Time to Buy a Truck… but Which One?

[TOXIC]

A little information to consider.  This guy works on everything from exotics to compacts.

 

 

[Boomstick]

I've had a '14 Sierra 1500 since 2018. It's been alright. Many things are poorly designed that used to be better designed years ago which constantly irks me.

 

I don't fit in Fords, can't see out of the Tundra (although I fit alright in the most recent generation), and wouldn't buy a Chrysler product after owning a Dodge Charger for a year where the repair bill with a warranty (the deductible) far outweighed the monthly payment, even on a good month. Haven't really looked at the Nissan.

[DaubsNU1]

I've been a Chevy/GMC guy for all my life. Buddy loves Dodge/Ram, another buddy likes Ford. They are all good trucks and all have pros and cons.

 

Like @A-Jay I leased a 1999, and then a 2001 Silverado 1500 extended cab 4x4. Both were great trucks.

 

Then I went the opposite direction for my next truck...wanted something with more capability, so in 2004 I ordered up a 2500HD crew cab 4x4 with the 8.1/496 V8 backed by the Allison transmission. Heck of a truck! Yea, I was only getting 10 MPG city, and 12.5 highway...but man, the power! 

 

 

It was my daily driver until 2010...did have rust problems...wheel wells and rocker's...I got that cut out and new metal welded in. Again, great truck with no no drivetrain issues in close to 150k miles. Had to replace the 6 disk CD radio three times under warranty, some minor nit-nat things...and the rust. 

 

In 2019 I was looking for a new truck. Drove several Silverado 1500's. Briefly considered the baby-Duramax, but it was pretty new and unproven. My brother had been leasing Silverado 1500 crew cab's with the 5.3...excellent motor, wonderful truck. 

 

I wanted something with more capability, knowing it would not be my daily driver and would be mine for the next 14-16 years. So went with one of the last 2019's with Duramax and the old school 6 speed Allison transmission (in 2020 GM went to a 10 speed Allison). 

 

 

About a year after getting this truck, wife thought it would be a good idea to get a camper...and last August I upgraded to the Lund. Cool thing is this truck can double-pull both the 5th wheel and my Lund...(picture pulling my brother's Lund last summer). 

 

 

Do some research and looking around. If you are looking for something long term, I would avoid these...

 

Dodge / Ram 1500 diesel...neighbor had one...engine grenaded around 30k miles. Not good. 

Ford V6 twin turbo

Chevy 6.2 gas has had some issues

Nissan Cummins diesel

 

If you are going to lease and trade out every 3-4 years, then find one you like, and enjoy the warranty.  

 

Good luck with your search. Post pictures!

 

[GReb]

My f150 2.7 has 182k miles on it and only mechanical work has been water pump replacement. I bought it new and have ran named brand gas majority of its life and full synthetic oil. 
 

Have had a few random issues such as fuses and replacing the multifunction switch 3 times because the wipers wouldn’t turn off. Other than that just routine maintenance such as brakes, tires, shocks, etc 

 

According to the onboard computer it’s gotten 21.2 mpg for its life but I’m not sure how accurate it really is. 

[JackstrawIII]

6 hours ago, GReb said:

My f150 2.7 has 182k miles on it and only mechanical work has been water pump replacement.

Very good to hear. What year is yours?

[DaubsNU1]

7 hours ago, GReb said:

According to the onboard computer it’s gotten 21.2 mpg for its life but I’m not sure how accurate it really is. 

 

Outstanding! Likely more accurate than you think. Pretty amazing these trucks can knock down 20+ MPG, and still have enough to tow boats, campers, trailers.

 

The random issues crop up...but as long as drive-train stays strong, it's hard to beat today's trucks.

[GReb]

2 hours ago, JackstrawIII said:

Very good to hear. What year is yours?

