Don't bother with the 6cyl Dakota is sucks gas and not enough HP, thats why I traded for my Cummins

 

The V-8 Dakota rules, I had a 95, loved it. 20 MPG highway, Club Cab 318 4X4 with 3.55 gears!!

 

In an earlier post I said to get the 6 cylinder Dakota because you appeared to want the lower quantity of cylinders. However, as Mcmopar said, the Dakpta with the V8 rules. I have owned a 96 Dakota 4x4 slushbox with the 318 and a 99 Dakota 2x4 5 speed with the 318, both extended cabs and they were great. The manual tranni was much better than the slushbox.
It is a difficult choice as to which is the best vehicle. I still like the Dakota, but also know how good the Nissan with the 6 cylinder is, so not sure which is the best. As others have also stated, the Toyota is good also. "Best" in this case may boil down to the best condition of the vehicle for the money.

 

Toyota all the way.

I had a 97 Tacoma 4x4 Xtracab with the 2.7L 4cylinder and the 5 speed and it was a great truck. I bought it with 60k miles, put about 25k on it and had 0 problems. I have had a number of Toyota trucks and they were all great. I actually still have my 84 2wd auto regular cab long bed with about 180k on it and it still runs well.

Nick

 

Toyota

Per the Site Rules, please keep For Sale items in the classified section

Mike

 

Toyota.....had 2 of 'em before I outgrew the last one and traded it in on the Cummins.

Got 125K out of the motor on the first one (85). Regularly sunk it up to the windows in mud, 5" lift and 33" tires. Ran it 2 quarts low on oil on a regular basis because it ran better that way. Never broke anything that cost me more than $20 to fix until I blew the motor.

Put 144K on my '92 before I sold it. Had $6K in suspension under it, plus bumpers, seats, cage kit, shell, etc. 6" lift, 33's, custom shocks, springs, torsion bars, axle shafts, blah blah blah. Ran it wide open through the desert out here and never broke anything. Should have kept it.

 

Go to a Toyota message board like this one and the only questions people are asking is what kind of air freshener to use. Boring, those things never break or get recalls. My '82 has 369k, head has never been off, doesn't use a drop of oil. Of course the driver's side door hinges have worn out twice.

 

OOOPPPPP's!

 

OOOPPPPP's!

Forgot about that advertising clause thingy, my apoligies.

Mike

 

No problem.
Love it when someone apologizes for their mistake, instead of ripping us Mod's a new one.

I also 2nd the Toyota choice.

I've had 2 Toyotas.
A 1988 basic stripped down, rubber floor, no radio, 4 cylinder 4x4.
Unstoppable both offroad and on, and never a repair in 90,000 miles (other than the clutch at 80K)
I think had a brake job somewhere in there as well.

A 1996 Tacoma 6 cylinder.
Had it for 70K, there was a recall on the head gasket,
somebody at the engine factory put a bunch in upside down .
I had a very small coolant leak as a result, no biggie.
They had it for a day, paid for a rental car.

Right before I traded it in for my current Dodge, I busted a leaf spring, the middle one in the pack, which slid out and punctured the shock.
Yes, this happened offroading.
Toyota updated the rear spring pack a couple years later, I guess this happened to more than one person, don't think it was ever a recall issue though.
Other than that, no problems.


phox

 

I had an 86 toyota 4x4 with the 2l-t turbo diesel ............ sold it with 100,000 miles on it .............. awsome 4x4 that thing bone stock would go places I'd never dream of with my CTD, little underpowered on the highway, never a problem .............. I miss that truck

my dad's 1st 84 2wd toyota with the 2l non turbo diesel had 230,000 miles on it when my sister racked it up ........ it still ran like new

my dad's current 85 swd 2l diesel toyota has 160,000 miles with no major issues, other than it's not a 4x4

so he's dealing with that issue right now, he's picking up an 85 4x4 with the 2l-t turbo diesel, nice little truck barely broke in with only 142,000 miles on it


so yeah for little trucks I'd deffinatly recomend a toyota .........just be warned when it comes to the 84-88 body style you can watch em rust .........