Opinions on trucks

[wushaw]

And what is wrong with a short bed crew cab 3/4 & 1 ton trucks?? Nothing at all. They are also easier to maneuver with a trailer hooked on to them.

What's wrong with them....loss of cargo carrying capacity. Other than that their peolple haulers first and work machines second if at all. It's an opinion and you know what is said about opinions

 

[Builder]

I wouldn't give two cents for what Consumer Reports states. They are telling us that we do not have the brains to evaluate things ourselves so they're gonna do it for us. They do not rely on advertisers for capitol but they have to rely on something and that is to keep you guessing. One year something is bad, the next its good and they keep selling magazines. They want you to thnk they are the Bible for consumerism. I found out what they really are years ago when they came out with articles telling us what beer tastes best . Imagine the arrogance. Then they had an article on what dog foods taste best to dogs. They did this pseudo scientific experiment and told us what food dogs like the taste of best. Except no one ever told them a dog has hardly any taste buds and negotiates what he eats with his nose. And then the kicker of it all and that is telling us what is more reliable. That factor is such an unknown that if you can tell the future, then I'll listen. You cannot measure longevity or reliability on track record because track record has nothing to do with YOUR vehicle. I've sold cars and trucks for 20 years and what was purported to be junk, went 200,000 miles and what was purported to be excellent, didn't get past 35000, the kicker was that it was with the same make vehicle. What I tell people is that "if it moves , it can break. Cross your fingers and hope yours stays together a long time" As far as new vs. used because of gas mileages. If the difference is 2 or 3 miles per gallon, you are not going to notice your expenditure because if the price of new over used is $10000, ten grand can buy alot of gasoline for that used vehicle and you would have to own that new vehicle a real long time to make up that difference if at all. The most important criteria for the average consumer cannot be found in a magazine. They are......... what do I want , what do I need and what do I like. Forget everything else because it is all nonsense. Even price is not as important as people would like to believe. If you paid $20000 for a tractor but that $23500 for the other tractor was what you really wanted, needed, liked. How much is that $3500 savings really worth after years of saying, "I should of bought that other tractor" If I'm gonna spend in the realms of that kind of money, it best put a smile on my face everytime I look at it.

Amen on the C/R comments.

I also agree on the price comments. I am prone to paying less when it comes decision time and getting less of the goodies I want. Then it's 5 years of regrets.

I finally decided to stop making this mistake, but it's still tempting.....I hate paying too much.

My depression-era parents had too much influence over me.

 

[Builder]

While I am not in the market to buy a replacement truck, but I am trying to keep my eyes open for the next truck. After driving a diesel tractor, I decided I really want a diesel truck for towing. I had my heart set on the 1/2 ton diesel and now there seems to be no plans to market them. Talk about a heartbreaker.

Dude, lighten-up. Just buy a 3/4 diesel and get on with life. What's so important about a 1/2 ton? Side by side, they look about the same size. A 3/4 ton isn't THAT much more truck.

I had considered the toyotas due size of vehicles with the towing capacity but I am keeping my options open. This thread is a good start of thinking of what we really need for the next truck. I just wish that there was some sort of plug and play gearing to swap out for better mileage or towing. This certainly would help our wallets for daily commutes, but still can tow with power and no fear of extra wear and tear.

Although I tow sometimes with a 1/2 ton, a 3/4 is much stouter. Combine that with a dieel engine and a heavier trans & rear and you'll like towing much better.

 

[canoetrpr]

What is too big about the Dodge? It can't be the actual dimensions, they are the same as a half ton, it can't be the 5.9 it is smaller than GM's 6.0 that's in everything from Yukons to one tons, the 5.9's can get better fuel mileage than any of the gas half ton models also.

To be honest I'm not quite sure. I was at Chapters (Barnes and Noble up here) today I a Ram 1500 stopped by to pick someone up and then 10 minutes later a RAM 2500 with the Cummins stopped by and I found myself thinking the same thing you mention. Maybe it was the turning radius perhaps. Just *felt* a lot bigger. Maybe it was party because the ride was more like a truck than the recent 1/2 tons I have driven. I guess I'm a softie having driven only cars and vans

I have not considered the Tacoma, Frontier etc. seriously. I figured that if I am going to get a truck it might as well be a half ton at least.

 

[canoetrpr]

I've found that Consumers Reports type publications particularly miss the mark when it comes to vehicles like trucks. We have a local publication here called 'Lemon Aid'.

