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Trucks & SUVs

I’ve Got $12,000 For A Midsize Truck. What Can I Get?

You’ve got $12,000 and decided you want a midsize pickup. What can you get? What is out there that fits your $12,000 budget? Let’s look at Craigslist in four random cities to get an idea of what is available. We’ll go to the southern part of the country to look in the OC in So …
by Thom Taylor
Published on
2 min read

You’ve got $12,000 and decided you want a midsize pickup. What can you get? What is out there that fits your $12,000 budget?

Let’s look at Craigslist in four random cities to get an idea of what is available. We’ll go to the southern part of the country to look in the OC in So Cal, Phoenix, Dallas, and Orlando, Florida.  Condition, mileage, engines, and options all play a part in what we’ll post here.

All trucks are private owners and have clean titles. We picked the cleanest-looking pickups with the least amount of miles. Diesel or gas, two-wheel- or four-wheel-drive, we were open to all of the possibilities. We’ll give you a brief rundown of each of the midsize pickups and a link. Let’s take a look:

Orange County Craigslist

San Clemente

2011 Ram Dakota SLT Quad Cab: $11,800

4WD, 68,000 miles, V6, automatic, spray-in Line-X bed liner, leather interior.

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Mission Viejo

2005 Toyota Tacoma Ext. Cab: $12,000 OBO

2WD, V6, automatic, tow package, TRD package, rear lockers.

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Brea

2010 Toyota Tacoma Reg. Cab: $11,000

2WD, 4-cylinder, 5-spd manual, 81,000 miles, new tires.

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Phoenix Craigslist

Mesa

1988 Jeep Comanche Pickup: $11,500

4WD, 264,000 miles, 6-cylinder, automatic, power windows, door locks.

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Mesa

2011 Ford Ranger XLT Reg. Cab: $11,250

2WD, 4-cylinder, 45,000 miles, automatic, MP3, traction/stability control.

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Phoenix

2006 Toyota Tacoma Quad Cab: $11,750

2WD, automatic, 154,000 miles, new tires.

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2019 Nissan Frontier
2012 Nissan Frontier | Nissan

Dallas Craigslist

Dallas

2012 Nissan Frontier SV Crew Cab: $11,000

2WD, automatic, 130,000, V6, factory roof rack, alloy wheels.

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Granbury

2013 Toyota Tacoma Ext. Cab: $11,500

2WD, 4-cyl, automatic, 120,000 miles, power windows/locks

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Denton

2008 Toyota Tacoma Quad Cab: $11,900 OBO

2WD, V6, automatic, 186,000 miles, pre-runner.

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Orlando, Fla. Craigslist

Gainsville

2009 Toyota Tacoma Quad Cab: $11,000

2WD, V6, automatic, 140,000 miles, Bluetooth/touchscreen.

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Orlando

2002 Ford Ranger XLT Ext. Cab: $10,500

2WD, V6, automatic, 89,000 miles, tow package, Bluetooth.

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Deerfield Beach

2005 Toyota Tacoma Ext. Cab: $12,250

2WD, V6, 68,500 miles, automatic, a trailer hitch, pre-runner.

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Staff Writer

Thom Taylor

Thom Taylor is a celebrated automotive journalist. He was awarded the Top 100 Most Influential People in Hot Rodding from Hot Rod Magazine, and was inducted into the Grand National Roadster Show Hall of Fame and the National Rod and Custom Hall of Fame. He’s a member of SEMA and the NHRA.

Thom has authored a number of books, including Hot Rod & Custom Chronicle and several guides for drawing vehicles like a pro, which pull from his distinguished ventures as an automotive illustrator.

Thom joined the MotorBiscuit team in 2019, and focuses his coverage on new vehicle releases, design, and the latest features and tech in the industry. His tenure of 25 years writing about the industry gives him a unique context for the auto news he covers, whether it’s part of the Rusty Monday series or the latest news from Chevy. Thom has built two complete cars from the ground up and driven vintage roadsters at the Indy 500.