Opinions please?

Question

Right now I drive a 2007 Toyota Yaris. It is too small.....awsome car, great mileage, room for commuting. I think I now want a small pick-up.
Are they hard to handle in the winter? I used to drive 4Runners, will a pickup handle similarily in winter conditions.

Answer 1

Not just any small pickup, make sure it has 4x4 capabilities or 4 wheel drive. Some are rear wheel drive only and you will need to add weight in the back to have more control of the pickup in winter conditions.( I have a small mazda b2200, rear wheel drive, and I learned in michigan winter) Small pickups are nice, decent gas mileage and fun to drive. You'll have the bed for hauling, but inside you won't have that much room unless extended cab, with seats. If they have 4x4 capabilities they work just fine in winter. Toyota and Mazda has good pickups. If you know how to drive a manual thats even better, for having more control of the vehicle, especially during winter. Good luck:)

Answer 2

If you're talking interior space, a small pickup will have far less room and, because the room that it does offer is outside in the bed, it is very inconvenient for most people's everyday purposes.

A pickup will handle much differently in the snow than a 4Runner, as there is hardly any weight over the rear end. Small pickups tend to be skittish when there are bumps in the road and you are going around a bend, causing the rear to hop out from under you. On slick roads, the rear end will come out very easily.

Unless you are hauling large items on a regular basis, a pickup would be a very poor choice and I believe you would regret it in a very short time. If you are hauling large items on a very occasional basis, most Home Depots will rent you a truck for $19.95 for a few hours to get the job done. Keep the Yaris. Seeing how it's a 2007, you'd most likely lose a big chunk of money trading it in anyway.

Answer 3

If it is 4wd, yes and no. The 4wd will help you get through the snow relatively easily, but one thing to remember in a truck is they are designed to be able to carry extra weight in the rear safely, so when they are unloaded, they have a tendency to be 'light' in the rear. Severe panic stop exacerbate the problem because under heavy fast braking the weight of the vehicle is transfered to the front wheels. For those that are not experienced with driving a pickup, the first time this happens can be quite unnerving.

Good luck with your pickup hunting!

Answer 4

Had a S-10 2WD one time that the only time I ever got stuck in it was driving on a mucky two track and found a sink hole that my left fron tire dropped into. My drive tire lifted off the ground, making me stuck. :) The limited slip would not engage, so I was really stuck. Got out though, without calling a wrecker. I stacked a enough deadfall pieces of trees in the bed and levered it back over the fulcrum created by the right front and left rear tires, to put my drive tire back on the ground. Backed out of it nice as you please. Lot of work though.
Pick-ups are light in the rear end, because there is not enough weight distributed to the rear tires for winter driving, really. You can compensate for this by putting sand bags into the bed of the truck, between the rear wheel wells. Anywhere between 100-200 lbs of them would be sufficent for a light truck. It should then handle better.

Answer 5

You should have no problem just remember that a 4X4 does not stop any faster on ice. My dad always said that the only difference in a 4X4 is that we will end up way off the road when somthing goes wrong in Icy or Snowy conditions.

Answer 6

it will drive almost exactly the same way the 4runner did, just a little less likely to roll over, but a little more likely to fishtail. a few hundred pounds of gravel in the bed would fix that up for you

Answer 7

no cause there will be less weight in the back of the truck. this is a problem especially in the snow cause you can easily oversteer unless your careful, but you can thou go out and buy a special bag that holds water and it can be fastened to the bed to add extra weight.

Answer 8

As long as it a 4x4 you should have no problem. It depend on what state you live. In oregon non 4x4 can use studded tire or chain up when going over the mountain. I think having a 4x4 is a safer bet.