Non-Mustang, Truck Talk

[88-GT]

Looking for a daily/winter vehicle now that my winter beater decided to take a shit and need some advice.

Im looking for at most a half ton truck or smaller SUV. My needs are something that is reliable, something I can be proud of, and something that is capable off road. I know whatever I get I am GOING to get it stuck, and it needs to be able to handle that.

And there lies the problem. Lately the 2000 era Tacoma and the up to 2002 4Runner have caught my eye. I just get shocked as a mostly domestic guy when a truck with 150k is still worth $20k. Are these trucks really built that well?

For comparison sake I found a 1999 Tacoma, 4x4 SR5, 100 thousand miles imported from the US, all inspections completed for $19k. Kind-of exactly what I am looking for. On the other hand I could get a 97-200X dodge dakota 4x4 with less than 70k km for $14k-$18k.

Question is, are these Toyotas really worth the extra cash? This will be a truck I will have for a long time and I dont want to be regretting it.

Any opinions?

Thanks, Adam

[bc82gt]

The joys of buying used!! First off, I would check to see if there is any warranty left on either vehicle. Seems like the imports have better warranty coverage than the domestics, but there are times that extended warranty can be purchased that will offset the price difference. Do some research on the internet and check out the user groups for a particular vehicle. Not to sure where you're from, but 90% of 4x4 SUV's and small trucks are used by city folks during a snow storm, so the drivetrain is usually in good shape. Be wary of buying anything that was used for work that required a lot of 4x4. Good luck in the search.