new truck time - any opinions?

[flywasher]

Hi-

Looking into buying a new truck and Toyota Tundra is at the top of my list. Would be used for family long trips and towing 25 ft boat. Am looking for any feedback/opinions to help sway my decision (...either way!).

thanks for the help!

[Misty IV]

I've ridden in a few F-150 crew-cabs and they ride really nice, lots of power with the 5.4L 3-valve, and tons of interior room.

[FISHINMAN]

I bought a new Toyota Tacoma SR5 last June and love it Had a trail Blazer before that and that was awful

[fdny76]

I travel and tow with my Ford Expedition. 5.4 Triton tows my pig very well and never at a loss for power and yet very comfortable and quiet inside. This is only my second Ford after a lifetime of broke down Chevys and I am very happy.

[bottom-feeder]

buy AMERICAN

[Splitshot115]

Dodge with the Hemi power.

[Misty IV]

I travel and tow with my Ford Expedition. 5.4 Triton tows my pig very well and never at a loss for power and yet very comfortable and quiet inside. This is only my second Ford after a lifetime of broke down Chevys and I am very happy.

I'll also vouch for the Expeditions, as that is what I tow with and is my daily driver. Mine is a 2002 with the 5.4, trailer towing package and 130,000+ miles. I have never had any issues with her. The newer models are very nice, especially the EL model, if you need some extra cargo room.

Are you looking specifically at a pickup or would you go with a large SUV? One drawback to a pickup is if you carry gear in your bed, you'll need to buy a cap or a tonneau cover to protect your belongings from inclement weather, where with an SUV you're 100% protected. I know caps or tonneau covers aren't that expensive, but just throwing that thought out there, as well.

[ray koziatek]

Whatever ya get keep in mind a few things , my 1/2 ton pulled my boat nice only in the 4000lb range loaded with trailer with the 5.0 ,my 3/4 t with 6.0 is a day and night difference yes the extra hp will give you better millage with big load but the overall weight of the 3/4 plus stronger suspension makes towing a effortless and better control (sway,stopping,cornering) situation.. so if your getting a "Tow" vehical get a bigger,stronger,heavier, platform to get you there and dont chase the MPG sticker...having owned many brands in the last 30 years i have found this as far as ride ..............dodge = good cushy ride, suspension a tad softer for better ride ,,ford= just the oppisite real stiff ,but will remove trees with stiff (strong ) frame (weight) ,,,chevy= best of both worlds solid frame , strong suspension ,but not bone jarring when empty...... As for me now i own a chevy and a ford van and the chevy is the favorite of the two....

[Landshark]

hows the horn work ray

[Has Been]

How about a van? I have van for work (HD 3/4 ton) which I tow my big boat with , And a Decked out Safari W/ a tow package which I tow my small boat & go camping with. Having everthing inside is a great feature. Also nice if it's raining you can sleep in it. Great for long trips. The extra room is nice to have , extremly comfortable. You can get with 2 bench seats. A one ton, which would haul your 25 ft easy, also rides suprizingly smooth. I wouldn't get a pickup ever , no advantage to me. Simmons Rockwell has lease buybacks that have very low miles for a good deal.

[ray koziatek]

yes to the vans as thats what i was refering to ...get a passenger one and do as has been said I did much testing of ford pass and chevy pass vans and their was NO comparison the chevy was day and nite diff than the ford..i bought the chevy....P.S. i did buy a ford work van from simmons in less than 24 hours i discoverd the battery was bad took it back to thieir wonderfull service center they got a 10 volt static reading(1 dead cell) and the wonderfull service mgr said it was not covered under warrenty I could of got my way with a new battery but chose to take the high road and STEER EVERYONE I CAN FROM THAT DEALERSHIP....PSS. not one of our 5 cars will ever drive into a goodyear store again after 30 years of dealing with the same store (new manager made the diff) but thats another story..... EDIT...PS. pluss boat and camper another 10 tires with spares...

[Has Been]

I have had 5 chevy HD 3/4 ton work vans & beat the crap out of them for 25 years & they just keep taking it.

