Ford vs Chevy (and GMC, I guess)

[robtattoo]

Looks like I'm going to have to suck it up & shell out for a vehicle this year.
I've been driving the same 7.3 Powerstroke for 14 years & it's just got to the point where it's starting to cost more to keep reliable than it's worth & i'd like to move it on while it still has some value.

Trouble is, I've never actually had to look at a vehicle before. My wife knew exactly what car she wanted & what we could pay for it. Found one at a dealership, test drove it, loved it, haggled on the price a bit & slapped a wad of cash on the desk.
My truck was a case of: I had 4 days to find a vehicle when we first moved to the US before I had to return the rental. I saw my truck & bought it for cash on the spot. That was 14 years ago & I've never seriously considered changing it.

Now, as a 48 year old, I'm having to look for, really, my first ever serious vehicle investment.

My only criteria is that it's a truck, it absolutely HAS to have 4wd, second row seating & a bed longer than 6' An 8 foot bed would be ideal, but from the little I've looked around, that puts me into nothing but a 3/4 ton truck or work truck. I don't tow huge weights & I don't commute. From now on I'm guessing I'll probably average 10k miles a year. I do tend to find myself in the occasional offroad-ish situation & I've always used my truck as my camp base for hunting & fishing trips. It'll be getting a shell on the bed & I need it to be long enough to sleep in (I'm 6' 1")

My budget is only $30,000 (only.....) so I'm obviously looking at used, but in my area that gives me lots to look at. I've also never financed anything before. I do have a 775 credit score, but I haven't really carried any debt whatsoever in 20 years. I'm honestly very nervous about this.

I know nothing about different engines, what to avoid, what common problems different models have had etc. I have no real preference between gas or diesel. I don't want Nissan or Toyota & I definitely don't want Dodge.

I know this is a really broad question & there are die hard fans in every camp but....... any advice?

 

[TxLite]

I’m a Tundra guy but if I had to pick something different I would go with Ford over anything made by GM. I had too many issues with our 2017 Yukon (same bones as the Silverado/Tahoe/Sierra), along with almost every one of my friends and family that have owned a GM truck built on that platform within the last 7 years. Transmissions, water pumps, AC, suspension & electronics were an issue on each of them. As in, each had at least 1 failure of each category before 100k. The Fords have been more reliable in my experience but still have their faults.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

Toyota period. My parents owned everything but and they all complained all the time about maintenance fees and repairs, etc. I've owned 5 toyotas in 20 years and buy news ones only when i've wrecked them or get tired of 'em. Don't recall many repairs except stuff i broke. Ford couldn't give me a free truck over my 4-runner. Have owned tundra, tacoma, FJ, and two 4 runners. Run 'em 8-10,000 miles between oil changes too.

 

[sbaker0029]

A few questions that might help narrow things down a bit are;
Do you need a larger second row of seat or okay with just enough (super crew or super cab)?
Do you need or prefer the 8ft or 6ft bed?

You can find crew cabs with a standard bed (78") or supercabs with the long bed (8')

Either one of those can be a bit tough to find but if you do the price will likely be a little bit cheaper because they're not as desired.

I'm a Ford guy and don't know a lot about the different GM models but do know a lot about the F150 models and packages/options.

Personally I would go with Ford F150 from 2013-2017 with the 5.0 (2013-2017) or the 2.7 ecoboost (2016-17) and stay away from the 2018 and up. There was some quality issues and they went to a 10spd transmission that I'm not a fan of. That's all just my opinion and what I would be looking into if it were me.

Also how set are you on your budget of $30k?
If you stretch that a few thousand to the $36-38k you could really open up a lot of lower mileage trucks.

 

[TxLite]

2.7 ecoboost

These have been pretty bullet proof from what I’ve seen. The 3.5 has been pretty notorious for cam phasers issues

 

[robtattoo]

A few questions that might help narrow things down a bit are;
Do you need a larger second row of seat or okay with just enough (super crew or super cab)?
Do you need or prefer the 8ft or 6ft bed?

