two, it has the better value with equal quality.

jkidd2

My opinion? Get the Nissan CrewCab...I did a lot of research and hand ringing before I made my decision and I am very happy with the CC. I truly believe its the best deal of the small CC group.

Toyota is certainly nice too, but you get the same quality of the DoubleCab in the CC, for less money + more features and choices. I also felt the CC had better engine performance than the DC.

FYI...the CrewCab SC, requires premium fuel...so if you don't need the extra hp....get an SE.

Good luck!

mdb3930

Thanks for the advice. I just test drove the DC tonight. It was a nice ride and I thought the transmission shifted smoothly and effortlessly. It feels much bigger than it looks, too. But I haven't driven the Nissan yet so I won't make a decision. One thing I like about the Nissan are it's safety features like ABS, side door beams, etc. I think the Nissan is a better value money wise but what about quality of build, materials and engine? Anyone know if the ABS makes a difference? I am very torn between both and I really hope that when I test the CC that I am able to make a decision. I just can't seem to justify paying near $24k for the DC when I can get a CC for a lot less. I'll know when I drive the CC...I hope

frankno1

Sorry to be so late in my answer back on mpg. My F250 CC SD gets 11 to 12mpg in town and 13 to 14mpg on the road. I only have about 1000 miles on it so maybe it will get better when I get it broken in. When you get a little older like I am not to old but enough to know I need more room to get in and out of the vehicles you really appreciate the space the F250 CC has. The old knees don't bend as well as they used to. I use my vehicle for towing, trailering, hauling and work related items mainly. Keep on trucking!!!!

eric2001

Nissan about the same as Toyota for quality. This fall Nissan introduces the "long bed" version of its crew-cab frontier, the longest of all the small crews, if that is an issue?

jkidd2

What ever you decide between the CC and the DC, you will have a real nice ride. I found the quality of the materials between the two the same, or @ least comparable.

The long bed CC is coming out in the fall. Beside the new bed, all 2002 CC's will have a new instrument panel. I didn't need the longer bed, + I like the panel in the 2001.

I felt the same way as you...torn between the two. My decision came down to that I liked the exterior design of the CC more than the DC and the value of the CC vs. the DC. As well as I wanted leather and a sunroof that you can't get @ all on the DC.

Quality was a non-issue, since they are both HIGH quality, well built trucks.

Let us know what you decide!

mdb3930

I plan on using my truck for truck purposes every so often but it definitely won't qualify as a work truck. I'm talking occasional trips to Home Depot, moving and renting a UHaul trailer. I really enjoy driving a stick shift and want to know if this will make a difference when I am hauling stuff. I always though it was better to have a stick if you are towing b/c you can control the torque better. But I see very few manuals nowadays. Is there any advantage to one or the other?

markbuck

Advantage is the $1000 in your pocket if you buy a manual.

2001 HD2500 CC LB 4x4 MANUAL..... About $28k plus tax...

Love the vehicle....

jkidd2

I test drove the manual Nissan CC...I decided against it mainly because of traffic jams in the fair city I live in. I have a 5 speed Honda Prelude that I won't drive on week days because I get sooooo sick of shifting gears.

Anyway, if you can deal with the traffic & shifting or if you don't have to deal with traffic, do it. Big cost savings...plus you get a bigger cupholder than what the automatic CC gets!

I might not have these numbers correct, but if towing is a big deal, I believe the Frontier CC's towing for a manual is 3500lbs vs. 5000 for the automatic....something to consider....

rockymtn4x4

mdb3930,

FYI, the DC does not come with a manual transmission.

Rich

tucsonjwt

cabs? If you can live with a V6 in this model, I think you will find a cost advantage compared to the foreign models, if you compare features. If you keep this truck unitl it dies, you might want to ask around about the cost of foreign truck parts compared to domestic truck parts. Fit and finish will be better in the foreign trucks, but in the long run I think the domestic vehicles are less expensive to repair. Also, if you keep the truck a long time you might appreciate a better ride, which is one area where I think the domestics have an advantage. Just my $.02. I'll bet you can get a real nice GM stripper ext. cab for under $20K, and the stripper includes features you pay extra for in the foreign trucks. Might be worth a test drive, just to have something to compare your other choices to.

jsandy

Hi:

I have a 00 Nissan Crew cab, I bought in July (1999), I have about 40,000 miles on it so far,
no problems, and I hope to run it to 200K or forever, whichever comes first. I have
3 kids, 2 of whom ride around with me a lot. I surf, skate, ride bikes. There's always
a mess inside and out.

