Need a new truck- no clue what direction

[WildBoose]

Had a 2018 Tacoma and LOVED it. buuuuuuut it just wasn't "enough truck". Bought a Tundra and love it as well, although probably not as much as my taco. Ive got a SxS and a tractor, too much for the taco.

 

[Kenai_dtracker]

I've had a 2008 tundra I bought used, and then a new one in 2019. Great, reliable trucks, that just function as a truck should. Downside is the aweful gas mileage, which may have been remedied in the new model.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

You are not alone. I’m fed up with the constant uptick in techy crap added to trucks to appease the younger techy generation. Bluetooth, touch screen radios, sensors literally everywhere in the truck, back up cameras, side cameras, drive themselves, micro chips all over the place. None of it does anything other than continue to increase the price, further eliminate the ability to self repair (not that the current generation does that sorta thing), and add to the frustration level of ownership as these techy things constantly put out codes, errors and malfunction.

My son is going to grow up and get an engineering job with Ford. His sole mission is to design and bring to market the Ford F-150 Classic. It will have zero microchips in it, no sensors, no garbage ABS module, a radio with knobs and a CD player and no touch screen, navigation or bluetooth, roll up windows, a 6.5 ft bed, etc. Easentially a 1970/80s era truck but brand new. All this truck nirvana for $25K or less. I’ll give you a heads up when it is coming down the pipe.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Toyotas last forever and hold their value. I would snag a 2021 Tundra with the 5.7 and the extended cab, full size bed. It will last forever.

 

[VTHunter08]

I bought new last year b/c the used prices were almost the same as new (without the warranty)...bought a Ram 2500 gasser and have been very pleased with it. Also, it's a crew cab with the standard bed which is a nice bonus.

 

[OrangeMan73]

7.3 gasser super duty is where it's at. If you couldn't find one, I'd default to a 21 or older Tundra with the 5.7. You want to buy an acre in a western state, get something that will pull a trailer to park there. That being said, modern diesels are a nightmare, so the 7.3 gasser or 5.7 toy engines are about as good as it gets.

 

[dtrkyman]

Sell all the vehicles you have other than the Toyota, put a couple grand in it and it will last as long as you want!

If it is too small you are going to have to bite the bullet and spend some money!

 

[2five7]

For a "budget" half ton, I'd order a F150 XL supercab w/stx package, 2.7 Ecoboost, 6.5' bed.

For a 3/4 ton, same kind of deal but F250 with the 6.8 or 7.3 V8.

 

[simplepeddler]

I'm there as well 2013 F150 with 210K miles. It's a Lariat Package, with the long bed, sticker was 52K back then, I bought it for 41K. A new XLT I built on line with some nice amenities came up to 63K.

Crazy.
Stopped and looked at GMC 4X4 this morning, I think it was the AT4X package (something like that) Dang thing was 86K!!!!!!

My truck is whip clean and it's hard to get out of it.
I may hold on to it and buy a used something as a daily gas miser vehicle........LOL

 

[Howdy Partner]

Buy Robby's old one.

Light use.
Never been off road.
A couple trips to the gym and back every month.
People will always greet you with a California Howdy.
No Brainer.

 

[LeftyWilbury]

I drive a 2017 2wd Colorado as my daily driver compliments of my employer. The only new car I've ever sorta owned. I hate a lot about it. Visibility SUCKS. MPG isn't all that amazing for a 2wd truck. Back seat is just big enough to shove people in who either you don't like or want to stop liking you before you reach your destination. And at 70,000 miles it burns almost as much oil as my 1987 4Runner with a junk yard 22RE. I highly doubt it'll make 150k. In fact the 2016 Colorado my employer had is already in the junk yard w a failed engine. My crappy 4Runner is at 300k, sure it needs a new engine and it's mostly rust and bondo at this point, but it starts up and goes through states and time zones no problem.

I'd say hold out for prices to come down and spend some quality time test driving some vehicles in the meantime. I'm quite partial to Toyotas but paying $40-50k for a new Tacoma that gets amazingly crappy MPG seems dumb to me. I'm hoping to find a T100 that's been lost in some grandpa's garage since 1998.

 

[Marbles]

I have more vehicles than shoes. All are pretty serviceable. But all are old and only partially reliable. I am over 50. I will retire in under two years. In my 50+ years I have purchased ONE new vehicle. I am simply not a vehicle diva. I despise it really. Can I appreciate nice trucks? Sure. I say I am Cheap. My other half says I am Frugal. I have tons of cool rifles, bows, target bows, great optics, and my urn will not be big enough to melt me with all my Sitka, Kifaru packs and Filson wool.

