2021 F150 vs F250

[deserteagle56]

I have several friends with f150’s with the 3.5 and have had no issues other than allot of recalls.

^ This is me. Bought my 2016 F150 3.5 Ecoboost back in May of 2016 and all I've had to do is change the oil and rotate the tires @53000 miles. 3 recalls but none have been done yet because, according to the dealership, they can't get the parts to do the recalls!

 

[Sendit]

I have a deposit on a ‘21 F150 and it’s supposed to arrive in the next day or so and I’m really torn. I’ve always had Toyota trucks but the F150 on paper is so good. Really struggling with the decision to buy a Ford. I could wait and get a ‘22 Tundra but I’m skeptical the payload will match the F150 and the rear seat of the Ford is amazing (I have two kids and two dogs). It seems like you can get a great Ford of a crappy one. Also the Ford is very safe and the new Tundra is an unknown so far, but I assume it will be very good.

 

[phsycle]

I have a deposit on a ‘21 F150 and it’s supposed to arrive in the next day or so and I’m really torn. I’ve always had Toyota trucks but the F150 on paper is so good. Really struggling with the decision to buy a Ford. I could wait and get a ‘22 Tundra but I’m skeptical the payload will match the F150 and the rear seat of the Ford is amazing (I have two kids and two dogs). It seems like you can get a great Ford of a crappy one. Also the Ford is very safe and the new Tundra is an unknown so far, but I assume it will be very good.

Fortunately, truck resale prices are high and will likely remain high for the foreseeable future. So if you decide you don’t like it, you can always resell it.

But I think you will end up liking it. It’s a great platform. Rear seat is amazing for the kids and the flat floor is great for hauling stuff.

 

[ITTOG]

Long story short is lack of reliability and instant power.

I had a 2007 Tundra 5.7L and now have a 2018 3.5L TT.

The Tundra was great with its instant power and reliability. For the 12 years I owned it there was one recall and one part failure.

The F150 has been the exact opposite. There has been several recalls and some they call TSB's, FSA's, etc. I think the total of these are around eight so far. It has been in the shop too many times to count: freezing door locks, fire hazard on safety belts, braking system malfunction, door locks not working, Sync 3 not working, cam phaser rattle, complete loss of power when going from 3rd to 4th (have been close to being t-boned twice), cam phaser FSA (which hasn't worked), and a few things I can't remember right now. Thank god I have been working from home the past 1.5 years. With all that, luckily, it has not stranded me yet. Also, while the truck has plenty of power, I do not like to tow with it. It drinks the gas so fast I can't pass a gas station without stopping. If I lock the transmission to only use 7 gears then it is better but not great. Therefore I prefer to tow with the Tundra (son drives it now).

I bought the F150 because I didn't want to buy the same generation Tundra and the inside of the F150 cab is amazing . The fit, comfort, and technology are top notch.

I just received a letter about three more recalls. Ford calls them CSP's (customer satisfaction program) but given I basically have to take the truck in for repair it is a recall. They are just trying to make it sound like this is a good issue and they are extending their support requirements. This brings the recall list to around 10 now. I basically live at the Ford dealership.

Oh, I should probably add some of the recalls have not worked in resolving the issue so back to the dealership multiple times for a recall. The truck is basically a lemon.

 

[Todd780]

I could wait and get a ‘22 Tundra but I’m skeptical the payload will match the F150 and the rear seat of the Ford is amazing (I have two kids and two dogs).

I think that would depend on how each truck is equipped.

Back seat room is great on the F150 Supercrew. Not sure yet on the '22 Tundra. I did not notice if the Tundra has a flat floor either. That has also been very handy on the F150.

 

[Sendit]

I think that would depend on how each truck is equipped.

Back seat room is great on the F150 Supercrew. Not sure yet on the '22 Tundra. I did not notice if the Tundra has a flat floor either. That has also been very handy on the F150.

