What kind of car or pick-up should I get?

Question

I'm looking to get a new car or pick up truck.
Here are some of the things that it must have:

4 wheel drive.

Decent fuel economy.

Enough space in the trunk or bed that I can haul garbage to the dump every week.

I don't care about it being super fancy or having a bunch of accessories, I just want something reliable that I can drive to work everyday and isn't going to have transmission problems or whatever else in 2 years.
I was leaning towards a pick up truck, but if it's a car with enough of a cargo area, I'll consider that too.
Any ideas?

Answer 1

A Toyota pick-up would be very reliable and also fuel efficient. If the price for a new one is out of range, consider buying a used Toyota truck from a reputable dealer. My father still has a 1972 Toyota pick-up. They last.

Answer 2

Here's another idea - it may be cheaper in the long run to get a 4WD car and a small utility trailer for going to the dump. Check around for cheap trailers - I was able to get one made from an old Nissan bed for $100. Cheap trailers such as that don't rquire licensing or insurance. As far as which vehicle to get, check with Consumer Digest, and once you've narrowed it down, get your insurance company involved. You might be surprised at the difference between insuring a car and a truck. Keep in mind also the popularity of certain vehicles with auto thieves. Look also at repair costs, and ease of getting parts.

Answer 3

Check out the 2008 Ford F-150. It has very impressive AWD. gets up to 21 mpg, and has a bed big enough to carry just about any amount of garbage. There is a two door and four door option. Here are the specs, pictures, options, and comparisons: http://www.fordvehicles.com/trucks/f150/

Answer 4

GMC OR CHEVY PICKUP.