But Dave Ramsey and my cheap ass simply cannot get over the price of a new truck. A pretty lame F-150 is $55,000. I have built a bunch of Taccomas and Chevy Colorados online. They're the cheapest at $40-$44,000. And even with grown kids and no friends (meaning I dont ever see needing more than a passenger seat) I am not certain I want to ride into old age in a Micro Truck.

For $80,000 I would rather buy and extra acre in Montana or Idaho.

But at some point I need something newer and reliable.

All these threads (I've read most every Tacoma thread) turn into a "Well my XXXXx kicks major ass". I guess I am kinda asking for that opinion here.

I suffer terribly from both being Cheap and Analysis Paralysis. Watched a ton of Tacoma vids on the YouTubes. Read a bunch. What I read other than phenomenal resale and longevity is gutless, drum brakes, 20 year old technology. Wait for a 2024 Gen 4??? I don't need a truck today. Or this hunting season.

I'm pissed that truck beds keep getting smaller. Why? I slept in my '99 Tacoma bed (6ftish) all over Washington and Idaho this fall. Solo ramble. Had a blast. I really don't want a 5 ft bed.

My opinion of modern society is very poor, as is my opinion of the current generation. But am I the only one who wants a manual lever on a transfer case? Could roll my own window down if need be too.

I've crossed paths with a few of the diesel Colorado owners. They are in love. I've searched a 300 mile radius and I can not find a Colorado, long bed, diesel. And I am not 100% I'd chunk down the money today, but it's the closest I've found to possibly Happy.

I've been overwhelmed with lithium, chips, Supply and Demand, interest rates, the apocolypse.....will vehicle prices ever subside? Very poor time to purchase? And is there a short list of "clear winners"?

If you do not need to tow, get a long bed TRD Sport Tacoma with access cab and manual transmission and no extras for $37K. Get a Valley Runner Sport tune. Enjoy it.

The manual gets you a real key.

Tacomas are midsized. I wish they where smaller.

If a "microtruck" is too tough on your ego, drop the money on an F-250. Or, take your time and find a used truck you like.

Don't worry though, the "gutless" opinion of the Tacoma and disliking drum brakes makes you very modern, so regardless of your opinion of modern society, you are solidly part of it if you need a big truck that handles like a sports car to be happy in retirement.

The Tacoma just works. My 2021 has more tech than I like, but less than most new trucks. Whish my 1997 was a double cab and did not need an engine rebuild as I like the simplicity.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

All the manufacturers have some kind of discount plan. I got x plan pricing thru my employer...but you can also get the same plan by owning Ford stock, currently $13 a share. Then I signed up with Fords promotions dept and they sent me a coupon for 3k off an F series truck. X plan got me approx 8000 off sticker plus the 3k PCO. I walked out with 11k off the sticker for my F250 7.3 Tremor.

Paying full price today is just being lazy. You can get it cheaper by jumping thru some hoops.

 

[SwiftShot]

I have more vehicles than shoes. All are pretty serviceable. But all are old and only partially reliable. I am over 50. I will retire in under two years. In my 50+ years I have purchased ONE new vehicle. I am simply not a vehicle diva. I despise it really. Can I appreciate nice trucks? Sure. I say I am Cheap. My other half says I am Frugal. I have tons of cool rifles, bows, target bows, great optics, and my urn will not be big enough to melt me with all my Sitka, Kifaru packs and Filson wool.

But Dave Ramsey and my cheap ass simply cannot get over the price of a new truck. A pretty lame F-150 is $55,000. I have built a bunch of Taccomas and Chevy Colorados online. They're the cheapest at $40-$44,000. And even with grown kids and no friends (meaning I dont ever see needing more than a passenger seat) I am not certain I want to ride into old age in a Micro Truck.

For $80,000 I would rather buy and extra acre in Montana or Idaho.

But at some point I need something newer and reliable.

All these threads (I've read most every Tacoma thread) turn into a "Well my XXXXx kicks major ass". I guess I am kinda asking for that opinion here.

I suffer terribly from both being Cheap and Analysis Paralysis. Watched a ton of Tacoma vids on the YouTubes. Read a bunch. What I read other than phenomenal resale and longevity is gutless, drum brakes, 20 year old technology. Wait for a 2024 Gen 4??? I don't need a truck today. Or this hunting season.

I'm pissed that truck beds keep getting smaller. Why? I slept in my '99 Tacoma bed (6ftish) all over Washington and Idaho this fall. Solo ramble. Had a blast. I really don't want a 5 ft bed.

My opinion of modern society is very poor, as is my opinion of the current generation. But am I the only one who wants a manual lever on a transfer case? Could roll my own window down if need be too.

