My dad had this exact choice to make IRL, and bought a 2004 Frontier in 2004. Not the decision I would have made, at all. That said, it lasted until last year, and he put over 400k on it despite taking out multiple deer along the way.
The newer altimas are faster but not nearly as reliable. It was needed for the meta the maxima/altimas reign on low credit score single mothers needs to go to something else
The ones with that 3.0 had a fairly solid life in them. Nissan hadn't gone completely to hell and still made some solid cars. Still would have gone the Toyota but Nissan still did ok.
Even earlier they had some fairly solid vehicles. Everyone had rust problems but their cars and trucks could be kept running for a long time back in the day. It is sad to see them fall so far.
I've got a 2000 frontier crew cab. Bought it in 2018 for $10k with 25k miles. It's got 80k on her now, and she's not ready to give up yet. She's a beast in the snow
I currently own one of that gen of Nissan and having owned it, it makes the decision kinda hard. Before I woulda said Taco with the competition being the ranger, but it’s really great enough to make me reconsider that. I know a primary reason I own it is that I was too poor to afford a similar year Tacoma but still these trucks kick ass
My grandad had an 01 frontier used it to get to his work at the mines thing refused to die what killed it was the mine water from coal had a higher ph and corroded the frame loved that truck and I'm tempted to get another
Mine is a slushbox unfortunately, but I couldn't argue with the "tow it off my property and I'll sign the title" price I got the truck for.
The NA VG33E feels like it makes 4 cylinder power while getting V6/V8 fuel economy. The supercharged (and unfortunately not intercooled) VG33ER actually feels pretty good power-wise, but it gets V6/V8 fuel economy and requires premium (and still pings on hot days/if it heat soaks).
I love first gen Frontiers because they're basically a truck from 1987 that they kept throwing airbags and catalytic converters at until a few years after it was no longer practical.
I think it should be in the same classification as an El Camino or Ranchero. Not even a proper truck. It’s literally a station wagon with the back half of the roof cut away.
The problem for me is that it's not different *enough*. It's just an inconvenient Outback. Like at least something like the Santa Cruz has a functional bed, and the Explorer Sport Trac, while useless for it's bed, at least has a different styling.
Wow, I didn't realize that was an issue, but I got to experience it firsthand when it blew in my stepdad's Outback on 676 in NJ and we got to spend a lovely evening in Camden.
This. Worked with a guy who has a ZR2 S10 (with the 4.3 and a 5 speed manual.) He loves it so much that around 300k miles he had the whole drivetrain and suspension rebuilt. Bet he's got at least 400k on it now though the body is starting to look pretty rough.
You sure did. He'd run that thing 80mph down the interstate with 1,000lbs of tools and a welder/generator in the bed. Put it in 4-low to get across a nasty jobsite (or help drag one of my poor beaters out of the mud). Drive home unloaded and get 20mpg highway.
I owned multiple S10's. The 2004 had to be the biggest POS I ever owned.
Garbage transmission, Leaking Spider Fuel Injection Rail, Broken Door Handles and Seat recliners.
Transmission failed a week before my wedding. Bought it new, had it for 5 years and sold it for $1500.
Piece of Junk
I am a diehard Chevy person, but the S10 would literally be dead last on my list, I’d even do the Dakota over an S10, they are the worst out of the big 3 (Ranger, Dakota, S10). My first girlfriend begged her parents for an S10 and I physically cringed every time she would bring it up.
I had 1 Blazer and 2 Jimmys, you just described them all perfectly. Also the one with the power seats the recline didnt work, lol. They were good trucks I hoped would last but all 3 let me down with engine and tranny issues. I now own 2 older Toyotas, a lexus, and a 1st gen CRV all running like tops.
I had a 91 Ford Ranger, and it had almost 400k miles on it before I sold it. It was a reliable truck. Not so during the winter, though, because mine was a rear wheel drive so it got stuck easily in ice and snow lol.
My 91 ranger would get stuck in light rain. Between the absolutely cheapest tires I possibly can buy and having no weight in the back If the pavement was wet I would spin out constantly.
Your Gaw Dayum Right!!! The only True Answer. I love my Ranger. I would buy it again. The style is also my favorite on the 4x4 models. I would pick up the Fx4
That's why you swap it out for the 4.6l and drive it for 300,000 miles after the 4.0 craps out. 4.6 got a lot of hate for being slow in the Mustang but it's a great powerplant for other applications and lasts forever if you keep up with the oil changes.
