Best midsize Pickup?

[Chuckybmd]

Sorry to hear about your experience with your Tacoma. I have that same model/yr and I love it to death! It would’ve been my go to recommendation.

If it makes you feel any better my second vehicle is a 2019 F250 that I literally hate. It has a death wobble that hasn’t been satisfactorily fixed yet.

Best of luck with your search.

 

[keystone112]

My major disappointment with the GM and Chevy redesign is the lack of a 6' long bed option.

My 2019 Ranger is the Supercab with the 6' long bed. If I couldn't get at least 6', I would go back to a half ton.

I have also noticed that the Tocama appears to be only made in Mexico these days, if made in USA matters to anyone. Feel free to correct me on that if I have bad information.

We'll see what the 2024 Ram Dakota looks like. If they want to compete with the Electric Ford Maverick, it is a non-starter. If they make something the size of a 1st Gen Tundra, it would be unbeatable.

 

[huntercole]

I have a '15 Tacoma that I really like. I bought it in 2017 and didn't want the new gen. I just wish the rear seat had a little more room since I have two car seats back there now. I'm tall and felt like the bottom part of the driver seat was too flat where my thighs never touched the seat. I found some "seat jackers" that tilt the front the seat up and it's much more comfortable. I have a small suspension lift and one size bigger tires and I feel like it's pretty much the perfect setup now.
The rangers seem nice, but I just don't like the looks. To rounded and "soft". I'm probably more a ford fan than anything, so I'm interested in seeing the ranger raptor if we ever actually get that here.
I've never been a chevy fan but the 2023 colorados look really nice. Especially the trailboss version. The rear shock mounting always bugged me on the current ones. They look like they have 4 inches of ground clearance with those mounts hanging way down.

 

[roosiebull]

Keep the full sized truck and learn how to drive them off-road...and dont worry about scratches or small dents..if you are, stay on the macadam. Just because you can drive the truck don't make you good at driving it well in an off-road setting. I learned a lot as a volunteer civil service off-road rescue crew-member for about 10 years. Before that, I thought I was good at driving off-road....... I have a full size Dodge diesel 2500 Heavy Duty 4x4 quad cab shortbox nicely set up and I could go anywhere off-road your weak midsize half a truck will...and then some. Hauling/towing with a midsize, give me a break. Buy it for your wife to haul groceries. The only other truck I would consider would be a Tundra Pro double cab SB if you dont need the 2500 HD capability. I drove my buddy's and it was a very nice and very capable truck..but costly. My brother has a 2020 Colorado double cab, no thanks. Nice truck but too small. Better to learn how to handle off-road in a full size...just one mans opinion of course.

Sounds like you have some insecurities

 

[Macintosh]

Good to hear people are liking the rangers, I drove one of the first-year models for a long weekend and that thing was nice enough handling but it was a rattle-trap, every little piece of plastic trim inside was loose and making noise, and this was a brand new truck. Sounds like thats improved!
Re: the midsize/compact, my recollection is the dodge dakota was the first truck I ever heard called a “midsize”, it was positioned in between the half ton “full size” light trucks and the smaller trucks like toyotas and rangers, this must have been in the late 80’s or early 90’s. I think later on the small trucks started getting exterior redesigns to “feel” bigger and started positioning themselves as “midsized”, although I dont know that functionally they were any different.
My wife and i had a 92 and a 94 toyota truck. One died in a crash, the other we traded in after about 250k. Those were very utilitarian but seemed to run forever, it was rust that got them (new england). A friend I climbed with in colorado had one with over 700k miles on it. We traded in at that point for an 05 and an 06 tacoma. The 05 lasted till 220k or so, but it had head gasket work done steering rack replaced couple sets of leaf springs and a bunch of other stuff. We had to have it towed away, that was in 2019. The 06 also went through about 4 sets of leaf springs, the differential locked up and had to be replaced, a ujoint in the steering column replaced, the frame replaced under the rust recall, and the brake lines all rusted theough and needed replaced. I traded it in for a 17 colorado diesel—the tacomas at that time felt pretty plastic to me and the seats were crazy uncomfortable. The diesel towed great (4000lb boat) including hills, etc, plenty of power, great fuel economy, but it was really, really small inside and the 4wd had an electrical gremlin causing me to get stuck all over the place. Had it fixed under warranty several times, and finally got sick of getting stuck and traded it in for a 19 silverado LD. Preferred the ride and handling over the tundras I drove. Its been good so far, tows like a v8 half ton truck is aupposed to, handles better in the snow than the light small trucks do, and I love the room. Afyer 3 years my Lifetime average fuel economy including towing I’m at 17mpg and change, and hiway trips without a lot of hills I usually average 21and change mpg, so its actually pretty efficient for the heft. Suppose I’ll be forced to get something more efficient at some point, but I’d have a VERY hard time going back to a small truck.

