Transcription
Walk onto any used car lot in America today and you will see them parked in the back row, dusty, ignored, marked down twice already because nobody has even asked about them. Meanwhile, the same lot has a line of buyers fighting over a 2021 F-150 with 70,000 mi and a $42,000 price tag. I have been a mechanic for 23 years and I am telling you right now the trucks getting ignored in that back row will still be running when those new F-150s are sitting in a junkyard with blown cam phasers and dead 10-speed transmissions.
These are not beaters. These are not good for the price excuses. I am talking about pickups that were engineered before manufacturers got obsessed with turbochargers, direct injection, and 10-speed automatics that fail at 90,000 mi. Today, I am counting down five dirt cheap pickups that nobody is buying right now, and every single one of them will outlast a brand new truck off the showroom floor. I am saving the best for number one because that pickup in my professional opinion has the single most underrated truck in the entire used market. Let us get into it.
Starting at number five is a truck that most people do not even know exists. And the ones who do know assume it is some weird Japanese import nobody can get parts for. Wrong on both counts. The Mazda B series, sold from 1994 to 2009 in the United States, is mechanically a Ford Ranger with a different grill. It has the same frame, same engines, same transmissions, same parts at every auto parts store in the country. The only difference is the badge on the tailgate. And that badge is the reason you can buy one for thousands less than an identical ranger sitting next to it on the same lot.
I had a customer last spring, a young guy starting a landscaping business who came in with $4,500 in his pocket asking what truck he could actually trust. I sent him to look at a 2008 Mazda B2300 with 142,000 miles listed at $4,200. The same dealer had a 2008 Ford Ranger with 138,000 mi for $6,800. Same truck, literally the same truck, built on the same assembly line in Twin Cities, Minnesota. He bought the Mazda and saved $2,600. And that truck has been running his business for 14 months now without a single repair beyond an oil change and one set of brake pads.
Here's what's under the hood that matters. The 2.3 L Duratech 4 cylinder that came in these from 2001 onward is one of the most boring reliable engines Ford ever produced. Timing chain, not a belt, no turbocharger, no direct injection carbon problems, port fuel injection that just works. I have seen these engines hit 280,000 mi on original internals with nothing but oil changes every 5,000 mi. The 5-speed manual transmission behind it is essentially indestructible. And the 5-speed automatic is solid if the fluid was changed every 60,000 mi. Average price for a clean B series with under $150,000 miles right now is between $4,000 and $7,500. Compare that to an equivalent Ranger at $6,500 to $10,000. You are looking at the same vehicle for thousands less because of pure brand ignorance.
When you inspect one, check the frame behind the rear wheels for rust. These trucks lived hard lives in the rust belt and the rear frame sections can rot. Check the radiator support and the front control arm bushings because both are common wear items. If those check out, you have got a 25-year truck for the price of a riding lawn mower.
Number four, Dodge Dakota. Number four is a truck that Dodge stopped making in 2011, and the market has never forgiven them for it. The Dakota was the in between truck. Bigger than a Ranger, smaller than an F-150, and powered by engines that Chrysler engineered back when they actually cared about durability. Specifically the 3.7 L Magnum F6 and the 4.7 L Power Tech Vivve 8.
A few months ago, a contractor brought me his 2007 Dakota with the 4.7 L V8. He had bought it 3 years earlier with 110,000 mi for $6,800. He was now at 187,000 mi and wanted me to inspect it before a long road trip. I went through the whole truck. Suspension was tight. Frame was clean. Compression was within spec on all eight cylinders. The original transmission was shifting like it had 30,000 m on it. I told him to drive it to California and back without a worry. He did. And that truck is still going.
The 4.7 L Power Tech Va 8 has a reputation problem because the early versions from 1999 to 2003 had valve seat issues and overheating problems if owners ignored coolant changes. But from 2008 onward, Chrysler updated the engine with revised heads, better cooling, and variable valve timing. That second generation 4.7 is genuinely one of the most underrated V. Eight engines ever put in a half-tonon class truck. It makes 302 horsepower, towes 7,000 lb, and runs on regular gas. Current pricing on a 2008 through 2011 Dakota with the 4.7 engine and reasonable miles is between 6,000 and $10,000. A same year Ford F-150 with the 5.4 for Triton. The engine famous for spitting spark plugs out of the heads costs $4,000 more and will cost you $2,000 in repairs the first year you own it. That's not an exaggeration. I pull broken spark plugs out of 5.4 Triton engines every single month.