You can find crew cabs with a standard bed (78") or supercabs with the long bed (8')

Either one of those can be a bit tough to find but if you do the price will likely be a little bit cheaper because they're not as desired.

I'm a Ford guy and don't know a lot about the different GM models but do know a lot about the F150 models and packages/options.

Personally I would go with Ford F150 from 2013-2017 with the 5.0 (2013-2017) or the 2.7 ecoboost (2016-17) and stay away from the 2018 and up. There was some quality issues and they went to a 10spd transmission that I'm not a fan of. That's all just my opinion and what I would be looking into if it were me.

Also how set are you on your budget of $30k?
If you stretch that a few thousand to the $36-38k you could really open up a lot of lower mileage trucks.

Thanks for the input!
To answer your questions: I really don't mind one way or the other on cab size (I do get confused over which is which) whether it's 2, or 4 door. It's just super convenient to have some secure storage space & I rarely have passengers.
I would prefer an 8' bed, but I'd rather sacrifice 18" of bed space to get the other things I need over, say, having to sacrifice the 4wd to get the long bed.
I really don't know 100% what my maximum budget is just yet. I'm waiting on an inheritance & that's going to determine exactly what i can afford. I say 30k now simply because that seems like an absolute shit-ton of money to spend on any vehicle! You could literally buy every truck I've ever owned, combined, and still get change out of that! I only paid 34k for my first house!

 

[bow puller]

sbaker is spot on with that advice. Aside from avoiding the early 10sp problems it also avoids the direct injection addition which had its own issues. If between Ford and Chevy and 30k a 2016/2017 5.0 F150 would be my choice and 2.7 would be right there.

If you wanted a bigger truck with 6.75 or 8' bed a super duty with the 6.2 is very solid and probably in that price range? Not as nice to daily drive though.

 

[displacedtexan]

If you wanted a bigger truck with 6.75 or 8' bed a super duty with the 6.2 is very solid and probably in that price range? Not as nice to daily drive though.

$30k gets you a fairly nice 6.2

As someone who had 3/4 tons first, I had a half ton. It was sufficient, but I hated it.

 

[sbaker0029]

Thanks for the input!
To answer your questions: I really don't mind one way or the other on cab size (I do get confused over which is which) whether it's 2, or 4 door. It's just super convenient to have some secure storage space & I rarely have passengers.
I would prefer an 8' bed, but I'd rather sacrifice 18" of bed space to get the other things I need over, say, having to sacrifice the 4wd to get the long bed.
I really don't know 100% what my maximum budget is just yet. I'm waiting on an inheritance & that's going to determine exactly what i can afford. I say 30k now simply because that seems like an absolute shit-ton of money to spend on any vehicle! You could literally buy every truck I've ever owned, combined, and still get change out of that! I only paid 34k for my first house!

You're welcome!
Truck prices have gotten ridiculous lately, brand new trucks are costing almost as much as I paid for my house sadly.
Something to be said for paying cash and making trucks last that only add up to that much though. Wish I would have made some better truck choices earlier in life and paid for something up front and held on to it longer.

I don't think money wise you would have to sacrifice bed length for 4wd or some other things you're looking for.
If you do prefer the 8ft bed and not hauling passengers, I would look for the supercab (2 big doors and two clamshell access doors) with the 8ft bed.
Like bow puller said the F250 with 6.2 is a good choice as well and you're likely to find more supercab long beds, if thats what you decide you works best for you. But also like he said, not as comfortable as a daily driver. I'm sure its something that you would be more familiar with though coming from the powerstroke.

 

[NCTrees]

We run a decent size fleet of trucks and have for the last couple decades. Take this with a grain of salt because I buy them like a bodily function and look at them like a carpenter looks at a hammer. Just a tool, run by employees who treat them as if they were, indeed, a hammer. Also, I’m the furthest from a mechanic that you can get so no advice here on specific engines or transmissions, couldn’t even name them if I tried. With that - the late 90 early-mid 0’s Chevy 1500s were as bomb proof a truck as we ever ran. 200k+ almost universal with employee drivers. The late model Chevy (and GMs) in the fleet have held up well, not as good as earlier, ok in general but (IMO) uncomfortable seats, less off road worthy and pretty “basic” for the price.

