Looking for a new ride

All the Toyotas in South Africa are diesel, it's odd they make none available in America.

Although it will sound weird in America to say this, the Subaru forester in South Africa is very economical and with actual real all four wheels with torque to the ground traction, they go almost every single place the Toyota pickups go. Many times further and easier too.

Unless you have ARB lockers in a Toyota pickup truck it's still one in front and one in back spinning, and then it's the one with the least traction too!

Those foresters transfer power to the tire with the most traction. I've seen foresters climb out of steep muddy hills that had open diff pickups stuck every time. They don't have high ground clearance but all four tires turning trumps a higher truck with open diffs every day!
 
As ridiculous as it sounds my next rig will probably be a subaru. I have three buddies that are running outbacks. They have roof racks and hitch racks so they can fit as much gear and dead animals as they please. Stellar gas mileage and can get around pretty dam well in the snow. One is a fishing guide and pulls his drift boat with it. Not a whole lot of power but it works. Not sure if it would fit your needs but sense I'm generally an archer and don't go plowing snow in the winter its a perfect fit for me. They don't ever seem to break down either which is the most important thing to me.
I'm hunting a deal on one now. 25+ mpg and will go anywhere I need to drive.
 
So just did a little Googling. Ford makes a ranger they sell overseas with a diesel engine that gets 30+mpg. They don't sell it here because they are afraid it would cannibalize the F150 market, their most profitable vehicle.

Compact pickups are not a good seller in USA, not enough incentive for Nissan or Toyota to bring the diesels over here.

That is the general consensus from the articles that I read.
 
It's because they get such great gas mileage that they aren't allowed here. They would dominate the market! Big oil wouldn't want us to have a diesel truck with 30-40 mpg.
 
So just did a little Googling. Ford makes a ranger they sell overseas with a diesel engine that gets 30+mpg. They don't sell it here because they are afraid it would cannibalize the F150 market, their most profitable vehicle.

Compact pickups are not a good seller in USA, not enough incentive for Nissan or Toyota to bring the diesels over here.

That is the general consensus from the articles that I read.
they also make double cabs rangers just south of the border. which would be a good rig even with just the 4.0
 
1'st gen Toyota Rav 4, manual transmission might do it for you. They're available in 4wd, from what I've researched get mid 20's for mpg, and with the manual, you can keep the rev's up with that 4cyl which is needed. I'm still considering buying one but a car makes more sense mpg wise. Subaru wouldn't be bad either except some years have had head gasket problems from what I've read so I'm a little gun shy about those. I'm with you on not having a car payment. It sucks and I wont have one ever again.

Unfortunately, we're screwed here in the states on having a lot more options for diesel powered vehicles. Our illustrious EPA has clamped down on diesel emissions so much that it's very difficult/economical for the auto makers to provide diesels that will pass emissions. Just look at the Ford 6.0. There was nothing wrong with the 7.3 except it wouldn't pass the tougher emissions b.s. that went into effect in 2003. So in response to them, International put out that bastard child of an engine before the bugs were worked out which was unfortunate for that engine put out good power and gave great mpg. Plus, we now have the crappy low sulfur diesel which doesn't help engines either. And don't forget good ol American ignorance of diesel engines.
 
Get an older 01-04 Tacoma 4door. Gets decent mileage, 4wd, will run forever, won't break the wallet ( especially if you sell/ trade the 150).

That's what I would do in your situation.
 
My wife just bought a Subaru Outback, she got tired of not being able to get up our hill every time it snows. Anybody want to buy a 2004 Odyssey, just hit 100k?
 
I'd look for an older Toyota 4runner, late 90s style. My old 1998 would get 22 to 23 and importantly, you can sell the Ford and pay cash for one of them depending on how much equity you have.

