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'73red-duster

'73red-duster

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Going truck shopping. I'm 65, and probably will buy the last new vehicle I will need. (My current truck is a '95, I buy them, and keep them) They have black Friday deals on all makes, and I am no longer brand specific, even though I've always had Ford trucks. What I'm looking for is 4WD, extended/crew cab. Ford and Chevy dealers are advertising 2018 clearance truck in the $30,000-$35,000 range, but I stopped at a Dodge dealer yesterday, and he had 2019's for that. Looking for pro's and con's, and advice. So, what's everyone's opinion.
 
Dodge dealers up here are desperate to unload ‘17 models. My brother just got a 17 dodge 4door 4x4. He’s cheap so i know it was a good deal.
 
Dodge is considerably less expensive that ford and Chevy. They have had a serious rust issue around the fenders for years and I am not too sure if they have fixed that or not.

I have owned roughly 6 ford trucks in my life and never owned another brand. I too will be biting the bullet this winter on a new vehicle and I may be buying my first Dodge truck.
 
I wouldn’t buy a ram truck even with someone else’s money.


I know like 3 people that bought trucks over the last few years. Looked at them all and ended up with a tundra. Between the price and inside room that’s the choice they made.

I’ll be looking for a new full size in about a year and have been keeping an eye on all makes (except the ram)and to honest I’m not sure I’d be comfortable with myself buying anything from the big three. I’ll look at them all (except the ram) and drive them all and see what I like and how comfortable I am with the product.

Looking around at what’s on the road they all seem to have a bad rust problem. Hate to spend 50k on a truck to have it rusty in 6 years. The ford being alumn I guess won’t have that problem.
 
abodyjoe said:
I wouldn’t buy a ram truck even with someone else’s money.


I know like 3 people that bought trucks over the last few years. Looked at them all and ended up with a tundra. Between the price and inside room that’s the choice they made.

I’ll be looking for a new full size in about a year and have been keeping an eye on all makes (except the ram)and to honest I’m not sure I’d be comfortable with myself buying anything from the big three. I’ll look at them all (except the ram) and drive them all and see what I like and how comfortable I am with the product.

Looking around at what’s on the road they all seem to have a bad rust problem. Hate to spend 50k on a truck to have it rusty in 6 years. The ford being alumn I guess won’t have that problem.
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Does the GM have bad rust issues? I never noticed on them.
 
Not sure they are as bad as the dodge and fords (before the alumn body? But they go over the wheels too. Supervisor at work just put flares on his Chevy to hide the rust.
 
I am 73 years old and I got sick of fixing crap boxes . In New England it is rust that kills vehicles and in New Hampshire rust will get you rejected a t inspection time . Last SEPTEMBER I leased a 2018 Ram 1500 Express . First new vehicle I've owned since 1968 . Rides like a dream, goes like mad and tows great . FYI there are better deals now 0n 2019 Rams . 3 year/36k bumper to bumper warrantee . After 2 1/2 years or 3 years turn it in . The discounts then are amazing . I'm paying 1/2 of what it would cost to buy . I propably won't l ive long enough to own any new vehicle , that's why I leased . if I die , let them take the stupid thing . I,m tired o f fixing crapboxes.
 
Look at Toyota, I am thinking about buying a new 2wd extended cab, little 4cyl just to haul parts in, and get back and drive to work.

A new but have to order 2wd is 24K here, but I can get on the dealers lot a new 2018 4wd equipped the same way for 25K.

I just don't need the 4wd, since I already have 6 4wd vehicles.

I did buy a new left-over 2017 Ram 3500 last year, but the fuel mileage and ride is horrible, but I will keep it for my towing needs.
 
OP, are you looking for a gas engine? I am not so hot on the room in the Ram crew cabs, and the quad cabs are pretty small, so not sure what you want. But if you want some bodacious rear set room, get a Mega cab. Not sure
if you can get them in anything other than a 2500 chassis. My 2007 Ram has rust over the rear wheels now, but we use it for work and have to travel in all sorts of road salt and weather, and it rarely gets washed. So I think it did OK to last 10 years with that kind of corrosion environment.

If you're willing to travel, Dennis Dillon in Caldwell ID (west of Boise) is the 3rd largest volume dealer in the US, and usually has the best discounts in the US on RAM's for the 2500's. Give them a look if you want a 2500.

sireland67 said:
I did buy a new left-over 2017 Ram 3500 last year, but the fuel mileage and ride is horrible, but I will keep it for my towing needs.
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Some of those come with 4.10 rear gears as an option and that will sure hurt mileage. Gas is worse than diesel too.
 
