I’m hoping for a smallish pickup truck, like the Ford Ranger or the Chevy S10.
If you want an S-10, I advise you to go with the 4.3 V6 . . . all the 4 bangers offered at that time were anemic, at least for truck us. MIght have been fine for a Cavalier, but not for a truck.
While the 4.3 V6 does have its share of leaks, I believe it’s fundamentally a pretty sturdy engine
As for the Ranger, I think the 3.0 liter Vulcan V6 is a good all-around choice.
Of the 2 trucks mentioned, I believe the Ranger is slightly better built, and unless you’re looking at a really old truck, it also has better steering and suspension, versus the S10. We have Rangers and S10s and in our fleet, and the S10 suspension and steering wears out MUCH faster. You could do bushings, and then have to do them again the next year, because they’re shot again. Whereas with the ranger, when you replace the part, it seems to last longer.
When I said I’m hoping for a smallish pickup truck, what I should have said is that I’m looking for new editions of those trucks. I’m disappointed the models that used to be small pickup trucks (Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier) are now midsize trucks, and I’m hoping Ford will build a new version of the Ranger.
I am thinking the new Ranger will not be the same size as the old one. Thanks to the tax laws about trucks having a certain weight carrying amount.
I will say that our 2014 Nissan Frontier SV is just a few inches higher than we would like we have been pleased with it.