Truck - what do you drive, and why?

[YancyW]

I have a F350 diesel and a Toyota Tundra that was my father's, I was going to sell it when he passed away, but I started driving it a bit and really like it for a daily driver now.

For diesels, I am a Ford guy, always have been. I always add an after market fuel tank, with the 62 gallon tank, I can go about 900 miles.

 

[wesheltonj]

Hmm, no votes for a Rivian electric truck? Does anyone one own one of those yet? Or any of the other electric trucks?

(Legit question and not mention to stir a pot of whatever negativity or politics. Real world reviews are of more value than the marketing hype.)

I have a friend who has a 26’ boot. He looked at one and I think he said with the passengers and the boat his range was about 20 miles before having to charge.

 

[Philip Glass]

I have several F350, 4X4, diesel trucks. I live on and operate a ranch and there is nothing better for me here with what I do. I sometimes wish for a Toyota Tundra or something similar for a personal vehicle because it is smaller. Also I have all diesel vehicles partly due to having diesel delivered to the ranch. My wife's Escalade is a diesel!

 

[Datchew]

If only a tundra came with a straight 6 turbo diesel

Nirvana.

 

[rookhawk]

Hmm, no votes for a Rivian electric truck? Does anyone one own one of those yet? Or any of the other electric trucks?

(Legit question and not mention to stir a pot of whatever negativity or politics. Real world reviews are of more value than the marketing hype.)

The Rivian sucks for a few reasons.

1.) Price is awful. It’s a Ford Ranger-esque vehicle for over $90,000
2.) The service network is microscopic. All the annoyances of owning a rare super car when it comes to service, but with none of the impress yourself or your friends benefits.
3.) Their stock is down 90+% since IPO and the odds of a bankruptcy are measurable. You might own a worthless, irreparable piece of junk in 3 years.
4.) It has none of the charging network features of a Tesla.
5.) Insurance on them is extraordinary because their costs to fix are astronomical. Unlike Tesla, they didn’t have the finances to underwrite insurance until there was enough data to support reasonable actuary tables.

And the biggest of them all: They are an exoskeleton unibody design. A fellow got a ding in the corner of his Rivian. Looked about the size of a softball, no tailgate damage at all. Rivian quoted him $41,000 to repair it, because the ENTIRE body had to be replaced all the way around the vehicle. The guy ended up sending it to the nation’s top paint less dent repair guy via car hauler, 500 miles away. The fella worked on it for a week with elaborate dent pullers and charged him about $4000 to pull the dent from the face. This was interesting, because there is ZERO room under the body to back a dent out from behind the quarter panels like a normal car. There is a YouTube video on this topic. Look it up, Rivian $41,000 body repair.

 

[mdwest]

Yeah… e cars aren’t my thing… no way in hell I’d consider either a rivian or a cyber truck…

I think I’m down to either a Ram 1500 Laramie or a Tundra Limited after driving both and looking at more reviews than I can count..

Each have pretty big pluses and a handful of minuses on my personal wants/needs checklist.. and end up weighing out pretty equally…

It’ll most likely come down to who offers the best deal and doesn’t try the high pressure car salesman routine with me (I don’t play nice with that sort of personality or business process)…

It’s possible I’ll be driving something different by the end of the day depending on how a couple of phone calls go this afternoon

 

[rgsiii]

If only a tundra came with a straight 6 turbo diesel

Nirvana.

In regards to the current Tundra, the engine has not been a problem with mine, though multiple cases of blown engines are out there.
The temporary fuel fix recall might be eliminated with the engine change.
The brake campaign would not be changed .
The soon to be fourth seat side panel would not be affected.
Pieces of exterior plastic molding would still fall off.
This is my 7th Toyota product and I will not buy another. I don't know where I will go but this is a poor quality product.

 

[DJStang]

I'm similar in that I keep my trucks for close to 10 years, and drive them until any major issues pop up. Current truck is a 2014 F150 with the Ecoboost V6. Plenty of power to tow my 24' enclosed car trailer. Drag raced Mustangs up until a couple years ago, so pulled a decent load over many miles. 287k miles and still going strong.

