What pickup?

[Ray N]

Clark Howard, the financial adviser, recently said that for the first time he actually thinks buying a new vehicle is "sometimes" a better idea than buying a used one. Evidently used vehicles have recently become more expensive in relation to new ones, probably because of the poor economy right now; plus there are great deals on some new ones, again, because of the economy.

[Daniel A.]

I prefer a van for towing.

[Marv]

Originally Posted by Marg

Gearing down with my manual makes it very easy driving mountain roads. Just my thoughts, but, it may be that I have always driven a "stick" and wouldn't be without it.

Marg,

I winced when I had to buy my first auto transmission. But the current offering are pretty good. The 6-speed transmission in my F150 has a switch on the side of the gear shift. I can shift up or down at will. Going downhill, it is super-easy to control my speed. I use it all the time, even when not towing.

Marv

[Radar1]

Originally Posted by mcbrew

You may want to factor in certain advances in safety as well. Pickup trucks have been notoriously dangerous vehicles, but there have been great changes made in the last few years. Better accident avoidance thanks to vehicle stability control, and better accident survival rates thanks to additional airbags, stiffer passenger compartment, and side impact protection. Check out crash test videos for various pickups in the last 10 years and you'll see a huge improvement.

I agree with that 100%. Older pickup trucks (and SUVs) have a very poor rollover safety rating. If you want a pickup, the increased safety with the newer models is a good reason to upgrade to a newer one.

Even my Dakota is singled out; good thing I have a safer Subaru!

This excerpt is from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety;
"Rollovers are much more common for SUVs and pickup trucks than for cars. In 2008 almost half (47 percent) of all pickup occupants killed in crashes were in trucks that rolled over. This compares with 58 percent of deaths in SUVs and 25 percent in cars.
The best occupant protection is to keep vehicles from rolling in the first place. Electronic stability control is significantly reducing rollovers, especially fatal single-vehicle ones. When vehicles roll, side curtain airbags help protect people. Safety belt use is essential."

[Radar1]

Originally Posted by floyd

I don't care who you are... that there's funny!
There's a commercial out now which actually brags about having TEN airbags! If ten is good...Twenty must be a lot better! Do they just not care about safety?
No sense learning to drive when you can let the computer do it.

Floyd,
You learn to appreciate airbags more when your daughter survives a wreck that totals her car, caused by a drunk driver, and she walks away with only scratches.
I'll take any safety equipment I can get, even the bicycle helmet that was destroyed when a driver ran a stop sign and tossed me over his van.
We're "all" expert drivers on this forum (right?) but we can't drive for the other guy all the time.

[Mike Magee]

Some people are handy to do their own repairs, or just very good at finding dependable used vehicles. Thriftiness is high on their list of objectives. They buy used, and that's fine. When they buy a used vehicle, they help out the seller who is ready to buy a new one and needs to part with the old one.

Some folks are not handy, and can't tell a good vehicle from a 'someone else's problem' vehicle. They can save more in the long run by buying new and running them as long as they seem to stay dependable and continue to meet the need (recognizing that needs can change). When they sell their well-loved units, they make vehicles available for the thrifty used-vehicle buyers.

The two groups need each other. Both groups are right in their own way, and neither group could do very well without the other.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Radar1

Floyd,
You learn to appreciate airbags more when your daughter survives a wreck that totals her car, caused by a drunk driver, and she walks away with only scratches.
I'll take any safety equipment I can get, even the bicycle helmet that was destroyed when a driver ran a stop sign and tossed me over his van.
We're "all" expert drivers on this forum (right?) but we can't drive for the other guy all the time.

You learn to understand Airbags when you see the people blinded by their impact on eyesockets and eyeballs, or understand that federal law prohibits the reporting of Airbag deaths unless they are directly investigated by the NHTSA, leaving 2500 to 3500 airbag deaths unreported each year.
How about second and third degree chemical burns which my son suffered from airbag deployment in a low speed accident in which he wore his seat belt and would otherwise have been completely unharmed. I have seen industrial safety glasses with both lenses and frames broken.
One of my coworkers had both thumbs broken and facial lacerations from a deployment at under 10MPH.
So if you like the prospect of having your hands blown away from control of the wheel , or you really think that 10 airbags aren't enough, then at least look at these things objectively before swallowing the propaganda and maybe even the airbag itself!
You have nothing to fear from my opposition on this issue since it is a leadpipe cinch that there will be more bueaucratic control in your future, and surely, no matter what form it takes,those who oppose having it thrust upon them, will be ridiculed as reprobate Luddites.