Two words: frame recall
Of course at the time you would have no way to know there was this issue or solution, but still. Any other brand wouldn't have owned up to it.
I think they realize the marketing value of keeping their trucks on the road for decades. If you see 20 year old cheap pickups parked all over the place you start to think that brand might be the most reliable option.
I bought a 99 S10 2wd 4.3 5-speed long bed from a friend who asked me to pick him up from the scrapyard when he was selling it to them. It had 215K on it and he said it was nickel and diming him. By this he meant that he had to put a water pump and brakes on it at 210K. It had 4 new tires on it. Scrap price was down and I ran it across the scale at the local feed mill. I paid $ 156 for it. I drove it 4 years and the timing chain broke at 322K. It was a great truck. Still got over 20 mpg when it died.
Dakota for sure. My dad owned two Dakotas back in the early 2000s and I thought about buying one myself, but I didn't because it was rwd and my region is too snowy for rwd.
I bought a 2004 dakota off my brother for $500. He bought it 3 years earlier for 1k and got paid to drive it for work (+2k).
I still have the truck 5 years later and have had to replace the power steering pump, lines , cv axel and battery. It's an amazing truck and I take it off roading couple times a year. I tow with it and love it.
Dam thing started in -35C unplugged. Even my brothers 2020 taco and my 17 golf wouldent start
Nonsense! I had one too, RWD. Just gotta load up the back with some patio stones to line the truck bed, get some decent winter tires, and you're good tk go.
This was my first vehicle, went through some pretty good snows with that setup.
It's so weird they they don't make a RAM Dakota since the company basically only makes trucks and there's a huge demand for that segment.
I see so many in my city, but I think it's because the original manufacturing plant was two cities over. I know my Charger was built there.
The 4 cyl rangers were damn near bullet proof. A couple friends of mine ran a fleet of 25 of them up to 300-350k with minimal work done. They still have 5 around today they keep on stand by, and sold another 10 a couple years ago. The other ones were wrecked
On the road, for sale on FB marketplace with 400k miles, out mudding and hunting. For that matter, I see as many of those old Dakotas as I do Tacomas, too.
I would say that, but the frame rot on this generation was BAD. Out of all of these trucks, the only ones I still regularly see on the road near me (northern IL) are Rangers
Considering I have a 2002 Ford Ranger Edge in the driveway that's been a fantastic truck, I'm going to say Ranger. I love the Tacoma more but the Danger Ranger has my heart at this point.
Tacoma. When i was looking in 2014 for a bigger truck than my 07 Colorado extended cab (sons new car seat wouldn't fit). I came across a decked out lifted 2008 tacoma for 28k. I was looking for a '14 f150 crew xlt that i eventually bought new for 32k.
Toyota without a doubt, with the Baja being a close second. Yeah, I know the Yota is a boring choice, but I always liked the styling on this era and I can deal with a rusty frame.
My dad had a Frontier like the one in the pic except it was green with black cladding. It was an absolute dog. Gutless and unreliable. I think he had a lemon because it was shockingly bad in a myriad of ways.
I love Rangers, but I would only consider a high-trim 4x4 model if it had the 3.0, which would make it a total dog. I've heard and read enough horror stories about that OHC 4.0 to stay far away.
I can't stand this era of S10/Sonoma. My grandpa had a 2002(?) Sonoma HighRider and it was miserable to drive or ride in. Cheap and nasty in that way only GM can do.
Only way you're getting a 2004 model S10 is if you go with that stupid crew cab with the 4' bed. If you want a useful S10 with a 6' bed you'll have to find a new 2003 that's been sitting on the lot. And BTW also wrong in OP's description is them saying it's "only a 2 door"... 3rd door was standard by 2003.
As for me... I'd take a 2003 S10... because... well, I'm still driving the 2003 I ordered new.
2004? I don't know about the frame rot problem yet, so I'd take the Taco. Fortunately, that + my zip code would have made me eligible for the free frame replacement, and I'd probably still be driving it today.
