I don’t ever do that, but I know people that do
Just this week our city published the crime rate by area. Not surprisingly, the downtown core came out worst. But by category, such as “items stolen from vehicles”, a nearby upscale neighborhood was near the top. All the residents have garages, mostly 2 or 3 car. But they often park in their driveways and don’t lock their cars.
Thieves find more valuable items in upscale cars than in beaters.
My insurance company will not pay for items stolen from cars unless there are signs of “forcible entry”.
Well Dag,Dodge is on the right track with that pnuematic suspension,with that you can have the best of both worlds and truth be known there is nothing wrong with"air springs".
As a person with basically lifelong back prob.I can attest to what has a decent ride and proper lumbar support and let me tell you up until a few years back,if I rode in a Chevy truck,I was basically paralyzed for hours.What I really think( IMO) is that the manufacturers should do a little better on a basic truck package.
My take-1Vinyl and rubber interior
2 A good seat
3,x-cab with standard length bed
4 floating differential with a locker standard
5decent engine standard(the basic trucks now usually offer dumbed down engines that have about the same or worse fuel economy as the much more powerful engines
I could go on and I know some of you will say that the manus already do this and I could answear no they do not,the base trucks have to be up optioned so much to get something decent,the price skyrockets,I do not see the need for 4-5 trim levels in pickups,I have run these build things on their websites over and over,ad nauseum and realize they have no desire to make a nice entry level and you cannot please everyone(kinda like a stick built house vs a Doublewide) What I think we really need is(and this would help the dealers)is a plethora of options that could be installed by the dealer and you know in a decent time interval you could upgrade your existing vehicle,after all everyone maintains that the dealers already make so little money on a new vehicle off the lot.Maybe have the B&W model and offer the O model(base default,you can build how you choose) its just a flight of fancy,back in the day they tell me you could actually factory build a vehicle,I now times change,but the status Quo can be changed too
Hi Kevin.
I can simpathise with you on your back issue. That is one reason I choose a Toyota from the SR5 model up with an adjustable lumbar support they have had since 2005 .
To help with back pain you get when sitting for extended periods, I have been doing core exercises just 10 minutes daily with an exercise ball while watching TV news in the evening. Doing planks and bridges on the ball does wonders engaging all the supportive muscles and takes pressure off the back while sitting for extended periods in a car. Using the ball, you can do a few other basics in safety as well for the lower back and trunk area.
I was really dumb for the first 40 years of my life thinking that arm and leg exercises were the key to a healthy body and a strong back…they aren’t. It’s all about the core and they are the easiest and safest to do with a ball for full back support.
. Sitting in any small truck, especially a the short cab without a semi reclining seat is murder. IMho, it’s one of the reasons so few short cabs are sold and why some truck makers just stopped making them.
All Tacoma acces cabs models since 2005 can be had with all the features you list including the standard on all models, electronic limited slip n the rear. A locker in the back cannot be had cheaply in any smaller truck that isn’t 4 wd., usually in expensive off road packages. They are highly suseptable to damage and wear too. The electronic limited slip using the brakes is standard on all Tavomas and is the way to go and the easiest on the truck and requires no special maintenance. I have both on my truck and find the electronic does everything until you start climbing vertical walls…which we don’t do anymore at our age.
Throw in some Husky floor matts for that vinyl sensation. 
A few comments on full lockers. They cannot be engaged on the move like an electronic limited slip and they can easily spin you out of control at anything more then a few miles sn hour. Then, you have to come to a stop to disengage them. They are only suitable for slow off road conditions. A limited slip disengages the engine cut off, can be done on the move and is a perfect traction supplement in 2wd. It adds little if any addition wear to the rear differential… Though it is not as effective in tiough going as a locker, it is safer, easier to use and requires no additional maintence. That makes it much more effective for long term use. Mechanical limited slips actually loose their effectiveness as they age. So a used truck with one may be less useful with one then an electronic limited slip which is consistent thoughout it’s life time. In reality, it is a more aggressive traction control.
The LSD on my Dakota,helps until the thing wont engage its not one wheel on ice one wheel on pavement thing and there is the wear issue,I believe you answeared my question on the Diffs(I have been wondering about that-electronic traction augumenter should be standard, good deal)But really consider the air suspension.
I still want my O model truck with the potential for upgrades a few years down the road,the dealers seem to be in a bit of a bind and to have them finish the truck seems like a good way to generate revenue,when the electric vehicles hit the market big time,the dealers are going to have be creative to make up for revenue on lost maintenence My back is peculiar in having a busted lower lumbar(the spinal process was broken off and my spine has actually shifted forward on the pelvis,I always thought the horrible pain was a pulled muscle(everyone has that right?) anyway I used to do crunches and situps,I wondered what the lump was that was floating around above my spine(amazing how much pain you can actually stand)anyway after fusion everythings pretty stable now,just cant wear a tool belt and and weakness in left leg otherwise I’m pretty mobile.
Enough of that,I believe electric vehicles will a game changer,I sure am looking at the “Raven” riding mower hybrid,with serious rheumy eyes(looked at one at 'Lowes" yesterday.
