Truck Advice

[Husker95]

I am looking for people's experiences, positive and negative, with 1/2 ton, 4x4 pickups in the 2011-2013 year range.

I am currently driving a 2001 F-150 4x4 extended cab that I bought new. I have about 160k miles on it and it has been great and given me virtually no problems for the 13 years I have owned it. But my son is starting to outgrow the back seat and mama isn’t riding back there so it’s about time to upgrade. Plus, I have the 4.6 L engine and it is slightly underpowered for pulling my boat into the mountains. So I am about to start shopping for a vehicle – which is one of my least favorite activities. I don’t hunt a lot or do any technical off-roading but I fish/ice-fish a lot so am driving to 11-Mile, Pueblo, Spinney, etc. 25x a year – and towing a boat in the summer.



I haven’t seriously looked at trucks in 12 years so am interested in folk’s experiences/advice with trucks in these year classes. Thanks


Husker95

[trlcavscout]

Ford super crew eco boost. I wish mine had the eco boost.

[wctriumph]

Stick with the Ford, you can't go wrong, absolutely the best trucks going. I have been hauling and towing with pickup trucks for 43 years and have used Ford, Chevy, GMC, Toyota, Datsun and Dodge. The ONLY trucks that did not give me issues were the Fords. If given a choice the Ford truck will always be my choice with Goodyear AT LT tires.

[blacklabel]

If I was in the market for a fullsize truck, it would more than likely be an F150.

[tmleadr03]

Ford super crew eco boost. I wish mine had the eco boost.


http://www.f150forum.com/f70/first-time-my-eco-blew-up-208912/

[SideShow Bob]

GMC Sierra 4x4 with the Vortec Max. I've got a 2010, and haven't had any problems. Plenty of giddy up go and 15 + mpg in town and close to 18 + Hiway.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/02/u7enevuh.jpg

[blacklabel]

Plenty of giddy up go and 15 + mpg in town and close to 18 +

I was getting 23 on the highway in an F150.

[SideShow Bob]

But did you have 375 ponies under the hood ?

[Shodown]

Ford super crew eco boost. I wish mine had the eco boost.

+1

I have a 2012 F-150 super crew with an Ecoboost and I absolutely love it. It drives awesome, gets great gas mileage (for a full size truck anyhow) and the backseat is enormous making it great for kids.

[ColoWyo]

I have a F-150 FX-4 with the Ecoboost and absolutely love it. The back seat is HUGE. I have three buds who also have the ecoboost and not a single one of us has had one issue with it. And that is actual experience, not some thread on the www. It's a great motor with tons of power for a half ton. Not to mention I really enjoy having the turbos up here at altitude.

[blacklabel]

But did you have 375 ponies under the hood ?

I'm pretty sure it had the 5 liter and not the 6.2 so 360.

[Teufelhund]

I bought a 2012 Chevy Silverado 1500 crew cab 4x4 last summer. z71 with the 5.3L vortec. I absolutely love it so far. Haven't pulled anything with it, but it's been in the mud and snow plenty, handles great, and no issues whatsoever. It's the 3rd Chevy I've owned - they all ran great, easily pulled anything I hooked up to them, and never had any problems beyond regular maintenance items.

I've owned 4 different Fords (3 pickups and 1 suv) in my life, and each of them had major and minor mechanical difficulties right up to the point I got rid of them. A lot of people love them, but I've had nothing but problems with Fords; I'll never own another one.

[mountainjenny]

I'm a Ford girl myself, but don't have much experience in the years you are looking at. I've got a 06 F150, that I love and an 1969 F250 that I love even more. I say go Ford!

[Dryfli]

I'm a ford guy for sure and love my f350 but the new dodge 1500 with the 3 liter diesel looks pretty interesting. I've been trying to talk my wife in to getting one with the mega cab, I think it's listed getting around 28 mpg but I don't know about buying something the first year of production.

[ColoWyo]

I'm a ford guy for sure and love my f350 but the new dodge 1500 with the 3 liter diesel looks pretty interesting. I've been trying to talk my wife in to getting one with the mega cab, I think it's listed getting around 28 mpg but I don't know about buying something the first year of production.

Im not 100% sure, but I don't think you can get the Mega Cab in a half ton anymore.

