Please, Help buying a new truck

[Lori Kleinberg]

I have said it before and I will say it again, you guys are great. Your replies of information and opinions is just what I needed. You have helped in the past, even saving me money on repairs, now, with all this information to help me decide on a vehicle.
So as it stands now I am going to go for the Ford truck. If for some reason that does not work out I will then probably go with a Yukon.
I know these are 2 different kinds of vehicles, but I have my reasons.

First, I want to support/buy American (please I do know most of the foreign cars are built here in America, but I want one of the American, big three).
Second, I totally agree about Ford digging its way out of a hole all by itself, very impressive.
Third is friends and family discount, so price could be a real factor. I want all the toys but would not mind saving some money. My biggest hesitation with Ford is the service available around here, we have not had much luck.
I picked the Yukon second because I always wanted a Tahoe/Yukon. I don't know how many times I let myself be talked out of buying one.

So hopefully by next weekend I will have a spiffy new vehicle with all the bells and whistles to play with.

[Neal Clayton]

A word about Toyota, I had a friend that had a Toyota car and the engine went bad out of warranty just like my truck. Toyota replaced the engine FREE! because they said that should have never happed.

and the last time i bought an american made vehicle, for the alternative ending to that, the horn didn't work right off the lot. brushes defective. they tried to charge me to fix the brushes in a vehicle that wouldn't pass inspection due to having no horn. had to argue with the dealer for an hour about it to get them to fix it free of charge.

and so my current truck is a toyota, for that reason.

ford, admittedly, is not too bad. have alot of friends/family with ford vehicles that seem to hold up fine.

GM, i think, on the other hand has fallen way too far in quality. for the same amount of people i know with ford vehicles that do fine, an equal number have GM vehicles with way too many 'fit and finish' issues in a short period of time. rattles and pops from interior pieces coming loose, simple mechanisms like door/window electronics and thermostats and such going bad, etc. etc. etc.

and just on philosophical grounds i didn't really care for their TV ad claiming they had "paid back" their bailout money either, which was pretty much a flat out lie. they didn't pay any of it back, they let uncle sam keep the stock the government bought rather than buying it back, and drew down a line of credit they had with the government to pay off the first loan with another loan. ironically, the net result is a loss (the money for the TV ads). nothing else changed.

if they'll lie to everyone on national TV about their financial situation they'd surely lie to me about the quality of a vehicle.

[Chuck Wintle]

I would be hard pressed not to have the Tundra on my short list of ONE.

Same here! Best pickup on the market

[John Shuk]

I've driven mostly American cars my adult life. I can't honestly say that they have done much to earn my business over the years. Too many expensive fixes of stuff that should not need replacement. Unresponsive dealers. It is too bad.

[Brian Elfert]

I always purchase vehicles based on if they are a good value and fit for me. Where they are made is pretty far down on my list. My dad used to be an American car guy, but his last purchase was a Hyundai although I think it is made in America.

My current vehicle is a GM, but it is really a Toyota underneath. I have a Pontiac Vibe which has a Toyota drivetrain. My only problem is the heat which is probably a design issue. Most cars provide enough heat even at zero degrees to cook you. The Vibe provides less than adequate heat and the dealer says it is fine.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Oh... my husband thought maybe a Tahoe/Yukon would be easier for me to drive because they are shorter vehicles. Just what I needed ... something else thrown into the mix.

My daughter had a Yukon. Her experience was that it was cheesy, tinny, broke and fell apart too easy, failed to perform even as advertised, was a maintenance nightmare and did not go where you pointed it - super boaty feeling when driving.

American car and truck makers have developed a way of building vehicles that rely on fundamental designs. For example if you spend a little time googling how many cars were built on the Dodge Neon frame and suspencion you will be surprised ( I think) at how much pure garbage they gussied up all fancy and sold to an unsuspecting public. IT's like that across the spectrum and it's done because it's cheaper. It costs less to buy one set to tooling to be used across a wide spectrum of models.

Trucks are a little different as the weight classes ought to require differences in more than mere component parts. But GMC tends to be GMC no matter what fancy pants sheet metal they put it on it. So, one might always as oneself the question from that 1960's advertisement: "Wouldn't you rather have a Buick?" To which my answer is: not on your life I wouldn't.

[Dave Wagner]

I have 2004 Ford F150, 4x4, supercab, 5.4L, FX4 Offroad, leather, etc..Bought is used with 12K miles. I Love it. It's only been to the shop once in 5 years! Except for a broken front spring and new tires. We Tow a car hauler a few times, Seats 4 pretty good. Runs good.

[Jim Rimmer]

Check this link: http://www.fordvehicles.com/trucks/f...eos-and-demos/
It's produced by Ford so it is slanted toward the F150 but it has 20 videos about 3 minutes each comparing Tundra, Ford, Chevy, and Dodge in various areas such as towing, frame, safety, etc.

