What Truck?

Wants:
-Seats 4 adults
-Manual Trans
-Can carry motorcycles in the bed
-Can tow 5k lbs
-Comfortable on highway
-Reliable
-Cheap

What my local Craigslist tells me is that I can get the following for under $6k, feel free to rank these choices:
1998-2004 Frontier 3.3l V6 5spd Crew Cab
1997-2005 Dakota 4.7l V8 5spd Crew Cab
GMT800 Silverado 4.8l V8 5spd Ext Cab

The Silverado, in my mind, is the clear winner, but of course has less comfortable rear seats because not Crew Cab. Halp? Trans and seating requirements are because she demands them.

It is still as large as the frontier, I rode from Toledo to chicago in the back seat and had to uncurl when we got there. The Dakota is ok sized but I wouldn't tow 5k with it...

Just get the CC with the Auto. You'll be happy.

Silverado. Pretty clearly across the board IMO.

Silverado is the only choice out of those.

Wait a second, you found a late model GM V8 extended cab with a MANUAL trans? Go buy that unicorn, quickly.

The Chevy for sure.

Why manual? There really isn't anything wrong with a 4L60E (wakka wakka).

In reply to NONACK:

I have seen the Silverado in a Crew Cab with a Manual. Keep looking, they're out there.

In reply to HiTempguy:

Because I like them, the girlfriend likes them, and we're the only people who are going to drive the thing.
Good to see the answer is what I thought it was, I like Frontiers but the capability/$ doesn't seem to be there. I have no experience whatsoever with Dakotas.

Well, depending on how important the manual is to you, the silverado might be the only thing that CANT be the answer (unless you build it).

A 4.7/5spd Dakota feels like a hot rod (unless you're already used to the current 400hp trucks) and has a lot of handling potential for a truck. Those would be the upsides. The downsides include the bed of a quad cab being too short to comfortably fit almost any motorcycle, and it not really having the brakes or springs to tow 5k lbs super comfortably. It'll do it and depending on how low your standards are, it might even seem normal, but i think it would need some mods for ME to feel good about it.

NONACK wrote: In reply to HiTempguy: Because I like them, the girlfriend likes them, and we're the only people who are going to drive the thing. Good to see the answer is what I thought it was, I like Frontiers but the capability/$ doesn't seem to be there. I have no experience whatsoever with Dakotas.

The other advantage to a manual in a truck is no one will want to borrow it.

I vote Chevy.

Chevy. Clearly. But shop for the crew cab. I've seen one with a manual so they do exist although the one I saw was a driller/roughneck work truck so you might not get any plush with that route.

Chevy.

I had a 91 Chev C2500 with a 454 and a 4 spd manual.

Trust me, if you have to drive in a city much, get an auto.

City driving this might happen once or twice, but is not ever the plan. We have smaller cars for that, and I take the motorcycle whenever possible. This truck is for truck stuff, and we live out in Pennsyltuckey.

And Vigo, they do exist, I have found one.

Having BTDT, I can offer this advice when looking for a truck in our area (the rust belt) and with a budget. While I agree a manual is nice, do yourself a favor and don't restrict yourself to only manuals. Buy the best truck you can find within your budget, transmission notwithstanding. Otherwise, it can turn into an exercise in frustration and "settling" and you run the risk of buying a turd (like I did). Essentially - you end up accepting glaring faults solely because the truck in question has the right transmission.

Anyway, you didn't mention 2WD or 4WD, so I'm assuming 2WD. In that case, I'd keep an eye out for an 90's/early 00's Dodge Cummins. The 2WD version don't get hit quite as hard with the "diesel tax" around here and manuals are a tad more common (although still rare) as trucks go.

In reply to Ian F:

I went automatic last time- because that's what everyone says you should tow with. I liked the rest of the truck, but I hated the trans (4l80). I have a few months this time, I can afford to be picky.

Diesels scare me due to parts cost- I don't need a diesel, don't particularly want one, and can't see myself paying the premium to own one. The only ones in my price range are totally beat 12v Cummins, 6.5 GMs, and IDI Fords.

I've never liked the GM truck manual trans. It's clunky, gears are odd ratios and that friggin shifter.....

In reply to Bobzilla:

That's something I'll have to find out first hand- have driven many newer Silverados, never a manual one. Going to try one out on Sunday. Do you know how it compares to the Frontier/Dakota?

Never driven the Dakota with a manual trans. Gear ratios are better than the Nissan I've driven but the shifter throws are hugenormous. The clutch pedal is heavier for sure.

As long as it doesn't force me to punch the radio on the 2-3 shift like the one on a TJ Wrangler I'm OK with long throws...

How cheap?

http://reading.craigslist.org/cto/4710305933.html

You're going to hate the manual more than you hated the automatic. Getting a manual just to prove you can shift is a pointless waste of time and effort in a truck. You're going to end up forcing yourself to like it because you made such a fuss of choosing one with a manual. You're already starting to sound like you'd "put up" with flaws just to say you wiggle your left foot occasionally...

What did you "hate" about the 4L80 trans? That you couldn't shift it yourself? The 4L60s tended to hunt around a bit (though that can be fixed easily enough) but the 4L80's were plenty stout and drive quite nice (I have one in my 8.1 liter Suburban).

If you were looking at a 4 cyl mini truck, yeah, manual all the way. But a V8 full size? It's not fun, it's a chore.

In reply to Chris_V:

GF will have to DD this thing most of the time. She wants a manual. I want a manual. There's no "prove you can shift" here, it is personal preference.

I hated that I couldn't shift the 4l80, despite the fact that it was probably one of the most enjoyable automatics I've ever driven. It got to the point where I was pricing out manual valve bodies, etc... and then I just sold the thing instead, because I didn't enjoy driving it much.