Need a new truck, what’s good?

[zacattack]

Yeah I’m sure this will have about as many opinions as there are assholes in the world but here goes…I currently have a 2019 Tacoma, which I love this truck. Problem is I have two boys (3 and 4 years old) that are outgrowing the back seat. It doesn’t help that I’m 6’2” either. Anyhow, was looking at the new tundras but it appears that the V8 is gone in favor of turbos, wtf Toyota!?!?

So I guess I’m seeing what other viable options there are? I’m not really interested in used trucks, prefer new.

 

[khuber84]

The new tundra is a good truck, but one prob, casting material was left inside the block on certain production dates. Causes engine failure. They know it, and a recall has been issued. The new ram is comparable to the yota. Turbo6, coil rear suspension. The ram has been reviewed to have the best ride. I have friends with the new tundras, they have complaints with the mid tier trim interior rattles and poor fit/finish. They power is adequate but not impressive, however I come from 600hp tuned HD diesel pickups. Personally for me, the only half tons I'd look at would be the new ram rho, raptor, zr2 or trd pro. Real off-road capable rigs.

 

[simeon]

If you do any kind of towing, its hard to not go with a diesel 3/4 ton. No idea what your budget is, but the newer 3/4 tons have pretty impressive suspension. Still not a 1/2 with independent rear suspension, but its not bad even on mountain roads in my experience. If you want lots of back seat space the Ram megacap is legit.

I also know several guys that have really enjoyed the turbo v6 in the F150s as well.

At the end of the day it depends on what your needs are and how you plan on using your truck

 

[CorbLand]

If your thinking Tundra, I would leave the 3rd gen alone for a few years. I know you said you wanted new but a used Tundra pre 3rd gen, with low miles would probably be your safest bet with them right now.

Lots of good reviews on the newer half ton diesels. Might be worth looking into those.

 

[Thunder17]

It’s hard to beat an F150 with the ecoboost or 5.0 whichever you prefer. Tons of room in the crew crab, good fuel mileage for a full size pickup (probably as good or better than your Tacoma), and very dependable.

 

[manitou1]

The new tundra is a good truck, but one prob, casting material was left inside the block on certain production dates. Causes engine failure. They know it, and a recall has been issued. The new ram is comparable to the yota. Turbo6, coil rear suspension. The ram has been reviewed to have the best ride. I have friends with the new tundras, they have complaints with the mid tier trim interior rattles and poor fit/finish. They power is adequate but not impressive, however I come from 600hp tuned HD diesel pickups. Personally for me, the only half tons I'd look at would be the new ram rho, raptor, zr2 or trd pro. Real off-road capable rigs.

I opted for the 2024 Tundra with the factory lift.
The aluminum shavings weren't in the '24 models.
I threw in a 10-year 125K mile warranty for good measure.

Very happy with the truck. Traded a 2020 Silverado with the 5.3. The 5.3 was anemic compared to this one.

You might take a look at the GM/Chevies with that 3.0 diesel. That one was on my radar also. Some are getting 34 mog in the new ones.

 

[manitou1]

If your thinking Tundra, I would leave the 3rd gen alone for a few years. I know you said you wanted new but a used Tundra with low miles would probably be your safest bet with them right now.

Lots of good reviews on the newer half ton diesels. Might be worth looking into those.

This is year four in the Gen 3 Tundras.
The fit and finish on mine is very good.
No interior rattles, etc either.

Really liking it... coming from Rams and Silverados.

 

[Flyjunky]

2x Tundra owner here and I’m going Chevy 1500 with the 3.0 diesel on my next one. I like the tundra but mileage sucks and I drive 24,000+ a year.

 

[INshooter]

I’m in the same dilemma with what truck to go with. I’m contemplating a tundra (‘24) or an AT4 GMC with the 3.0, I’ve driven it and it’s smooth and the fuel mileage is very intriguing. Only problem with these is that your can dang near get a mid level 2500 diesel for roughly the same cost.

 

[HuntHarder]

24 GMC AT4 3.0L here. So far I am impressed

 

[CCooper]

F-350 Tremor Limited Diesel- as long as I’m spending someone else’s money

 

[oldskool67]

21 GMC Sierra 1500 with the boring old 5.3. Heard all the horror stories but so far I love it

 

[IDVortex]

They're all just a bucket of bolts..


Id look at the chevy/gmc 1500 with the 3.0 dirty. Have known 3 people with them and they all love them. Love the newer tundra, but have read more issues with them then I'd like. A full size diesel is nice, but the ride of half tons are amazing, guess I'm old.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

The best new truck to me is finding a good older used truck IMO. The new trucks are way too expensive and are basically computers on wheels. Break something or get in a fender bender, that’ll be $10k+ on the repair.

 

[Taudisio]

Our work trucks are Chevy 1500s with the v8. We have a 20, 21, 23, and a 24 being up fitted. Zero issues. The 23/24 have a push button start, the 20/21 have a key. I drive the 20 and hopping in the keyless feels weird and is my only complaint. The 23 already has 40k miles on it. Not sure on the 21.

 

[Boarmaster]

I’m trading in the next 12 months. I’m likely to go from Chevy to GMC 1500 this round. Love my 2017 Silverado v8 with 100k. Time to trade while I’m still having a good experience.