If you read what he has to say about trucks you would not believe that there was anything that should be bought at all other than the Nissan Frontier. Everything else according to him is basically junk and he lists every problem over the last decade. Until about a year ago he loved the Toyota Tundra. I guess he must have heard about a few problems in the last couple of years because now he lists pretty much every Tundra in the last decade as a bad buy and says the quality control is terrible. Then he goes to say 'Supplementary Warranty: Not Necessary'!!!!! On the Ford F150 - same stuff but 'Supplementary Warranty: Absolutely Necessary'.

I glance at these publications as there is some merit particularly to the data that they compile on surveys. As you say though, really this is about what you want, what you like and what you think you need. On the new vs. used, you are also right that I could probably save a lot with used. I just hate the hassle of looking for used and double guessing whether it was maintained right etc. There is a certain luxury to being able to going an picking what you want and handing in the keys to your old ride and coming out with a new one. I guess we often pay for it dearly. I have justified it in the past with the knowledge that I tend to keep my vehicles for the most of their useful life. Cars typically last 10 to 12 years up here. My first new car, the Honda Accord is 10 years old now and has 300000 km. Over the 10 year period, yes I took a larger depreciation hit than I might have if I bought 3-4 year old but then it would have lasted me 3-4 years less. The depreciation over the 10 years was about $2700 a year - not bad. I think it would be different if one were buying new and trading in every 3 or 4 years.

 

[arrow]

. I have justified it in the past with the knowledge that I tend to keep my vehicles for the most of their useful life. Cars typically last 10 to 12 years up here. My first new car, the Honda Accord is 10 years old now and has 300000 km. Over the 10 year period, yes I took a larger depreciation hit than I might have if I bought 3-4 year old but then it would have lasted me 3-4 years less. The depreciation over the 10 years was about $2700 a year - not bad. I think it would be different if one were buying new and trading in every 3 or 4 years.[/QUOTE]

The mean price of a car 10-12 years ago was $14500. The average price now is $24000.
We have finally out stripped peoples wages with what things cost. It is why we are in the financial fix we are in now. Someone in banking must have read Einsteins space -time continuum theory and decided that the culprit of high prices can be mitigated with longer time to pay instead of keeping pricing sane. Its why houses cost so dearly now along with college educations (largest hoax in America) health care and other goods and services. Credit is what makes the world go round and we all got to see how well that worked when fully taken advantage of. I just pretend its still 1985 to get an idea of what to pay for things and then add inflation. ( which in 24 years could be approaching 100% ) Back then, one could buy a 4wd Ford pu with standard , 300 ci 6 for $8700. Now that trucks have become phalic symbols, they're alot higher because my dumb @$$ generation thought they needed a large you know what to go pick up a couple of bushes at Home Depot every now and again. If you find a truck for $8000 and put $3000 into it for repair, you'll still have $6000-$8000 left over to pay for gas. And maybe, just maybe, you won't have to repair it for a good long while. A $24000 truck will just keep leaving a hole in your wallet so you'd better like it alot. If you are getting the new truck to replace the car, gas mileage is your main consideration in my mind

 

[arrow]

To be honest I'm not quite sure. I was at Chapters (Barnes and Noble up here) today I a Ram 1500 stopped by to pick someone up and then 10 minutes later a RAM 2500 with the Cummins stopped by and I found myself thinking the same thing you mention. Maybe it was the turning radius perhaps. Just *felt* a lot bigger. Maybe it was party because the ride was more like a truck than the recent 1/2 tons I have driven. I guess I'm a softie having driven only cars and vans

3/4 tons appear larger because of increased spring rates and tire sizes. They are the same dimensions lenght and width wise to 1/2 tons but appear and drive larger because of increased height, weight and torsional stiffness. Your back may get to hate being jounced around by a most of the time unloaded 3/4 ton. This is where the new trucks have an advantage with their independent suspensions. You may want to rent the truck you've settled on if its a 3/4 ton and drive thr rental to work for a few days to make sure

 

[mjncad]

I wouldn't give two cents for what Consumer Reports states.

A friend of mine calls the rag Condemner Reports.

Personally I don't buy the magazine as I don't see how they can be experts in everything.

 

[LBrown59]

And what is wrong with a short bed crew cab 3/4 & 1 ton trucks?? Nothing at all. 1*They are also easier to maneuver with a trailer hooked on to them.

1*Another avantage i see is the shorter bed would give you a larger payload.

 

[LBrown59]

Since you are in the looking market and your still in indecision have ya looked at the Tacomas, Nissan Frontier, Dodge Dakota, Gm's Canyon/Colorado and last but not least the Ford Ranger which is suppost to get a facelift soon.

None of these are big enought to tow my BX23 on a trailer.