[Bailey Guns]

No sense getting into a pissing match about Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge but I do own a Chevy in the year range you're asking about.

I currently have a 2012 2500HD with the 6L gas engine. Mine is in low-end WT (work truck) trim. I've always owned Chevy or Ford...but never a Ford in the year range you're looking at. Based on my experience with this truck I don't see how anyone can claim there are better trucks out there. Maybe equal quality, but not better. My last 3/4 ton truck was an 02 Ford 7.3L turbo diesel. Great truck but certainly not better than the Chevy. It's also been my experience that Chevy trucks do better in snow...but tires can make or break your truck in the weather. I've never had a Ford truck that was worth a damn in the snow. I still own a 94 F350 7.3L dually that runs like a scalded ape while hauling a 4000 pound camper through the mountains.

Regardless of which way you go, you'll find upgrading to a 3/4 ton pickup makes a world of difference towing in the mountains (or anywhere else for that matter). I frequently haul very heavy loads of firewood in mine while pulling a heavy trailer loaded with firewood up here in Bailey.

I recently looked at some of the 2014 Chevy 3/4 Ton trucks while having the oil changed in mine. Lots of nice engine and other upgrades over the 2012. If you're looking for new I'd definitely give them a look.

ETA: I also push a 7.5' plow with my Chevy and it handles it really easily. Which brings up another point in favor of the 3/4 ton Chevy over Ford. From my experience the Chevy has a much tighter turning radius than the Ford, if that makes a difference.

[trlcavscout]

http://www.f150forum.com/f70/first-time-my-eco-blew-up-208912/

But look at the 100's of thousands that didn't have problems. Its like anything else. My 330hp tritan is OK at +/-20 mpg highway but I have to save up to do the timing chains soon. I worked at GM dealers for 10 years doing transmissions then driveability and I will never own another GM product. Dodge, well I won't even go there.

[Mtn.man]

NEVER ask advice on trucks. it's like asking advice on women.
Most guys have no fuk'n idea and the rest go with what the commercial says.

[blacklabel]

How can you go with anything else when only Ford is "Built Ford Tough"?

[Rooskibar03]

Quick get a current F150 EcoBoost before they release that god awful redesign.

I love my truck. I don't know why I waited 38 years to finally buy a pickup but I can't see not having one now.

Its great on the snow and does 75 on the highway quieter than my Audi. Highway mileage is great buts it's crap in town. 13/14 but my drive is only 6.5 miles so it never really warms up.

With the exception of push button start it has every car gadget I could want, including cooled seats.

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm251/cmuthard03/32b3e13c03d2af8ff3cab70bd70b3c38_zpsee25e961.jpg


By the the way, best accessory I bought was the Bedrug. Spray in liners are great if it's a work truck but this, combined with a folding cover makes the end like a giant trunk.

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm251/cmuthard03/c207ec5c80b7542aad4e0672fc92f667_zps6c426129.jpg

[hollohas]

I know how this is going to go, but I love my 2010 Tundra. 390 hp, over 400 ft-lbs. I have frequently had it in snow deep enough to plow with my bumper at the top of mountains without chains (just snow tires) and never even come close to being stuck. The tow package makes for a nice adder and the truck doesn't even notice when something is hitched up to it. I get 16-17 mpg combined, not spectacular, but not terrible. I love this truck.

A Ford F-150 with eco-boost seems like a great truck too but I don't have any personal experience with them to give a valuable opinion. I just like the idea of better gas mileage and the extra power.

PS - the Tundra has plenty of room in the double cab for my kiddo and mama. My wife prefers to take the truck on long drives because she loves how comfortable it is in the back seat. However, the crew cab would be better if you're going to be driving around any buddies much over 6ft.

[hollohas]

Good looking truck Rooskibar.

[Husker95]

Thanks guys - that's a ton of great advice/xperiences. Sounds like folks have had great experience with the F-150 Ecoboost. But Ecoboost is a 6 cylinder - has anyone towed much with Ecoboost? I don't want the fight I am having now with my 4.6 l V8.