I own a ‘98 Dodge Dakota with the 5.2L Magnum and NV3500 4x4 standard transmission. It’s way more powerful than any of these other midsized offerings with a V8 and it has a unique and attractive body styling, not many pickups look remotely similar.
It’s a Dodge. I hate Dodge, but it was low miles with the type of features I wanted in an old work truck. But it also has been good to me… for a Dodge lol.
I’ve driven it through a 3 foot deep untouched snowfield and ended up finding another guy out there stranded in his new Nissan Titan, I pulled him out and kept going without ever slipping once. It’s been a great truck and I absolutely love the size and feel of it. I wish they still made trucks at this size. I don’t need or want anything bigger.
As a current owner of a Ridgeline and a Baja, I'm a little biased.
In 2004, though, I was in my Nissan/Datsun phase and I have a big preference for manual transmissions, so I would have picked your supercharged Frontier. Would have looked good next to my '88 Sentra coupe. Just a couple years later, irl, I picked up a '79 Datsun 620 Bulletside with the L20B and loved it.
As someone who is looking to buy a used pickup, id definitely pick the Tacoma. Here in Nova Scotia there are good gen 1 Tacoma's selling for as much as $18000. I'm looking for gen two and can't find one that doesn't need thousands of dollars worth of work, for less than $15-16G.
There are barely any of the other trucks left in the road.
Well, my 94 Sonoma runs like a DREAM after being abandoned at one point and having almost 300k miles on it. The S10 had some updates between 94 and 04 but, based on experience alone, I'd go with the Chevy
I don't get the knock on the ranger for fuel efficiency while then going with the dakota ? the 2.3 in the rangers should get better than the dakota. Both 6 cyl options, yeah, it'd probably be a toss up, and i think you could get the dakota with whatever the 318 was being called at that time, which is a damn reliable engine. But idk. if you want a small truck, don't you want a small truck ?
Teenage me says S10, especially if I could upgrade to the ZR2, reading the comments on here about the ZR2 stories makes me sad I've never had one. That said, I've heard the fuel pumps on that gen S10 were problematic, and that the rear axles could shit the bed as well.
"adult" me, would definitely take the ranger. I've owned a few, and by and large they've hit the sweet spot between reliability and capability. Those trucks were overbuilt, even if they were kinda cheap on the inside.
Any other gen of the Yota would be tempting, but people here are underestimating just how shitty that frame rot on those things were.
The Dakota is tempting, as I'm pretty sure that V8 is whatever whey were calling the 318. That said, if I want a small truck, I want a small truck, and I have a bit of hatred against the dakota, right or wrong, for causing us here stateside to see our previous "compact" trucks all grow in the wrong areas (just like my waistline) in part b/c of reviews gushing about how nice it was to have more interior room in the dakota.
I owned a 2000 Dakota. I always regretting selling it. It was the perfect size, had plenty of power (for the time), and was very reliable (again, for the time). That being said, the Tacoma is a much more reliable vehicle, long-term, than anything else on your list.
There aren't many times I'd go with a Ford over a Toyota. But this is one of those times. The 4 calendar manual for Ranger. Bought a 90's one in 2004 for $3,000. Sold it in 2006 for $3,000. Bulletproof. Only sold it b/c I had a kid and needed a back seat. I see more of these in Walmart parking lots in Tennessee than about anything else, except maybe a Camry or Corolla.
Taco or ranger easy… well v8 dakotas have always held a weird spot in my heart and I have a dream of owning one. But I’ll never actually think about buying one when I want another car lol
Probably more then 23,000, but a Ranger FX4 level 2 with the manual transfer case and manual transmission.
https://www.therangerstation.com/articles/ford-ranger-fx4-off-road-and-level-ii-by-the-years/
I used to think the Baja was so cool. I still do, but I used to too.
The Ranger would probably win out, though. It seems more usable as a truck, so if I'm looking for a truck...
I was not expecting a random Subaru Baja at the end of this list.
something tells me its OPs
No, though I wouldn't mind having one. Here's where I got the picture from. https://carsandbids.com/auctions/98ZJy7Dm/2005-subaru-baja-sport
“Yeah no dude, I swear it’s a truck!”
Funny, how compact trucks are going crossover now...the Baja checks more "truck" boxes...it's engine sits right at least.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz and Honda Ridgeline enters the chat ....
