For decades, pickup trucks have been getting the job done. Trucks have been found on farms, construction sites, ranches, and everywhere work needs to get done. In addition to the work aspect of trucks, you can have a lot more fun and bring bigger toys to your recreational locations if you have a pickup truck. Trucks are used for nearly everything and have been built with manual transmissions in the past, despite nearly all of them coming with automatic transmissions today.It’s a rarity to find pickup trucks offered with manual transmissions in today’s market, but they used to be extremely common. Even more rare is finding a late-model truck that costs less than $20,000. Still, if you’re looking for a pickup truck that costs less than $20,000 and has a manual transmission, you can find a wide variety of them on the used market.All the pricing information provided in this article is courtesy of Classic.com's average prices based on used models auctioned off in the last five years. 1998 Toyota T100 Average Price: $13,750 Cars and Bids Before the Tacoma name became the most popular choice for midsize trucks, Toyota offered the T100. This pickup truck can handle the drive and has been a trusted choice for years. The typical power train with a five-speed manual transmission includes a 3.4-liter V6 engine that produces 190 horsepower and 220 lb-ft of torque. This is enough power to pull up to 6,000 pounds behind the T100.The T100 wasn’t as small as the Tacoma. In fact, it was the precursor to the Tundra, which is the current full-size truck from Toyota. It seems Toyota was already making reliable pickup trucks before the Tundra, with at least one owner reporting more than 412,000 miles on their SR5 model, according to the Toyota Nation Forum. 1997 GMC Sonoma Average Price: $14,000 Via: fineautoconcierge The 1997 GMC Sonoma shares a platform with the Chevrolet S-10, which means utilizing the same powertrains and capabilities. This truck could be had with a 2.2-liter four-cylinder or 4.3-liter V6 engine, both of which could route power to the wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. Some drivers have described the V6 engine as a V8 with two cylinders lopped off, which leans toward the dependability of this truck. The V6 engine was capable of up to 195 horsepower, 260 lb-ft of torque, and 5,200 pounds of towing capacity.The Sonoma was the successor to the S-15, and the 1997 model year was part of the second generation of this truck. This compact truck is typically inexpensive to maintain and repair, with many manual examples available on the market. Most owners reported more than 200,000 miles on the original engine and transmission, making this a reliable and useful truck. 1990 Nissan Hardbody Average Price: $11,822 Nissan Now that it’s more than 25 years old, the Nissan Hardbody pickup truck, which is the precursor to the Frontier, is sought after as a durable, dependable, and desirable truck. The Hardbody comes with a five-speed manual transmission attached to either a 2.4-liter or 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine that sends 130 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque to the wheels. This is enough power to allow the truck to tow up to 3,500 pounds, which is great for an older compact truck.The Nissan Hardbody is valued for its simplicity and rust-resistant body, making it a truck that drivers have loved for decades. According to the Nissan Frontier Forum, some versions of the Hardbody have reached 300,000 and 400,000 miles without many issues, making this small and useful truck a reliable pickup that can be trusted for several years and many miles. 2004 Nissan Frontier Average Price: $11,543 Cars & Bids The Nissan Frontier King Cab was offered with a five-speed manual transmission, which helped make it one of the most affordable trucks on the market when new. This transmission could be used with either the 2.4-liter four-cylinder or 3.3-liter V6 engine, giving you up to 180 horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque, which is enough power to allow this truck to pull as much as 5,000 pounds when properly equipped.The Frontier has long been a durable, simple truck with several years of offering a manual transmission for drivers to handle the job of shifting gears. Most versions of this truck are priced below $15,000, making it an affordable choice. Several Reddit users have reported high mileage for their Nissan Frontier models, including one owner showing 435,000 miles on their truck, but that one has an automatic transmission. 