I have an F150 with 5.5 ft bed and crew crab. A couple of comments:
1. I went to the lumber yard this weekend and picked up some Baltic Birch. I was a little concerned because of the short bed but it fits. So you can haul a 5x5 sheet in it. All cos. played a game with the bed when they made the back seats bigger for soccer moms. They added length to the cab and shortend the bed so they made the beds taller since they are rated in cubic feet. But so far I have hauled what I need but I don't haul really big stuff.
2. Ford flattened the rear floor - the hump is gone so when you fold the seats up the storage is flat.
3. I added a rollup bed cover. I think the brand is rol-lock. So far, I like it. Rolls up when you need to haul tall items. Watertight when you need it. Vinyl over aluminum and lockable so it's secure.

[Horton Brasses]

I would go with the Ford Platinum, that is just a darn sweet truck. I have a decked out Nissan Titan which I love, but I would take the Platinum if I was buying today. It has the nicest interior on a truck I have ever seen, and one of the nicest interiors I have ever seen on any vehicle. Everything Ford is putting out right now looks excellent.

I too like that Ford didn't take bailout money. That said; if I remember correctly Ford asked for bailout money but the gov't wouldn't give them any because they seemed on surer footing (which they are).

[Ben Hatcher]

Why a truck at all? Why not an Expedition/Suburban/Tahoe? The last time I was shopping I was convinced that a truck would be my next purchase. When I started thinking about it, the Expedition made so much more sense. Sure, I have to rent a trailer to get bulk mulch, dirt, or to haul large items like brush. But I have the advantage of being able to keep everything inside and secured, and I can haul 8 people in complete comfort. The inside width is 49" so plywood is no problem to haul. I would get the EL version as my cargo area is only 7' 6" long. As for quality, eh, it is what it is. Mine rattles like crazy, but then I don't exactly baby it.

[Bob Turkovich]

American car and truck makers have developed a way of building vehicles that rely on fundamental designs. For example if you spend a little time googling how many cars were built on the Dodge Neon frame and suspencion you will be surprised ( I think) at how much pure garbage they gussied up all fancy and sold to an unsuspecting public. IT's like that across the spectrum and it's done because it's cheaper. It costs less to buy one set to tooling to be used across a wide spectrum of models.

Cliff,

Your comment regarding the Neon is misleading. If my memory serves me correctly, the answer is two. (Neon & PT Cruiser - and other than front crossmember, basic suspension & some powertrain, I can't remember much else common between those two). (You can't believe everything you read on the internet......)

While I understand the basic premise of your point, you need to include the Japanese manufacturers in your statement. As part of the continuing effort to improve quality and reduce cost, we were constantly performing teardown comparisons of all the other major competitiors' products. No one came close to using common components/design as Toyota.

The car companies can take two basic approaches: 1.) They can do a few basic designs, try to do them right and then build and adapt from them. 2.) They can create individual groups and send them off on their own. It will result - maybe - in a vehicle that more likely suits the wants of the specific customer but it will take more people and more tooling cost.

During my time in the industry, we tried both approaches (unfortunately, multiple times ) depending on the management. Approach 1 can lead to designs that basically meet the customers wants but may not have much soul. Approach 2 can lead to designs that are either hits or misses.

[Joe Pelonio]

I am forced to take back what I said about my trouble-free 2007 Ranger
with 40,000 miles, after I took it in this morning for service. One of the CV axles is starting to leak. Thankfully though, it's covered by the 5 year power train warranty so I won't have to pay for it. Unless you are buying a 4 wheel drive this particular problem won't happen on whatever you choose.

[Jim Becker]

Of the two you mention, I'd probably opt for the Ford...I just like them a lot better. But I'm with Tim...I'd buy another Tundra if I ever went back to a pick'em'up'truck.

[Chris Padilla]

Toyota all the way for me. I had a little 1990 Toyota pick-up and it is still going today. I sold it to my nanny's son for $1050. He took real nice care of it, even got it painted, and sold it recently for $3k!! I could hardly believe it!

Anyway, I replaced it with a 2007 Tacoma, Double-Cab, Long Bed. 35k on it and so far the temperature sensor inside the cab (headliner) died on me. Warranty took care of it.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

If my memory serves me correctly, the answer is two. (Neon & PT Cruiser - and other than front crossmember, basic suspension & some powertrain, I can't remember much else common between those two). (You can't believe everything you read on the internet......)

It was an NPR radio broadcast - not that they have a corner on ultimate accuracy , but tend to be a tad better than the internet-s .

[quote] No one came close to using common components/design as Toyota.[quote]
Yah I was surprised at the MR2 car.

Lexus' new sports car and the Dodge viper being notable exceptions