1/2 Ton Truck Decision

[Diamondpilot]

My '02 Dodge 1500 QC 4x4 4.7 with 3.55 gears ran about 14 mpg on the computer.
My '06 same set up with 3.92 gears & a 5 speed auto is running 16.5. It's got more snap & more mpg too. Go figure.
A Dodge forum claims you can get better mpg with lower gears.... Seems to be true.. but I'm only using the computer. The 4.7 seems to be happier with 3.92's. Doesn't have that doggy between gears feeling.

I have had 6 F-150s all with the 5.4 and the 3.73 gears except one had 4.10's. I could not tell much difference with the 4.10's unless it was pure highway and not pulling. Of course the 4.10's made it into a stump puller.

Chris

 

[silvertramp]

There's a lot of variables involved with fuel mileage. Using a faster running gear can often put your engine in a more efficient operating range.

I think that's what's goin' on....Plus it's got 2 overdrives. The old truck had one.

 

[TnWV]

OK so I got a chance to look at a few trucks today. It was pouring the snow and I new I wasnt going to purchase anything today so I still did not test drive anything, I was really just price shopping.

First off all of the used trucks I looked at, mostly several variations of Silverado 1500's were severly over priced. I was able to find brand new ford and toyotas for less than the used 2009-2010 Silverados.

I have found that everything in my initial price range are way over used and not in the condition and mileage I am willing to accept, although I will continue to search online and locally before making a purchase.

The last stop was a Ford dealer. They had several 2010 F-150 crew cab 5.4 XLT's that were equiped the way I want. They priced them at 31,000 without any negotiation. I thought this was pretty fair considering the Used Silverado Crew Cab LT 5.3 I looked at with 33,000 miles was priced at 32,500 and they would not budge. Don't even want to talk about the price on the new ones. I also was more impressed with the room and interior of the F-150, and liked the dealer attitude.

I was not wanting to spend that much, but I would rather have a bigger payment than a truck that has high mileage and little to no warranty. I still have a lot of looking to due, but atleast I have some pricing to go on.

Thanks again for all the comments and advice.

 

[buck12]

OK so I got a chance to look at a few trucks today. It was pouring the snow and I new I wasnt going to purchase anything today so I still did not test drive anything, I was really just price shopping.

First off all of the used trucks I looked at, mostly several variations of Silverado 1500's were severly over priced. I was able to find brand new ford and toyotas for less than the used 2009-2010 Silverados.

I have found that everything in my initial price range are way over used and not in the condition and mileage I am willing to accept, although I will continue to search online and locally before making a purchase.

The last stop was a Ford dealer. They had several 2010 F-150 crew cab 5.4 XLT's that were equiped the way I want. They priced them at 31,000 without any negotiation. I thought this was pretty fair considering the Used Silverado Crew Cab LT 5.3 I looked at with 33,000 miles was priced at 32,500 and they would not budge. Don't even want to talk about the price on the new ones. I also was more impressed with the room and interior of the F-150, and liked the dealer attitude.

I was not wanting to spend that much, but I would rather have a bigger payment than a truck that has high mileage and little to no warranty. I still have a lot of looking to due, but atleast I have some pricing to go on.

Thanks again for all the comments and advice.

e

The interior of the new F150's (09, 10) is really nice. I have an 09 and love the interior. My wife has began looking at crossovers. We test drove a Pilot the other day and her comment was that the interior felt cheap. You would think a SUV would be nicer than a truck.

 

[WH401]

e

The interior of the new F150's (09, 10) is really nice. I have an 09 and love the interior. My wife has began looking at crossovers. We test drove a Pilot the other day and her comment was that the interior felt cheap. You would think a SUV would be nicer than a truck.

I don't think it's so much an SUV vs. truck quality debate. I think it's more a testament of how much Ford has improved the quality of it's vehicles over the last few years.

 

[tcartwri]

I've driven all variants of the domestic pickups through our fleet. I can tell you one thing for sure, the only reason the Dodge motors feel more more powerfull in the low rpms is because of how agressive the throttle tip in is programmed in the cpu. That and a deliberate rumble from the exhaust through the floorboards. It's all sensory perception.