What 30338 said. I run a 1996 3rd Generation Toyota 4runner Limited and its an awesome rig. Easy to work on. Doesnt get 20+ MPG but I bet I get 17 out of it easy. maybe better on Freeways. It has electronic 4 wheel drive that you can engage and the Rear Dif Lock for really needing 4 wheel drive power. I love my 4runner. Just dropped 700$ on new Cooper ATB Discovery tires and its nice going down the road now. Very comfortable rig and is a 6 cylinder. Toyotas run forever too if you take good care of them. Many guys on the 4runner forums that are getting 500+ k miles out of them
 
Toyotas run forever too if you take good care of them. Many guys on the 4runner forums that are getting 500+ k miles out of them

ive never kept any of my toyota trucks that long but my last toyota car i sold with 364k on it, all original. and my current one will roll 300k next week. it needed a head around 200k but thats about it
 
I bought a 2007 Subaru Forester a few years back that had 38,000 on it, I used for work. I put just over 50,000 miles a year on my work vehicle the Forester is not the most comfortable vehicle around but it does well in the snow and gets good gas mileage. When it hit 200,000 miles a gave it to my youngest daughter to drive. I now have a 2013 Toyota Tacoma crew cab, it has more room which I like and is comfortable more so than the Forester. I would look at getting a Subaru Outback they have ample room, get good gas mileage, do very well in the snow, can go most places that a Tacoma and other 4X4 trucks can, and cost to own isn't to bad.
 
man if they had a tacoma diesel here it would be in my driveway tomorrow. my 08 ford 250 6.4 has been good to me but dont use camper anymore so it can go anytime
 
I am going to second the Honda Ridgeline advice. I traded in my 2010 Tundra Crewmax for a 2008 Ridgeline RTX and wouldn't look back. The Tundra had the 5.7 which is obviously twice the motor, but just about half the fuel economy too. I am right around 20 mpg in my Ridgeline as well. It has an almost identical payload as the Tundra, but half the tow rating. Though I have nothing that I tow over 5k, so that was a non-issue for me. I can fit my 700 Arctic Cat in the back, the bed is only 6" shorter than the Crewmax bed. I say with great certainty that, out of the population in the lower 48, I am in the 1% for most exciting driveway when it is snowy and that Ridgeline works right up it (and down too), I did chain it once this winter, but I will be putting studded snows on it for the next full winter and anticipate not having to chain. I've only had the truck for a couple months, so I might still have "new" truck awe :)

My wife's 2013 Subaru Outback will go places in the snow with studded snows that any other truck or SUV I have seen would fail. That little buggar amazes me every time I drive it. Had it out antelope hunting and everything was a muddy mess, I am talking 12" or deeper just on the county roads and that car was driving around 4x4 trucks that were stuck and we had passenger car highway tires. Took it on a trip last year to the Pacific Northwest and it had no problem with all of the "4X4 only" roads that we explored in northern CA and southern OR. We averaged 30mpg on that trip as well, loaded with three kids, 2 adults, and all of our camping gear for 2 weeks. Only reason I didn't get a Subaru as well was that I really wanted a bed.

Obviously both vehicles are limited by their ground clearance, but I have never had a problem on any forest service roads and that's about as exciting as I get these days. The days of the lifted CJ5 and F150 are gone for this kid :)
I loved my Crewmax, but enjoy the Ridgeline even more. I had an FJ before the Crewmax and would have gone back to the FJ, but it didn't get much better fuel economy and it had no truck bed....
 
I had a jeep liberty with the diesel and it was a terrible vehicle ! Three transmissions in 42,000 miles ! The motor was good and I averaged 25 mpg but the transmission couldn't stand up to the motor. Jeeps solution was to turn down the motor and remap the shift points to keep it out of the power. Unreliable and the warranty service sucked. Had to fight with crysler every time the transmission died to get them to warranty it. Sat at the dealer over three weeks the last time they fixed it.
 
Chevy is putting a 4 cylinder duramax in the Colorado next year! Sounds like a great rig but I will give them a few years to work out the bugs.
 
I am thinking of going the route of a 4runner or a 4 cyl. Tacoma. Then look for a late model FJ with a diesel. I have pretty much decided that I am going to eventually go with smaller diesels and may be a large or mid size truck with a diesel dropped into it later on for towing heavier stuff. I am not going to hold my breath for anyone to release a small diesel truck anytime soon, that rumor mill has been going on for a long time.
 
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