We started running Fords in the early-mid teens. Comfortable and good off road but had major issues with that 5.0, like 30% of them blew a cylinder prior to 110k miles. Avoid. Our 2020 - 2022 F150s are better, so far. I’m currently driving a 2021 F250 PS with around 100k on it now, no complaints except initial cost.

I wouldn’t walk my dog with a Ram truck. Almost universal electrical issues within 50k miles. They fixed under warranty but a consistent nagging PITA. Epitome of our experience with those was when one of our 3/4 ton Cummins dropped a driveline at 70mph (truck at ~90k miles) and nearly pogo sticked itself into a bar ditch. Maybe if they up their game I’ll reconsider sometime in the future but not likely.

Toyotas, dealers won’t deal, poor MPG, just haven’t found value in them for a fleet. May be OK, don’t know because I don’t really negotiate on prices and haven’t found a Toyota dealer who does business the way we expect for a fleet buyer. Only ran a couple of the small 1/4 ton Nissans. Fords and GMC versions of that small truck ran circles around the Nissan in economy and overall price / mile. Similar feedback from other fleet managers with the larger Nissans.

 

[cacklercrazy]

Looks like I'm going to have to suck it up & shell out for a vehicle this year.
I've been driving the same 7.3 Powerstroke for 14 years & it's just got to the point where it's starting to cost more to keep reliable than it's worth & i'd like to move it on while it still has some value.

Trouble is, I've never actually had to look at a vehicle before. My wife knew exactly what car she wanted & what we could pay for it. Found one at a dealership, test drove it, loved it, haggled on the price a bit & slapped a wad of cash on the desk.
My truck was a case of: I had 4 days to find a vehicle when we first moved to the US before I had to return the rental. I saw my truck & bought it for cash on the spot. That was 14 years ago & I've never seriously considered changing it.

Now, as a 48 year old, I'm having to look for, really, my first ever serious vehicle investment.

My only criteria is that it's a truck, it absolutely HAS to have 4wd, second row seating & a bed longer than 6' An 8 foot bed would be ideal, but from the little I've looked around, that puts me into nothing but a 3/4 ton truck or work truck. I don't tow huge weights & I don't commute. From now on I'm guessing I'll probably average 10k miles a year. I do tend to find myself in the occasional offroad-ish situation & I've always used my truck as my camp base for hunting & fishing trips. It'll be getting a shell on the bed & I need it to be long enough to sleep in (I'm 6' 1")

My budget is only $30,000 (only.....) so I'm obviously looking at used, but in my area that gives me lots to look at. I've also never financed anything before. I do have a 775 credit score, but I haven't really carried any debt whatsoever in 20 years. I'm honestly very nervous about this.

I know nothing about different engines, what to avoid, what common problems different models have had etc. I have no real preference between gas or diesel. I don't want Nissan or Toyota & I definitely don't want Dodge.

I know this is a really broad question & there are die hard fans in every camp but....... any advice?

As much as I love a diesel truck for towing. I will tell you stay the hell away from all the current pickups in diesel the emissions crap kills them all. If no towing then I would go after a long bed f150 with an Ecco bust motor.

 

[Thinkingman]

I have a 2015 F150 Crewcab with the 6.5' bed, 3.5 Ecoboost, 6sp auto and 4wd.
Aside from that model having possibly the widest turning radius of any light truck, it's been awsome.
143k miles, no repairs to speak of, solid, quiet, very well engineered...It's the little details that people don't immediately see that Ford got right.
6.5' bed with a canopy is great for overnighting on the river or in the backcountry.
I would totally buy another.
You couldn't give me a Toyota after my 8 years ownership of a 2006 Tacoma....Horrible engineering, cheapest parts available that fail prematurely and all the fuel consumption of a real truck but none of the capability. I'd leave those to the lifestyle statement crowd.

