I'll echo the sentiments about kids and space. I thought I wanted a crew cab mid-size truck when we were expecting our second child. I knew I needed a bigger back seat than my extended cab Titan to fit a booster seat and rear-facing car seat. I ended up buying a crew cab Sierra and was amazed how fast we ran out of space on trips. Those crew cab mid-size trucks have a back seat that's roughly equivalent in space and comfort to a quad cab Ram or double-cab GM.
Help choosing the right vehicle
- Thread starter Overwatch21
- Start date
calicamper
Expedition Leader
The gm 2nd row and doors are small, that is till recent redesign they gave them bigger 2nd doors and better 2nd row room. The F150 is like a living room in the back lol. I do lots of car pool pre pandemic and now masked with roof open only just the last few weeks. So F150 station wagon it was. Also another factor why a mid sized anything wasn’t in the cards even though I drove them all from trucks to SUV
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Overwatch21
Member
The 4Runner has a surprisingly high payload. With seats down, it could haul a decent amount. Nothing like having a true bed though.
I want this vehicle to be quite capable off-road though. That is one thing it needs to have.
I want this vehicle to be quite capable off-road though. That is one thing it needs to have.
calicamper
Expedition Leader
Old beater project jeep and a full size to toad it?
Beats the 4runner every time 7 ways to Sunday
Beats the 4runner every time 7 ways to Sunday
Overwatch21
Member
Test driving a ZR2 today. So far this seems to be the best choice between on/off-road.
calicamper
Expedition Leader
I liked it also. My 9 yr old has grown a foot since I looked at it lol. He is taller than most 12 yr olds now. Apparently grandpa’s 6’3” factor is in play vs my daughter is the smallest by a foot, but is crazy sports girl and out plays most lol.
Don’t discount the kid factor best of luck
Todd780
OverCamper
Yep. This is priority. If you want to enjoy your travels, make sure they are comfy.....and entertained...lol
What kind of vehicle do you own now? How well is it serving your needs? What would you change, or improve, about it?
What do you need to haul? How bulky or heavy are these materials? You can always rent a trailer, as long as you have a vehicle to pull it. What's your style of overlanding? What kind of off-roading are we talking about? How likely, realistically, will the size of a full-size truck or SUV prevent you from taking the route you want to take? If a full-size rig can't make it, how likely is a mid-size truck to also be incapable of traversing the route without sustaining damage? How much time will your family spend in the vehicle on trips, and during day-to-day activities/errands? Honestly, none of the vehicles on your list strike me as terribly enjoyable for family travel/transportation, because the backseats are just too small.
You're looking for a multi-purpose vehicle that needs to be a jack of all trades, and if you're lucky, it may be a master of one.
Overwatch21
Member
Great questions.
So I unloaded a Nissan Frontier I had a few years ago. It was a nice truck. Basic workhorse nothing fancy. I'm not driving a small crossover.
Due to Covid, I'm working from home permanently. So MPG is not an issue. We're also doing home projects, so we started to miss having the bed for "anything" we would pick up here and there.
I want to start exploring areas on the Appalachians and pine barrens. Some of the trails are narrow. This is what lead me to the mid size again.
I test drove a Ranger and liked it. Driving the ZR2 today. Ranger has a proven powertrain. FX-4 is just OK, but the Tremor is an improvement despite the lack of a front locker. The terrain management systems in the Ford and Toyota (crawl control they call it) work well. While not as good as a true locker in the ZR2, its quite capable.
The Jeep won't haul things, but I love ruggedness and off-road ability of it which is why I am considering it. Same with 4Runner.
I know this upsets a lot folks, but I'm just concerned about the long term reliability of Jeep/Chevy. Those two brands don't usually rank that high although it appears getting good data is tough.
Todd780
OverCamper
Curious why the Gladiator didn't make your list?
I like all of the vehicles on your list, and think each makes a compelling case for itself due to the unique strengths of each. I feel like the Colorado ZR2, in stock form, provides the best mix of value, on road comfort, and off road performance, of any vehicle on the market. It also has the most leg room, according to the spec sheets, of the vehicles you're looking at. If it was just my wife and I, I'd have a Colorado ZR2 now; if we only had one child, I'd probably have a Colorado ZR2 now. As for GM reliability, my 2014 GMC Sierra only required routine maintenance in 70,000 miles (then it was totaled when a lady ran a stop sign) - no warranty work nor out-of-pocket repairs.
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Overwatch21
Member
Actually I should have included that. It may be beyond my price range though. Need to look into that.
Overwatch21
Member
I feel the same at this point. The ZR2 covers a lot of bases.
Thanks for all the input I appreciate it.
If the Gladiator isn't too big, a full-size shouldn't be too big either
The wheelbase and turning circle of a Gladiator puts it far closer to a F150 or Silverado off road than it does to a ZR2 or Ranger. The ZR2 has a curb-to-curb turning radius of 41.3', the Gladiator is 44.8', and a Silverado Trail Boss is 46.3'. The Gladiator is the narrowest of the bunch, being nearly 3" narrower (without mirrors) than a ZR2. Without mirrors, less than 4" separate the width of a ZR2 (76.7") and an F150 (79.9"). The Gladiator does have close to 3" more rear seat leg room than the other vehicles being considered.Amxguy1970
New member
You keep hanging on the front locker when in reality so few people actually have any real use for it. You are just starting out to explore and get in to off roading so the chances of you getting in to a situation where a front locker is any benefit is slim and none, especially with these traction based systems on the front end these days picking up the slack. I personally would rather take a rear locker and front limited slip/electronic traction system over a front locker in any vehicle that isn't a dedicated trail rig and shares DD and road trip duty.
Don't get me wrong, the Colorado is the top choice of mid size vehicles for a reason and I wouldn't have any question of the reliability of GM. They are known to have robust and long lasting drivetrains, interior quality over the years has been questionable but the meat and potatoes will last you a very long time.
Best you can do is be realistic of what you plan to use it for and test them all as you have. The rear seats of the midsize while only offering a few more inches than a full size crew cab is much more comfortable with the recline of the seats. We are a tall family and fit fine in the Canyon we have. Now the rear seat isn't long road trip worthy with full size adults front and rear especially on the taller side, but they work great for teens, kids and shorter trips while getting the benefits of a smaller and more efficient vehicle that fits everywhere. Also the GM twins can be had in a crew cab long bed trim (only route to go IMO if needing more room than an extended cab).
Tyler
Don't get me wrong, the Colorado is the top choice of mid size vehicles for a reason and I wouldn't have any question of the reliability of GM. They are known to have robust and long lasting drivetrains, interior quality over the years has been questionable but the meat and potatoes will last you a very long time.
Best you can do is be realistic of what you plan to use it for and test them all as you have. The rear seats of the midsize while only offering a few more inches than a full size crew cab is much more comfortable with the recline of the seats. We are a tall family and fit fine in the Canyon we have. Now the rear seat isn't long road trip worthy with full size adults front and rear especially on the taller side, but they work great for teens, kids and shorter trips while getting the benefits of a smaller and more efficient vehicle that fits everywhere. Also the GM twins can be had in a crew cab long bed trim (only route to go IMO if needing more room than an extended cab).
Tyler