1998 Chevrolet S-10 Average Price: $11,500 Bring a Trailer During the 1990s, the Chevrolet S-10 was one of the most common sights on the road. This little truck was found in nearly every driveway, and it was easy to find models with a manual transmission. The 1998 version came with a 2.2-liter four-cylinder or 4.3-liter V6 engine that could be had with a five-speed manual transmission for each engine. The V6 models produced 190 horsepower and offered up to 5,500 pounds of towing capacity.Even in today’s market, the Chevrolet S10, and the GMC counterpart, Sonoma/S-15 have strong enthusiast communities. This has caused some models to be priced higher than expected, but manual-transmission versions are still relatively affordable. A Reddit user reported a 1998 S-10 with 649,000 miles on it, which proves the dependability of this little Chevy truck. 2000 Toyota Tacoma Average Price: $11,500 Toyota The Toyota Tacoma has been one of the toughest and most dependable midsize trucks on the market for decades. Stepping back to the beginning of the century brings you a Tacoma from the year 2000, which could be had with a five-speed manual transmission attached to either a 3.4-liter V6 or 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. This meant 190 horsepower and 220 lb-ft of torque to go along with as much as 5,000 pounds of towing capacity for the V6 models.This Tacoma comes from the first generation of the truck and is extremely common with strong aftermarket support. Some enthusiasts search for the V6 S-Runner and Xtracab models from this generation. Many Tacomas have lasted for more than 400,000 miles, but Alex Ortege reported mileage for a 2000 Tacoma SR5 that reaches 696,378 miles on the Mileage Impossible Facebook group. 1999 Mazda B-Series Average Price: $10,793 Mazda Before the world moved to larger midsize trucks, several Japanese automakers built small trucks that were part of the compact pickup market. The 1999 Mazda B-Series is one of the final examples offered, and it could be had with a five-speed manual transmission and a 2.6-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 150 horsepower and 160 lb-ft of torque. This truck could handle up to 3,500 pounds of towing to give you a solid performer on every road.The Mazda B-Series trucks are mechanically similar to the Ford Courier and were inexpensive and common trucks through the 1980s and 1990s. At least one user reported reaching 250,000 miles in the B-Series truck, which is a stamp of reliability and longevity for this small Mazda pickup. 2005 Ford Ranger Average Price: $10,742 Cars & Bids Most manual-transmission versions of the 2005 Ford Ranger fall below $18,000 and have the power and dependability desired. The typical manual powertrain is a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine with a five-speed manual transmission, but a 4.0-liter V6 engine with the same transmission was also available for this model year. The V6 option provides 207 horsepower, 238 lb-ft of torque, and up to 6,000 pounds of towing capacity with the right equipment.The Ford Ranger has been one of the most common and inexpensive compact/midsize trucks on the market, dating back into the previous century and transitioning across to the 2000s. According to Vehq.com, the average Ford Ranger should last at least 300,000 miles. Kelley Blue Book reports that consumers found the 2005 Ford Ranger to be reliable and offered a high-quality build, despite being less comfortable than other trucks. 2006 Dodge Dakota Average Price: $10,150 Dodge The Dodge Dakota has the distinction of being one of the few midsize trucks that has ever been powered by a V8 engine. The 2006 model could have a 3.9-liter V6 engine mated to a five-speed automatic, but the 4.7-liter V8 was also offered with a manual transmission. Power reaches 235 horsepower for the V8 engine and 190 ponies for the V6, which gives drivers up to 6,500 pounds of towing power with the right towing package.The Dodge Dakota was a midsize truck with full-size capability, which makes it a great choice when you want a smaller truck that can handle bigger jobs. The Mileage Impossible Facebook group has several Dakota models reaching high mileage, including one that reached 314,000 miles with only minor repairs required. This shows the potential longevity and durability of this Dodge pickup. 1998 Isuzu Hombre Average Price: $10,000 Wikimedia Commons (S. Foskett) It might be more difficult to find than some of the other trucks on the list, but the 1998 Isuzu Hombre is a reliable small truck with a manual transmission. The five-speed setup mates with a 2.2-liter or 2.6-liter four-cylinder engine to produce as much as 150 horsepower and 160 lb-ft of torque. This pickup can tow up to 4,000 pounds, depending on the engine and towing package included.The Hombre was sold in limited volumes in the United States as an inexpensive, simple, and dependable small truck. At least one model of this little truck has been reported with more than 185,000 miles and is still running strong on Kelley Blue Book. Edmunds also had a version of this truck listed for sale with 140,634 miles on the odometer. With only a few examples available, proving high-mileage dependability becomes a little more difficult than with more common trucks.Sources: Classic.com, J.D. Power.