Small/mid-size trucks, best all around

OP IMO you've landed on the best "bang for the buck" small/mid-size truck. Frontier. It's undervalued compared to the Taco. It's adequate for what you've specified. It'll do what you want.

If it were me I'd just get a midsize SUV hybrid. (or even wagon/hatchback). Get 30-38mpg, keep the "ruggedness" you're looking for and you still have a very capable 2018 full-size when you need a real truck.
 
After test driving another Maverick (with the Tremor package), and my wife laughing the whole time from the back seat due to the small size, I decided I needed to do something else.

I'll be picking this up tomorrow. Had to adjust budget for sure, but a good call I think.

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Earned its keep today. A buddy took me off roading at Windrock Park today. We took it pretty easy overall, but I did have squirrelly moments and I managed to break a skid plate bolt lol. Truck currently has only 850 miles on it and I got a couple comments that it was too nice of a truck to have out there. But I figured no one can call it a mall crawler now lol. A 4 inch lift (hopefully in the future) would have been super nice and made the difference on the two times I bottomed out.

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Earned its keep today. A buddy took me off roading at Windrock Park today. We took it pretty easy overall, but I did have squirrelly moments and I managed to break a skid plate bolt lol. Truck currently has only 850 miles on it and I got a couple comments that it was too nice of a truck to have out there. But I figured no one can call it a mall crawler now lol.

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If you would have bought the Maverick, you would have had to stay at home. mtmuley
 
Gee, I've taken cars through worse stuff than that! Thrash that thing! 🤣
Pictures are deceiving, and I wasn't taking pictures during the hardest stuff lol. And hey man, I did rip a skid plate nearly off the bottom lol. Thankfully it only sheared off one bolt and there were others to hold it back in place.
 
Of whats out there, if I were in your shoes I would go with a 2022-23 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4x4 SR trim. MSRP is just under $35k. Its going to have the best resale value of any of the trucks out there and they are at the end of their build cycle so most kinks are pretty much worked out.
 
Of whats out there, if I were in your shoes I would go with a 2022-23 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4x4 SR trim. MSRP is just under $35k. Its going to have the best resale value of any of the trucks out there and they are at the end of their build cycle so most kinks are pretty much worked out.

Composite bed. Will never last.
 
Composite bed. Will never last.
It's not my preference either, but of the mid-size trucks that's what I would go with. The Ranger has an aluminum bed, Colorado is suspect gm build quality, gladiator has reliability issues. I also want to be able to unload a vehicle at any point if I need to and the Tacoma will give you back what you paid for the truck after almost a 100k miles preventing you from being upside down if you financed.
 
I have had exactly zero issues with my Colorado. Having been in a lot of Chevys there is a great difference between a WT and a ZR2 in materials and build quality. A$$,holes…
 

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I have had exactly zero issues with my Colorado. Having been in a lot of Chevys there is a great difference between a WT and a ZR2 in materials and build quality. A$$,holes…
These are consumer reviews from 2020 Chevrolet Colorados. So it’s had a few years to leave an impression. The average was 3.7/5 that’s not a good rating.

 
These are consumer reviews from 2020 Chevrolet Colorados. So it’s had a few years to leave an impression. The average was 3.7/5 that’s not a good rating.


I get that, but my experience is different. That’s for all Colorados. My buddy has a brand new Tacoma TRD. It’s a nice truck, but my ZR2 is nicer and performs better or equal in every way. His may end up being more reliable, but as of now we’re tied 0-0. I even get better gas mileage.
As I stated before the 2 major reasons I don‘t own a Tacoma are that they have terrible headroom and are gutless. I‘m 6’5” and my I have to lean over in his. I also tow my camp trailer and cruise over passes easily. Tacos are great trucks, but don’t fit my needs.
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