If you look at any of the actual test numbers you can see how close all these trucks are in performance. The Dodge's are definitely the worst on fuel though.

 

[GT2]

I have said it before and I will say it again, numbers mean very little. My 6.0 Ford will out tow the Dmax I had. Less HP and TQ but with a load like I carry that setup worked best for me. Would a Cummins do better? Not sure, I have never owned one. I go off personal experience from owning, not what I read like some.

Same is true for gas trucks. I have owned F-150's, a Hemi Powered Dodge, GM trucks, and the Titan. You never seem me comment on a Tundra because I have simply not owned one. The Titan is by far the best towing combination I have owned. Would a new Tundra or something else with one of these new motors do better? Very well may but of the trucks I have ACTUALLY OWNED, not just read about, and worked to make a living the Titan has been the best.

I have driven about everything out there except for the new Ford stuff and the 6.2 GM and make my decision not on some graph or a test that was done by some magazine but by actually using them in the field.

Chris

I agree.

You cant go solely by the numbers. You have to drive and tow with one.
I think Nissan conservatively rates their numbers. Historically they have done this.

From personal experience and from the Titan forums it has pretty much been proven that given similar specs the Titan will wax any of the big three, however the Toyota will catch it on the top end.

Also after watching the trucks on a "wavy" proving ground I would never buy a Toyota, they have so much frame twist they damaged the cab from bed impact!
Also I dont think you can find a good used one in the OP's price range.

Sorry for the Titan rant, but I've got to finish.

My friend bought a crew cab 2 wheel drive, new in 05. He regularly overloads and beats it. He still loves it with 130,000 on it and has only had a few minor probs.
I bought a used 06 crew 4x4 (not big tow) with 79,000 on the ticker about a year ago. I have 108,000 on it now, I regularly haul the wife, boy, dog, and the bed full of gear over two mountain passes and back ( about 750 miles round trip) several time a month.
I dont often tow, but sometimes I pull my 5x8 enclosed trailer full of stuff and can hardly tell its back there!
I havent had a lick of problem and think its the best 1/2 ton I've ever had!

My friend convinced his sister to by one! They found an 08 crew 4x4 big tow with 20,000 for $20,000!

Rant off.

 

[buck12]

Are we talking quality or appearance? Two different things.

The interior surfaces of the Honda seemed to be hard plastic.

 

[Carykong]

I have a 2000 RAM 2500 for towing my equipment trailer and logmill AND a 1998 Ford Escort for commuting. I have discovered that it is a lot cheaper and safer to avoid compromises on your towing needs in regard to MPG and power and just get an old compact like my Ford escort, 35miles per gallon, for all the other trips when you are just hauling yourself. Good luck.

 

[buck12]

I have a 2000 RAM 2500 for towing my equipment trailer and logmill AND a 1998 Ford Escort for commuting. I have discovered that it is a lot cheaper and safer to avoid compromises on your towing needs in regard to MPG and power and just get an old compact like my Ford escort, 35miles per gallon, for all the other trips when you are just hauling yourself. Good luck.

I did the same thing when I had a long commute to work. I would buy a cheap 100,000 mile car and leave my truck in the garage. Now I work close to home and my truck is the daily driver. Its only a 1/2 ton but likes gas

 

[TnWV]

Still haven not purchased a truck yet, but have been looking. So far all the used trucks I have found are so close to new price I cannot justify buying them. I have increased the amount of money I am willing to spend because I do want to have a nice truck when it is all said and done.