[borderline 350]

Dear Flywasher,

I assume your 25' boat and trailer weigh 6,000 lbs. How many people in your family? Add up the weight total...and you will see that you need a substantial tow vehicle. I would recommend a minimum 3/4 ton capacity vehicle with a minimum 3.73 rear axle ratio (4.11 best). Engine size should be 6.0 Liter minimum. Diesels are excellent but the new 2010 ones have a $6,000 dollar catalytic converter! and the GM/Chevy DuraMax's get terrible mileage when empty (18 mpg) compared to the Ford & Dodge. These tow vehicles are not cheap when bought as New vehicles and the warranties are voided by any service writer/dealer for the slightest vehicle alteration.

Do your research work carefully on any combination that you are offered. Even Toyota needs carefull research! Talk to other persons with the type vehicle you want to buy. LOOK FOR ONE YEAR OLD rigs. The prices are so good thru the wholesalers, it's almost unreal. EXAMPLE: Saw a one year old Ford Crew Cab (Extremely Clean) dually diesel (turbo), 15,000 miles, sell for 19,000 after two times thru the lane in Buffalo last August....sold by a FORD dealer! That's a 50,000 PLUS sticker vehicle...NOTE: Ford has had SEVERE ENGINE WARRANTY problems with some of their previous diesels. Exercise extreme care when purchasing a tow vehicle. It is a major expense outlay and remember that the cost of fuel will exceed your monthly vehicle loan payment!

..........My experience comes from owning a tow vehicle my entire life and living thru several towing incidents...last one was replacing three tires on a 3200 mile round trip to SW Florida on a 6,000 lb.boat trailer. I presently drive a 2003 Chev Tahoe 5.3 gas V-8 with 3.73 gears. Have replaced numerous electronic devices from fuel pump to electronic dash & both front wheel bearings. Redid trans. plastic trans.solenoids with aluminum ones. Trans should last forever..now.

Respectfully submitted, .....Jet Boat Bill

[Time Out]

Im not gonna tell you to stay away from a ford, they are great trucks. However my latest one has had some serious issues. Its a 06 F350, Ive owned since it was new. I have gone through ball joints, have had several electrical shortage problems, exhaust manifolds (2) rot right through, tranny lines rot off, and a radiator rot. All this with under 80,000 mi. Seems the material used in the china parts isn't holding up. The frame on the truck has very little surface rust on it, so Im not sure how everthing is rotting out so fast. Have a 03 F250 and a 89 F600 and together over the years, I havent had as many problems. Must have been built on a Friday or before a holiday. My 99 F250 I had was a tank, and give me no issues until the very end and that was with 160,000 miles.

[Mickey Finn]

I'm told that Ford was the only one who didn't take the bail-out money so that they could pay their executives large bonuses. That along with they are the only ones of Ford, GM, Toyota who have the crew cab half ton with the 6.5 foot body is why I hope to have one in my door yard this week. My last three have been GMC's but for the two reasons above, I'm switching. I had two fords before the GMC's and liked them so hopefully, I'll be happy with my decision.

[FISHINMAN]

buy AMERICAN[/quote

More Ford parts brought from over seas than any other manufacturer according to my son who is a car salesmen at Fucillo Hyundai in Greece (Tommy Polizzi, keep that in mind when it's time to buy flywasher ) but got me a Toyota.

Before I was evening looking at buying a new truck I test drove a Tundra 2 years ago and that truck was awesome, just much bigger than what I needed and that's why I bought the Tacoma with towing package that I believe is around 5,000+ lbs.

Read the last paragraph in this article and before you get all "your anti American" on me I own a Dodge passenger car that I have been pleased with and I have had a Ford F-150 in the past which was junk.

http://www.toyotageorgetown.com/detailnews.asp?PRID=338

[Mickey Finn]

This is just like asking which downriggers are better or which down speed/temp is better. Everyone has a different view. I looked into the Toyota and really like the Tundra but their cash back right now is not as good and again, can't get the 6.5 foot bed in the crew cab.

[Iceman]

Have been towing a Lund 2100 Newport (around 3,5000 lbs fully loaded) with my 2008 GMC Sierra Dinali crew cab since late 07, it is a great tow vehicle. 12 miles to the gallon @ 65/70 mph on the highway. Plenty of giddyup go with the 403 hp, V-8, all wheel drive & six speed Allison tranny, with a great tow haul mode! With the all wheel drive, all of the power gets to the ground. If you want to get around a slow poke, no problem!!!