[Stevensje]

You really cant go wrong with any new truck. I have a 2011 ECO BOOST and absolutely love the turbos at altitude. It goes up and down the passes with ease. It truly is amazing and effortless. However, I have had a ton of issues with my FX4. It's been in the shop atleast 15 times.
Cooling issues, purge valve multiple times, high pressure fuel system issues and the last time was 2 broken spark plugs. WTF..... Not even covered under warranty at 50K. It's a maintenance item...cough.. Cough... bull shit. With that being said, I like my truck and might buy a new Raptor or another F150. Not sure if it will be Ecoboost, but maybe. Love/Hate relationship.
I will also consider Dodge, Tundra and maybe Cheby but they seem small Interior. The Fords have nice Luxeries which I have become accustomed 2. Hands free talking rocks. Heated and cold seats, remote start and the backseat space is amazing with 2 young kids.
I really don't think you can go wrong just find something in your budget. 0% is free money as long as you don't overpay for the truck. Mine was 48K MSRP walked out paying 39k 0% for 60 months. It was purchased in August when next years model was being launched.

[longbow]

I just bought this one that has the 5.0, same motor that's in the Mustang. Still breaking it in but am very impressed so far.

[ben4372]

I drove a friend's 2012 ecoboost. I liked quite a bit more than my ram 1500. Though I still think my coils in the rear rides a little nicer. There is a reason Ford sells lots of them, they are nice. My reason for not considering one would be the engine. It is just too overly complicated. The hemi gets a couple mpg less but it is relatively simple for it's 390 hp and should be easy to fix. This is the golden age of autos, any make should be decent. Ford and Toyota are probably the top of the heap if you have the budget.

[ColoWyo]

Thanks guys - that's a ton of great advice/xperiences. Sounds like folks have had great experience with the F-150 Ecoboost. But Ecoboost is a 6 cylinder - has anyone towed much with Ecoboost? I don't want the fight I am having now with my 4.6 l V8.

Compare the numbers on the companies websites. The Ecoboost has as much or more torque than the V-8's. Plus the twin turbos will maintain the power at altitude better than a normally aspirated engine. It'll blow your 4.6 away. Towing and off the light.

The 5.0 as mentioned is also a great motor. But realistically, I think all the new trucks are pretty damn nice. Just pick the one you like the best.

[Stevensje]

New Technology is great, but it is more things that can ho wrong. I'm just being devils advocate.

[Bailey Guns]

^^ Maybe. But it also allows some pretty amazing things to be done in terms of performance, fuel economy, etc. And in a lot of ways I think vehicles in general are far more reliable today than years past.

(He said, with an 81 GMC and a 94 Ford in the drive that both run great after a combined 53 years on the road.)

[JohnnyEgo]

So here is what not to get:

http://www.johnnyego.com/dump/snowpocalypse/HDR18.JPG

2008 Nissan Titan Longbed 2WD.

This is my Florida truck. It towed a variety of boats with no hesitation. It is very comfortable and quiet. It performs great at altitude. It is absolutely miserable in the snow without snow tires. I can pull a 180° at 5 miles an hour or less. Also, my gas mileage is abysmal. I get 13mpg in the city, 15mpg on the highway, no matter if I have a full load or I am towing. Also, the 'long bed' is 7'8". Because the extra 4" would be to much to fit in the garage.

I got an affiliates discount on the Titan, and bought it during the height of fuel prices and the gas-guzzler incentive program, when trucks simply were not moving. I got an unbelievably good deal on it. It has been maintenance free for six years. However, I won't be buying another one. I'll probably go with an F150 or something with a standard sized 6' or 8' bed.

[spongejosh]

Hold out for a few months and get a Ram 1500 with the diesel. I'd like a Tundra but a 1/2 ton with a factory diesel would trump my Toyota loyalty.

[sniper7]

Only buy Chevy. All there is to know.

My 1500 crew 5.3 pulls my camper up the mountains no problem. Ford will have turbo issues with the exoboost if you are pulling a lot and mpg goes to crap, worse than my v8. If you are going for looks and better mpg get the eco boost. I get 18-20 combined not pulling and 9-11 pulling my camper loaded which is about 6k.

Chevy motor is proven since 2000. Ford changes it up too often and runs into big problems like the 6.0 diesel. Junk...who the hell puts variable vanes on a vehicles turbo...

New for 2014 is direct injection. Same as the Vette. Option for a 6.5 foot bed on a crew half ton so you Dont lose bed space with a crew cab.