2016 Ram 2500 Cummins... I love it. They got rid of the leafs in the rear and went springs, helps with everything. I get 24 MPG freeway and 18in town and can tow anything I want.
Everything rusts, Except the alum. But that is weak, and a dent can total the car because it costs too much to fix. My friends had a big dent on the bed and put a hole in the bed from dropping a load in it, they totaled it because they couldn't get the dent out and wouldn't replace the bed because of shipping to Hi. Crazy stuff..
Every vehicle has goods and bads... just figure out which one is the best for your needs.
 
nm9stheham said:
OP, are you looking for a gas engine? I am not so hot on the room in the Ram crew cabs, and the quad cabs are pretty small, so not sure what you want. But if you want some bodacious rear set room, get a Mega cab. Not sure
if you can get them in anything other than a 2500 chassis. My 2007 Ram has rust over the rear wheels now, but we use it for work and have to travel in all sorts of road salt and weather, and it rarely gets washed. So I think it did OK to last 10 years with that kind of corrosion environment.

If you're willing to travel, Dennis Dillon in Caldwell ID (west of Boise) is the 3rd largest volume dealer in the US, and usually has the best discounts in the US on RAM's for the 2500's. Give them a look if you want a 2500.

Some of those come with 4.10 rear gears as an option and that will sure hurt mileage. Gas is worse than diesel too.
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Mine is a 6.4 gas with 4.10 gears, so it is pulls great, just the 10 mpg empty does not make a good daily driver.
It is 15 months old and paid for, and it only has 5K miles, I bought in new, so I will keep it.
Plus last winter I drove my old Wrangler in the snow, so the truck will never see salt, so hopefully it will last a few years.
I got lucky it came in on the car-carrier with a load of 2018's so it was a new truck, but was marked down $10,000 for being a year old, by basically the vin number.
 
Been looking this morning. 1/2 ton is all I need. Went to Ford and Chevy both. For the most part, they're pretty comparable price/equipment wise. Ford has a 2018, F150, super crew, 4x4, for just under $34,000. It has the 2.7 eco boost in it, 325 hp, and 375 lb/ft torque, rated at 24 mpg highway. I just talked to my brother. He has a 2016, and is happy with it. He is retired from Ford, so he can get me an additional discount. Guess I'll figure it out next week.
 
Ask around and see if those eco boosts are really getting that mileage. Could have sworn I saw somewhere guys bitching that they done get anywhere near that advertised mpg.
 
To each his own but if the Tundra is an equal to the 4runner in the SUV world it's a no brainer. Anything I buy will now have a Toyota emblem on it. At the very least I would go test drive a Tundra....

JW
 
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It depends on how you use it. If you use it as a truck stay away from the imports, they just aren't strong enough. If you drive it as a grocery getter, then by all means get an import. The Fords with the aluminum box are not so good if you drop heavy sharp loads in them. ie: a toolbox. If you aren't worried about clearance then a GM is good. All in all for the money you can't beat a Ram.

Jack
 
My brother says his 2.7 gets good mpg. The salesman himself told me the 3.5 doesn't do what it's supposed to. I have two friends with Tundras. They both love them, except for gas mileage. 15 isn't too good compared to the big 3.
 
O.K. I wasn't gonna chime in but here ya go. I have run a mechanic shop in central Texas and deep East Tx. for 15 years. They all have their issues but, you could not give me a GM truck for free. (Well, you could so I could sell it to some fool for A body money) My die hard Chevy buddy thought he wanted a Tundra and bought a brand new 4x4 with a 5.7. He hated it, small lift with 33's and it would get 9mpg pulling his bass boat. He is now driving a 2500 Ram he drives daily and towes his Camaro race car with it. In the logging woods of East tx. you will see 0 chevy trucks due to the independent frontend will not live if used as a truck. We have had chevy trucks with 30k on them and the wheel fell off due to failed hub assemblys. Then on top of ls lifter failures, ABS module failures, instrument cluster failures, balljoint failures, and not forgetting the internal knock sensors that will throw a light. Think, inspection failure due to check engine light in any county with emission inspections. The knock sensors are in the valley of the intake so the entire top end has to come apart to replace it. I know the one guy says he has six chevy trucks that have never had a wrench on them but I call Bullshit on that. (unless he has 6 death trap barely rolling chevy trucks) Fords hold up better but from the people I talk to they will not get the mileage they are supposed to and an aluminum body truck??? Other than that they seem to hold up fairly well. Tundras are used for some fleet trucks around here and mechanically they do ok but under powered and poor mileage. Ram, if its 4x4 you will have to do balljoints every 70k-90k and do not buy a 4.7. If your getting a 2 wheel drive truck go Ram with a hemi. Runs like hell, gets great mileage, and will last as long as you do. Can't input on rust thank god and the deep south. Although Toyota did have a major lawsuit going due to frames rusting in half on 5 year old trucks in the north due to no rust protection on the thin walled boxed frames. I am biased and make no claim not to be but all but one of my chevy buddys drive rams, the other has a tundra. So from somebody who orders parts for them all day I would suggest the Ram. If you do not get the ram the Tundra is ok then maybe the ford. But for the love of god run from the Chevrolet lot! Sorry so long.
 