Today we had to take the wife's 2011 Kia Sorento that we bought new in March in for some warranty work that will not be completed until next Tuesday. I insisted that they provide us an AWD rental as we are expecting some snow over the weekend and this type of whether is why we bought an AWD in the first place. They agreed but the local Enterprise did not have any. Just my luck they had a 2011 F150 Crew 4X4 they were willing to give me. This truck has the new 5.0 V8 in it and I must say that after putting about 80 miles on it today I am very impressed. The truck is huge. It rides very smooth and is quiet as can be. Power wise it feels very strong. Although I have not checked the actual mpg, I feel that it is doing pretty well for its size. I put $40 in it which gave me half a tank. After 80 miles the gauge doesn't appear to have moved any, but time will tell. I have not ran it hard and will not be able to tow anything with it, but my initial impression is that this would be the perfect truck for me. I can get a pretty good deal on a 2010 with 5.4, but they won't come off the price much on a 2011 5.0. I would be curious to know how much difference there is in mpg between the two, because I may be able to swing the price of the 2010. Just a thought for now, but I have to say I will be sad to turn this truck back in, I really like it. The crew cab is enormus and the it is very comfortable. Being an XLT, I can only imagine how nice the upper level trims would be. Anyway, I will update my experience with it and my truck purchase as I continue. Thanks again for the comments.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Still haven not purchased a truck yet, but have been looking. So far all the used trucks I have found are so close to new price I cannot justify buying them. I have increased the amount of money I am willing to spend because I do want to have a nice truck when it is all said and done.

Today we had to take the wife's 2011 Kia Sorento that we bought new in March in for some warranty work that will not be completed until next Tuesday. I insisted that they provide us an AWD rental as we are expecting some snow over the weekend and this type of whether is why we bought an AWD in the first place. They agreed but the local Enterprise did not have any. Just my luck they had a 2011 F150 Crew 4X4 they were willing to give me. This truck has the new 5.0 V8 in it and I must say that after putting about 80 miles on it today I am very impressed. The truck is huge. It rides very smooth and is quiet as can be. Power wise it feels very strong. Although I have not checked the actual mpg, I feel that it is doing pretty well for its size. I put $40 in it which gave me half a tank. After 80 miles the gauge doesn't appear to have moved any, but time will tell. I have not ran it hard and will not be able to tow anything with it, but my initial impression is that this would be the perfect truck for me. I can get a pretty good deal on a 2010 with 5.4, but they won't come off the price much on a 2011 5.0. I would be curious to know how much difference there is in mpg between the two, because I may be able to swing the price of the 2010. Just a thought for now, but I have to say I will be sad to turn this truck back in, I really like it. The crew cab is enormus and the it is very comfortable. Being an XLT, I can only imagine how nice the upper level trims would be. Anyway, I will update my experience with it and my truck purchase as I continue. Thanks again for the comments.

Sounds like you have a good dealer. Giving you that truck was a smart move. It made you happy and it sounds like its just up your alley for what you need. They probably earned a return customer.

I would try out one of them new 3.5L V6's before I bought anything.

Chris

 

[TnWV]

Chris - The dealer is a kia dealer and I have been fighting with them over a rattle in the front end of my wife's car (I believe to be a defective strut) for about 4 months. I really liked the dealer through the purchase and the gave me free oil changes and tire rotations for life of the car, which was a big selling point as I hate to work on my vehicles, so I am giving them every opportunity to make it right. My father was a mechanic for the last 45 or so years of his life, so I am capable but still hate to work on vehicles, especially new ones that I paid a good deal of money for. The dealer blamed waiting on kia so I called kia myself and finally they are doing something about it. Unfortunately they dont sell Ford, but I am pleased that they provided a rental for free while they work on mine.

I am really enjoying the truck so it is an added bonus that they didnt have any other AWD or 4X4's. The finish of this truck, inside and out, is fantastic. I love seeing it sitting in my driveway. I am with you on the new V6. If I can hold out long enough I will be giving it a try. From what I am hearing the V6 may be the perfect truck for me. The big kicker will be the price. I haven't heard anything about MSRP and the dealer I talked to about it didn't have a clue what it would cost yet. The longer I wait the more money I will save to put down, so if it doesn't take too long to get it out it may be a real possibility. I am definetly a truck person and after driving this 5.0 I am not sure how long I can wait. I told my wife the only thing that would make the truck better is if it was silver (it is black) and mine...lol. I now have new truck fever.

 

[Diamondpilot]

From what I can remember from talking to you earlier you need a truck for the boat. That means you can wait till May to buy. Dont be in a hurry. I really think the F-150 is by far the best total package and has been for a number of years even though I do not own one right now, have a Titan. The ride, fit and finish, interior, styling, ect are very good. I still think the Dodge is the best looking overall but lacks everywhere else. I would at least get a test drive in the 6.2L version and the 3.5 Twin Turbo V6 before I jumped into the 5.0

Nothing wrong with the 5.0 and it will do all you need to do but I think the resale of the 3.5 will be "diesel like" down the road and a much better investment.