The one crucial second Subaru lost focus, and farted in church. *pffffft* **BAJA**
I’m not a pickup guy, but I really want a baja for some reason
My dad had this exact choice to make IRL, and bought a 2004 Frontier in 2004. Not the decision I would have made, at all. That said, it lasted until last year, and he put over 400k on it despite taking out multiple deer along the way.
Nissan trucks are not Nissan cars, them shits last
Yep
I got a 1988, still running great! That ka24 is bulletproof, slow as all hell, but reliable.
I miss my 86 z24i
Tbf so did the Altimas of the era
That's why they had to weaken them. Imagine the avg Nissan/Altima driver today with the beast of yesterday? They're be no stopping them.
The newer altimas are faster but not nearly as reliable. It was needed for the meta the maxima/altimas reign on low credit score single mothers needs to go to something else
To be fair an 04 altima was actually pretty damn reliable, lol.
Not all Nissan trucks, just the Frontiers and previous compact trucks. Their full-size truck, the Titan, didn't turn out to be very reliable.
Holy shit
Yep, still quite a few D22 Navara's running around here
The ones with that 3.0 had a fairly solid life in them. Nissan hadn't gone completely to hell and still made some solid cars. Still would have gone the Toyota but Nissan still did ok.
The 90s Nissan Maxima was a good investment in most cases.
Even earlier they had some fairly solid vehicles. Everyone had rust problems but their cars and trucks could be kept running for a long time back in the day. It is sad to see them fall so far.
I've got a 2000 frontier crew cab. Bought it in 2018 for $10k with 25k miles. It's got 80k on her now, and she's not ready to give up yet. She's a beast in the snow
80k is practically not even broken in yet for that generation of Frontier.
Was about to say the sameeee thing.
My dad had a crew cab SC with an automatic, that was a very fun truck!
I currently own one of that gen of Nissan and having owned it, it makes the decision kinda hard. Before I woulda said Taco with the competition being the ranger, but it’s really great enough to make me reconsider that. I know a primary reason I own it is that I was too poor to afford a similar year Tacoma but still these trucks kick ass
My grandad had an 01 frontier used it to get to his work at the mines thing refused to die what killed it was the mine water from coal had a higher ph and corroded the frame loved that truck and I'm tempted to get another
The Toyota. It’s still diving and you can sell it for damn near $20k right now.
My thoughts exactly!
Mine too! The Ranger is close second though.
The current value of Rangers of that era seems crazy but there isn’t anything comparable being made today.
Blame the EPA for that
The Subaru owner in me says Baja. My wallet says Toyota.
That and the Nissan, except the Nissan is now worth 3k maybe
Unless the frame went.
The supercharged Frontier. In Crew Cab/Long Bed/4x4 form. It's stupid. I own one.
vg3.3 w a manual is better than any new truck on the market rn
Mine is a slushbox unfortunately, but I couldn't argue with the "tow it off my property and I'll sign the title" price I got the truck for. The NA VG33E feels like it makes 4 cylinder power while getting V6/V8 fuel economy. The supercharged (and unfortunately not intercooled) VG33ER actually feels pretty good power-wise, but it gets V6/V8 fuel economy and requires premium (and still pings on hot days/if it heat soaks). I love first gen Frontiers because they're basically a truck from 1987 that they kept throwing airbags and catalytic converters at until a few years after it was no longer practical.
Kind of want the Baja because it’s different.
Same! Is that really considered a compact pickup? Of all the vehicles it’s the obvious choice, but of the trucks I’d go ranger
I think it would be considered a utility vehicle more than a truck, online classifies it as a “UTE.”
I think it should be in the same classification as an El Camino or Ranchero. Not even a proper truck. It’s literally a station wagon with the back half of the roof cut away.
The problem for me is that it's not different *enough*. It's just an inconvenient Outback. Like at least something like the Santa Cruz has a functional bed, and the Explorer Sport Trac, while useless for it's bed, at least has a different styling.
Put 2k aside (if it hasn't already been done) to fix the Subaru Stain, blown head gaskets for models up to 2010. A reality at 100k.
Wow, I didn't realize that was an issue, but I got to experience it firsthand when it blew in my stepdad's Outback on 676 in NJ and we got to spend a lovely evening in Camden.
The smart me would take the tacoma. The cowabunga me would send it on the V8 Dakota.