Anyway, I am a big fan of toyota, it wasn't an option when I bought mine (only Nissan)
at the time. I got a good price and good options on the Nissan. My mechanic says
it's a good truck. If you can get a good price ge the toyota, otherwise, enjoy the Nissan.

doncole

I am looking to purchase a new truck in probably 1-2 months, and I need to get all the information I can to make a good decision. I've been reading as much as I can but I'm an admitted truck newbie.

Right now I will only be driving around town, but within a couple of years my wife and I will be moving to a ranch with horses (I've kept my last car for almost 11 years now). We also have a small child so I have to be able to carry a carseat in the truck also.

So I've been looking at the F-250 4WD Lariat Crew Cab and also the Chevrolet 2500 HD Crew Cab (not sure of LT vs LS). I'd really love to hear good recommendations about either truck (which one? engine choices?, etc.). My concerns are pretty standard (gas mileage and overall costs for now, power for towing for when we have the ranch). I don't know a lot about horses or horse trailers so anyone out there with information about what kind of power needed would be great.

I want to get all that I need, but don't want to overkill just for the fun of it (or the expense).

Thanks in advance,

Don

cspaulding

For horses...1) how many do you plan on pulling around (a pair, three)? What type are you looking at? Large weight difference between a 14 hand Arabian and a 17 hand Thoroughbred or Belgium, but I assume maybe your talking Quarter Horses or along those lines? We have a 2000 Chevy cc we bought figuring we'd be pulling a horse trailer with it. We went with the 454 w/ 373 gears in it...gives us good gas mileage and the power for pulling (even though I'm griping about it). The truck would be wonderful if they'd fix it properly under warranty (see 2000 Crew Cab posting). Chevy's not high on my list right now, but we're considering getting rid of this one within a couple years (before warranty is out), saving up and going with the diesel, by then they should have the bugs out...drawback - the diesel lists at 43,000; more than we can afford after sticking about 38 into the one we have.

Also, what type of trailer are you looking at...weight will vary between a gooseneck and bumper pull. I think a regular stock type trailer is the lightest, but they do have some lightweight trailers out there now.

best of luck

chris

caveman3

local dealer has several 01 1500HD crewcabs with 6.0 , but only in short bed , expect to have long bed by middle of summer. it has 8600 gvwr . looks like the 2k 2500 , but in a 1500 HD

doncole

Thanks for the information. I've talked a little with my wife (the horse expert). She thinks we should plan on a 4 horse trailer, and Quarter Horses are most likely what we'll have. I'm not sure what kind of trailer (I know nothing.....).

The good thing I have going for me is the owner of the dealership is a friend of my wife's family. So I should be able to get a good deal, and repairs (hopefully) shouldn't be a big issue since they are friends of the family and will want to have it done right.

Since I keep my cars for a long time, I may end up giving in and getting the diesel. I don't like the extra upkeep but the mileage should be good, and I don't want to underpower (though I would probably be fine with less power than the diesel). Basically I can get a good deal so I may bite the bullet and go for it.

It's been put on hold for another month or so...I could change my mind again. I do have some connections at a Ford dealership, and I like the way they look better, but it seems (I could be wrong) that the new Chevy engines might be a little better.

Thanks for your input and help,

Don

cspaulding

I would probably opt for the diesel. We have the 454 in our 2000 Chev and could probably pull it, but the way fuel prices are going I keep getting the "we should've gone with a diesel" from my hubby. I don't think you'd have a problem with Ford's diesel - the new Chevy is supposed to be the "biggest" - I'll wait a year or so until we see how they hold up. At least with the Chev. you get a 100,000 mile warranty on the motor...gas is only 36,000 (not much these days). We too bought our truck to last at least 10 years and have had nothing but headaches. I keep telling my hubby we're putting the smaller motor (350) back in our '84 and I'll drive that.

Best of luck to you, and all your horse endeavors...there are always more out there to buy. I got my first one 2 years ago (a large Thoroughbred) and now am after my husband for a second (an Arabian)...as he says, "you're never satisfied"...kind of like him, pickups, and extra horsepower out of motors.

Chris