My opinion on American trucks? get one...they're much more useful than a car. I've had a few, mostly fords, never had a dodge but I drove a few and wouldn't be embarrassed by one, and they performed well enough that if I didn't already have something similar at the time, woulda considered buying one. I'm a big fan of older vs newer mostly because older (imho) seem to be easier to work on, although newer ones do seem to last longer. Reality is tho....like has been mentioned, there are good ones and bad ones in every brand, and even in "littermates" i.e., one trunk off the line lasts for yrs, the truck coming off the line right behind it is a POS. If you're buying used, even previous maintenance doesn't really count. (singular anecdote) I had always wanted a K-5 blazer, my wifes stepdad had a 74 (350/auto) that I inherited when he passed. he was anal about maintenance and raved about how strong the tranny was in it. I had it a month, just driving back and forth to school, no offroad, and the tranny broke. Drive a bunch of them, decide what feels good to you, buy one, and if it's an older one and you really like it, buy another one for parts. Look around on the roads, you'll see all the brands out there...then go look in the wrecking yard, you'll see all the brands in there too, and the same spectrum of years. There is no good or bad, there is just what you like and what you don't like. Don't think I'd get one that wasn't 4x4 tho...specially in VT..... Just to mention a couple previously neglected brands tho..... I was quite fond of my Wagoneers and my International pickup...