What to buy F150 3.5 ecoboost or Colorado/Canyon Duramax

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by rbryan

Have to agree. After having a SuperCrew for 3 years now, no way I'd lose all that space for a standard cab.

I have had one for 20 years, and would not want anything else for a cab. But then, I like as long of a box as possible too. It's all about cargo capacity.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by the_fixer

Supercab and super crew are the same overall length.

Only if you go with a 6.5 box in the SuperCab and 5.5 in the SuperCrew, otherwise with the same box there is 12"difference.

[the_fixer]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Only if you go with a 6.5 box in the SuperCab and 5.5 in the SuperCrew, otherwise with the same box there is 12"difference.

You cannot get the supercab in a 5.5 box other than on the raptor atleast as far as I can tell.

I would be happy to be wrong, we would be happy with the supercab and that would provide a little more space between the garage door and the bumper.

[Roy M.]

Dave I can't vouch for the new 10 speed 3.5 Eco boost but I currently tow with a 2016 Platinum Super crew Eco Beast with the 6 speed transmission and it pulls my 25 RQ Bigfoot with no problems. I have driven three 3.5 eco boost trucks for the company that I work for and have put over 100K on the first two and turned them over to our shop mechanics to use as field trucks. They now have well over 150k on each truck and still going strong. My work truck, that I am driving now, which is also an Eco boost has 115k on it. You might look into the cost of servicing a diesel as they can be a bit pricey compared to a gas rig. Good luck and safe travels!! Roy

[mgmidget]

As an owner of a F150 ecoboost small 6 it will pull what ever you desire. I have a 2013 5th wheel Scamp and I don't even know it is there. The diesel sound nice as I had an 7.3 diesel Excursion and it pulled anything and low maintenance. I'm sure you would be happy with either. Pick the one you like and forget about pulling a camper. Most of your mileage will be without a trailer. If you plan on keeping the truck for over 100,000 then you will start to see a return on the diesel. I love my 2000 diesel bug and miss my old excursion. Happy with the F150! Just enjoy camping!

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by the_fixer

You cannot get the supercab in a 5.5 box other than on the raptor atleast as far as I can tell.

I would be happy to be wrong, we would be happy with the supercab and that would provide a little more space between the garage door and the bumper.

This is true, but my point was to compare apples to apples, or the different cabs with the same apples (I mean box length).

Besides, I have had a pickup for the last 35 years, and this 6.5' box is the shortest I have ever had. For me, it would be awful to try to function with one even shorter.

If I had to make a choice keeping the 231.9" length, I would sadly give up the SuperCrew cab long before the 6.5' box.

[sharon_b]

check the towing capacity on the canyon. mine has the strength of a 98 pound girl. a fully loaded 13' scamp chokes the truck down to a crawl on the NC mountains, embarrassing as truckers pass YOU by. it LOOKS like a truck, but its so lame under the hood.

[Jon in AZ]

Sharon, it would help if you provided the year, engine, transmission, 2WD or 4WD, cab style, etc. Trucks come in a lot of different configurations with very different capabilities.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by sharon_b

check the towing capacity on the canyon. mine has the strength of a 98 pound girl. a fully loaded 13' scamp chokes the truck down to a crawl on the NC mountains, embarrassing as truckers pass YOU by. it LOOKS like a truck, but its so lame under the hood.

The Canyon is no different than many less than fullsize trucks.
They may look like a truck but that's where the similarities end.
When I asked my auto mechanic about the Canyon the answer I got was "It makes an OK commuter vehicle but it makes a lousy truck."
I realize that it is only his opinion but after owning an auto repair shop for over 50 years his experience tells me he is probably correct.
I use to own a truck with a V6 engine and I know how Sharon feels.
Even when I stayed in the right lane so I didn't hold people up , I still
was subject to the one finger salute. I could barely get over the mountains in Wisconsin so the thought of going over the Rockies was just a fool's dream.

[the_fixer]

From another post. Appears to be a 4 cyl gas motor.

Originally Posted by sharon_b

thanks everyone for the advice & warm welcome! my truck is a 2008 gmc canyon, 2 wheel drive, no owner's manual.