[Daniel A.]

Sounds like you guy's are getting way off topic

I'm sure we all have our own opinions about safety, politics, religion, some we share some we don't.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Daniel A.

Sounds like you guy's are getting way off topic

I'm sure we all have our own opinions about safety, politics, religion, some we share some we don't.

Thanks for the reminder Daniel....

[Roger C H]

We have two vehicles. A 2000 Subaru Outback (our tow vehicle) and a 2001 VW Golf. Both have under 60,000 miles on them. I don't anticipate a new car for some time.

BTW: We have a gentleman at our church who just turned 500,000 miles on his 1976 Chevy Luv!

PS: What does MFROG mean?

[mcbrew]

Originally Posted by floyd

I don't care who you are... that there's funny!
There's a commercial out now which actually brags about having TEN airbags! If ten is good...Twenty must be a lot better! Do they just not care about safety?
No sense learning to drive when you can let the computer do it.

Not funny if the airbag saves your life or results in less injury. Seriously, check out crash testing done on the same car with and without size impact airbags. You will change your mind.

I don't think people are diving around like idiots just because they know that they have airbags. It seems like quite the opposite: most people are AFRAID of their airbags!

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Roger C H

PS: What does MFROG mean?

Molded Fiberglass RV Owners Group

[Radar1]

Originally Posted by Vicki A.

Seriously thinking of buying a new pickup, need to go a bit bigger.
I would love to get your ideas on which make. Is one better than another or are they pretty much the same now days?

This should be fun!
Thanks

Vicki

Vicki,
If you can get a hold of a copy of the Sept/Oct 2011 Truck Trend magazine, they compare 4 of the new Ford trucks, the 3.7 V6, 5.0 V8, 3.5 V6 Ecoboost, and 6.2 V8. One of the testers said of the Ecoboost "This is the perfect truck engine".

[Mike Magee]

Originally Posted by Radar1

Vicki,
If you can get a hold of a copy of the Sept/Oct 2011 Truck Trend magazine, they compare 4 of the new Ford trucks, the 3.7 V6, 5.0 V8, 3.5 V6 Ecoboost, and 6.2 V8. One of the testers said of the Ecoboost "This is the perfect truck engine".

I believe it's a done deal, see post #26, they bought the 5L V8.

[BCDave]

Just as an aside.... I have deactivated both the airbag system and the ABS on my "new" 4Runner.

I feel a LOT safer if it is ME driving rather than a computer, and after seeing first hand what airbags do to people in a crash, I figured I owed it to my family and any potential passengers to get those things OUTTA there!

(Of course the ABS light and the airbags warning lights are both on, so I'm gonna have to do a bit more fishing in behind the cluster to find those bulbs and pull them out!)

[mcbrew]

Originally Posted by bcdave

just as an aside.... I have deactivated both the airbag system and the abs on my "new" 4runner.

I feel a lot safer if it is me driving rather than a computer, and after seeing first hand what airbags do to people in a crash, i figured i owed it to my family and any potential passengers to get those things outta there!

(of course the abs light and the airbags warning lights are both on, so i'm gonna have to do a bit more fishing in behind the cluster to find those bulbs and pull them out!)

lol!

[Joe Z]

Originally Posted by BCDave

Just as an aside.... I have deactivated both the airbag system and the ABS on my "new" 4Runner.

I feel a LOT safer if it is ME driving rather than a computer, and after seeing first hand what airbags do to people in a crash, I figured I owed it to my family and any potential passengers to get those things OUTTA there!

(Of course the ABS light and the airbags warning lights are both on, so I'm gonna have to do a bit more fishing in behind the cluster to find those bulbs and pull them out!)

I had a truck that had a faulty low water sensar light that would come on all the time so i just put a piece of black tape over the light and forgot about it.
Staying within 300 +/- miles my 2002 jeep grand cherokee I-6 with 117,000 miles w/tow package and runs great suits me fine but i plan on making quite a few cross country trips from Az to NJ and small things are due to start going and being 2500 miles away makes me a little nervous and i am very handy mechanically (guess i'm getting lazy)that four door f-150 sure catches my attention but at least $35,000 hurts....LOL
Joe

[Alf S.]

