Miss my dang truck
06-19-2018, 03:26 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Miss my dang truck
I have had trucks for 30 or more years. But after a divorce led to me moving to New Mexico, I found wheeling around my little town of Alamogordo in my 2016 4X4 Supercab didn't seem to make a lot of sense. The size and turning radius made it awkward to park, the XL trim seat was not terribly back friendly (although give me any Ford seat over a Tacoma torture bench), and that sweet little 2.7 Ecoboost tried to deliver great gas mileage, but it was a challenge. So I traded it in January for a 2018 Subaru Forester. This is a nimble little car with one of the best all-wheel-drive systems out there, surprisingly good angles of approach and departure, good clearance -- and the thing is delivering about 34 miles per gallon. It also has a 10-way adjustable seat.
All that said, it ain't no truck.
Every time I turn around, it seems I need a sheet of plywood, a load of topsoil, a place to stuff a kayak -- you all know what I mean when I say it sucks to be truckless. So I find myself daydreaming about going back to a truck.
Of the 9 I have owned since the mid-1980s, two were Toyotas (pre Tacoma), one was a Japanese Mazda with seats so bad they almost made me cry; one was Ford B2000 Ranger/Mazda, one was a Ford Ranger, one was a 1997 F150 XL with the Triton engine, and two were Supercab XLT 4X2s, all purchased new. In 2010, I traded the last Supercab for a Nissan Frontier crewcab 4X4 with the V-6 and drove it for six years -- the longest I have ever owned a vehicle. The Nissan was easier to drive and park, flawless mechanically, and with a very well-engineered and useful bed for being such a short one. But the iffy seat support, uninspiring mileage and sheer boredom prompted me to trade it for the 2016 Supercab XL with 2.7 Ecoboost and a couple of upgrade packages. As you can tell, I don't need no stinkin' Lariat trim packages. An XL work truck is fine as long as it has a radio and AC.
So I have been poking around on dealership sites from Phoenix to Dallas looking at their work trucks, and Sanderson in Phoenix seems to keep several in stock priced in the $24,000s -- about my limit, as I am retired on SS. But rather than go right back to an F-150, I am thinking of trying to hold out until the Rangers return this winter. From what I can tell, the 4X2s in XL trim may come in about $22,000 -- and that 2.3 Ecoboost with 10-speed tranny sounds like a mileage getter in a more manageable-sized truck for a retiree.
So I will keeping an eye on the chatter here, hoping to see the quality control worries subside if that is at all possible.
All that said, it ain't no truck.
Every time I turn around, it seems I need a sheet of plywood, a load of topsoil, a place to stuff a kayak -- you all know what I mean when I say it sucks to be truckless. So I find myself daydreaming about going back to a truck.
Of the 9 I have owned since the mid-1980s, two were Toyotas (pre Tacoma), one was a Japanese Mazda with seats so bad they almost made me cry; one was Ford B2000 Ranger/Mazda, one was a Ford Ranger, one was a 1997 F150 XL with the Triton engine, and two were Supercab XLT 4X2s, all purchased new. In 2010, I traded the last Supercab for a Nissan Frontier crewcab 4X4 with the V-6 and drove it for six years -- the longest I have ever owned a vehicle. The Nissan was easier to drive and park, flawless mechanically, and with a very well-engineered and useful bed for being such a short one. But the iffy seat support, uninspiring mileage and sheer boredom prompted me to trade it for the 2016 Supercab XL with 2.7 Ecoboost and a couple of upgrade packages. As you can tell, I don't need no stinkin' Lariat trim packages. An XL work truck is fine as long as it has a radio and AC.
So I have been poking around on dealership sites from Phoenix to Dallas looking at their work trucks, and Sanderson in Phoenix seems to keep several in stock priced in the $24,000s -- about my limit, as I am retired on SS. But rather than go right back to an F-150, I am thinking of trying to hold out until the Rangers return this winter. From what I can tell, the 4X2s in XL trim may come in about $22,000 -- and that 2.3 Ecoboost with 10-speed tranny sounds like a mileage getter in a more manageable-sized truck for a retiree.
So I will keeping an eye on the chatter here, hoping to see the quality control worries subside if that is at all possible.
06-19-2018, 03:28 PM
#2
Senior Member
Welcome!
06-19-2018, 03:38 PM
#3
Senior Member
Welcome, good luck in your search.
06-20-2018, 11:29 AM
#5
Senior Member
I understand your dilemma, but I'm a fan of Subaru's, and have both a Forester and an Outback.
How about buying a small utility trailer? The Forester will tow it and it'll do almost everything you need it to...And still get 34 MPG on most days.
How about buying a small utility trailer? The Forester will tow it and it'll do almost everything you need it to...And still get 34 MPG on most days.
06-20-2018, 11:54 AM
#6
Member
Thread Starter
Rick, I have a new trailer hitch from Etrailer waiting to be installed and I am looking at a Northern Tool 5 X 8 utility trailer, both for hauling and as a chassis for a possible teardrop build -- IF I decide to stick with the Forester. However, if you ever saw me trying to back up trailers or boats, you'd be in hysterics ...
06-24-2018, 02:29 AM
#7
Super Moderator
Welcome to the forum !
