Need a new truck- no clue what direction

[Jesse Jaymes]

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"?

 

[Pony Soldier]

Depends on your needs. I tow trailers hence need a diesel . For the rest, someone else will have to play.

 

[N.ID7803]

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.

 

[z987k]

I also cannot stand the ultra short beds. If a 5ft or less bed works for you, you probably need a Corolla, not a Tacoma.

But also, the new line of small trucks - The Tacoma, the Ranger and the Colorado/Canyon are all bigger in every dimension than an F150 of 15 years ago. They also tow more. So they're certainly not the micro trucks of before. Trucks keep getting bigger, a lot more modern features, and to no surprise, more expensive.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

WIfe had a Titan for 120,000 miles. She had after market exhaust. Was peppy for sure.

But I never even throw Nissan in the mix. Had no clue on warranty. I'll research

 

[Haggin]

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).

I suppose you could get something to add to your lineup that's more reliable but not for hunting, but that sounds a little silly to me (IE a newish subaru outback that stays home while you hunt).

As for bed sizes, I'm with you as well. We had a first gen Titan, then a F150 both with the shorter 5.5' beds in them. I hated both mostly because that 12-14" makes a huge difference in hauling "stuff". That and the first gen titans were junk. I'm currently not a long bed person, but will likely upgrade to one if we get a larger horse trailer or fifth wheel camper.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

I like options. Full disclosure of my Fleet:

1984 K20 Local truck for dump runs, plywood, dick around
1999 Tacoma 5spd with locker Canopy New OME 2" going on when the snow melts. Never left me stranded yet. It's newer to me. Less than 2 years. High mileage, but new JDM engine with ender 60K. I trust if for trips within 150-200 miles. Just a gut thing I guess.

2009 Subaru Outback for commuter and local daily rig 120K miles
2006 E250 Quigley converted van 62K miles. New to me. Just fun to pack Mrs and all dogs and ramble.

NEED a new truck? No.

But I am not comfortable pointing any of them at Moab to go dick around and hike for a week. Or rip across Wyoming. Most likely just a response from a lifetime of being broke down and having to figure shit out and hate the stress. I am forever listening and feeling for a new noise, ping, grind or whatever on a road trip.

There is a lot to be said for hopping in a new rig and having zero fears to point it in any direction and having the mental peace (be it false security or whathave you) to just rip it.

 

[gbflyer]

Wait a bit longer if you don’t need a new one immediately. I think you’re going to see prices come down.

 

[ppwack02]

We ended up buying a new tundra in 2019. 55k miles so far on it, no issues. Ended up buying one because my wife had a tacoma and it was the easiest MX i've dealt with. Hindsight wish we would of kept the tacoma instead of trading it in. I've got two jeeps that always seem to need something done. Never liked toyota's until we had the tacoma. Don't think i'll ever buy anything besides toyota's now. I think within the next year or so we should see prices start to come down, but I don't think it will ever be like pre-covid.

 

[snowymtnwolf]

Wait at least six months to a year. You’ll save a little $$

Best bang at that time will be to order a build with agreed upon price in writing - OR - maybe to find one with a few thousand miles.

New pricing is softening.

Good luck


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[GAHunterJim]

Faced with the same decision, I sold my 2012 F150 Lariat 5.0 and ended up with a 2020 Chevy Silverado with the 2.7 engine. The F150 was a very nice truck but I was at 150k miles and time to move on to something newer. I look everywhere for a clean used truck but couldn't find anything. Ended up ordering a new 2022 F150 Lariat but during the process, my BIL said he wanted to sell his truck and we made a deal as I new it was lightly used and well maintained. About a week later my local Ford dealer called and said my truck was in town. I had a really good price on the Lariat 4WD, about $56k, and the dealer was happy to get back, sold within about a day. Long story short, I really like the Silverado, I do think the F150 is a nicer truck overall but I saved about $20k so I'm pretty happy with the way it worked out. I went from 14 mpg average to 21 so that saves me about $100 per month which is a nice bonus. One truck that I'd recommend a look at is the new Nissan Frontier, I drove my FILs and it's pretty solid but a little small for me.

 

[Powerwagon]

Have you looked at the Ram Powerwagon? You can still get a manual shift transfer case and a 6’4” bed. Plus you’ll have lockers and a winch as a bonus.


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[Jesse Jaymes]

All good tips....many thanks.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

Power Wagon price tag doesn't start with an 8 ??

 

[VernAK]

JJ,

I'm with you on having the 4wd shift lever as a manual on the floor. I hate pushing a button or turning a knob and listening for the shift. Not comforting.

I've got three Toyotas in the garage and won't need another in this life time.

 

[Lil-Rokslider]

'81 Datsun Fo sho

 

[keystone112]

Maybe find a 2020 or 2021 Tundra with low mileage.

 

[CorbLand]

Trust me, even the younger generations don’t like the new pickups and their pricing.

Toyota needs to rebuild the first gen Tundra but get rid of the press in bearings, put the starter in a better spot and fix the lower ball joint issue. Would sell like hot cakes.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

Maybe find a 2020 or 2021 Tundra with low mileage.

Basically what I just did, but I got a 19 model.

 

[jimh406]

You don't mention what you plan to do with a truck other than sleep in it. If you simply want an elevated platform, you can use a piece of plywood hinged to get your extra length. A half dome tent will fit in most. Or, look at a roof top tent which opens the way toward SUVs.

Depending on your height/weight, you could take a look at the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. Both have a bed and get good fuel mileage. The Maverick Hybrid is a great choice if you really don't need 4x4.

I wouldn't buy a diesel right now unless you really need the extra power or need a bit more range while towing. Fuel costs are quite a lot higher and will probably be there for a while.

There are lot of great low mile older vehicles out there. A word of advice, look for those that have service records listed in Carfax or similar. Be ready to buy immediately if you find one you like.

Do a broad search instead of looking for specific models/brands. You will probably be surprised that there are great deals at times that aren't predictable. Some reasons for that are that some dealers blow out vehicles that don't sell after keeping them a while. There isn't necessarily a reason why people want particular vehicles, so some dealers realize that and would rather start over with a different one.