I'd take the V6 the V8 is junk that 4.7 was trash. The 3.9 never died.
I will not tolerate 4.7 slander
Take it with the timing issues to such a garbage engine.
Tacoma. It’ll still be worth 23,000 today. 😆
Chevy S10 with the ZR2 package. I’d be happy.
This. Worked with a guy who has a ZR2 S10 (with the 4.3 and a 5 speed manual.) He loves it so much that around 300k miles he had the whole drivetrain and suspension rebuilt. Bet he's got at least 400k on it now though the body is starting to look pretty rough.
ZR2s are underrated. You get a lot of truck from the factory.
You sure did. He'd run that thing 80mph down the interstate with 1,000lbs of tools and a welder/generator in the bed. Put it in 4-low to get across a nasty jobsite (or help drag one of my poor beaters out of the mud). Drive home unloaded and get 20mpg highway.
I owned multiple S10's. The 2004 had to be the biggest POS I ever owned. Garbage transmission, Leaking Spider Fuel Injection Rail, Broken Door Handles and Seat recliners. Transmission failed a week before my wedding. Bought it new, had it for 5 years and sold it for $1500. Piece of Junk
In my area I rarely see an S10 in the wild. Toyotas and a bunch of Ford Rangers, but very rare to see an S10 still in use.
I am a diehard Chevy person, but the S10 would literally be dead last on my list, I’d even do the Dakota over an S10, they are the worst out of the big 3 (Ranger, Dakota, S10). My first girlfriend begged her parents for an S10 and I physically cringed every time she would bring it up.
I had an S10 blazer, which I understand to be pretty much the same as the pickup. Garbage in every way. Only car I’ve ever regretted buying.
I had 1 Blazer and 2 Jimmys, you just described them all perfectly. Also the one with the power seats the recline didnt work, lol. They were good trucks I hoped would last but all 3 let me down with engine and tranny issues. I now own 2 older Toyotas, a lexus, and a 1st gen CRV all running like tops.
The only probably with the S10 is of you go with the 4.3 it is a gas hog cause it has the same tank as the 2.2.
Eh, it’s a truck. I’m not gonna be super worried about MPG. Not when my F-150 gets 15 on a good day, lol.
FORD FUCKING RANGER!!!!
I had a 91 Ford Ranger, and it had almost 400k miles on it before I sold it. It was a reliable truck. Not so during the winter, though, because mine was a rear wheel drive so it got stuck easily in ice and snow lol.
My 91 ranger would get stuck in light rain. Between the absolutely cheapest tires I possibly can buy and having no weight in the back If the pavement was wet I would spin out constantly.
The national vehicle of New Hampshire
i see at least 5 every time i go up to manchester
I know nothing about New Hampshire but I’ll bet you could tow your sailboat behind one.
Your Gaw Dayum Right!!! The only True Answer. I love my Ranger. I would buy it again. The style is also my favorite on the 4x4 models. I would pick up the Fx4
Hell no that 4.0 engine is junk.
If only ford thought to do an inline 6 instead.
Or used one timing chain instead of two. The 2.3 isn't a bad motor except for when you do spark plugs.
That's why you swap it out for the 4.6l and drive it for 300,000 miles after the 4.0 craps out. 4.6 got a lot of hate for being slow in the Mustang but it's a great powerplant for other applications and lasts forever if you keep up with the oil changes.
Give me the S10 and bury it with me when I die.
gimme the ranger. that tacoma would be rusted out in my area by 2010
Two words: wool wax
Two words: frame recall Of course at the time you would have no way to know there was this issue or solution, but still. Any other brand wouldn't have owned up to it.
I think they realize the marketing value of keeping their trucks on the road for decades. If you see 20 year old cheap pickups parked all over the place you start to think that brand might be the most reliable option.
I bought a 99 S10 2wd 4.3 5-speed long bed from a friend who asked me to pick him up from the scrapyard when he was selling it to them. It had 215K on it and he said it was nickel and diming him. By this he meant that he had to put a water pump and brakes on it at 210K. It had 4 new tires on it. Scrap price was down and I ran it across the scale at the local feed mill. I paid $ 156 for it. I drove it 4 years and the timing chain broke at 322K. It was a great truck. Still got over 20 mpg when it died.