Originally Posted by sharon_b

I popped the hood, it sez 2.9L, automatic trans, extended cab, so I can go up to 3400! whoo hoo! I was beginning to think I was stuck with a tent, lol!

[floyd]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

The Canyon is no different than many less than fullsize trucks.
They may look like a truck but that's where the similarities end.
When I asked my auto mechanic about the Canyon the answer I got was "It makes an OK commuter vehicle but it makes a lousy truck."
I realize that it is only his opinion but after owning an auto repair shop for over 50 years his experience tells me he is probably correct.
I use to own a truck with a V6 engine and I know how Sharon feels.
Even when I stayed in the right lane so I didn't hold people up , I still
was subject to the one finger salute. I could barely get over the mountains in Wisconsin so the thought of going over the Rockies was just a fool's dream.

Was 2005 Sierra a full sized truck? How about a 2001 Ford F150? If so then what do we call the new ones which can not fit comfortably in a parking spot or a garage, and spend a lot of time blocking traffic when angle parked on a public street? In what way does more sheet metal produce more power?
The new trucks may be big enough to impress but they are still too big to perform the daily tasks for which they were designed.

[Alf S.]

Hi: All... I took a pass on a great deal for a new 2016 F150 4X4 sport super cab 2.7 eco boost. When I could barely see into the box from the sides I figured hooking up the fifth wheel I'd need a step ladder. Besides there would have to be many adjustments made to the trailer suspension to fit!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Alf S.

Hi: All... I took a pass on a great deal for a new 2016 F150 4X4 sport super cab 2.7 eco boost. When I could barely see into the box from the sides I figured hooking up the fifth wheel I'd need a step ladder. Besides there would have to be many adjustments made to the trailer suspension to fit!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

Thicker soles to match your thicker skin maybe, Alf?

No trouble at all with my 2015.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by Alf S.

Hi: All... I took a pass on a great deal for a new 2016 F150 4X4 sport super cab 2.7 eco boost. When I could barely see into the box from the sides I figured hooking up the fifth wheel I'd need a step ladder. Besides there would have to be many adjustments made to the trailer suspension to fit!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

Well, the 4x4 does raise the bed height. But others tow an Escape 5.0TA with an F150 4x4 without issues, so I'm thinking this is more of a preference thing Alf, than it is a suitability thing.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by floyd

Was 2005 Sierra a full sized truck? How about a 2001 Ford F150? If so then what do we call the new ones which can not fit comfortably in a parking spot or a garage, and spend a lot of time blocking traffic when angle parked on a public street? In what way does more sheet metal produce more power?
The new trucks may be big enough to impress but they are still too big to perform the daily tasks for which they were designed.

Floyd , I would guess it's a matter of personnal perspective .
I am not concerned if my vehicle is comfortable in a parking space or my garage but I am concerned if my wife and I feel comfortable riding in or driving the vehicle. I seriously looked at buying a new Ford Ranger in 2011 but to us it felt cramped ,undersized and it didn't fit our needs and desires.
We find our truck to be more than adequate at performing our daily tasks.
I am retired and do not have to make a daily commute.
My truck is mainly used for towing and hauling .
I don't feel that my truck is large or oversized but just the right size.
I didn't buy my truck to impress and I assume you are the same.
They say " Size doesn't matter " and they may be correct !!

Best Wishes

[Cliff Hotchkiss]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

The Canyon is no different than many less than fullsize trucks.
They may look like a truck but that's where the similarities end.
When I asked my auto mechanic about the Canyon the answer I got was "It makes an OK commuter vehicle but it makes a lousy truck."
I realize that it is only his opinion but after owning an auto repair shop for over 50 years his experience tells me he is probably correct.
I use to own a truck with a V6 engine and I know how Sharon feels.
Even when I stayed in the right lane so I didn't hold people up , I still
was subject to the one finger salute. I could barely get over the mountains in Wisconsin so the thought of going over the Rockies was just a fool's dream.

