Question for those with extended cabs

5min4fighting

Im getting ready to get a new truck and Im trying
to decide between the Dakota and Ranger. The big
selling point for me right now is that the Ranger
supercab doors open, making it easier to get to
the back where the Dakota doesnt. For those that
have extended cabs that dont open...how much of a
pain is it to get to your stuff??

erikf2

I drove a 2-door ext. cab S-10 for 14 years, and am now driving a 3-door Silverado. Believe me, you want more than 2 doors in an extended cab.

lariat1

Try to fit a box in the back of an extended cab without the extra doors,it is a pain in the butt the extra doors are not absolutely necessary(trucks didnt have them until 4 years ago) but it makes life a lot easier.If the trucks are the same price go with the extra doors.

mgdvhman

at least 3 doors is nice....

People hauling is OK.....but cargo can be even harder....as it always doesn't bend like people do to get back there!

- Tim

akjbmw

That being the question...

I suggest that at least one extra door is a very good thing.

With just the standard doors, you are accessing stuff from or crawling into the back just like a two door sedan. They look cool but keep your video cam handy for Real People shots!

Now picture a 4x4 with the added elevation. ;-)

ryanbab

4 doors is great on my ext cab silverado. Its alot easier taking stuff out and loading.

Ryan

volfy

I'd say that more than 2drs on a full-size ext cab is a must, but on a compact truck they aren't as essential.

I, for one, would never carry passengers in the ext cab of a compact pickup - not even kids. It's a disaster waiting to happen, IMHO. So that leaves cargo only in the back. If you are gonna carry 50lbs tool boxes in and out of the ext cab, then a third door would definitely work better. Otherwise, the added occasional convenience is not worth the compromised structural integrity the extra doors exact on the ext cab.

Having my vehicles hit&totaled by other cars more than enough times to put the fear in me about vehicle safety, I'd rather live with a 2dr ext cab until another 60-Minutes expose whip the auto industry into taking a hard look at all the wide-open cab openings of these 4dr ext cabs exploding onto the scene.

My $0.02.

tacoma_trd

I have a b-series (ranger twin)and it is just extended cab 2 door. I wish I would have gotten the 4 door. I had to fit a box back there and I ended up taking my passenger seat out just to get the box in! Go with the Ranger 4 door.

dodgeram7

Go with the Dodge Dakota Quad cab for the best of both worlds.

pocahontas

In addition to the feedback here, you should also try asking (copy/paste) your question in Pickups Topic 2229, "War of the Compacts:Frontier, Ranger, Tacoma, S10, Dakota..."

Also, try using the Topic Search (left side) to find other topics (i.e dakota or ranger) throughout Town Hall. Good luck with your decision. ;-)

Pocahontas,
Edmunds.com/Roving Host

5min4fighting

Thanks for all the info!! I really dont like the
Quad cab/Sprt trac pickups so they are out. I had
a full size for about 5 years but I really didnt need that much truck so here I am looking at the new Ranger XLT 4X4 and the Dakota.

ron109

Want to purchase a 2001 ford 150 xlt ext. cab 4x4 soon. please advise if I will encounter any problems.What will my gas milage be for open road driving? do not expect to use off road,but might put on a snow blade for own driveway use. Thank you

pirelli

STAY AWAY FROM THE FORD V8S UNLESS YOU GET A EXTENDED 100,000 MILE DRIVETRAIN WARRANTY. MY ALUMINUM HEAD CRACKED AT 73,000 MILES. IT MUST BE A DESIGN FLAW, BECAUSE THE ENGINES COME WITH FAIL SAFE COOLING. THIS MEANS YOU CAN STILL DRIVE WITH NO ANTIFREEZE IN BLOCK. MINE OVERHEATED IN #2 CYCLINDER THE TEMP GAUGE DIDNT GO UP. THE FORD DEALERS IN MY AREA, SAID REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE THE HEAD CANT BE REPLACED IN THE TRUCK.

steve234

Ford has some of the most reliable engines available. There are always a few that fail in any make. I have 165000 on mine with not a single problem if you discount the pack rat that chewed up my wiring. Anytime an engine overheats, it is not recommended to just replace the head. The entire engine should be overhauled. Just slapping a head on is only asking for trouble down the line

saari

Hi, I bought a ranger extended cab with four doors . It`s really handy for loading stuff behind the front seats. I could even use it for a backup vehical for my mail route. It would be easy to put the mail trays back there with those extra doors.

jeffreymn

Get the extended cab 4 door. You'll be glad you did. I just got done with a lease on a 2 door ranger ext cab and switched to a f-150 extended cab. It's hard to imagine not having the extra doors now.

The difference is easily worth it!