 

[Brent in Az]

I bought a new Ford Ranger in 2021. 90% of my driving is in the city. I was hedging myself against the rising fuel prices that I knew would be coming under Biden.
I sold my Ram 2500 last year. I wore it out.
I've had 4 different Rams in the past 25 years, and may buy another if the economy returns to a more even keel in the future. I doubt it.

 

[mdwest]

I was hedging myself against the rising fuel prices that I knew would be coming under Biden.

This is definitely one of the major minuses of the tundra.. while their ADVERTISED MPG is pretty much in line with the competition (+/- 1 to 2 MPG).. what people are reporting is MUCH different.. and the tundra appears to have the worst fuel economy of all of the current 1/4 ton truck options.. in some cases by a pretty significant margin..

 

[Datchew]

It’ll most likely come down to who offers the best deal and doesn’t try the high pressure car salesman routine with me (I don’t play nice with that sort of personality or business process)…

I can empathize with this. The style is a complete turnoff.

If you're a costco member, they used to (late 2019 i used it) set you up with pre-vetted dealers and they'd pass along the dealers invoice with the contact information.

You MAY still have some 2023's sitting on lots they want to move prior to tax season and closing the books for the year.

I was successful with a local toyota dealer via email. I told him what i wanted (i.e., that's all I'm willing to pay for) in features and that I'd pay him $1k over dealer invoice.
I told him my entire time spent with him and the transaction must be less than 1 hour or I'd walk.
Any surprise destination charges or finance charges show up at the end, I walk and we're done.

Surprisingly, it worked. One of the rare times in life i got a good deal and no hassle.

 

[PARA45]

I used to be a huge fan of Nissan Titans, and bought one of their Diesel trucks with a Cummings engine. All was well until about 58K miles, and then engine started giving me issues and loft faith in the truck. Also the stealership tried to rip me off, even with an extended warranty. So, long story short I traded it in.

A good friend who is into Diesel trucks, and tunning, and what not, all he has driven has been Chevy 2500 trucks. He swears by the Allison transmission and how reliable it is. The Duramax motor is proven also and has improved over the years. Towing is around 22K, and now they come ready to accept a goose neck hitch. So, I ended up buying a 2022 Chevy 2500HD, LTZ Z71, 4x4 WD truck with 5400 miles on it. I have never bought a brand new (zero miles) truck, I've always bought them a year or so old with some miles on them. To be honest, I don't know what took me so long to make the switch. To say that I truly like my truck is an understatement. This thing is a beast and has plenty of giddy up for such a big truck. Hopefully the prices have gone down some, but don't get shocked by the sticker price. Good luck!

 

[PARA45]

I can empathize with this. The style is a complete turnoff.

If you're a costco member, they used to (late 2019 i used it) set you up with pre-vetted dealers and they'd pass along the dealers invoice with the contact information.

You MAY still have some 2023's sitting on lots they want to move prior to tax season and closing the books for the year.

I was successful with a local toyota dealer via email. I told him what i wanted (i.e., that's all I'm willing to pay for) in features and that I'd pay him $1k over dealer invoice.
I told him my entire time spent with him and the transaction must be less than 1 hour or I'd walk.
Any surprise destination charges or finance charges show up at the end, I walk and we're done.

Surprisingly, it worked. One of the rare times in life i got a good deal and no hassle.

If you are a USAA member, you can do something similar to this. May be worth checking it out.

 

[mdwest]

I like the Titan exterior.. I think its a great looking truck.. but the last one I sat in, I didnt care much for how it was laid out inside (this has been several years ago admittedly).. I definitely like the performance numbers vs the price point...

My biggest concern about the titan (and why I didnt really consider it for purchase this time around) is Nissan is discontinuing it.. and from what I can tell has no intent to re-enter the full size truck market once it is gone...

