On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 19:42:21 -0000, breaksthenews
wrote:

I know this isn't quite a garden question, but it is related. And I
wanted to draw upon the sizeable collective wisdom of this group.

I am looking to buy a small to medium used pick-up truck between now
and next May. I've only got about $3,000 to $4,000 to spend, but I'm
hoping to squeeze about five good years out of this truck until I can
get a good full-time job.


I've heard Toyota Tacomas are good trucks, but those seem kind of
expensive, even in the 1996-1997 model years. Ford Rangers look
pretty
good, but I don't know how reliable they are.


Any advice would be much appreciated.

There are truck conferences you can check. The word "reliable" and
"used" should not be in the same sentence. When buying a vehicle
over 5+ years set aside $3000 for repairs. Tacomas hold value longer
than Ford Rangers, and they do have better reliability. Look for less
than 50,000 miles. One less repair with a 2-wheel drive (if you can
find one). The Honda truck is well-built (but ugly). Stay away from
Dodge and Chevy or any vehicle driven by a teen. Spend $200 for a
mechanic look-over. Check repos at credit unions/banks.