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Best Compact PU - Toyota, Nissan, Chevy, Ford?
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Although, I'm a Toy fan, I will probably buy a Dodge Dakota. I do feel the toyota is more reliable but the dodge seems to be built better (body is more sturdy), rides better, has more room, and I can probably get the v6 for the same price I would pay for the 4 cyl tacoma ext. cab.
I agree the toyotas have the reliability and resale value locked up. I'm just willing to take my chances on a dodge.
Any comments on the new dodge would be appreciated.
Here's a hot link you can click on to take you there:
1998 Compact Pickup Truck Shootout
Other Truck Road Tests
Check 'em out.
I used to be. If you look again, you'll find that it's 143, not 154 HP. But if you drive one, it'll feel more like 103 HP. In my opinion it's grossly under powered, and every review of it I've read says the same thing. I had an '87 Nissan V6 pickup, and I liked it so much I thought I'd be buying Nissan pickups for the rest of my life. Then I test drove the '98 Frontier. It's no coincidence they use dogs in their ads. It is one. It's also no coincidence they're giving large rebates. No one wants them, and Nissan knows that so they have to drop the price to unload them. I ended up buying an American-made truck, but the advice from this ex-Nissan pickup enthusiast is to buy anything but a Frontier.
Yeah the Frontier is no hot rod, but then I was looking for a mountain goat, not a race horse. You were right about the HP, 143. I got it mixed up with the torque, 154. And in 4L, that motor works fine, and I do spend time in 4L. And it cruises the freeway at 70-80 no problem. And its a really nice truck other than the motor. Great seats, standard includes Air and a good stereo, cloth buckets, dual airbags you can turn off, nice trim. I know all this because I bought one today, an xcab for $3900 below sticker. I immediately took it for an off road test, and it was real sturdy (I have owned 4 different 4 wd's) and plenty torquey enough. Anyway, as you said, you liked Nissans great execept for the engine in the Frontier, so for someone who isn't offended by the 4 cylinder, its a great deal.
1. Ford/Mazda base engine - 2.5L SOHC 117 HP
2, Chevy/GMC/Isuzu base engine - 2.2L OHV 120hp
3. Nissan Frontier - 2.4L DOHC 143hp
4. Toyota Tacoma - 2.4L DOHC 142hp
GM could easily put the 2.4L DOHC found in upscale Cavaliers/Sunfires rated at 150hp and blow the competition away! Ford builds an excellent truck but they lack any real power.
As for V6s, for the price you pay for these options you could get a nice full size pickup.
And to danz28, I completely agree with your statement regarding the V6 option in these pickups, and I've been waiting for someone else to say it. I had mentioned in another topic that I had picked out a V6 XLT Ranger for myself, but it was only $1500 less than an F150 with what I considered to have superior options, so I got the F150. It was well worth the slightly extra cost.
You also mentioned that you didn't care for the low-powered 4-cylinder engines in Ford and GM PUs.
I also consider the GM and Ford fours to be relics from what should be the long-forgotten past. But I just don't understand why anyone would buy a four-cylinder pickup anyway, so it doesn't seem all that important for them to upgrade them to current engine designs. I do think, however, that Dodge, Ford and GMC should all offer a V6 with DOHC. Since this technology seems to have been proven over and over, it's kind of hard to understand why we still have push rods in those pickup engines.
As for DOHC engines, beyond making cool sounds, I don't see that they offer any great advantage over OHV engines, especially in a low end torque desiring trucks. The are more costly to make and repair and they generally get attrocious mileage. As for proven technology, the things that GM continues to do with the pushrod 350 (in the corvette and camaro), now that's technology.
Tell me again why we need DOHC engines in trucks?
As for Ford, it needs another cam and about 35 more horses.
GM should stick to their pushrod V6s and V8s (by the way the Corvette/Camaro engine is 347 cu. in. but I know what you were trying to say.)
As for DOHC engines getting atrocious fuel mileage, I don't think that has been proven. I believe that the opposite is the case and that the 4-cylinder Toyota and Nissan will do better than the lower-powered 4-cylinder Ford and Chevy. One thing we'll have to admit about the Japanese pickups, they are not ashamed of their fuel consumption figures and publish them in their catalogs. I wish the American companies would do the same.