small truck for a first car?
Posted by duskowl32@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 26 comments
hi guys! i just got my license, and currently, im driving my mom's prius, but i live in an area where the drivers are in general very unsafe, so i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a reliable, small truck? i've considered a tacoma, but if anyone knows any that are smaller and will run for a long time, that would be super awesome!! i do want to stay away from the ford maverick though. really sorry if this comes off as stupid!
earthman34@reddit
There are no "small" trucks.
Kdoesntcare@reddit
The old Chevy S10 is pretty small
earthman34@reddit
"Old" being the key word here.
Kdoesntcare@reddit
Which generally translates to "cheap" and "not buried in computers so cheaper/easier to maintain"
ContributionDry2252@reddit
It'd be better to learn to drive with a car, not a lorry.
I_buy_mouses1977@reddit
When did he say he was going to drive a lorry?
ContributionDry2252@reddit
Truck.
Porschenut914@reddit
toyota tax, youre likely to be overpaying for a rust bucket. Also know of couple new drivers who found themselves spinning out a older pickup (due to little weight on the drive wheels)
if set I would recommend a maverick or maybe ridgeline.
Jalen-_-6@reddit
FORD RANGER, The Best Option (Before 2019) Very Reliable Small Truck.
Chevy Colorado
GMC Canyon
Nissan Frontier & Toyota Tacoma
Nitfoldcommunity@reddit
You could go back even further and get a chevy s10 or dodge dakota
Graflex01867@reddit
Both of which are now old enough that the Prius is probably equally safe.
DereLickenMyBalls@reddit
Mid 90s to early 2000s S10, Sonoma, or hombre (they are all the same). Get it with the 2.2l and the 5 speed manual. Extremely reliable drivetrain, but doesn't make much power. Ive owned several and they are incredible beater trucks. All of the newer trucks aren't small enough for my preference in a commuter truck.
Chair_luger@reddit
What is your budget?
Even though it was not right for you since you mentioned Maverick I would assume that you have a pretty good budget.
It is sort of morbid but one measure of car safety safety is the driver death rate. You can did through the numbers but the Subaru Outback has very low driver death rate which is better than almost all pickup trucks. If you are mainly concerned about the safety then it or some other car with a very low driver death rate would be a better choice.
https://www.iihs.org/ratings/driver-death-rates-by-make-and-model
You can also look at cars which got a top safety pick designation and also see prior years using the link on the left side of the web page.
https://www.iihs.org/ratings/top-safety-picks
ALG2003YT@reddit
You dont need a truck. Find your budget and do price comparisons with the IIHS year by year safety score. Shoot for top safety picks or higher. Trucks are some of the most unsafe vehicles you can get.
Gubbtratt1@reddit
Your moms prius is much safer than a small truck, especially a body on frame one. Get a Volvo made after 1995 if safety is your main concern.
HalfBlindKing@reddit
Agreed, even though my first car was a pickup truck, if I was worried about the drivers, I’d want something that could handle and the ability to evade with it.
seamallowance@reddit
I would recommend a Japanese minivan. They’re safer than a small truck, they draw no attention from Police (you could probably smoke a joint while driving and nobody would notice), they’re quiet, reliable, and ideal for fooling around with a lover in the back.
brokensharts@reddit
My first car was a 93 ford ranger and it was exactley what i needed in a first car. Slow, manual, 4x4 and cheap
GEEK-IP@reddit
Unless you specifically need a truck, don't get one. They're generally over-priced for the comfort, performance, and safety. (The Maverick is an exception to that.)
If you want something smaller than a Tacoma, but not a Maverick or Santa Cruz, your only choice is going to be an older Tacoma or older Nissan Frontier. Both of those models seem to get bigger every year, so get one 15 years old.
I'd really recommend a sedan or smaller SUV though.
(Maverick driver.)
Relaxed-Overthinker@reddit
The best option for you by far is the first generation Honda Ridgeline which is a four door SUV based pickup (Meaning it isn't sitting on an uncomfortable body on frame aka ladder on frame suspension like a traditional truck.) which was produced from 2005 to 2014. It is extremely reliable, has decent fuel economy for the time, comes with All Wheel Drive standard, and has a composite steel reinforced bed with a large sealed lockable composite in bed trunk/cooler at the back of the almost completely flat roughly 4x5 foot composite bed that extends to 6.6 ft with the tailgate down and a tailgate that opens flat down like traditional tailgates on and on the side like an old time American station wagon allowing for easier loading and unloading of your items. It has four doors and is a five passenger vehicle. It has a higher payload volume by roughly 200 pounds, 12% more interior passenger volume and a flat rear load floor that accomplishes that ability due to a lack of a transmission tunnel hump and a rear seat that folds up as opposed to the seat back's folding down like in an SUV as compared to the Toyota Tacoma of the time. Now it's wasn't considered the most attractive vehicle at the time, but it's a mostly squarish truck with an odd bed that goes up at an angle compared to normally completely straight truck bed. It drives like a large Honda Accord and it comes with an automatic transmission and you don't have to manage a traditional 4WD drive as weather condition's change and accidentally damage it due to inexperience due to the aforementioned all wheel drive system. It won six Truck of the year awards when it was brand new and several for functionality and usability of the passenger space, innovation due to the composite in bed trunk/cooler and crash test safety in later years. I don't own one myself, however my best friend's dad does and has owned the same one since roughly 2010. I almost bought a second generation model when I bought my latest vehicle back in 2019 (A Toyota Highlander Hybrid.) (It tied for second place along with a Mazda CX-9.) which is why I know so much about the general concept and features of the Ridgeline pickup truck model offhand. In conclusion, it drives the most like a car, can easily do 90% of what the average person needs a pickup truck to do, is dead stock reliable, has new to the truck world features enhancing it's usability, has automatic AWD for bad weather, and can transport five people in a comfortable suv based modern interior cabin with decent rear foot room and comfort for all three rear passengers and also offers an easy to use sunroof on some models. Easy to acquire accessories include cargo roof rails, a traditional truck bed cover for the truck bed which also will accept cargo rails, and a truck bed extender which allows you to put the tailgate down while still holding onto your oversized cargo of choice. Most importantly, it is often still very reliable even when looking at high milage and inexpensive Ridgeline's of which there are many these days. I hope this helps.
Tall-Drummer-2887@reddit
Get a Honda Ridgeline.
SneakyWasHere@reddit
I think a single cab truck is the best first vehicle anyone can get.
HotmailsInYourArea@reddit
Most small trucks have very bad crash safety ratings unless you get a newer one, but i would not suggest that for a new driver at all, on costs alone, let alone your likelihood to wreck it
MarkVII88@reddit
Apology accepted. Thank you.
WordWithinTheWord@reddit
Only problem with trucks in general is that you’re going to pay a premium just on the virtue that it’s a truck because they (generally) offer more utility than a car.
Anything made in the last decade is going to be generally safe. Defensive driving matters more than crash test ratings IMO.
cookie-ninja@reddit
Pickup trucks get tipped easy. A wide base SUV might be better if you're looking for protection. But this bigger is safer is not statistically sound.
Notting is better than defensive driving and situational awareness.