What pickup?

[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

[floyd]

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

So..... Do you also make a habit of going into theme bars and shouting applicable epithets?
If you want the best, buy a { }, otherwise, just buy the one you like the looks of!

[Kevin K]

Buy what you can afford and the style you like.

[Ed Harris]

Need to go a bit bigger than what?

Kind of tough to comment without knowing what you need to do?

[Vicki A.]

I have a Silverado 4.8 with 3.73 rear end.
Towing capacity is 6600, but not fun with only 4700.

[Alf S.]

Hi: Vicki A. Here's a pic. of my choice. Nissan Frontier Crew Cab Long bed. 4ltr. V6 6100# tow cap. 4X4 with lots of "Giddyap'nGo". Decent gas mileage at all times with room for 4...but that's IMHO for what it's worth.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Vicki A.]

Thanks Alf,
I have room for 6 now, need it with 3 gkids! Need more towing power but may go with the Ford 5.0.
I don't know.......

[Marv]

Hi Vicki,

I have the '11 F150. The 5.0 is a great tow vehicle, very comfortable. With a 3.31 gear, the tow capacity is 8100, yet it still gets good gas mileage. If I had to do it again, I would get the ecoboost V6. Just about everything I have read about it has been positive.

Marv

[mcbrew]

Originally Posted by Vicki A.

Thanks Alf,
I have room for 6 now, need it with 3 gkids! Need more towing power but may go with the Ford 5.0.
I don't know.......

I'm assuming that you tow more than the little camper in your avatar pic. You certainly have WAY more truck than you need to tow that. So what are you towing that needs more truck, and how much does it weigh?

Also, everyone's towing expectations are different. I towed my Scamp with a 128hp Scion (subcompact), and it towed reasonably well. Now I tow with a 170hp Subaru (midsize) and it tows like a champ. I was pushing it with the Scion, but my Subaru can tow twice the weight of my Scamp (three times the weight in some countries).

Some people want to be able to tow and not know there is a trailer behind them. In my opinion, that is a bad idea. I don't want to feel that I can drive the same way with the trailer as I do without it. It just might tempt me to do something stupid.

[Vicki A.]

SHHH! Don't tell anyone, but we also have a " sticky ".
Not my choice - my co-pilot thinks Tillie is too small!
It weighs close to 4000#, then load it up...

Thanks for the input, I may need to check out that other 150.

[Donna D.]

I'm saving for a new Ford F-150... mine is getting long in the tooth at 136,000 miles and it's a daily driver. I'm with Marv, I'm serious looking at the Ecoboost. Hope (if and when) I make the purchase it gets better mileage than my Triton V-8 (although I LOVE my current truck). What I'm not interested in purchasing is a toy truck. Had one, it was fine as a daily driver... horrible for towing when going over mountain ranges. And yes, I know there are different models...

[Bruce H]

The Ford with the heavy duty tow package looks best to me. The package is not all that expensive and you get the 6 speed automatic and the built in trailer brake control system along with better gearing and some other things like LT rated tires and trailer tow mirrors. You will probably have to order the package. I have never seen one on a dealer's lot. The eco-boost engine sounds very interesting. It came out in 2011. Ford introduced all new pickup engines that year. I figure by the 2012 model year they will have any bugs worked out. I may try to trade for one myself.

[Mike Magee]

Ah, well that explains it, Vicki. I would suggest test driving a Toyota Tundra also. Toyotas overall have great reliability and resale value.

About the ecoboost, the thing I would ask the dealer is how much will it cost to fix the turbo if it goes out. It's one more (fairly complex) part that could go wrong. Of course an extended warranty would take care of it.

My co-worker just traded his F150 for a diesel F250, and he's liking it very well (including the tow experience). I can't believe how quiet it is. They took his year-old F150 in trade (with 40k miles) and his payments only went up $26/month... he says they gave him an incredible deal (after much dickering).

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

Ah, well that explains it, Vicki. I would suggest test driving a Toyota Tundra also. Toyotas overall have great reliability and resale value.

About the ecoboost, the thing I would ask the dealer is how much will it cost to fix the turbo if it goes out. It's one more (fairly complex) part that could go wrong. Of course an extended warranty would take care of it.

My co-worker just traded his F150 for a diesel F250, and he's liking it very well (including the tow experience). I can't believe how quiet it is. They took his year-old F150 in trade (with 40k miles) and his payments only went up $26/month... he says they gave him an incredible deal (after much dickering).

There isn't any reason to think that a turbo would be any less reliable than any other system, or component. Turbo charged engines are kinder to driveline components and save huge on fuel.
This is no longer a fifties carburated world, better take care of your vehicle and learn to use it correctly.... cool the turbo at shutdown and keep the direct injection clean and reap the benefits of more power and better fuel economy.

[Greg H]

Naturally I'm going to say Toyota but if you want a Chevy, Ford or Dodge I've had all three and the Chevy Silverado is way more truck in my opinion.

[floyd]

Studebaker... it has that modern Toyota look and that old fashioned simplicity!

[Andrew Gibbens]

I accept that the following video is a year or two old, and from a different continent, but good advice like this should never be passed up:

Stanley Unwin's Clear And Comprehensive Advice On What To Look For When Buying A New Car - YouTube

[Marg]

Originally Posted by Alf S.

Hi: Vicki A. Here's a pic. of my choice. Nissan Frontier Crew Cab Long bed. 4ltr. V6 6100# tow cap. 4X4 with lots of "Giddyap'nGo". Decent gas mileage at all times with room for 4...but that's IMHO for what it's worth.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

I have the same pickup as you, Eric, only with a 6-speed manual. Mountain driving is hard on brakes with an automatic transmission. Heck, here in the mountains, we see folks using their brakes going up hill when approaching a turn. Slow down folks, life is beautiful. 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. I get an average of 21 mpg in the mountains where I live and with the trailer, average 17 mpg. Marg in NW California

[Marg]

Originally Posted by Marg

I have the same pickup as you, Eric, only with a 6-speed manual. Mountain driving is hard on brakes with an automatic transmission. Heck, here in the mountains, we see folks using their brakes going up hill when approaching a turn. Slow down folks, life is beautiful. 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. I get an average of 21 mpg in the mountains where I live and with the trailer, average 17 mpg. Marg in NW California

Oops, should have argeed with ALF. Sorry.

[Joe Z]

All of the larger pickups of today do a great job so it's pretty much a personal preference. I just sold a 2007 Dodge Ram Hemi 4 door and really liked the great highway mileage i got about 16mpg towing 18-19 mpg not towing..... city not so good about 12mpg (really sorry i sold that truck and thinking of buying a new pickup myself..... I also had a ford f-150 small v-8 before that and was equally happy. If i can swing it would really like to get a diesel..... from what i read last night about dodge they are proposing an 8 speed automatic for the upcoming model year. pair that up with the hemi which i really liked it should be a good combo....... lots of decisions and alternatives on pickups but the four door is a must for us.
Joe