[Flakbadger]

It's been my experience---with several friends mind you---that S-10's are not worth their weight in dog poop. CONSTANT mechanical headaches, and/or electrical demons. I used to drive a Ranger and they certainly have their share of headaches---but the 2.3 (I think it's 2.3) liter 4 cylinder is pretty economical as far as pickups go. That being said, I don't know that I'd ever buy another Ranger either.

Personally I'd say look for an older Toyota or Nissan. My uncle's Toyota pickup has 248k on the clock, and besides for an upper engine rebuild, one clutch and a couple leaky vacuum hoses, it's still running great. Beyond that, an F-150 is not going to be THAT horrible on gas, and they're fun to drive.