Inspection points on a Dakota are simple. Check the upper ball joints because they wear out around 120,000 mi and cost about $400 to replace. Check the rear differential fluid because Dakota owners rarely changed it. Listen for any tick from the top of the engine. A small tick is normal valve train noise. A loud tick means the previous owner ran it low on oil and you should walk away.
Number three, Chevy S10. Sliding into number three is the truck that built half of America's small businesses in the 1990s and the 2000s. The Chevy S10, specifically from 1994 to 2004 model years with the 4.3 L Vortc V6. The 4.3 Vorttec is essentially a small block Chevy Fee 8 with two cylinders cut off. Same engineering, same parts philosophy, same legendary General Motors, small block. Durability that has been proven for over 60 years.
I keep one in my own driveway. It is a 1999 S10 extended cab with the 4.3 L Vortc V6, a 5-speed manual and two-w wheelel drive. I bought it 11 years ago for $2,800 with 156,000 mi on it. Today, it has 241,000 mi. Total repairs in 11 years, a fuel pump at 198,000 mi, a starter at 220,000 mi, and a set of plugs and wires last year. That is it. I use it for hauling parts, picking up appliances, and driving to the dump. It starts every single morning, regardless of weather.
The 4.3 L Vortek produces 190 horsepower in this generation, which does not sound like much until you realize the truck weighs about 3,400 lb. It towes 5,500 lb without complaining, and it returns 18 to 21 m per gallon on the highway. The transmissions, both the 5-speed manual and the 4L60E automatic, are well known to mechanics. Parts are everywhere, and repairs are cheap. A rebuilt 4L60E at any shop in America runs about $1,800 installed, which is less than one repair on a modern Ford 10R80 transmission.
Current market price for a clean two-w wheelel drive S10 with the 4.3 is between $3,500 and $7,000. A four-wheel drive version goes for $5,000 to $9,000. For comparison, a similar age Toyota Tacoma with the 3.4 4 V6 is selling for $12,000 to $18,000 in any condition because the Tacoma has cult status. Mechanically, the S10 with the 4.3 will last just as long when you shop for one. The only real concern is rust. Inspect the cab corners, the rocker panels, and the frame rails behind the cab. If those are solid, the powertrain will outlive the body. Also, check the intake manifold gaskets. The 4.3 had plastic intake gaskets in this era that can leak coolant around 150,000 mi. It is a $400 fix and a known issue, so factor that in if it has not been done.
Number two, the Ford Ranger from 1998 to 2011. This is the truck I have personally recommended to more firsttime buyers than any other vehicle in my career. It comes with the 2.3 L Duratech 4 cylinder. Yes, it uses the same engine as the Mazda B series because they are essentially the same truck. And the Ranger earns its own spot because it is absurdly available. And the base trim manual transmission versions are aggressively underpriced.
If this truck content is helping, do me a favor and hit subscribe. I put out videos every week breaking down the vehicles dealerships hide from you. Now, back to the Ranger. A young woman came into my shop last winter looking for advice. She was a nursing student. She was broke. She needed something to get her to clinical rotations 40 miles each way. And she had $5,000. Everyone had told her to buy a Honda Civic. I told her to buy a Ranger. She looked at me like I was insane. Two weeks later, she came back with a 2009 Ford Ranger XL regular cab, 2.3 L 4 cylinder, 5-speed manual, two-w wheelel drive, 118,000 mi, and a price of $4,400. She has put 31,000 mi on it since then. Total repairs, one oil change. That's not a typo, one oil change in a year of driving. The truck just runs.
The 2.3 L Duratech is mechanically related to engines used in the Ford Focus, the Mazda 3, and even some Ford Fusion models. It is rated at 143 horsepower, which sounds weak, but it returns 27 highway miles per gallon, which is better than most modern crossovers. It uses a timing chain, not a belt. It has port fuel injection. There are no turbos, no variable cam phasers to fail, no direct injection carbon buildup. It was designed in an era when Ford engineers were judged on durability instead of horsepower per liter marketing slides.
Current market pricing on a clean 2009 to 2011 Ranger XL with the 2.3 L and the manual transmission is between $5,000 and $9,000 depending on miles and region. The four cylinder manual versions are the cheapest because nobody wants a manual anymore. Buy the manual. The clutch on these trucks lasts $200,000 miles if you do not ride it. And clutch replacement when it finally goes is $600 to $800 at any independent shop.
