beater mini trucks, whats best?

I got about a 3K budget. What do you guys think about Ford Ranger Pickups? Seems they are the cheapest mini's out here and seem to get pretty good ratings. Was leaning toward a Toyota as the interiors are way better, but they are usually double the miles at the same price. Looking at a early Square Dakota V6 tomorrow, cheap but has 210,000 miles on it. I just need a reliable truck to go 25 miles each way on a flat freeway hauling nothing but the occasional engine block or load of tree branches. Crew cab is a plus, 4cyl or economical 6, no full size. Mileage is more important than power, I would buy a VW Diesel pickup in a heartbeat if I could find one locally. Oh, and does anyone have a carfax subscription?>