 

[nobody]

I grew up in a dyed in the wool Ford family. Power strokes and F150's as far as the eye can see. That said, my 2015 Ecoboost was objectively the worst vehicle I ever owned. I purchased it in June of 2019 with 64k on it, and got rid of it January 2020 with 69k. In that timeframe, I experienced the following:

• Lost the trans. Replaced with Ford Factory Re-Man and continued to have issues.
• Timing Chain Chatter intermittently. Probably experienced a total of 8-10 times, it got worse as fall and winter deepened and temps dropped.
• Rear diff leak
• Timing cover leak, fairly significant oil leak
• Coolant leak (pretty sure that was a leaky cooling system cap)
• Ignition coil failures

In total, about $10k worth of repairs. It was EXTREMELY comfortable to ride in and I loved driving it, but mechanically it freaked me out to even take it in the mountains for fear of it stranding me. There was no way I could trust it.

Next example: My dad just got rid of his 2019 Ecoboost that he purchased brand new and drove for work as a salesman for his company. He traded it off with about 90k on it. It towed a trailer probably 5 times total, and rarely had anything more than my Dad and one person riding shotgun along with some tools in it. He lost the trans in it at about 40k, and it never shifted or drove right the rest of the time he had it. It went in multiple times to the Ford dealer for re-programming and tweaking, they never could figure out why it would shift up and down hard randomly or hang shift from time to time. It also intermittently experienced the Timing Chain Chatter issue in cold weather.

Next: Grandma's Expedition with +/-50k on it caught fire last summer while getting on the Freeway. Something tied to the AC, I'm pretty sure it was the AC compressor, if memory serves correctly. Luckily she was able to pull to the shoulder of the road and get out before the cab was fully engulfed.

We've been extremely underwhelmed with the mechanical reliability of the Ecoboosts. Power is there, torque is there, mileage is there (when empty, drops to just above Zero while towing), but I wouldn't trust one for longevity. If I did buy one, I would buy brand new and dump it before the bumper to bumper factory warranty runs out.

My father in law had either a 2011, 2012, or 2013 Power stroke one ton (not close with my in laws at all, so not entirely sure what year or the exact details), he lost the engine in it at 105k. Cost him about $15k to get a new engine, so he just cut his losses and bought another. Started having more engine issues at about 80 or 90k with the replacement, so he cut his losses and now drives a crew cab 7.3 gasser. No reports on issues with it so far, but it's also only got like 5 or 10k on it now.

Bottom line, the only blue oval that my dad, brothers, or myself has in the driveway is my Dad's company provided fleet truck, a 3.5 Ecoboost F150. It's a 2023, he got it about 2 months ago. On the drive home from the dealership when he picked it up, he lost a turbo. Drove it home in limp mode, called the fleet manager for their company, and they drove up and picked it up and took it back to the dealership and had Ford fix it. When dad pulled into the driveway, the truck didn't even have 100 miles on it, and it was on it's way back to Ford. Grandpa has a 2011 Power Stroke still with 30k miles on it, but it doesn't get driven much or driven hard. Dad drives an LBZ Duramax he bought from his father in law with 50k on it last summer, Mom drives a Tahoe, and they have an Accord for buzzing around town. I drive a Half-ton GMC that replaced my Ecoboost, Grandma replaced her burned up Expedition with a Tahoe, and all the rest of the family vehicles are Hondas.

You ask GM vs. Ford. Ford's will never get another nod from me until they prove they've fixed their issues. GM is where we've turned so far, but my next vehicle will be a Toyota, probably a 4 Runner. Reliability and longevity matter, especially with vehicle prices nowadays forcing people to keep vehicles longer than we typically would. Ford is bottom of the list in my book.

