All my buddies have trucks.. and one of the guys has a newer (2004ish)ranger 4wd w/ the V6... and it gets worse gas milage than my other 2 buddies that have mid-late 90s w/ the 318 V8.

Personally I'd opt for a Toyota 4wd w/ the extra cab.. or Toyota 4 Runner. But that's my personal opinion. If you're going to tow a large boat.. then look at something a little bigger.