I didnt want to be sitting in a Titan with 200K+ miles on it 10 years from now with limited options to service/maintain/repair it.. limited access to replacement parts, etc.. and really limited trade in value (not that any of my trucks ever have much trade in value.. by the time I get rid of them, I have pretty much destroyed them.. which is what motivates the next purchase.. I tend to hold onto vehicles until holding onto them any longer isnt a good idea.. and only then buy another one)...

 

[mdwest]

If you are a USAA member, you can do something similar to this. May be worth checking it out.

Both a USAA and a Costco member.. I'll give them both a look today..

Thanks!

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I have a GMC 1500 Denali, 6.2L V-8 gasoline with 8 speed tranny. It's okay. It is a very nice looking and comfortable ride. My dog loves riding in it, and wants to know when I'm going to let him drive. I'm not crazy about the automated running boards and I never use the moonroof. Great mileage. The cylinder deactivation is noticeable, particularly at idle. Then there is the notorious "Chevy Shake." Both Chevy and GMC have had a problem with mysterious vibration occurring around 50-60 mph. For years, dealers denied it being a problem. At 30,000 miles, my dealer serviced the transmission (replaced the fluid) and the problem went away. Recently, at 60,000, the problem reappeared. Replaced the fluid again and the problem went away. My truck does not have the "MultiPro Tailgate" and I'm good with that. I will drive this truck for many more years and maybe give to a grandson. If I had to buy a new truck right now, I'd try a Toyota, Ford or Ram and most likely be a less fancy truck.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I have a friend who has a 26’ boot.

Must be a big guy! Related to Paul Bunyan??

 

[PARA45]

I like the Titan exterior.. I think its a great looking truck.. but the last one I sat in, I didnt care much for how it was laid out inside (this has been several years ago admittedly).. I definitely like the performance numbers vs the price point...

My biggest concern about the titan (and why I didnt really consider it for purchase this time around) is Nissan is discontinuing it.. and from what I can tell has no intent to re-enter the full size truck market once it is gone...

I didnt want to be sitting in a Titan with 200K+ miles on it 10 years from now with limited options to service/maintain/repair it.. limited access to replacement parts, etc.. and really limited trade in value (not that any of my trucks ever have much trade in value.. by the time I get rid of them, I have pretty much destroyed them.. which is what motivates the next purchase.. I tend to hold onto vehicles until holding onto them any longer isnt a good idea.. and only then buy another one)...

BTW, the Diesel Titan was short lived, and to compound the problem, the dealers got rid of their Diesel certified mechanics. I have not seen what the new ones look like, and probably never will. The one I had was 2016, Platinum, and it was very comfortable inside. Oh, and my truck was only 6 years old when it started giving me issues. I was completely disappointed, and this is after owning 4 other Titans.

 

[TucsonFX4]

I’ll admit I didn’t read all the posts in this thread. But I’m sure most repeat each other anyways. I’ll continue that with my thoughts. lol.

It is largely brand loyalty. I think for towing, the American brands should be at the top of the list.

I’m a Ford guy and as such would recommend an F150, though I would put the Chevy/GMC in close second. For me, the Dodge is a distant third. They make a good looking product and are equal to or ahead of most manufacturers with tech gizmo features and capabilities, but reliability (both perceived and experienced) is well behind the other two manufacturers. Everyone’s experience is different, so no offense intended for Dodge fans/owners. But I mean common, they are trying to shake the stigma and don’t even call it a Dodge Ram anymore. Dodge has been completely removed from the brand/image.

All that said, if you want 200k+ miles, I would try to avoid a turbo engine unless it’s a diesel. Get yourself a good ole V8, if you can even find one anymore.

 

[Franco]

We drive dinky toys compared to state side ,but I’ll take my cruiser any day

Absolutely nothing wrong with a Land Cruiser - I've owned several. Had an FJ for awhile but needed something bigger - I wish I had kept it.
My wife had a full-size cruiser SUV, and was planning on buying another when she gave hers to our son. The Toyota dealership did something stupid and she walked across the street and bought a Mercedes.