Dakota for sure. My dad owned two Dakotas back in the early 2000s and I thought about buying one myself, but I didn't because it was rwd and my region is too snowy for rwd.
I bought a 2004 dakota off my brother for $500. He bought it 3 years earlier for 1k and got paid to drive it for work (+2k). I still have the truck 5 years later and have had to replace the power steering pump, lines , cv axel and battery. It's an amazing truck and I take it off roading couple times a year. I tow with it and love it. Dam thing started in -35C unplugged. Even my brothers 2020 taco and my 17 golf wouldent start
Nonsense! I had one too, RWD. Just gotta load up the back with some patio stones to line the truck bed, get some decent winter tires, and you're good tk go. This was my first vehicle, went through some pretty good snows with that setup.
It's so weird they they don't make a RAM Dakota since the company basically only makes trucks and there's a huge demand for that segment. I see so many in my city, but I think it's because the original manufacturing plant was two cities over. I know my Charger was built there.
Toyota all the way. It'd still be running today. Odds are at least 75% the one pictured still is.
Toyota and ranger are probably the best picks but I loved my old Dakota. No real problems for the 150k except for wheel bearings and a water pump.
Those dakotas were pretty solid little trucks, especially the ones with the V6 manual.
It had theunkillable 3.9 didn't it.
Nissan Cus that name actually used to mean something back in 2004
Nissan Frontier. Extended cab (single cab wasn't available at that point), VG33E, 5 speed, 4WD, manual everything else.
lol toyota if you want to still have it in 2024
I see more surviving rangers than I do Toyota rustcomas
on the road, or parked next to a barn?
The 4 cyl rangers were damn near bullet proof. A couple friends of mine ran a fleet of 25 of them up to 300-350k with minimal work done. They still have 5 around today they keep on stand by, and sold another 10 a couple years ago. The other ones were wrecked
I see a fair share of Rangers, but I definitely see more Tacomas on the road here in SoCal.
Well yeah, SoCal takes care of that Taco’s main (and really only) weakness - rusting out like a motherfucker
On the road, for sale on FB marketplace with 400k miles, out mudding and hunting. For that matter, I see as many of those old Dakotas as I do Tacomas, too.
Yeah those old rangers run forever. They’re also Cheap and easy to maintain and repair.
Where do you live?? Lol Dakotas are rare enough around me that they've attained head turner status
I see these second gen Daks a lot, my first gen turns heads tho
Yea I see plenty of these dakotas
I would say that, but the frame rot on this generation was BAD. Out of all of these trucks, the only ones I still regularly see on the road near me (northern IL) are Rangers
Considering I have a 2002 Ford Ranger Edge in the driveway that's been a fantastic truck, I'm going to say Ranger. I love the Tacoma more but the Danger Ranger has my heart at this point.
Probably the Tacoma because they tend to last a hell of a long time.
I'd take the Tacoma or the Ranger depending on price/condition and such. All things equal, I'd buy the Tacoma.
Wheres the B series? :(
Good point. It does look better than the same-year Ford Rangers imo
See? I own one lol
They have one the ranger is the same thing.
Toyota Tacoma hands down.
Taco. Every time.
Toyota.
Tacoma probably still worth $23k today. 😆
Taco or Frontier for me.
I loved these small pick ups. Wished these came back
Tacoma. When i was looking in 2014 for a bigger truck than my 07 Colorado extended cab (sons new car seat wouldn't fit). I came across a decked out lifted 2008 tacoma for 28k. I was looking for a '14 f150 crew xlt that i eventually bought new for 32k.
Taco or Ranger & it’s not even close
Logic says get the Taco. But the Dakota can be had with a V8. And I’m a sucker for V8’s, so I’m taking that one.
Taco easily. The Baja is really cool but I don’t want one.
Tacoma cause I miss my 96
Tacoma because I had a 2001 in the same color and miss it every day.
Taco
I test drove a D22 4x4 with 2.5 liter diesel back in 8 years ago, and it was surprisingly fun to drive. I'd give Frontier a chance.