Chris

 

[WH401]

Are we talking quality or appearance? Two different things.

Any vehicle can look nice. Quality is in the build quality and overall reliability of the vehicle.

 

[dodge man]

I'll give you my story on truck trades. I recently traded my 2007 Ram, 4x4 quad cab hemi, 3.92 rear gears for a Dodge Challenger. I then bought a 2002 GMC 4x4 5.3 with 3.73, regular cab, long bed.

I really liked the Dodge. I live just outside the town I work in and its about 6 miles to my job, not really city driving, not really highway driving, and I averaged around 12-13mpg. I towed a little bit with the Dodge and it did well. I once reset the trip computer when I did some highway driving and under ideal conditions it got around 21mpg.

The GMC is working out O.K. I don't like the way it rides, but it may be the shocks and/or tires that are hurting the ride. It seems to have plenty of power, and I am not feeling I gave up a lot of power with the GMC. The gas mileage is almost the same as what I got with the RAM, about 12 to 13 mpg. I've towed with just once, but it seemed to do fine.

As far as gas mileage goes, there is just simple pure physics at work here. These things are heavy, and not very aerodynamic. No matter what you do, you are fighting that.

One thing the bothers me is that you just sold a truck to save money. Now you have changed your mind and are looking at a near new or a brand new truck? Stick with looking for a used one. There are plenty of nice used trucks out there, just snap up the first one thats priced right. Check out the papers and Craigs List and you will find one you like.

 

[TnWV]

dodge man - Yeah it bothers me that I sold mine to save too, but I was in a different situation then. My wife became pregnant and I over reacted as I always do instead of sitting back and looking at the big picture. I now make 25% more salary and got a nice bonus that allowed me to pay off other loans that equate to about $400 month savings. If I had looked ahead a bit I would have kept the truck, but live and learn.

I have been studying for and taking the CPA exam for a while. I took the last part in November and was waiting on my score before buying a truck. Unfortunately I missed it by a couple points and will have to take it again in February. This means I am pushing the purchase off until after then. I refuse to reward myself for failure..lol.

I will keep looking at used, but at this point nothing has surface that is a good enough deal. Everything in good enough condition is either way overpriced for its age or to close to new in price. I have found a few that I would probably buy if I could look at them but they are too far away to go just to take a look. Once I am completely ready to buy I will consider traveling if nothing local is available.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have been driving a 2011 F150 5.0. I still have it as the kia dealership still has not fixed my wife's car. This truck is averaging 15.8 mpg. I have only had it on the interstate for maybe 20 miles. Mostly driving on the hill I live on, and my wife has been driving it around some. I am kinda impressed with that mileage, as my FIL's 5.3 Chevy with the variable cylinder system only gets marginally better than that if at all. Plus the Ford feels much bigger and more powerful. I am wondering if anyone with a 2010 F150 5.4 can chime in about how the MPG would compare the the 5.0 I am driving. I can get a decent good deal on a new 2010 or lightly used 2009, and if I can expect similar MPG as the 5.0 I would probably go for it when the time comes because I absolutely love the look, ride, feel, etc. of this Ford.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Last 1/2 ton I had before my Titan was a 2007 F-150 4x4 Supercrew with the 5.4L and 3.73 gears. It was loaded to the gills and averaged 15.5 mpg for its life. I only had it for 25,000 miles but it was absolutely trouble free. Pulling our 7,000# boat it was 8-9mpg.

I have owned 6 F-150's over the years, all 5.4L and 3.73 gears except one with 4.10 gears. They all got about the same except the 4.10 gear truck got 14 mpg no matter what I was doing.

My neighbor had a 2005 F-150 identical to mine but it was a XLT. He could only get 13 mpg day in and day out but he took it on a long highway trip once and got 18-20 mpg. So driving habits can vary mpg quite a bit.

Chris