 

[GarnerAF1]

It sounds like maybe waiting a little while might be the best bet.

Sounds like Ford is revamping their quality control measures. I’d imagine from what I’ve read is it should really translate into the next Gen Ranger.

GM/Chevy will have their new midsize out soon.

Toyota maybe very well redeem themselves ten fold with the talks of their 2024 Tacoma

And their is talks of VW possibly offering their Anorak in a gasoline version soon.

 

[dboone3]

I’ve recently test driven a Tacoma, a Ranger, and a Frontier.

Out of the three I think I actually like the Frontier the best.

I think I’m going to wait though. Some dealer friends have told me that trucks are getting harder to sell, so hopefully that translates to lower prices in the future.

I’m stuck with a sedan for now, but I’ll try to make it work for some hunting.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Today I traded my 2016 2WD Ram Cummins 2500 in on a 2021 Frontier 4 door, 4WD with 6Kmiles.
Should do better getting around in the hills in tight places and turn arounds.
So far, me likey.

 

[dboone3]

Today I traded my 2016 2WD Ram Cummins 2500 in on a 2021 Frontier 4 door, 4WD with 6Kmiles.
Should do better getting around in the hills in tight places and turn arounds.
So far, me likey.

Have you noticed that the Frontier's steering is a little stiff?

 

[FLATHEAD]

Have you noticed that the Frontier's steering is a little stiff?

I honestly havent noticed it.

 

[dboone3]

I honestly havent noticed it.

It's something I noticed initially on my test drive, but I imagine you just get used to it.

 

[UpTop]

Best “mid” sized crown goes to gen 1 tundra. Problem would be finding one in good condition. BUT the amount of money saved would mean the sky’s the limit on upgrades and still be thousands less than any of the newer trucks listed. The smaller v8 gets decent gas mileage for what it is and to me they are the perfect sized truck. You really could build one out to the gills for the money you’d spend on any of the newer small sized trucks everyone is calling mid sized.

 

[ChrisAU]

FINALLY got my 2022 GMC Canyon Friday, I love it. It is much quieter inside than my Tacoma was, and maybe I'll get more than 250 miles on a tank - same tank size, showed 476 miles to E when I picked it up, which would be fantastic. Going Wednesday to get my ARE shell installed. Overall it feels like a nicer vehicle than my Tacoma.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Best “mid” sized crown goes to gen 1 tundra. Problem would be finding one in good condition. BUT the amount of money saved would mean the sky’s the limit on upgrades and still be thousands less than any of the newer trucks listed. The smaller v8 gets decent gas mileage for what it is and to me they are the perfect sized truck. You really could build one out to the gills for the money you’d spend on any of the newer small sized trucks everyone is calling mid sized.

I had one that I put 280K miles on when I traded. All I ever did to it was replace headlamps, tires, batteries and oil changes. And I used it like a truck.

 

[glazer1972]

If not a Tacoma I guess I’d pick between a Chevy/GMC and Ford.

 

[dboone3]

FINALLY got my 2022 GMC Canyon Friday, I love it. It is much quieter inside than my Tacoma was, and maybe I'll get more than 250 miles on a tank - same tank size, showed 476 miles to E when I picked it up, which would be fantastic. Going Wednesday to get my ARE shell installed. Overall it feels like a nicer vehicle than my Tacoma.

I want to like the Canyon, but now that GM is requiring a 3 year upfront purchase of OnStar for $1500 I'm turned off from buying anything from them.

 

[ChrisAU]

I want to like the Canyon, but now that GM is requiring a 3 year upfront purchase of OnStar for $1500 I'm turned off from buying anything from them.

Heard something about that, but I wasn’t required to do that.

 

[Boarmaster]

These days a f150 or a Silverado 1500 with a crewcab and a short box is a midsize.

 

[z987k]

These days a f150 or a Silverado 1500 with a crewcab and a short box is a midsize.

No, a F150 is bigger than an F350 from just 15 years ago. My 03 F150 is smaller than a new Ranger. And the ranger has a higher tow rating.

The size creep is beyond out of control.

 

[Newtosavage]

IMHO, the best midsize is a full size. I tried to justify one, but the prices and fuel milage are too close for the capability you give up.

The size they are building trucks these days makes my 2015 Silverado feel like a midsized truck. LOL

I get 21-22 mpg with the 4.3 V6. I didn't get that with my old Datsun pickup in the 80's!

A true mid-sized pickup with a small diesel seems ideal, but then I'm 6'4" and like the extra headroom.