Time for a new pickup truck...but what to buy?

[G51989]

So, currently I have a lot of vehicles as many of you are aware, but I feel its time to condense two of them into one. I have a 2008 F350 Super Duty, and a 2010 Ford Ranger 4 banger 2WD. I used to use the Super Duty when I was renovating my property and house to move huge amounts of materials and small earth movers around, but I sold those as everything is done, and I use the ranger to plow around NYC because its so small and easy to deal with when I head to the city ( NYC is about 45 mins from me ) and pick up quick delivery for my business.

So with no need for an F350, I want to sell the F350 and the Ford Ranger and buy a mid sized truck to replace them both, I still have two boats and a drag car to tow, and it needs to be a good daily driver in the winter, which winters can be terrible up here.

So, I am considering the new 2015 Ford F150

I like this truck, I like how it looks. I like the fact that its built in America, I would probably go for the Platinum with either the 5.0 V8 or the 3.5 Liter Ecoboost, each provide over 20MPG in the 2015 models, due to it being 700lbs lighter than its competitors due to lots of it being made of military grade aluminum.

However, I do not know much about other trucks on the market, any Dodge/Chevy/Toyota/GMC/Nissian owners with any opinions?

 

[Menel]

I'm a huge Toyota/Nissan fan. The only thing that might hold a candle to the Al F150, is the RAM1500 with ecoDiesel if economy is your thing. These are full size.

Midsize, if you can wait. I'm watching for this release. 4cyl Cummins.

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/02/06/nissan-frontier-diesel-runner-cummins-concept-chicago-2014/

200 horsepower and more than 350 pound-feet of torque, and fuel economy could improve by as much as 35 percent over the V6, which would equate to around about 22 miles per gallon city and 30 mpg highway. Payload and towing capacity would be roughly identical to the existing V6, says Nissan.

Which looks like is 6500lb max towing.

Also built in America, TN I think. Even if design was in Japan. Though they do have a San Diego design house, the new Z or the GTR was done there, dunno which others.

 

[G51989]

I'm a huge Toyota/Nissan fan. The only thing that might hold a candle to the Al F150, is the RAM1500 with ecoDiesel if economy is your thing. These are full size.

Economy doesn't matter to much, but I've heard to many horror stories about Dodge products over the years to ever want anything outside of a Charger or Challenger.

By " Mid sized " I suppose I meant something like, not a F350.

I do like Toyota and Nissians but their full size trucks seem to lag behind Ford's.

Midsize, if you can wait. I'm watching for this release. 4cyl Cummins.

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/02/06/nissan-frontier-diesel-runner-cummins-concept-chicago-2014/

Which looks like is 6500lb max towing.

Also built in America, TN I think. Even if design was in Japan. Though they do have a San Diego design house, the new Z or the GTR was done there, dunno which others.

Image

I really like that actually, the only thing that stops me from buying something like that is the towing, which isn't gonna be enough, need at least 8500 pounds.

 

[MacNut]

The Dodge Ram is maybe the toughest truck out there now. Also look at the Silverado.

 

[prostuff1]

Anything at or above the F150, Ram 1500, or GM 1500 range is considered a full size truck. That includes the Toyota Tundra and the like.


I don't particularly need a truck that large which is why I am waiting to see what comes of the new Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. They are what I would consider a midsize pick. You can find all sorts of information online about them. I am going to wait for the 2016 model year for the 4 cylinder turbo diesel they will be putting in them. The 2015 v6 gas model is rated about 300 hp and 275 lb. ft. of torque with a towing capacity of at least 6700 pounds. For a midsize truck that is supposed to get 25+ mpg those specs are pretty good.

As I said though, I am going to wait until the diesel come out to make my final decision.


If you want a "full size" truck then the 2014 silverado and 2014 sierra were rated very good, though they seemed to like the ride of the RAM 1500 the best. A quick video is here

I don't mind ford, but I am not a fan of the design, I just like the "butch" look of the 2014 GM trucks better than any of the previous Ford designs. I understand I am in the minority there.

 

[Menel]

Economy doesn't matter to much, but I've heard to many horror stories about Dodge products over the years to ever want anything outside of a Charger or Challenger.

By " Mid sized " I suppose I meant something like, not a F350.

I do like Toyota and Nissians but their full size trucks seem to lag behind Ford's.