[Husker95]

Thanks again everyone. Lots of data to consider. I have really been pleased with my 2001 F-150 but drove a the Ram 1500 last weekend and damn that was a nice ride. Am anxious to drive the new F-150s, Tundra and Chevy over the next couple weekends. I figure if I only shop trucks about once ever 13 years or so I am going to take my time.

[00tec]

Let me start by saying I have 3 1/2 fords. (one is a totaled go-cart project- stupid no driving hippies)

I would go with the f150. Depending on how much you tow would determine the engine you want. If you use it mostly for the daily, get the ecoboost. If towing heavy stuff is more than say 1/3 of your driving, get the v8. My brothers ecoboost got got VERY good mileage without weight, but towing dad's bobcat on a heavy trailer, it dropped below your average v8 (current years).

Buddy has a '12 GMC, and while it is a decent truck, he wants a Ford.

[streetglideok]

All the trucks have their issues, their pros and cons. All of them break at some point or another. Some of it has to do with the engineering, some of it has to do with the care it gets from its owner. If you don't service the fluid in the transmission when required(see severe service guidelines for this), don't blame the car maker because it puked its guts out at 90k. Ecoboost, I've heard a few say good things, and I've read a lot of bad things. Personally, I think its too small an engine, being pushed a tad too hard. With direct injection, and turbos, oil selection is VERY critical. I suspect owners with problems may rely on quick lube places, or their own "know how" and are not using oil that meets Fords WSS-M2C946-A spec. With fancy technology comes higher costs in repairs. If or when you have turbo problems, or direct injection issues, be ready. It won't be cheap, and the DI is beyond the scope of a lot of shops that insist on hiring C rated techs for A level work.

[ColoWyo]

Thanks again everyone. Lots of data to consider. I have really been pleased with my 2001 F-150 but drove a the Ram 1500 last weekend and damn that was a nice ride. Am anxious to drive the new F-150s, Tundra and Chevy over the next couple weekends. I figure if I only shop trucks about once ever 13 years or so I am going to take my time.


I think its wise to test them all these days. When I was looking for a new truck, the Ram, Ford, and Tundra were all pretty close in scoring.

If you drive the Chevy/GM, make sure you drive the 6.2. I had the 5.3 and friggin hated it. It was gutless. I was coming from a diesel and just thought gassers were like that. I regretted buying that truck with the 5.3 the minute I drove it off the lot. I should have gone with the 6.2. Make sure you at least test out both engines if you try out the GMs.

[hobowh]

In a half ton if you want to be able to tow anything over 6500 pounds stay away from dodge(top end on the manufacturer rating due to the coil rear end) want a sturdy bed stay away for Chevy(it flexes when i tie things down in the bed) and want a motor that lasts stay away from echo boost. (The one at work has had 2 motors in 65k) have not tried the toys or ins sans, but know lots of folks that like them. Owned both the Chevy 2011 and the dodge 2011 and when I got a new one steared clear of the 1/2 ton all together but plan on towing bigger and better things...

[Teufelhund]

I think its wise to test them all these days. When I was looking for a new truck, the Ram, Ford, and Tundra were all pretty close in scoring.

If you drive the Chevy/GM, make sure you drive the 6.2. I had the 5.3 and friggin hated it. It was gutless. I was coming from a diesel and just thought gassers were like that. I regretted buying that truck with the 5.3 the minute I drove it off the lot. I should have gone with the 6.2. Make sure you at least test out both engines if you try out the GMs.

^This is good advice. I was initially disappointed with the 5.3. It did feel gutless compared to the 5.7 vortec I had back in '97 - that truck was a beast and a blast to drive. I finally sprung for a Diablo tuner for my new 5.3 and it feels like a different truck now, lots of power and even gained a little mpg. I guess they're just tuned too conservative from the factory. I also turned off the AFM (turns off 4 cylinders when cruising, supposedly to save mpg's). That particular feature has been found to burn oil and crap up the inside of the engine after about 90k. Plus it seems to hesitate when you step on it and it has to turn those other cylinders back on.


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[stevelkinevil]

Do yourself a HUGE favor and skip the Gobernment Motors products all together and get yourself a real truck FORD!