It’s a 2015. First year they came out with the 2.7

[TOXIC]

Other than going back a number of years my 2 latest trucks were purchased brand new.  First, a 2004 Silverado 2500HD, 6.0, 4X4, with a 4.10 rear.  Truck was a beast and got 9-10mpg towing or not.  Problems were a recall on the transmission, stepper motors, door lock actuators, blend door in the HVAC and regular maintenance.  I was totally satisfied with the truck.  Traded it in at 175k on my current truck brand new in 2016.  Silverado High Country, 5.3.  Just got back from Michigan towing a 20 foot Ranger and got 11.7mpg.  Get 22-23mpg not towing.  Tows just as good for me as my 3/4 ton did.  Only issues with this truck in 95k (75% towing) have been chrome peeling off running boards (replaced by dealer) and a recall for transmission fluid change to eliminate hard shifts.  I am pretty strict on maintenance so I have replaced all fluids (trans, differentials, transfer case, antifreeze, brake) just did plugs, wires and induction cleaning, did Powerstop heavy duty brakes (pads and rotors) all the way around and Bilstein rear shocks.  I’m due for another tranny flush and in the near future front shocks.  I keep my trucks/vehicles super clean and have never had any rust.  My opinion is that if you take care of your equipment, it will take care of you.  The reason I have stuck with Chevy is that I have 2 friends who can get me the employee discount and it has made a sizable difference in price. 

[BassCats]

I find it funny that nobody ever talks about Chrysler products lasting long. everyone loves them for short term leases, but nobody loves them for long term. Personally I am looking for a midsize truck to tow an aluminum boat. I don't drive much and don't see the need to spend the extra $20k on full size truck.

[newriverfisherman1953]

I have a 1998 Silverado I bought new and I have a 2018 Ram 2500 I bought with 14000 miles on it. It doesn’t matter what you buy, they will break down at some point. If you live where they salt the roads, they will rust. Take care of whatever you buy. Wash it once in a while. Drive it like you own it. Ain’t none of them going to last forever. 

[JackstrawIII]

1 hour ago, GReb said:

It’s a 2015. First year they came out with the 2.7

Hmm, interesting. There's one for sale a few hours from where I live. It's a 2015 with the 2.7. 

There's also a 2016 with the 5.0 for around the same price. Both have around 90k miles. I figured the 5.0 would be better at high mileage, but sounds like your 2.7 has been great.

Very interesting. 

[gim]

9 minutes ago, JackstrawIII said:

There's also a 2016 with the 5.0

 

I used to have a 2014 with the 5.0L engine.  It was a reliable vehicle and I took care of it.  I got a nice trade in for it August 2022.

 

That truck got the same mileage all the time.  It was basically 16.9 to 17.1 for the lifespan that I owned and used it.  Whether it was city or highway, towing or not towing.

 

The item I really liked about it was the enormous fuel tank.  I could go 650 miles on one tank with that truck.  In the winter, I filled up like every 50 or 60 days.

[GReb]

30 minutes ago, JackstrawIII said:

Hmm, interesting. There's one for sale a few hours from where I live. It's a 2015 with the 2.7. 

There's also a 2016 with the 5.0 for around the same price. Both have around 90k miles. I figured the 5.0 would be better at high mileage, but sounds like your 2.7 has been great.

Very interesting. 

I’m not mechanic or expert. But buying used Id go for the V8.  That 5.0 is as rock solid as you’ll find outside of the water pump issues. 
 

Turbo motors will last a long time if taken care of but have a lot of seals that can cause problems if you neglect the oil. Also carbon buildup can be a problem which is why I tried to always use Exxon, chevron, or shell gas that has detergents added because you can’t eliminate carbon buildup once it’s there.  Some will say it doesn’t matter but with anything mechanical I always try to go overboard.
 

Also my opinion is turbo motors need to be used hard. Babying them causes problems it seems. Spooling it up and climbing the RPMs will help clean everything out. 
 

If your budget is $40k you may want to look at new before buying used. They’re struggling to move inventory and ford usually has 2.9 interest for 72 months vs the 6-10% you’ll get on used car. You can probably get a 4wd STX for around $50k and with the interest rates the payment will be about the same. And you’ll have a warranty, peace of mind, and zero miles  

[TnRiver46]

2 hours ago, BassCats said:

I find it funny that nobody ever talks about Chrysler products lasting long. everyone loves them for short term leases, but nobody loves them for long term. Personally I am looking for a midsize truck to tow an aluminum boat. I don't drive much and don't see the need to spend the extra $20k on full size truck.