I've crossed paths with a few of the diesel Colorado owners. They are in love. I've searched a 300 mile radius and I can not find a Colorado, long bed, diesel. And I am not 100% I'd chunk down the money today, but it's the closest I've found to possibly Happy.

I've been overwhelmed with lithium, chips, Supply and Demand, interest rates, the apocolypse.....will vehicle prices ever subside? Very poor time to purchase? And is there a short list of "clear winners"?

This is an option to think of. There is a company out of Spokane that will completely rebuild a truck and upgrade it as well. So you could send them a 2005 dodge 3/4 ton with the 5.9 and it gets a complete rebuild. Motor transmission everything. They will add heated seats big touch screen in the dash ect. I almost went that route. So if you have a truck you love, well they make it pretty brand new.

 

[journeyman713]

No Chevy guys?
I like my Silverado enough to trade it in for a new one of the same, every 3 years.
What am I missing?

 

[wind gypsy]

My $0.02 (I have an F350, for towing, full disclosure).

If you're gonna keep it for a long time/drive the wheels off, you have two options -

1) Keep the easy to self diagnose and work on current lineup you have, or
2) Get something new and drive it "forever". Since you're gonna drive it until it dies, the warranty doesn't really matter because you'll own it outside of warranty anyway. If it makes you feel better, get the extended plan to cover major items in the first 5-7 years (I do on newer vehicles with a lot of tech in them and shop around for the best deal).

When i bought a new f150 about a month ago there was an option for an unlimited bumper to bumper warranty as long as I owned the vehicle. No mileage or timeline caps. In 20 years it would still have a bumper to bumper. Was about $3k. If at any time you sold the truck prior to 15 years they'd refund you the pro-rated value of the warranty costs. So if you sold the truck @ 5 years, they send you a check for 2/3s of the warranty cost ($2k).

Maybe i missed a catch but seemed like a fair deal for someone who intended to keep a vehicle for a long time.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I refuse to buy a "new" truck because I'd be pissed at every little ding, scratch and the depreciation. I look for used trucks with low mileage and then rig it my way. That way I can treat it like a glorified wheel barrel.
I prefer Rams however, I get the Limited package cuz I sometimes drive for days to my hunting grounds and want be very comfortable. Find the lightly used truck that is equipped to meet your needs. Cross country transportation to your place is under $1K. Cost me $700. to have my Ram transported from Iowa to So. Calif.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

If you do not need to tow, get a long bed TRD Sport Tacoma with access cab and manual transmission and no extras for $37K. Get a Valley Runner Sport tune. Enjoy it.

The manual gets you a real key.

Tacomas are midsized. I wish they where smaller.

If a "microtruck" is too tough on your ego, drop the money on an F-250. Or, take your time and find a used truck you like.

Don't worry though, the "gutless" opinion of the Tacoma and disliking drum brakes makes you very modern, so regardless of your opinion of modern society, you are solidly part of it if you need a big truck that handles like a sports car to be happy in retirement.

The Tacoma just works. My 2021 has more tech than I like, but less than most new trucks. Whish my 1997 was a double cab and did not need an engine rebuild as I like the simplicity.

WTF did ego come into it? My '99 Taco is a micro truck. With a 87 pound duck dog in the extended cab....he is still essentially in my lap. Laying a rifle and a backpack on the platform I built over "rear seat" is rather difficult and completely fills the rear area. Battling your passenger for the arm rest console like Southwest airlines is just fact, not ego.

 

[Broomd]

Check out Nissan, either the Titan or the Frontier. IMO more reliable than the Toyota. Yeah resale value is not what the Toyota is, but its up there and will beat out the Colorado for sure. I have guys at work with Tacomas and Tundras and they are not satisfied with the reliability. Injector issues, fuel pumps, EVAP system is a piece of work, etc. Luckily they all bought the extended warranty or they would likely be upside on the maintenance. I've owned 2 Titans and a Frontier, Titans have 100k factory warranty that you dont have to pay for and I have used it once. Mileage is about the same. And this is not a pavement princess, as you know living in Boundary county, we have some mighty fine woods roads.

Good recommendation, fantastic warranty. The new Frontier is a looker, and the Titan is a fine ride too--a bit more thirsty at the pump.

I do like the '14-21 Tundras, great rigs that last a long, long time--my faves......but the Nissan is a great consideration.

 

[Bailer]

No Chevy guys?
I like my Silverado enough to trade it in for a new one of the same, every 3 years.
What am I missing?

I’ve hated Chevy since my 2005 Duramax experience. The truck was bad, GM’s attempts to avoid fixing it were worse. That said my company just sent me a 2023 Silverado 1500 and it’s pretty nice. I don’t know what we paid, but the sticker was higher than the OP sounded like he was looking for.