Sounds like you have a mechanical limited slip which are prone to wear. I will guess that most newer trucks have traction control with a traction control defeat button which in my truck, makes the limited slip light come on and defeats the engine cut off. It’s not rocket science and if a truck you are looking at does not have it, I would move on. This is one of those things that make rwd more livable in slippery going.
As far as Toyotas are concerned, off road traction and sturdy undercarrige along with a miserable ride in 4 wd is their specialty. The 2 wds are quite good. They own the market in this traction stuff and is why the dominate this class of trucks. The small to intermediate truck is near impossible to make good riding unless you make other sacrifices.
A friend has a Dakota and found it to be the most comfortable intermediate truck make. He is on his 12 th year with it. My wife does not like to drive my truck in the winter because it has too many traction options and she gets confused. She likes he AWD, drive it and forget it Venza and previous RAV.
The new Ford Raptor is comming out with an AWD and 4 wd combo with a turbo 3.5 that looks good for everything you want…got $40 k to spare ? Hope you deal with your back successfully. Nothing like growing old to mitigate our responsibilities.
Think I’ll pass on that raptor,the new tacoma looks promising but the new one a friend has seems cramped,I think toyota is headed in the right direction with the engines,If I was Nissan I would freshen the 4cyl they have up and make it a 2.7,sometimes I dont understand nissans direction,but truthfully if GM can make a decent midi with the Colorado,I’m interested,everytime I price a 150 it heads toward 40K real quick,thanks for the back sympathy,anyone with a bad back has my sympathy-Kevin
Kev. I can only tell you the experience I have with the two different motors I have had in trucks. In 2 wd, the four in just about any midsize truck will easily sufice. In 4 wd versions, the six is best as there is very little difference in highway mileage and often when towing with these little critters, the four is worse. Because many more of these trucks are sold with 4 wd, the emphasis is usually on the bigger plant as far as technology is concerned. I don’t feel there is much difference between a 2.4 or 2.5 or 2.7 four cylinder in these trucks with 2 wd. All have good motors and all I feel are sufficiently powerful
Now, if you want a 4 wd with 4, yes, go with the most cubes you can with the most torque. But the 4 wd Toyota I drove with a a larger 2.7 four was still a dog. Good for light loads though extcellent off road as you have low range to mitigate any low torque problems.
Btw, I am 6’2" and have no problems with the seating and leg room. My 6’4" son does though. I hope the new one addresses that entry problem. The friend with the older Dakota is 6’11". He would die trying to get into my Tacoma. So around 6 feet seems the legal limit of comfort for long distance driving in a Taco.
Strange you would say that,my torso is sort of out of proportion with my legs,I.m almost 6’2" but a 32" inseam about drags the ground,so I am pretty sensitive to headroom,it s kinda like my back injury sort of a shrunk my lower half,I never paid any attention but does the Taco have most of the controls out of the floor?(thats one thing I like about the Dak,the tunnel is clear)I’ve heard rumors that Ram was considering bringing out a Mid size-anyway when I see a 1st gen 2 WD taco,I’m full of envy-wish you could get that truck now(easy to park) was driving my Uncles Crown Vic,the other day and that behometh is a heck of a lot easier to park then my Dakota.
As an afterthought,I had a friend who owned a first gen Taco,that was in a flood.He bought it back from the insurance company for peanuts,He let it dry out and changed the fluids and drove it happily ever after(you could still see the high water mark in the headlight covers) I guess good design needs no excuses
There are enough around to take one for a test drive. You are looking used, they have not changed since 2005 so one test drive could either have you cross them off your list or include them. They are bigger then the previous. I do bang my shins getting in if not careful. This is one area the new one needs to address…entry. It just may not be the truck for you. Like I said earlier, my 6’11" friend found the Dakota the only acceptable cab for him. It may be the only one for you used.
I’m a used truck junkie. I’ve been reading autotrader mags and websites for fun for years.
I’m a Ford guy mostly, but that’s only my preference. I’ve owned dodges, and I’m fairly unbiased.
For your budget & need, I’d be looking for a 1997 thru 2004 F150. I’ve either owned or worked out of every generation F-Series truck starting with 1992, all the way up until my current 2009.
My 1999 F150 was my favorite. I bought it in 2007 with 88k miles. I sold it in 2012 with 182k.
My fixes included:
1 battery
2 u-joints
2 rear shocks
1 set of plugs
She had her quirks, but the truck was solid. IMO, it was the best generation of F150s. The 5.4L V8 had a weeping oil leak between the head & the block on the passenger side, but it was maybe a 1/2 qt in 5,000 miles. It did it from the factory, apparently. the body was good & tight. The Interior was light years ahead of the previous model. Honestly, I wish my 09 had those seats.
The of 4 spd auto tranny was great too.
I wish I still had it.
Just the other day, for fun (nerd alert) I was cruising Autotrader.com on my lunch break for this very model. I saw several within a 200 mile radius of me that had less than 100,000 miles for $6k or $7k.
Good Luck