This is that thing I drive 20-30,000 miles a year but don’t really post about.
Since 2014, I’ve put on 135,225 miles. Other than maintenance (oil, belt, tires, breaks), I’ve done nothing. Zero unexpected issues. This should impress me more than I’m allowing, given how much stuff (mostly little, but still inconvenient) I’ve had go wrong on vehicles I’ve actually owned — my Hondas included — with far fewer miles traveled, too boot.
The worst part is that my employer could have paid ~$1,000-$1,750 more and gotten a 4x4 back in 2014. Now that truck would sell for 13-18k used depending on condition and mileage, while this RWD as is is worth... 8k? 9k? I’ve certainly needed 4wd often enough over six years they it would have paid for itself and then some. But it is what it is.
Being a stripper model with a bench seat, hard plastics, auto, and ponderous steering, it has zero redeeming qualities outside of braindead “bulletproofness,” which is not a real word. And when you remember that I own a Corolla, for me to say that is truly terrifying.
Wait, dammit I did think of something: It has an 18 gallon tank and gets up to 26 miles per gallon highway (I average 23 overall), so I’m pushing 425 miles per fill-up. That’s pretty nice when you rack up the miles I have. I’m filling up once, maybe twice a week, whereas I have co-workers in other vehicles that have to fill up four times a week.
In summation, this truck in this configuration is not the worst consideration if getting somewhere with some stuff is your primary — if not, the only — priority.