Good mid-sized trucks that aren't Toyotas?

My cousin is looking for mid-sized truck, on the used market and he's kind of fond of the Chevy Colorando, GMC Canyon or other comparable trucks.

What are your thoughts on the aforementioned or any other trucks?

Budget is around $8000-8500. Looking for something 2005ish. What trucks can run for a fair time - besides Tacomas?

 

Nissan frontier

 

yes that was another one he was considering. Our aunt has one and it seems to run pretty good.

 

if i didn't have a taco i'd probably be in a ranger

 

There was a magazine I can't remember which one but the canyon and Colorado was the #1 cheapest and lowest in build quilty for all mid sized pickups. The 5 banger doesn't help also as most car company's are starting to faze them out.

I'd go with a Nissan frontier if the tacoma is out of the cards.

Brett

 

I would vote for the Nissan, too. I have owned three Nissan trucks and one Xterra. They were excellent vehicles. I had a Ranger for a few months and sold it when I found my Toyota. The Ford had too many issues for me, tho many folks swear by them.

I have found this site useful in evaluating used cars and trucks:

http://www.carsurvey.org/

 

Frontier or early 2000s Dakota. I would take an S10 ZR2 over a Colorado too. Or a Ranger.

Basically anything not a Colorado/Canyon.

 

The GM mid size trucks along with the trailblazers are junk. I guess I would go with Nissan.

 

i love my 2001 dodge dakota.....its a v8 4wd and very nice to drive,lots of power,better on gas then the v6 taco and cheap to fix if something does break

 

Tacoma
Frontier
Ranger

In that order... and this is coming from a Ford H8R.
I will never own another Ford, but I'd buy one before buying ANY Chrysler, and I'd buy one before buying a Colorado.
The little GM truck has a bad reputation for failures.

 

I won't own another Nissan. I owned an '07 SE-R, Nissan forever lost me with that car. I sold it with under 600 miles because it was a peice of shit and they didnt want to fix it. Plus, the interior on the Frontier is terrible. The outside doesn't look half bad though.

The Canyon/Colorado are junk. The Dakota is a Dodge.

If I wasn't driving a Tacoma I'd be in a full size.

 

None, take a walk.

 

When I did parts delivery driving for vatozone we had brand new little Ford Rangers. The check engine light kept going off on one before 2K miles, I don't know why though but it went off 3 times and each time we had to take it in for warranty work.

The interior is crap, Clearly hasn't been redesigned since the early 90s... Another store of ours had colorado's that were not much better. Ride quality in both was complete crap (Colorado/Canyon use torsion bar front suspensions FYI)... I'd go with Tacoma, Frontier or the Suzuki Equator (Frontier).

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/autos/story/2012-01-18/midsize-pickup-truck-shootout/52650846/1