I find myself in 'need' of a mid-size pickup. The primary usage will be driving to and from hunting areas (preferably with carcasses in the bed), so I'd like something with good road manners and headroom.

As this will be our fourth vehicle, I'd like to keep the purchase price down, so a used vehicle is preferable.

What do you recommend?

F150

Isn't that a full-sized pickup?

F150 is full size

A Nissan is a good bet, parts are cheaper than Toyota’s. The older Nissan’s, D series, are easy to work on

IMO it falls like this:

Small- Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma, etc.

Medium- F150, Tundra, Silverado, etc.

Large- F250/350, Ram 2500/3500, Chevrolet 2500/3500

F150 is small to me, all I have driven since ‘93 is F250 and F350.

From my personal experience, Nissan parts are high as a Giraffe but.

Honda Ridgeline. Ugly as sin but capable and comfortable

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/ctd/d/hurst-honda-ridgeline-awd-leather/7244222058.html

Don’t know where you live sir.

How can anything other than a Tacoma be considered

That would be my first choice if I could afford. Used Tacoma prices are outrageous right now. I owned 2 and never had a problem with either one. Primary reason I sold the last one is the size of the gas tank. I would have to stop for gas coming back from Texoma if I did not start out with a full tank. Tacoma would be best choice for off road but if mostly on road then the car/truck Ridgeline would be fine.

i got 256,000 miles outa my Colorado

I'm 6' 4" and long-waisted so the Tacoma is short on headroom.

Read title of thread

Aside from the title of the thread, I’m not certain where the line in the sand is for compact pickup to midsize.

Your not getting a clean V6 4wd with leather, Tacoma for $5,000.

X3

I figure the Tacoma, Frontier, Ranger, Ridgeline, and Gladiator are mid-size.

The Gladiator and Ranger are too new to be available used at a good price point.

That's the average break-in period for a Tacoma. I have an 06 Taco with going on 350,000 miles. Nothing done but regular maintenance and normal wear items like brakes, plugs, and batteries. Still going strong. I'm hoping to get at least a half a million out of it.

Add the Colorado/Sierra to what I'd consider mid-size.

Ive never owned a tacoma but been in a few of them. Most of the uber high mileage ones i see are old, crank windows manual locks etc. and they look like hammerd dog chit. I dont look for them much but is that an accurate assesment or no.

Mine has power windows and locks and they all still work. Mine is starting to show it's age some though. The finish on the alloy wheels is toast. The paint still looks good except where it's been damaged from taking it off road. The upholstery is really worn on the driver's seat and the seat is beginning to sag. It's probably just time for a new seat. The carpet is very stained and worn. It sure doesn't look new but I wouldn't call it "hammerd dog chit". If someone is used to driving a nice new truck however, they might disagree. I just look at the minor wear and tear as character. An old truck is a whole lot less likely to get stolen too.

I have a 1999 Nissan Frontier that I use for a hunting vehicle. I bought it new. Not really a midsize. If you are buying used, I suggest paying a mechanic to check out the vehicle, this may cost around $100.00, and is well worth it. If these are big enough, the Nissan Frontier/Toyota Tacoma, and Ford Ranger, are all good trucks.

Two years ago, I bought a 1997 Ford Ranger with 230,000+ miles on it for the same purposes that you mentioned. All I've done to it is put new tires, I tuned it up, and put new headlights this season. It's a 3.0 6 cylinder and standard tranny. So far, it's been awesome. I added some high seats in the bed, and it gets the job done. My ranch is 100 miles from home, so it's not a short ride. I'm going to drive it until it dies. lol I paid $2,000.