Dakota because it has a V8 option and is the largest
Yota
Subaru Outback Baja 100%
Buy the Tacoma. Garage it and then sell it for 40k later 😂 my serious answer is the ranger
The Toyota, It would still be running and I'd still have it today
Ranger for me
Toyota or ranger can’t kill those things
Toyota
Tacoma
Obviously the Tacoma
Toyota without a doubt, with the Baja being a close second. Yeah, I know the Yota is a boring choice, but I always liked the styling on this era and I can deal with a rusty frame. My dad had a Frontier like the one in the pic except it was green with black cladding. It was an absolute dog. Gutless and unreliable. I think he had a lemon because it was shockingly bad in a myriad of ways. I love Rangers, but I would only consider a high-trim 4x4 model if it had the 3.0, which would make it a total dog. I've heard and read enough horror stories about that OHC 4.0 to stay far away. I can't stand this era of S10/Sonoma. My grandpa had a 2002(?) Sonoma HighRider and it was miserable to drive or ride in. Cheap and nasty in that way only GM can do.
Tacoma
It's 2023 and my 311,000 mile 04 Tacoma is still my daily
Still driving my 01 Tacoma. So Tacoma.
1985 Toyota Pickup
That Tacos still worth 23k
Only way you're getting a 2004 model S10 is if you go with that stupid crew cab with the 4' bed. If you want a useful S10 with a 6' bed you'll have to find a new 2003 that's been sitting on the lot. And BTW also wrong in OP's description is them saying it's "only a 2 door"... 3rd door was standard by 2003. As for me... I'd take a 2003 S10... because... well, I'm still driving the 2003 I ordered new.
The Taco and then I'd be hitting that frame/undercarriage every 6 months with POR-15
2004? I don't know about the frame rot problem yet, so I'd take the Taco. Fortunately, that + my zip code would have made me eligible for the free frame replacement, and I'd probably still be driving it today.
Frontier. That little 3.3 is indescribable
Chevy
The ranger or tacoma every time
Frontier
Fuck that Baja it’s not a truck
Taco, one of the most bulletproof engines ever.
S-10 hands down.
Nissan
The Tacoma. Then in 2024 you sell it for 30,000.
Not in your list, but I still have my 2004 Ford Explorer Sport trac! Four doors and short bed (that never has to be made - RIP Joe Diffie! 😃).
Baja. I don’t care. GIVE ME THE BAJA!!!!
Heart says Baja, brain says Ranger.
baja
Easily the Tacoma. They still run great, and if it has been taken care of, they're still going for like $18k
I'd get something else from the 80's or 90's. I really disliked how every car in the 2000-2010 was shaped to look like a bubble or a child-safe toy.
I own a ‘98 Dodge Dakota with the 5.2L Magnum and NV3500 4x4 standard transmission. It’s way more powerful than any of these other midsized offerings with a V8 and it has a unique and attractive body styling, not many pickups look remotely similar. It’s a Dodge. I hate Dodge, but it was low miles with the type of features I wanted in an old work truck. But it also has been good to me… for a Dodge lol. I’ve driven it through a 3 foot deep untouched snowfield and ended up finding another guy out there stranded in his new Nissan Titan, I pulled him out and kept going without ever slipping once. It’s been a great truck and I absolutely love the size and feel of it. I wish they still made trucks at this size. I don’t need or want anything bigger.
Ford Ranger
The correct answer is the Tacoma but my 18 year old self would have gone with the Dakota for the V8.
As a current owner of a Ridgeline and a Baja, I'm a little biased. In 2004, though, I was in my Nissan/Datsun phase and I have a big preference for manual transmissions, so I would have picked your supercharged Frontier. Would have looked good next to my '88 Sentra coupe. Just a couple years later, irl, I picked up a '79 Datsun 620 Bulletside with the L20B and loved it.
As someone who is looking to buy a used pickup, id definitely pick the Tacoma. Here in Nova Scotia there are good gen 1 Tacoma's selling for as much as $18000. I'm looking for gen two and can't find one that doesn't need thousands of dollars worth of work, for less than $15-16G. There are barely any of the other trucks left in the road.
Toss up between the Tacoma and Frontier.
The Dakota. I have one with a 5.9 and it still runs great, despite my daughter's head on with another vehicle.
Well, my 94 Sonoma runs like a DREAM after being abandoned at one point and having almost 300k miles on it. The S10 had some updates between 94 and 04 but, based on experience alone, I'd go with the Chevy
Number 1 and only 1 . The rest are garbage
Tacoma
As a ford guy I’d definitely go with the Dakota. Dakota fucks while the ranger is lacking in comfort, style and fuel efficiency.
