Best entry-level pickup truck

So the boyfriend and I have been wanting to get a small pick-up truck but we are concerned with spending a lot of money on gas. We will be using the truck to commute to work (at most around 80km or 50 miles to and from), picking up lumber or drywall for renos and to lug camping gear. That is the most we would be doing with it.

We were looking at the Ford Ranger, but I was reading it didn't have the best GPM. So I would like to know what your experiences are and if you could recommend a small pickup.

Thanks!

I had a Ranger. It was a V6 4.0 liter, and got about 22 mpg. If you go for the 4 cylinder, your mileage will be much better.

My F150 (Triton V8) gets about 20 mpg when I'm not hauling.

So the smaller the engine, the more mpg. Plus, the newer models are more fuel efficient.

I was told to stay away from any 4x2 which makes sense. We got our first real snow storm yesterday (at least for this area) and there was a ranger spinning its tires on a hill not going anywhere. A lot of people told me to stay clear of the Ranger as well. So I was looking into a Toyota Tacoma. But good to know smaller engine = less mpg. I guess that's common sense.

If you get a lot of snow a 4X4 is a good idea, but it makes the truck heavier so your mpg won't be as good as the same make of truck with a 4X2. You definitely have to take that into consideration when comparing makes, models, and engine sizes.

I have a 4X2 because I'm in southern Virginia. We don't get enough snow to make a 4X4 a necessary thing for me.

I thought a lot of trucks that had 4x4 had something where you can switch between 4x2 and 4x4.

Thanks for your help!

They do but the additional equipment for the 4wd capability adds weight which decreases mileage. Your driving style also affects it.
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theres reasons other than snow that id recommend stayin away from 2wd also. You mentioned camping. If your ever anywhere where theres's steep gravel hills, a 2wd will have a hard time. And in grass in the evening when the ground is damp, 2wd trucks are worthless.

Also a small 4cyl pickup is going to really struggle when loaded down. The mid size pickups like the dakota are pretty good trucks, but the fuel mileage isnt all that much greater than a full size pickup

Thank you guys, you pose some very good points! This is all new to me because the only vehicle I really drive right now is an AWD Subaru sedan. I have never had troubles with snow or gravel or really anything weather related. I realize a truck is probably going to require more gas and the gas bill will be higher than our car.

Dollar for dollar, go with a Ford 150 4x4, for what you want to do, it's your best bet.

I will look into it and go for a test drive when its snowy out! :P I have driven my brothers F350 super duty dually and it was really nice although a bit too big for me. If I do end up getting an F150 4x4 my boyfriend can drive it to his work (he works like 10 minutes away from home) and I will take the car. Then we can save on gas, but still have a pickup to do everything we want/need it for.