Was a Ford guy for 30 years, but got sick & tired of driving a severely underpowered truck, which the 5.4 liter is.

Time to boycott Toyota for their recent shafting of the people in the good old USA!!!

Seems like they have about 50,000,000,000 cars on recall now!

[YodaMage]

I had the opportunity to test my '08 F250 against a '09 Toyota with the 'Big Engine' a few times over the winter. At one point towing the Toyota out of the mud while it had about 4000 lbs of wood on a trailer behind it. It was not close...Toyota is a nice car, but no truck as I define them.

[rail bird]

If you are not familiar with the site http://www.edmunds.com is a great place to compare. I did link right to the 2010 customer reviews of the Tundra and there have been a few who have some disturbing problems.

http://www.edmunds.com/toyota/tundra/20 ... eview.html

[LongLine]

Hey, will someone please give Toyota a brake...uh...err...break.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[Iceman]

Why give Toyota a break?? They knew that they cheaped out on the equipment they were selling & refused to own up to it, seeking major profits for their company, until they were shamed into it by uncle sam.

They still won't admit that they knew the problems were thare for the last 10 years, even though the reports show there was big trouble. Guess they will go to rehab & after 30 days all will be OK, no???

Now their flagship upscale sport ute Lexus is unable to handle sharp turns without skidding out of control, there is no excuse for this with the cost of this vehicle!!!

They get zero slack from me, & their cars are still too small!!!

[LongLine]

Iceman - "Brake" - joke Get it?

Just like the Everyready bunny - They go & go & go. (Problem is they can't stop - brakes don't work.)

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[Gray Fox]

We pull our 24' Penn Yan with an F-150. Had an '04 with the 4.6 and that pulled the boat with out a problem. Bought a new F-150 over the winter and went with the 5.4 motor and what a difference. Its like the boat isnt even there. Pulling hills wasnt a problem and maintained speed all the way. Even towing the boat I still averaged a little over 16 mpg.

[skipper19]

As for tow vehicles, in particular, pickups, I can speak highly of Ford. I have owned four of them since 1987. All were F350 one tons except for the one I have now (F250) with single wheel 4 x4 axles. The 87 was the last year of the carburated models and that is a good thing I can say. I still have the 87, a strong truck and rides well compared to the newer ones I've had.

the last three 02, 05 and 08 were powered by the 6.8 V-10 gas motor. This engine runs like a sewing machine soooo smooth and very quiet with power to spare. The transmission is automatic with tow/haul enhancement which gives you a lot more useful engine power dynamics when pulling heavy loads such as the automatic gear reduction on slowing and decent on hills and lets the engine run at a higher RPM while pulling for excellent response. I also have the integral trailer braking controller built in the dash, a very convenient option with the tow package. As Ray said the fuel mileage is really a non point to chase if you want a good heavy platform with power to pull something with. A large capable vehicle will pay dividends in reliability and safety when pulling. The best MPG was the 2002 but it was geared too high for towing 3.55 gears, but the MPG was 16 on the open hyway empty. The truck I have now has larger wheels than the previous models and I believe this 2008 I have is 3.73 ratio. It gets 13.5 open hyway, 9.5 hauling 34 foot fifth wheel camper (10,000lbs + gear). the worst it does is with the boat 8 MPG, 6000lbs T-Top in the wind.

As for family carry in a pickup, the crew cab is the only way unless the rear passengers are small children. extended super cabs are really not suited for long travel comfortably.

You will save a little on gas power vs diesel as far as cost per gallon of the two fuels. The gas V-10 is a much less expensive option than the diesel and has less noise along with great pulling power.

Bottom line....Go test drive all the ones you think about on your list....I would consider the use of the vehicle over price since if it is going to be new ( $40,000 and up) and you might have a five year payment plan for it the payments are all going to be about the same on comparable vehicles. Options are things to compare too. As mentioned above by "Jet Boat Bill" a one or two year old model is a very good choice to keep the payment book down in this galaxy. I turn in lease pickups after 39 months and they never have more than 25,000 miles on them. The dealer I return it to takes it in wholesale for 18 to 19 thousand even though I know it is probably worth more like 27 to 30 thousand sitting for sale on a retail lot. Lot of things to consider and I am in no way saying a Ford is better than a Toyota but I have extensive experience with Ford and can't complain.

Mark