Super-Size Your Lifestyle With a Used Midsize Truck

Americans have embraced the pickup truck like never before. No matter where you go, you are seeing more and more motorists enjoying the benefits of driving a truck. Up here in Saratoga, we know how a truck can help you with your lifestyle while handling the extremes of weather in New York State. If you are new to trucking, then you’ll probably want to start with a used midsize truck. These are smaller models that are easier to handle while still delivering the towing and hauling capabilities you desire. Meanwhile, buying a used model will make this a more affordable endeavor than buying one brand new. At DePaula Ford, we specialize in Saratoga, NY, used truck sales. Although we are an authorized Ford dealership, we offer many different makes and models of used pickup trucks, giving our customers an unrivaled selection. The key is finding one that best suits you and your needs.

No two trucks are exactly the same. Some deliver a higher level of comfort features, making them ideal for family drivers. Others are designed to maximize towing and hauling, so they are perfect if you need a truck for work. If you are into adventure, then you can consider the off-road capabilities of many trucks. It is not unusual to find a specialized version of a used midsize truck that is custom-made for off-roading. Here are some great used midsize trucks that you can find at our dealership.

Ford Ranger

As you’d probably expect, we carry an excellent selection of used Ford Ranger pickup trucks. Ford reintroduced this midsize model back in 2019; however, the new Ranger was more rugged and capable than models from the prior years. Ford used the eight-year hiatus before the reintroduction of the Ranger to make major changes to the truck, including discontinuing a two-door regular cab with a four-door crew cab.

Like most midsize trucks, a used Ford Ranger comes in two different cab styles. The SuperCab has two full-size and two half-size doors, while the SuperCrew provides four full-size doors. As a result, the SuperCrew offers more legroom, while the SuperCab delivers improved trailering capacity due to having a lower gross vehicle weight. In all, a used Ford Ranger should be capable of towing up to 7,500 pounds.

Since 2019, Ford has equipped the Ranger with a standard 2.3-liter EcoBoost Turbo I-4 paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission. This utilizes its turbocharger to deliver 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. These figures have not changed during the current generation of this truck. In addition, you can choose between rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive on your used Ranger. One of its biggest selling points has been its solid fuel economy, with most years of the rear-wheel drive Ranger providing an impressive 23 miles per gallon in combined gas mileage.

Toyota Tacoma

Toyota also makes an excellent midsize truck, the Tacoma. This model has been offered by Toyota since 1995, with the third generation hitting the roads in time for the 2016 model year. As a result, if you are looking for a used Tacoma, you will most likely find one from the third generation. Like the Ford Ranger, the Toyota Tacoma comes with either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, with a choice of an Access Cab (Toyota’s version of the SuperCab) or a Double Cab (Toyota’s equivalent of the SuperCrew).

However, where Ford offers a standard powertrain on every model of the Ranger, Toyota has been giving drivers choices. For example, the 2020 Tacoma features two different engine options, each equipped with either a six-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual transmission. The base engine is a 2.7-liter I-4 gas engine that can deliver up to 159 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque. This smaller engine allows the Tacoma to tow only up to 3,500 pounds. The larger 3.5-liter V6 gas engine produces 278 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque, with a maximum towing capacity of 6,800 pounds.

One of the biggest selling points for the used Tacoma is the number of different trim levels available on the truck. The 2020 Tacoma has no less than six different trims, including the TRD Off-Road, TRD Sport, and TRD Pro. These include features developed by the famed Toyota Racing Division that help to maximize the performance of the Tacoma either on or off the road, depending on which model you choose.

Chevy Colorado

Few other automakers offer as many options and choices on their pickup trucks as Chevrolet. The midsize Chevy Colorado is no exception. For example, the 2020 Colorado features five different trim levels, six special editions, and three engine options. When you factor in the choice of Crew Cab or Extended Cab (similar to the SuperCab on the Ford Ranger), as well as rear-wheel and four-wheel drive, you get so many different possible combinations that you should have no trouble finding a used Chevy Colorado that meets your needs.

Chevy introduced the Colorado in 2004 to meet the increasing demands from its customers for a midsize version of its Silverado. After a brief hiatus in production from 2012 to 2014, Chevy brought the Colorado back with a second generation in 2015 that was more rugged and capable than prior models. This included the introduction of a 2.8-liter Duramax Turbo-Diesel I-4 engine that gives the Colorado an impressive 369 lb-ft of torque. This is one of the few midsize pickup trucks with a diesel engine option. When equipped with the Turbo-Diesel, the Colorado is capable of towing an impressive 7,700 pounds maximum. The other engines you can get in a used Colorado are an economical 2.5-liter I-4 and a 3.6-liter V6 that is almost as powerful as the Turbo-Diesel.

One of the most popular models of the Colorado is the ZR2. This is a purpose-built off-road warrior that comes fully equipped for adventure. Along with its special edition ZR2 Bison variant, the Colorado ZR2 has everything anyone would need to tackle some of the toughest trails in and around Saratoga, including skid plates, a factory suspension lift, and special all-terrain tires. Chevy has announced a third generation of the Colorado for the 2023 model year. As a result, we should be seeing more of the second-generation Colorado trucks becoming available on the used market during the coming year.

Nissan Frontier

Nissan has taken a similar approach to Ford when it comes to its midsize pickup truck, the Frontier. This model has one standard engine across all trim levels but also offers a choice of rear-wheel and four-wheel drive, two different cab configurations, and a large number of different trim levels, depending on the model year of the used Frontier you are considering.

The Frontier is one of the longest-running midsize truck models in North America, first arriving for the 1997 model year. During that time, Nissan did not offer a new generation until 2022, deciding instead to make incremental updates to the existing platform. This might be because the Frontier was so successful that Nissan didn’t see the point in making a major change to this truck. With its standard 3.8-liter V6, a used Frontier certainly has the capability to deliver the towing and hauling most folks look for in a pickup truck.

If you are looking to get the most out of your pickup truck, you should consider a used Nissan Frontier PRO-4X. This is the top trim level and includes such features as a tip computer, specialized off-road shocks, strategically located skid plates, and an electronic locking rear differential. This will give you the ability to hit the trails while also delivering the traction and ruggedness to handle all that Mother Nature can dish out on this part of Upstate New York.
Just like the other used midsize pickup trucks, Nissan offers the Frontier with a choice of two different cab styles. The Crew Cab has four full-size doors and plenty of legroom in both rows of seats. Meanwhile, Nissan continues the confusion in the marketplace by calling its version of the SuperCab a “King Cab.” Whatever you call it, this is a smaller cab style that maximizes the Frontier’s towing and hauling capabilities.

Make Your Next Vehicle a Used Midsize Pickup Truck From Us!

Choosing a used midsize pickup truck should be an enjoyable decision to make. The key is deciding what factors are most important to you and then picking the make, model, trim, and features that help you achieve your goals. With these four models to choose from, you will have no trouble finding the used midsize truck that is best for you. Stop in today and make your next truck a used midsize pickup from DePaula Ford!