Inspection priorities. Check the frame for rust at the rear shackle hangers and around the spare tire mount. Check the timing chain tensioner for any rattle on cold start because some early 2.3 Duratech engines had a tensioner issue that was fixed under recall. Make sure the recall work was done. If you see service records confirming it, you are looking at a truck that will go 300,000 miles without breaking a sweat.
And here it is. Number one, the Nissan Frontier second generation from 2005 to 2019, specifically with the VQ40ED V6. This is the truck I would buy tomorrow if I needed something to drive for the next 15 years, and I wanted to spend the absolute minimum amount of money on repairs. Most people do not realize this truck even exists because Nissan barely advertised it for 14 model years. They just kept building the same thing year after year while the rest of the industry chased complexity. And that is exactly why it is so good.
A regular customer of mine, a retired guy, bought a 2014 Frontier SV with a 4 L V6 4 years ago for $14,500 with 78,000 mi. He is now at 162,000 mi. Total repairs in four years were a set of brakes, two oil changes per year, and one battery. He pulls a 4,000-lb camper with it every summer from Florida to Maine and back. The truck has never let him down. This one is reliable.
The VQ40DE is the legendary engine. It is the same V6 family that powered the Nissan 350Z, the Pathfinder, the Xterra, and the Infiniti FX35. It is a naturally aspirated 4 L V6 producing 261 horsepower and 281 lb feet of torque. No turbo, no direct injection, no cylinder deactivation, no variable displacement nonsense. Timing chain, port fuel injection, and an aluminum block engineered by Nissan engineers who clearly did not get the memo about planned obsolescence. I have personally seen multiple VQ40 engines exceed 300,000 mi on factory internals. I have one customer with a 2007 Frontier at 347,000 mi still running strong on the original engine and transmission. Timing chain matters. The 5-speed automatic transmission paired with the VQ40 is equally proven. It is not the most modern unit. It is not the most fuelefficient, but it shifts smoothly and lasts. As long as you change the fluid every 60,000 mi, it will outlast the body of the truck.
Current market pricing is where it gets ridiculous. a 2014 to 2016 Nissan Frontier SV with the 4 L V6 and 80,000 to 100,000 mi is selling for 14,000 to $19,000. A same year Toyota Tacoma with the 4 L V6 is selling for $24,000 to $32,000. That's a $10,000 difference between two trucks with comparable reliability. The Tacoma has resale cult status. The Frontier doesn't. That's the entire reason for the price difference. Mechanically in my shop, I see them as equals.
When you inspect a Frontier, there is one critical thing to check. The 2005 to 2010 models had a known issue with the radiator developing an internal crack that allowed coolant to mix with transmission fluid through the cooler line, destroying the transmission. It is called the strawberry milkshake of death by Frontier owners. By 2011, Nissan had issued updated radiators, and most affected trucks have been repaired or scrapped by now. But check the transmission fluid. If it is pink, milky, or brown, walk away immediately. If it is clean red, you are golden. Also, inspect the leaf springs in the rear because they sag with hard use and replacement runs about $600 aside.
Who should buy a Frontier? Anyone who needs a real midsize truck that actually works for the next decade with minimum drama? Anyone tired of paying Tacoma tax for the privilege of owning a Toyota badge. Anyone who wants to spend money on a truck once and not be back in the shop every 6 months.
So, there it is. Five pickups the market has completely forgotten about. And every single one of them will outlast a brand new truck off any showroom in America. The Mazda B series, the Dodge Dakota, the Chevy S10, the Ford Ranger 2.3, and the king of the list, the Nissan Frontier with the bulletproof VQ40. None of these trucks will impress your neighbors. None of them have heated steering wheels or 12-in touchscreens. What they have is something the modern truck industry has completely forgotten how to build. Simplicity that lasts.
Next time a salesman tries to put you in a $50,000 pickup with a three-year warranty and a turbocharged engine that needs premium fuel, you'll know what to do. Walk to the back of the lot and find one of these forgotten trucks instead. If you want to see which full-size trucks have actually earned a reputation in my shop for going the distance, I made a video on that. It's right here. 23 years of pulling wrenches has taught me one thing. The trucks the market ignores are usually the ones you should be buying. Like the video if it helped. Subscribe for more honest truck advice, and I'll see you in the next one. Drive safe. Take care of your truck and it will take care of you.