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Identifying the First-Gen Ford MustangUsed Family Trucks Under $30,000
Looking for a truck that can go from the jobsite to a road trip? We assembled a list of trucks that offer something for a working family.
When You Have a Job to Do and a Family to Raise
If you’ve got a job site to trek to, or a farm to manage, and you need to transport your family from place to place. The good news is you can score a deal on a used pickup under $30,000 that does the tasks of a tradesman and a parent all at the same time.
Jeep Gladiator
These days, you can find a used 2021 Gladiator with middle-of-the-road miles for around the lower end of $30 grand, but going any newer will definitely break that budget.
What you get is a truck that breaks from the standard, with unique styling based on the Jeep Wrangler, the Gladiator is as rugged as any off-roader bearing the Jeep name. With that in mind, the Gladiator is a bit bouncier on the road, but when the road runs out the fun begins.
When on the job, the standard 3.6-liter engine does get you 4,000 lbs of towing. When fully equipped with a towing package and the 3.0-liter diesel engine, the Gladiator can pull up to 7,650 lbs. The 5.5-foot bed is perfectly capable in a truck this size, but you are trading some utility for fun.
Nissan Frontier
The newest generation of Nissan Frontier is starting to get some used examples under its belt. With a 310-horsepower V6 under the hood and towing capacity in excess of 6,500 lbs for as low as under $30,000, the Frontier is putting the Nissan brand on its back at the moment.
You can find a well maintained 2022 or 2023 Frontier SV trim, keep an eye out for models with the optional Technology package which includes rear automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control.
Chevrolet Colorado
Modern iterations of the Chevrolet Colorado have fun off-road-themed trims all their own in the AT4 and ZR2. The 2023 Colorado shares the same 2.7-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with the larger Silverado, and it’s finally old enough to see considerable numbers on the used market.
Sure, one of those fancy trims will still cost you a lot of money. But the average second-hand Colorado 4×2 work truck? That can be had for just over $30,000 on average. You can buy an older Colorado, but it’s safe to say a pre-owned Chevrolet Colorado will spend less time in the shop and more time hauling.
Ford Ranger
The Ford yin to the GM yang. In almost every way, the Rangers parry the Chevy Colorado. Still, it’s the 2019-2021 Ranger that you’re most likely to find pre-owned, with low miles, and at an affordable price point. With a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder under the hood, 34.5 inches of rear seat legroom, and towing performance of over 7,000 lbs, the Ranger’s fourth generation is a budget powerhouse.
You are most likely going to find a 4×4 XLT Super Crew model. Which comes with nice features like remote keyless entry, automatic high beams and a SYNC 3 entertainment system with an 8-inch center touchscreen.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Time to move up in size because GM’s flagship full-sized truck can be a steal of a deal if you’re willing to look hard enough. That’s despite an inflated used market prices on full-sized trucks lately.
You can find a bare-bones Silverado 1500 crew cab with the same four-pot as a Colorado, two-wheel drive, minimal options, and a 5.8-foot rear bed for a hair under $29,000. Just remember to review our used truck checklist before hitting the dealer lot.
Ford F-150
It takes a little bit more finesse to get the best deal on an equivalent F-150. As should come as no surprise, the best-selling truck in America for most years since the Carter administration holds its value a little bit better than the competition. Still, we found a 2021 F-150 XL SuperCrew with just under 50,000 miles and a 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine for a hair under $27,000 out the door.
For the money, you get a truck that can tow 10,100 lbs behind it with no issue while giving your children 43.6 inches of rear legroom owing to the SuperCrew cab. Plus, if there’s one out there, there’s bound to be others. Sounds like a sweet deal to us. Soon enough, the clever PowerBoost hybrid drivetrain should come down to sub $30,000 price figures for an even more efficient experience.
Ram 1500
Ordinarily, most trims in the Ram 1500 lineup are beyond our budget, even on the used market. But the Ram 1500 Tradesman crew cab is a nice change of pace. Yes, an affordable one of these is bound to be up there in mileage under $30,000. But the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 under the hood should last for hundreds of thousands of miles before it gives out. Plus, many of the Tradesman vehicles are fleet vehicles, meaning they should have complete service records. With some searching, you might even find one equipped with the e-Torque mild hybrid system that boosts towing capacity to north of 12,000 lbs while raising fuel economy.
Toyota Tacoma
The Tacoma holds its value spectacularly well. But you can still find a deal if you know where to look. Being a Toyota product, you don’t have to worry quite as much about mileage as other trucks. You can find a 2019-2020 Tacoma TRD Sport double cab with 100,000 miles or more on the odometer within our budget.
Even if that fails, a lower-trimmed Tacoma SR5 can be had for under $30,000 without a hassle. You’ll want the V6 more than likely, it can tow up to 6,800 lbs compared to 3,500 with the four-cylinder. But either way, this is a great, dependable truck.
Ram 1500 Classic
Told you Ram wasn’t finished cooking. It’s the 15-year veteran former flag carrier for the Ram brand that lasted long enough to be sold alongside its replacement. It’s generally far easier to find a good deal on a Ram 1500 Classic pretty effortlessly. In fact, you can find a pretty good deal on a 2021 Ram 1500 Classic or Tradesman Quad Cab well within our budget of $30,000.
With the RAM 1500 Classic, you get the same 5.7-liter HEMI goodness, and the styling of the old Ram platform (which some prefer to the new style). It’s a shame Ram finally sunset the 1500 Classic last year. But the Ram 1500 Classic’s loss on the new vehicle side of things is our gain when they wind up on used dealership lots.
Toyota Tundra
Last but certainly not least, you can buy a base second-generation Toyota Tundra crew cab for south of $30,000. Granted, you’ll have to make sacrifices with a slightly older model year or a higher mileage example to ensure the best chance of acquiring one for lower than a hard limit of $30k.
If you can, you’ll get a 5.7-liter V8 that is suspiciously similar in size to the Ram’s HEMI engine. They are competing with one another, after all. Being a Toyota, it’ll probably outlast you if you change the fluids regularly. This helps keep the Tundra nameplate a hot commodity. But it’s not so hot that you can’t get a good deal with a little effort.
Honda Ridgeline
Take your “not a real truck” comments and leave them at the door. On the pre-owned market, the Ridgeline is a common sense-savvy unibody pickup with enough V6 grunt for most tasks, great reliability, and better fuel economy than any V8 monster. Sure, the towing capacity maxes out at only 5,000 lbs, but it’s not like most people get close to hauling that much weight.
Also, there are lots of late-model 2019 and up Honda Ridgelines available at dealerships. You don’t even have to try that hard to make that happen. You can’t say the same about most of the other trucks we’ve mentioned thus far.
