Andy Ball wrote to Roy Witt:   
      
    RW>> Since your young family member will be inclined to do   
    >> his own work and his peers may own a Honda, he may be   
    >> more acceptable to them in a Honda.   
      
    AB>     The family member in question is 36, so he's younger   
    AB> than I am but old enough that he shouldn't give a monkey's what the   
    AB> young people think is cool and trendy.  He's fallen on hard times and   
    AB> our objective is something that will get him from A to B, that he can   
    AB> patch up should the need arise.   
      
   You're posting from Janis's BBS in New York, so I take it you're both in   
   the area?   
      
    RW>> ...a pickup would be the easiest to work on since   
    >> they're built like a conventional rear wheel drive   
    >> vehicle has been built since inception.  They have a   
    >> strong steel frame under them and not one unibody   
    >> (frameless) vehicle among them.   
      
    AB>     I never knew that about pickups.  I'm sure they burn a   
    AB> lot more fuel but if I can find one for the right price it might   
    AB> still work for him, since he wants it primarily for getting to and   
    AB> from work.   
      
   Some of the late model mini pickups do very well on mileage. They usually   
   have a 4 cyl engine and manual transmissions, which help with the fuel   
   mileage. A Toyota will bring a premium price, but they are very   
   dependable. So is a Chevrolet or GMC mini, as well as most of the other   
   minis...   
      
    AB> Any thoughts on Gas Vs. Diesel for a pickup?   
      
   My dad always stressed the point that a diesel is for a work truck. Such a   
   truck would be expected to carry heavy loads and pull trailers on a daily   
   basis. The drawbacks to a diesel are the higher cost of fuel and the more   
   frequent maintainence required to keep the fuel system and engine oil   
   clean. Not an ideal situation if all you need is A to B transportation.   
      
   A gasoline engine that burns regular unleaded fuel will be cheaper to run   
   and cheaper to maintain with less frequent oil changes and the occasional   
   fuel filter change and a change of spark plugs around 80k miles. The only   
   drawback is that it will get slightly less mpg than a diesel...but then,   
   the cost of gasoline vs diesel makes up for that.   
      
      
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