 

[Unclecroc]

I’ve owned 5 ford f150s. My current is a 2013 with a 3.5 eco crew cab with 200k on it. It has the timing chain rattle on start up but aside from replacing regular wear parts it’s been a solid truck. I can’t say a bad thing about any of the fords I’ve owned. Not saying other manufacturers don’t make a good truck.
I can say a few friends that have owned chevy 1500s have had electrical issues and have had transmission issues.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

I’ve owned vehicles from 5 manufacturers from 2000 to current. None, have held a candle to the 4 fords in there. None. I’ve got two in my driveway right now. Both with over 200,000 miles on them. With nothing but a fuel pump outside of regular upkeep. I like my chances with Ford.

 

[diamond10x]

GM's 6.0 engine is probably the most reliable engine out there. I'm not saying it pulls the best or gets the greatest mpg, but it is very dependable even when abused. They last as well. There is also a big difference in driving a half ton truck compared to a 3/4 ton truck. If going half ton, might as well just get a SUV with how short the beds are on them these days.

 

[robtattoo]

Does anyone have any experience; positive or negative, with the Ford 6.2 v8 flex-fuel engine?

I'm finding an absolute truckload of 2017-2019 f250 with +/- 150k on the clock for WELL inside my budget. They're all LT trim levels (my guess is they're fleet vehicles) but looking at online ads on Car Gurus, I'm not seeing any damage on the 4 I've looked at so far.

It's got everything else I want in a truck. 8 foot bed, double cab & 4x4

To good to be true?

Specifically, this one.....

Used Ford F-250 Super Duty for Sale in Tullahoma, TN - CarGurus

Browse the best April 2024 deals on Ford F-250 Super Duty vehicles for sale in Tullahoma, TN. Save $13,092 right now on a Ford F-250 Super Duty on CarGurus.

www.cargurus.com

 

[fngTony]

Does anyone have any experience; positive or negative, with the Ford 6.2 v8 flex-fuel engine?

I'm finding an absolute truckload of 2017-2019 f250 with +/- 150k on the clock for WELL inside my budget. They're all LT trim levels (my guess is they're fleet vehicles) but looking at online ads on Car Gurus, I'm not seeing any damage on the 4 I've looked at so far.

It's got everything else I want in a truck. 8 foot bed, double cab & 4x4

To good to be true?

Specifically, this one.....

Used Ford F-250 Super Duty for Sale in Tullahoma, TN - CarGurus

Browse the best April 2024 deals on Ford F-250 Super Duty vehicles for sale in Tullahoma, TN. Save $13,092 right now on a Ford F-250 Super Duty on CarGurus.

www.cargurus.com

The 6.2 is based on their old 5.4 triton motor. Underpowered with heavy loads but if you’re not doing that then it’s a very cost effective alternative to a diesel. The 5.0 f150 would be a better power to weight ratio and better fuel economy. You’re not getting any less interior room by going with a 150, the ‘17+ super duty shares a cab with the 150.

 

[Gwchem]

My 2017 Silverado was a piece of crap. Look elsewhere.

 

[Cameron.25]

A few questions that might help narrow things down a bit are;
Do you need a larger second row of seat or okay with just enough (super crew or super cab)?
Do you need or prefer the 8ft or 6ft bed?

You can find crew cabs with a standard bed (78") or supercabs with the long bed (8')

Either one of those can be a bit tough to find but if you do the price will likely be a little bit cheaper because they're not as desired.

I'm a Ford guy and don't know a lot about the different GM models but do know a lot about the F150 models and packages/options.

Personally I would go with Ford F150 from 2013-2017 with the 5.0 (2013-2017) or the 2.7 ecoboost (2016-17) and stay away from the 2018 and up. There was some quality issues and they went to a 10spd transmission that I'm not a fan of. That's all just my opinion and what I would be looking into if it were me.

Also how set are you on your budget of $30k?
If you stretch that a few thousand to the $36-38k you could really open up a lot of lower mileage trucks.

Idk about other folks but I love my 2018 f150, it has had literally zero issues and I have the 10 speed with the 2.7l. Got it new and just hit 80k recently