abodyjoe said:
Ask around and see if those eco boosts are really getting that mileage. Could have sworn I saw somewhere guys bitching that they done get anywhere near that advertised mpg.
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I have a 5.0 in my F150. I make a drive a few times a month on a flat road that has a 55 mph limit so I am cruising at 60. My truck averages 22 mpg on that trip. A friend of mine has the eco boost and gets 24. When I hook up to a boat and make the trip mine goes down to roughly 14 while his stays up around 18. Granted he has the tow package and I do not.

I had this discussion with my dad this afternoon. The Rams are less expensive but look at the price of a used Ram vs a used Ford. Most of the time the Ford will be listed a few thousand more than an identicle Ram. It would be tough to get me to stray from Ford trucks and I know part of that is blind stupidity (brand loyalty). I have also driven every generation of ford truck from 60-present. Only real problem I ever have seen with their trucks is the garbage 5.4 liter they put in them in the previous generations.
 
Wife just gave me to OK to go buy a new Tacoma truck tomorrow if I want to.

Her words were I don’t give a #%£{ what you do, she did mention that the few times she borrows my old truck (1978 power wagon) that a newer hauler would be nice, when she needs it.

She has never sat in my new ram....
 
I have a '95 Tacoma. 300,000 miles and still runs good. Only problem with it is rust. I haven't looked at the new ones yet, but my neighbor did last week. I'm 6 ft' and he's a couple inches taller, and heavier. He said he was pretty impressed with the truck, except he could barely get in it.
 
'73red-duster said:
My brother says his 2.7 gets good mpg. The salesman himself told me the 3.5 doesn't do what it's supposed to. I have two friends with Tundras. They both love them, except for gas mileage. 15 isn't too good compared to the big 3.
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yes the tundra gets bad mpg but is supposed to be a real beast towing and all.. stock 4.30 gears.
 
sireland67 said:
Wife just gave me to OK to go buy a new Tacoma truck tomorrow if I want to.

Her words were I don’t give a #%£{ what you do, she did mention that the few times she borrows my old truck (1978 power wagon) that a newer hauler would be nice, when she needs it.

She has never sat in my new ram....
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i have a 17 tacoma. nice truck.. i expected a little better mpg but it is what it is.. only 8-10 mpg when towing the trailer but hey that thing is 5500 pounds and has the aerodynamics of a cinder block... has never lacked the power to tow that trailer though. its just tight with 3 dogs and the daughter in the back.. most likely going full size in a year or two..

DSC_0009.JPG
 
'73red-duster said:
My brother says his 2.7 gets good mpg. The salesman himself told me the 3.5 doesn't do what it's supposed to. I have two friends with Tundras. They both love them, except for gas mileage. 15 isn't too good compared to the big 3.
Click to expand...
I just drove a 2018 Expedition with the 2.7 as a rental for 1500 miles...Decent performance in the northern Rockies. Mileage was just pretty much as expected for what the vehicle is... averaged something like 18.5 mpg in mixed interstate and rural highway driving. Got the same in a Nissan Armada with their V8 in the same territory a year before. The one thing I noticed....it had a 10 speed auto trannie. Goodness!

I really would not want that highly stressed engine, doing 1.5-1.6 HP per ci and the turbo's for anything I was keeping for years and years, and not for towing or hauling.
 
doogievlg said:
I had this discussion with my dad this afternoon. The Rams are less expensive but look at the price of a used Ram vs a used Ford. Most of the time the Ford will be listed a few thousand more than an identicle Ram.
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That all flips if you put a diesel in it.. Ford 6.0's and 6.4's are hard to give away around here... last time I looked, my '07 Ram with the 5.9L Cummins was commanding in the $14-21k range ...bought it new for $37k. Good value....
 
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