Like many of you i've owned a few different pickups. First was a Chevy S10, brown, every option,
color coded custom wheels, two tone stitched canvas, 4wd, what a nice small truck.
But it was like the Ranger, old school. The 2.8V6 made we wish for the later 4.3 but it got the job done.
I think it weighed about 4100 pounds, pretty light by today's standards. And the bed was waxed, yeah, that kind of truck. I was young...
I have always liked Suburbans so they were my next vehicles, but about four years ago bought a new Nissan Frontier.
Built beautifully, adequate power, excellent seats, neat cargo mgmt features and boy could that truck handle. It was fun to drive, not as a
beast of burden, or a people hauler, and taking the offramps didn't require any early braking. All assuming there was nothing in back.
Absolutely did not drive ponderously, like so many trucks I've driven.
And that gets me to my main point. My needs have changed over the years and now I need to tow, and haul a full load of firewood.
But most importantly, I want comfort. And as much quiet as I can get. I'm retired, and there are lots of guys like me out there.
If my towing needs were 1-3 tons, the new Colorado would be in my garage, a parking first since none of the suburbans or crew cabs would fit.
And it would haul all the firewood I want. I have time, make another trip...
But I need to tow a five ton gvw trailer, so that means full size. All big three trucks are very good trucks, and so are the Japanese ones.
Kind of surprised we haven't seen a South Korean product yet. Apparently Mahindra gave up, they have plenty of buyers for their products already without the regulations and shipping headache. So it's like it's been all my life, Chevy Ford or Dodge.
The diesel Ram 1500 spec wise seems to do everything right. Remember, I'm not hauling concrete block every day. It tows well, has a huge comfy cab, the world's
largest arm rest/storage container, a good engine in the hemi and we'll just have to see about the diesel. And supposedly, it has the best unloaded ride. And that folks is what I think Ram had their eye on, that group of us who usually run an empty truck, who want a good performing truck that won't shake us to death for most of the time we are driving it. My leaf spring Suburban, even with Bilsteins, is an awful lot of mass going down the road with not the best control of that mass. It does like to go straight, which is good for trips...And the controls are so simple, so easy to use, no infotainment...my garmin gps does just fine.
But whatever i look at now to replace it, and I will later this summer, is going to be much more comfortable, get a lot better than 11mpg I hope, and have modern features. but if they take my radio volume knob away, I won't be in the showroom long. It really annoys me that in their quest to make trucks super luxurious, they are also putting form over function and with touch sensitive dashes and all the delayed responses and eyes off the road problems that come with them, these are sure not the modern features this buyer wants. Ford has done dashes well, though their design has gotten pretty tired by now. I just hope they don't overdo it. Those shiny silver air vents really catch my eye, and not pleasantly.
well, I got up this early for a purpose, and it wasn't talking about trucks, unfortunately...
I hope the first guys who drive the new Fords will report in and tell us what they are like.
A 5.0 sure looks like a nice setup.
one thing I'll give my 6.0 GM, it sure sounds nice. Bellows and moans. Maybe a little too much.
But I've never heard a vehicle with the 5.0 that didn't sound nice.