I really like that actually, the only thing that stops me from buying something like that is the towing, which isn't gonna be enough, need at least 8500 pounds.

Yea, with that towing, you need a fullsize. F150 is considered full-size.

As I was saying, even being a huge Toyota/Nissan fan. I don't think anything holds a candle to the new Al F150.

Should hold up better in those northern winters too.

 

[MacNut]

Anything at or above the F150, Ram 1500, or GM 1500 range is considered a full size truck. That includes the Toyota Tundra and the like.


I don't particularly need a truck that large which is why I am waiting to see what comes of the new Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. They are what I would consider a midsize pick. You can find all sorts of information online about them. I am going to wait for the 2016 model year for the 4 cylinder turbo diesel they will be putting in them. The 2015 v6 gas model is rated about 300 hp and 275 lb. ft. of torque with a towing capacity of at least 6700 pounds. For a midsize truck that is supposed to get 25+ mpg those specs are pretty good.

As I said though, I am going to wait until the diesel come out to make my final decision.

I have a Dakota which I love, unfortunately they don't make those anymore. I really think they are the prefect midsize.

 

[carjakester]

I've always thought the raptor was pretty badass, i think its a trim of the f-150 but not too sure.

 

[prostuff1]

I have a Dakota which I love, unfortunately they don't make those anymore. I really think they are the prefect midsize.

I agree. I am driving around a 1998 S10 extended cab and it is almost perfect. There is no back seat seating area to speak of which sucks. The new Colorado and Canyon have an extended can and 4 door option that I am very mush interested in. My 98 S10 is in great shape and has low mile so I have not had to replace it and have been able to wait for something I thought was a worthy upgrade but not an upgrade to a full size (which i don't really need)

 

[quagmire]

Can't go wrong really with any of the full size trucks from the Big 3. Personally I would go for the Sierra. It is slightly higher in quality compared to the Silverado( real aluminum trim in the Sierra vs fake in the Silverado).

My family has a 2002 Suburban and it has been solid for 12 years.

 

[tshrimp]

I think your choice of F150 is good. Have not had good luck with Toyota,and would lean toward American on the truck side. I will say that when I looked at used pickups a year ago the F150 seemed to age the best out of all the trucks. Here is what I have found sticky based on my used truck search.

Looked best after years of use in order from best to worst:

Ford - Cleaner Engine & Trans, Fewer rattles, higher quality interior feel, Great ride.
Chevy - Cleaner Engine, More rattles, middle on interior feel, Average ride.
Ram - Dirtier engines and trans, Rattle about same as Chevy, Good interior feel, Great ride. (Also noticed more paint and rust issues than all the others)
Toyota - Dirty engines and trans, Rattles about same as Chevy and Ram. Interior is shameful. Average ride
Nissan - Didn't look at engine or trans on these as the rattles are so bad there is no way I could drive it on a daily basis.

Good luck on your search.

Hope I didn't upset anyone on my opinions. Keep in mind these are my own personal observations. Others might have a different feeling about these trucks. Sorry if you love your truck and I put it at the bottom

 

[Tomorrow]

My experiences:

Ford F-150 Super Crew - the best of the lot. Very comfortable ride, turns on a dime (for a vehicle that large), nice fit and feel.

Chevy Silverado - much like the Ford, but it wasn't nearly as maneuverable (hard to park).

Dodge Ram - Believe it or not, it felt cramped to me. Back seat was noticeably smaller than the Ford or Chevy. The ergonomics of the driver's controls didn't suit me, but everybody's different.

 

[maflynn]

The F150 is a nice truck, I'd say go with that since you had the F350.

 

[AustinIllini]

Ford F150 is probably the way to go. Unless the Toyota reliability extends to trucks...?

 

[quagmire]

Ford F150 is probably the way to go. Unless the Toyota reliability extends to trucks...?

The issue is the Tundra is the same since 2007. It's ancient.

Plus, the Big 3's quality issues never really extended to their trucks. That's the one thing they didn't dare screw up. With the one possibile exception of Chrysler's transmissions. They sucked and were the biggest weakness to the Ram.

 

[AustinIllini]

Plus, the Big 3's quality issues never really extended to their trucks. That's the one thing they didn't dare screw up. With the one possibile exception of Chrysler's transmissions. They sucked and were the biggest weakness to the Ram.