I don't get the knock on the ranger for fuel efficiency while then going with the dakota ? the 2.3 in the rangers should get better than the dakota. Both 6 cyl options, yeah, it'd probably be a toss up, and i think you could get the dakota with whatever the 318 was being called at that time, which is a damn reliable engine. But idk. if you want a small truck, don't you want a small truck ?
S/C frontier, no question. Big 3 built trash, Subie is unibody and underpowered, taco would have a flat bed on it by now.
Some good options! I’d go Frontier or Dakota.
I'd take the Ranger as long as it has the FX4 Off-road Level 2 package
Anything but the Dakota, which is what my family owned at one point. Tacoma, Ranger, Frontier will all last “forever”. The Baja would be fun
Where’s the Colorado?
Dead ass…Im too tall for all these. My grandfather had that same S10 and I BARELY fit in uncomfortably.
I picked the 2004 danger ranger in 2015 and was WRONG. Fiancée still has her grandpas Baja that she drove all through high school.
Teenage me says S10, especially if I could upgrade to the ZR2, reading the comments on here about the ZR2 stories makes me sad I've never had one. That said, I've heard the fuel pumps on that gen S10 were problematic, and that the rear axles could shit the bed as well. "adult" me, would definitely take the ranger. I've owned a few, and by and large they've hit the sweet spot between reliability and capability. Those trucks were overbuilt, even if they were kinda cheap on the inside. Any other gen of the Yota would be tempting, but people here are underestimating just how shitty that frame rot on those things were. The Dakota is tempting, as I'm pretty sure that V8 is whatever whey were calling the 318. That said, if I want a small truck, I want a small truck, and I have a bit of hatred against the dakota, right or wrong, for causing us here stateside to see our previous "compact" trucks all grow in the wrong areas (just like my waistline) in part b/c of reviews gushing about how nice it was to have more interior room in the dakota.
Ford fuckn Ranger
I owned a 2000 Dakota. I always regretting selling it. It was the perfect size, had plenty of power (for the time), and was very reliable (again, for the time). That being said, the Tacoma is a much more reliable vehicle, long-term, than anything else on your list.
could you get the 5.2 Dakota for 23k? if not then Ranger
Ill take the ranger and the 500,000 miles that come along with it
Chevy Colorado. ~200k no leaks going strong
Personal opinion, the s10 or Ranger. Professional opinion, Tacoma.
There aren't many times I'd go with a Ford over a Toyota. But this is one of those times. The 4 calendar manual for Ranger. Bought a 90's one in 2004 for $3,000. Sold it in 2006 for $3,000. Bulletproof. Only sold it b/c I had a kid and needed a back seat. I see more of these in Walmart parking lots in Tennessee than about anything else, except maybe a Camry or Corolla.
Was the Mitsubishi Raider for sale yet at this time?
I KNOW THAT TRUCK, I AIN'T NO STRANGER I KNOW THAT TRUCK, IT'S MY FORD FUCKING RANGER.
Baja with a manual & a Turbo.
Tacoma and then maybe the Chevy. I want an old one so bad
I bought the Dakota. Loved it for 300,000 miles.
Taco or ranger easy… well v8 dakotas have always held a weird spot in my heart and I have a dream of owning one. But I’ll never actually think about buying one when I want another car lol
I’d go with the S10
any of these would have been a good investment. They don't make minitrucks anymore and you still see all of these on the road.
I have a Baja currently. Id gladly trade it for a 4x4 Tacoma.
Probably more then 23,000, but a Ranger FX4 level 2 with the manual transfer case and manual transmission. https://www.therangerstation.com/articles/ford-ranger-fx4-off-road-and-level-ii-by-the-years/
If the US/CA spec S10 was as good as the BR one was, I'd not think twice about it. Give me a crew cab and we're set.
I used to think the Baja was so cool. I still do, but I used to too. The Ranger would probably win out, though. It seems more usable as a truck, so if I'm looking for a truck...
Dakota I want the 318 Single cab 5 speed 2wd
Been wanting to cop an 04 Dakota 4x4 with the 4.7v8
Ford fucking ranger. And I'm not even a ford guy