I have a 2006 dodge ram as an everyday driver. I have manual locks, windows, and transmission so it lasts a little

longer 😂 

[slonezp]

11 hours ago, newriverfisherman1953 said:

I have a 1998 Silverado I bought new and I have a 2018 Ram 2500 I bought with 14000 miles on it. It doesn’t matter what you buy, they will break down at some point. If you live where they salt the roads, they will rust. Take care of whatever you buy. Wash it once in a while. Drive it like you own it. Ain’t none of them going to last forever. 

I've owned Dodge, Toyota, and Ford, and have driven GM trucks for work. I'll never buy another Dodge. I'll never buy a GM product...well maybe a Corvette...The current F250 has been the most reliable truck I have ever owned. 

[JackstrawIII]

Well guys, after much deliberation I bought a truck today!

 

Ended up getting a 2020 Toyota Tundra. It's a Platinum trim with 70,000 and looks like it just came off the lot yesterday. Really pumped about it! 

Will post a pic or two once it's actually in my driveway early next week. Thanks for all the advice and feedback. 

[ATA]

ram 1500 ecodiesel 2019, very cheap. you will thank me later. if you have more question, let me know and ill tell you everthing over the phone.

[JackstrawIII]

Hey, wanted to share a pic of my new rig. Thanks for all the input and advice. 

[TOXIC]

Enjoy.  I almost went with a 1794 Tundra package.  When I did the test drive in 2016 it had all the same controls as my 2002 Lexus SC430.😛😂 Ultimately the discount I got from friends who were GM employees and the fact that the Chevy dealer gave me a better trade in for my 2004 3/4 ton Silverado than any other dealer was willing to match, sealed the deal. I’ve been totally happy with my truck, hope yours treats you as good.  

[GReb]

44 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Enjoy.  I almost went with a 1794 Tundra package.  When I did the test drive in 2016 it had all the same controls as my 2002 Lexus SC430.

Makes you wonder what Toyota design team does on a daily basis lol. But that generation Toyota so much better than todays product 

[throttleplate]

21 minutes ago, GReb said:

Makes you wonder what Toyota design team does on a daily basis lol. But that generation Toyota so much better than todays product 

All car dealers are profit over people, make em in mexico with cheap labor and jack the price up and sell their inferior product to the unknowning.

[gim]

17 minutes ago, throttleplate said:

make em in mexico with cheap labor

 

Pretty sure at least some Toyotas are made in Japan.  My wife's SUV was made there.  That's partially why we had to wait 8 months for it.

 

I'd rather have cheap labor in Japan than cheap labor in Mexico lol

[JackstrawIII]

17 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I'd rather have cheap labor in Japan than cheap labor in Mexico lol

 

Fun fact: foreign manufacturers aren't allowed to import light trucks into America, so all foreign light trucks (Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc.) are made in the States. 
 

1 hour ago, GReb said:

Makes you wonder what Toyota design team does on a daily basis lol. But that generation Toyota so much better than todays product 

 

And I think Toyota's lack of "innovation" (constant change) is part of what contributes to their reliability. It seems like many of the other auto companies are in a constant arms race towards more features, but are plagued by recalls and issues. 

[GReb]

5 minutes ago, JackstrawIII said:

 

And I think Toyota's lack of "innovation" (constant change) is part of what contributes to their reliability. It seems like many of the other auto companies are in a constant arms race towards more features, but are plagued by recalls and issues. 

True. A lot of issues are electrical. GM/Chevy trucks with the new electric shifter are crapping out constantly having to be towed back to dealerships because the driver can’t put them in gear. I know of tow truckers who deliver 10 or so a week

[DaubsNU1]

11 minutes ago, GReb said:

True. A lot of issues are electrical. GM/Chevy trucks with the new electric shifter are crapping out constantly having to be towed back to dealerships because the driver can’t put them in gear. I know of tow truckers who deliver 10 or so a week

 

Brother has a 2023 with the fancy new electric shifter. I do not like it one bit...but it's been reliable for him to this point.

 

Interesting with the GM HD pickups, they updated the interior...but kept the old-school column shifter.