Hi: Joe Z... Up here in Canada the ultra conservative banks are highly suspicious of seniors borrowing large sums to finance a new vehicle. Unless you're sitting on an over stuffed "Nest Egg" new vehicle prices are a PITA!!!
I'm facing that age group so I decided to buy new now so it's mostly paid off when I reach the magic number. First pickup had 100,000 mi. and major work required in the next 100,000. We are victims of TIME. High payments can really hurt after the warranty expires too!!!
We bought our Escape 5.0 5 yrs. before retirement to qualify for the same plan. PAID OFF!!! Trouble is by retirement time we'll have to remortgage the house to pay the fuel bills LoL.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Cam A]

Originally Posted by BCDave

Well, I gotta say that I continue to be astonished by the folks who buy a NEW vehicle and because they worry about fuel mileage. If you hang on to your old one, the fuel costs will still be no-where near what you will lose in depreciation in the first very few years of ownership of a NEW one. Hertz, Avis, Alamo etc all have a VERY good handle on the true costs of car ownership. They all agree that fuel is actually a very small percentage of the costs of driving, and getting 30 mpg vs 20 (or even 10!) to the gallon does not make all that big of a cost difference over the term of ownership.

When my dad retired (in the late 70's) he got rid of a perfect condition, low miles, fully paid for, Olds 98, and got a Honda. He explained that he wanted to get better mileage. I said that "you better live to about 200 years old and drive about 200,000 miles a year every year to save in gas what you just paid for the little car."

Factor in: Depreciation, insurance, license fees, tires, on-going maintenance, oil changes, the occasional repair and over 10 years, you will find that fuel costs aren't all that significant. For myself, I find it is ALWAYS, without exception, cheaper to keep (and fix if needed) the car/truck you already have than to go shopping for a new one.

If economy and reliability are crucial, then keep up the maintenance on whatever currently lives in your driveway. Newest thing in my driveway is a '97, purchased a couple of weeks ago to replace an '89 that rusted to death. The '89 got close to 40 mpg, the '97 gets 15. Not a decision factor. The 89 was as basic as it can get (not even a radio) while the 97 has push-button everything. That was my decision point this time around.

Lowest odo reading on ANYTHING in my driveway is 253,000. My main tow vehicle is a '92 that is approaching 400,000, and I suspect it will be with me for quite a few more years.

If you need one with more hauling/towing capacity, or you simply WANT a different one because you now want a different suite of creature comforts, then go shopping.

You will spend a lot of time in it - get one you like!

I agree with the "run them til they drop" school of thought, with one caveat. I have a very good local mechanic, who I trust. He allows me to run my vehicles long and hard. If I had to rely on a dealership for service, I would be running a much younger fleet.

[Joe Z]

Originally Posted by Alf S.

Hi: Joe Z... Up here in Canada the ultra conservative banks are highly suspicious of seniors borrowing large sums to finance a new vehicle. Unless you're sitting on an over stuffed "Nest Egg" new vehicle prices are a PITA!!!
I'm facing that age group so I decided to buy new now so it's mostly paid off when I reach the magic number. First pickup had 100,000 mi. and major work required in the next 100,000. We are victims of TIME. High payments can really hurt after the warranty expires too!!!
We bought our Escape 5.0 5 yrs. before retirement to qualify for the same plan. PAID OFF!!! Trouble is by retirement time we'll have to remortgage the house to pay the fuel bills LoL.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

Alf..... I agree with you. Our first house that we purchased in about 1976 was about $34,000 ......That's less than the price of a pickup truck today. Knowing much about mechanics but being lazy in my old age i just take my vehicle to a recommended mechanic and knowing what the problem is on the vehicle i say nothing to the mechanic and act really dumb and see what he comes back with as a problem. found some good garages like that LOL.
I still want that new pickup and will be watching this post with interest..... I know the Ram 1500 is coming out with a diesel in the next year or two but somehow i think it may be a Fiat diesel from their recent joint venture..... Decisions, decisions LOL
I have to get up in your area someday as i hear it is really beautiful and that 5.0 Escape you have is one great trailer.
Joe