I think that there are more than a couple of "less than full size" pickups out there that can easily tow the majority of trailers covered in this forum. When checking the specs on the Canyon I would guess the v6 with 305hp and 275 ft lbs tq.would get the job done. The 2.8 diesel with 369 ft lbs @ 2000 rpms and 7600 lb towing capacity would absolutely do it. Now maybe Sharon has the standard 4 with 200 hp and 191 ft lbs tq. it would have to work a lot harder. I was seriously thinking about the Canyon for towing my 5.0 TA but needed more room in back seat for my dog and the payload was marginal for a 5.0. Your mechanic made a pretty broad statement on the capabilities of the Canyon, maybe he wants a wrecker or a car hauler, not something to tow a 4 or 5000 lb trailer. 1 size really doesn't fit all, right tool for the job.

[dmad1]

I see that lots of owners drive smaller pickups and suvs to pull your trailers. I pull my 17' Casita with a Chevy Tahoe and feel even it is under powered. I have had 2-3/4 ton Chevy Duramaxs and had great luck with both of them and they held their value very well compared to gassers. Traded the last Duramax for a Corvette since we had sold the 31', but hope to get another one as soon as the Vette is paid off. One of my sons has a Eco-boost F-150 and he gets poor mileage and he doesn't tow.

[Cliff Hotchkiss]

Originally Posted by dmad1

I see that lots of owners drive smaller pickups and suvs to pull your trailers. I pull my 17' Casita with a Chevy Tahoe and feel even it is under powered. I have had 2-3/4 ton Chevy Duramaxs and had great luck with both of them and they held their value very well compared to gassers. Traded the last Duramax for a Corvette since we had sold the 31', but hope to get another one as soon as the Vette is paid off. One of my sons has a Eco-boost F-150 and he gets poor mileage and he doesn't tow.

Just curious, 31' what? And how much did the 31' weigh?
As to poor mileage on the Echoboost, what's poor? I get 15-16 towing an Escape 5.0 TA (with ease) and have gotten 22 highway not towing. Now if you drive with your foot in the turbos all the time, your mileage may vary.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Cliff Hotchkiss

I think that there are more than a couple of "less than full size" pickups out there that can easily tow the majority of trailers covered in this forum. When checking the specs on the Canyon I would guess the v6 with 305hp and 275 ft lbs tq.would get the job done. The 2.8 diesel with 369 ft lbs @ 2000 rpms and 7600 lb towing capacity would absolutely do it. Now maybe Sharon has the standard 4 with 200 hp and 191 ft lbs tq. it would have to work a lot harder. I was seriously thinking about the Canyon for towing my 5.0 TA but needed more room in back seat for my dog and the payload was marginal for a 5.0. Your mechanic made a pretty broad statement on the capabilities of the Canyon, maybe he wants a wrecker or a car hauler, not something to tow a 4 or 5000 lb trailer. 1 size really doesn't fit all, right tool for the job.

One of the reasons we passed on the Ranger was the size of the rear seating area vs the size of our Chocolate lab
Bob, our local mechanic statement was based on his experiences .
He said he has made an above average number of repairs on Canyons that were used for towing and hauling and he felt that the truck's mechanical parts were not up to the task .
He felt the Ford Ranger was a better built and engineered truck.
Again that's only one man's opinion
Towing capacity is one thing , the ability to tow at capacity without needing constant repairs is another

By the way he owns 2 tow trucks and a flat bed car hauler.

[Eric Frye]

Tough thing trying to pick out the perfect truck. Myself, after looking and researching for the last year, I opted for a 2004 Toyota Double Cab for towing and hauling. I bought it last week with 85,000 on the odometer. It fit the bill between large new trucks and available midsize trucks like the Tacoma and Colorado at half the price and a proven track record, unlike a new model. I didn't like the expense of the new trucks for the expected use. I looked seriously at the new Ford F150 and the Colorado but the Ford is to big and the Colorado to expensive.

Now, don't get me wrong if I was using vehicle for a daily driver I would have ended up with one of those two but my truck is a weekend warrior doing light work and towing a 16' Scamp most of the time.

Alf s. I kind of picked up on you post that economy was an important aspect and from experience with a couple of friends trucks, I can say the F150 is descent without a load but once up put it to work it gets thirsty, and the Colorado isn't much better. Also the price of diesel fuel is about $0.50 more per gallon so your Delta between the two isn't that much.