 

[Luked]

Worked for a Ford Dealer for a long time.
Was there when the 3.5EB came out. Its a nice truck I owned one but they have their issues also and the new ones have a lot of the same problem. Turbos, Cam Phasers. which are a pricy fix.
I had a 2012 and loved the truck, Honestly wish I still had it over my 19 Ram, But at 200k miles there had been tons of work done to it. Both turbos replaced, Cam phasers 2x etc.
Buddy of mine still works at the same dealer and is the shop Forman. His suggestion when people ask him which to buy is the 5.0L F150. Ton of power and pretty solid powertrain.
I like my Ram but there are a few things I HATE about it.
It isnt a "normal" truck as its lifted 6" and has 35s on it. Towing it does well with our 5000lb camper but with the small gas tank size and terrible mileage towing I have to stop about every 150-170 miles for a fill up. Which is annoying as hell.
Most everything about the truck I like other than that.

I wouldnt go with the new Turbo Yota for a bit untill they get some of the bugs worked out. Just my opinion on that though as lots have had great luck with them but a lot have not.

The 1/2 ton Chevy with the 3.0L diesel has got some great reviews and I have a bunch of friends that have them and they love them and they have been pretty bulletproof.
The only thing I did not like on them was the stupid belt driven oil pump that needs inspected/replaced at 150k. And to do that the trans has to come out. Kind of a dumb design in my opinion. But have not heard a ton of them failing.

 

[SDHNTR]

FWIW: I have a brand new 2024 Tundra 1794 with factory 3” TRD lift. I thought that by 2024, they’d have the kinks worked out. WRONG! It’s a super nice POS! I sold a perfect running 2006 Dodge 2500 Cummins and a flawless 2017 4Runner TRD pro to buy this truck and I regret it every day!

The transmission overheats (according to the dash gauge, who knows what’s really happening) under low speed hill conditions. They all do it. It’s a design issue. They did away with the trans cooler.

There’s no tow hooks! Toyota literally just forgot them on all Tundras. It’s not an option on any trim level. A good aftermarket fix requires removal of the entire front grill and cutting and drilling. Inexcusable on any 4x4!

Annoying application of modern tech. Bells whistles and chimes for everything. Took me a month to figure out how to turn chit off. Took an aftermarket OBD dongle to hack some of the crap. Auto stop/restart is the worst I’ve seen. Put in park, motor dies, take seatbelt off to get out and it starts back up. Wtf! Why?

Wind noise is terrible. None of the gaskets on the windows fit tight to the glass. Drivers rear door doesn’t fit/close snug. Interior plastic and trim is flimsy. All kinds of squeaks and rattles at less than 5000 miles. CV joint pops in reverse with a hard wheel turn. Brakes squeal like holy hell in reverse every morning. Dual pane acoustic glass windshield gives a distorted view. Headaches on long drives.

Worst of all Toyota can’t figure out a fix for any issue. Not one. Been to two different dealers. Unless the “mechanic” can plug in and read a thrown code, or there’s a recall, they can’t fix a damn thing. I have had a case pending with Toyota customer care for 2 months now. Zero progress.

My take: Toyota realized they were getting beat in the tech race. They channelled all R and D into updating the tech, which they did, and over did, but at the expense of what makes Toyota desirable, reliability. They cheaped out on actually building a quality truck in order to build a high tech truck for city people who are impressed by needless tech nonsense and never actually use their trucks for truck things.

And now there’s hundreds of thousands of recalled boat anchors with blown or about to blow motors with metallic sand in them. All needing a major repair where the entire cab must be removed from the truck and the short block replaced. Getting those done will take years and all other needed repairs will just have to get in line. A long line.

Shame, shame, shame on Toyota!

For anyone shopping for a Tundra, I strongly suggest waiting until the mid cycle refresh in 2026 when hopefully many of the necessary design changes will be addressed. Sorry to be a downer. This just isn’t the Toyota we’ve all come to know and love.

 

[Redthies]

Everything is a crap shoot these days.

I have 3 Toyotas, and was on the list for a new Landcruiser but have decided to pass. My 2019 Tundra is ok, but not stellar. I’m likely going with a Ford (Bronco Sasquatch) for my next new rig, and keeping my 400,000 old 2003 Sequoia and 595,000 old 1997 Tacoma for reliable back ups.

 

[Ens Entium]

I would be in the minority in that I prefer newer trucks for their increased safety testing and tech such as rear cross traffic alerts and automatic braking. That's why I decided to part with my '98 4Runner.

I have 35,000 miles on my 2022 Tundra and it does have more squeaks and rattles and wind noise than I would like. I chose Toyota based off the statistical likelihood of significant issues being lower. The turning radius sucks but the ride is comfortable and works well for our family of 5. While there were some issues with the engine debris, it appears to be less than 1% affected for 2022-2023 based off data and leads to catastrophic failure early in life (typically less than 10,000 mi). I am confident Toyota will take care of these issues and would not swear off a brand based off a sample size of 1.

I analyze quality data for a living and I think it has become popular to make decisions based on emotions and outrage. While I do agree they "don't make them like they used to" I also am grateful that technology exists to increase my comfort and improve the safety for the well being of my family.