That was my impression as well. People seem to keep these big trucks forever.

 

[quagmire]

My experiences:

Ford F-150 Super Crew - the best of the lot. Very comfortable ride, turns on a dime (for a vehicle that large), nice fit and feel.

Chevy Silverado - much like the Ford, but it wasn't nearly as maneuverable (hard to park).

Dodge Ram - Believe it or not, it felt cramped to me. Back seat was noticeably smaller than the Ford or Chevy. The ergonomics of the driver's controls didn't suit me, but everybody's different.

With the exception of the silvy's/Sierra with quadrasteer. Those things turned on a dime. Shame it was expensive and GM eventually discontinued it.

Owners loved it though. They almost got into an accident in the parking lot due how sharp it turned and they didn't expect it.

 

[Tomorrow]

With the exception of the silvy's/Sierra with quadrasteer. Those things turned on a dime. Shame it was expensive and GM eventually discontinued it.

Owners loved it though. They almost got into an accident in the parking lot due how sharp it turned and they didn't expect it.

That seems like a nice feature but yeah, pretty expensive. The Silverado I drove (I had it for a week) was really difficult to get into the garage I had at the time, a 1-car job. The F-150 could turn right in, but the Chevy needed a 3- and sometimes a 5-point turn to get in (this was in an apartment complex). To be fair, the garage door wasn't very wide.

 

[velocityg4]

I use to only buy GM but since I've had a couple Fords. I've just found them to be so much more reliable that I'll never go back to GM. GM just has too many electrical problems.

 

[b-rad g]

I myself am in the very beginning stages of looking for my next vehicle, and it will be a truck this time around. Used to have a truck but thought a full size SUV would be great on long trips, but I just don't take as many as I thought I would. Miss having a truck too much.

With having a 2006 Expedition now with 100k+ miles on it with hardly a problem to speak of, my top choices would be the following:

1. Ford F-150 (EcoBoost)
2. GMC Sierra (5.3 rock solid v8)
3. Chevy Silverado (5.3 rock solid v8)
4. Toyota Tundra
5. Dodge Ram 1500 EcoDiesel
6. Nissan Titan

I used to have a Silverado which was a very solid truck but sold it at 138k miles and was about to start putting some money into it with some repairs/maintenance.

We have 2 Silverado work trucks (2009/2013) and both are very good trucks. They can take just about whatever we throw at them and what they can't take we use the winch to get back out. The 2013 Silverado has a much better ride and gets much better gas mileage than the 2009.

 

[maflynn]

I had a dodge dakota and I was really disappointed with the quality of the truck. The inside felt a bit cheap, and had more noises then other trucks but what got me was the mechanical failures, in under 3 years I had to have 4 brake jobs, 3 of them were considered warranty but the fourth was not. I have no idea why I was haven this issue and my other cars/trucks never suffered from a similar fate even though my driving habits were the same.

 

[Shift Option K]

Maybe a Dodge Ram 1500 3.0 V6 Diesel or a Ford F150 2.7T EcoBoost if you want MPG's. If not, go for any V8 for all the power and fun.

 

[Muscle Master]

The issue is the Tundra is the same since 2007. It's ancient.

Plus, the Big 3's quality issues never really extended to their trucks. That's the one thing they didn't dare screw up. With the one possibile exception of Chrysler's transmissions. They sucked and were the biggest weakness to the Ram.

If the current gen Ram has crap transmissions, so does audi, bmw, bently and any other automaker that uses the world renowned ZF-8 speed transmission

do your homework before you bash the ram.. was truck of the year for 2 years

 

[quagmire]

If the current gen Ram has crap transmissions, so does audi, bmw, bently and any other automaker that uses the world renowned ZF-8 speed transmission

do your homework before you bash the ram.. was truck of the year for 2 years

Was talking about the past. Chrysler back in the 90's and early 00's were notorious for transmission failures.

The Ram right now is a great truck. I personally disagree with MT naming it TOTY again for 2014 simply because it gained a diesel engine in the half ton version.

 

[Muscle Master]

Was talking about the past. Chrysler back in the 90's and early 00's were notorious for transmission failures.

The Ram right now is a great truck. I personally disagree with MT naming it TOTY again for 2014 simply because it gained a diesel engine in the half ton version.

it gets like 28mpg on the hwy....