The XLT supercrew 3.5 eco 6.5 bed I have a deposit on will have roughly 1850lbs of payload based on similar examples I saw on the lot with the same equipment. The Ford has aluminum body and leaf springs. I would be surprised if the steel body and coil sprung tundra can equal that if similarly equipped. My current truck is a 2005 Tundra double cab and it has around 1425 lbs of payload and it’s not enough.

I would like to know more about the rear seat of the tundra and if it’s flat like the ford and if the seats fold up the same. The backseat of the Ford is a huge selling point, along with the safety, payload, 36 gallon fuel tank, rear locker, and power. Only part I’m nervous about is reliability.

 

[Todd780]

The XLT supercrew 3.5 eco 6.5 bed I have a deposit on will have roughly 1850lbs of payload based on similar examples I saw on the lot with the same equipment. The Ford has aluminum body and leaf springs. I would be surprised if the steel body and coil sprung tundra can equal that if similarly equipped. My current truck is a 2005 Tundra double cab and it has around 1425 lbs of payload and it’s not enough.

I would like to know more about the rear seat of the tundra and if it’s flat like the ford and if the seats fold up the same. The backseat of the Ford is a huge selling point, along with the safety, payload, 36 gallon fuel tank, rear locker, and power. Only part I’m nervous about is reliability.

36 gallon tank is nice. Except when you have to fill it, haha

I've got approx 160,000 miles on my 2015 with the 5.0L and 6 speed. So far aside from regular maintenance, I've had to replace the transmission lead frame and the water pump.

That's it.

Couple people I know with EcoBoosts have had a couple issues with their trucks as well. (Heater issue, back window shattering), But, not related to the EcoBoost motor itself.

Personally, I will still look at another F150 (as well as other makes) when replacing this truck. Overall it's been decent. With the F150, I will probably go EcoBoost over 5.0 next time.

Lead frame was annoying because Ford recall previous trucks for the same issue with the exact same part. So I was annoyed I had to pay out of pocket. If only my truck was a year older...

 

[Grassland]

36 gallon tank is nice. Except when you have to fill it, haha

I've got approx 160,000 miles on my 2015 with the 5.0L and 6 speed. So far aside from regular maintenance, I've had to replace the transmission lead frame and the water pump.

That's it.

Couple people I know with EcoBoosts have had a couple issues with their trucks as well. (Heater issue, back window shattering), But, not related to the EcoBoost motor itself.

Personally, I will still look at another F150 (as well as other makes) when replacing this truck. Overall it's been decent. With the F150, I will probably go EcoBoost over 5.0 next time.

Lead frame was annoying because Ford recall previous trucks for the same issue with the exact same part. So I was annoyed I had to pay out of pocket. If only my truck was a year older...

I'm worried my lead frame on my 14 is going to catch me by surprise.
Isn't the issue the gasket is under par and metal filings get in and short out contacts or solenoids?

And the 36 gallon tank is the best thing ever! After having that so many other trucks are out of the running by not offering anything even close.
Using premium I've had fuel ups pushing $180 so that's a cringe but you can go so far!

 

[Todd780]

I'm worried my lead frame on my 14 is going to catch me by surprise.
Isn't the issue the gasket is under par and metal filings get in and short out contacts or solenoids?

I can't remember exactly. I'd have to go back and see if it mentions it on my invoice. But I think you may be correct with the gasket.

Oh it's a surprise when it starts happening and you're doing 70 km/h and all of the sudden your truck shifts into 1st!!

That being said, if it happens to your truck, you should be covered under the recall notice... In fact with the parts shortage I wonder if you should just have it done now?

Ford recalls 1.2 million F-150s for faulty automatic transmission | MotorSafety.org

www.motorsafety.org

 

[nickw]

The XLT supercrew 3.5 eco 6.5 bed I have a deposit on will have roughly 1850lbs of payload based on similar examples I saw on the lot with the same equipment. The Ford has aluminum body and leaf springs. I would be surprised if the steel body and coil sprung tundra can equal that if similarly equipped. My current truck is a 2005 Tundra double cab and it has around 1425 lbs of payload and it’s not enough.

I would like to know more about the rear seat of the tundra and if it’s flat like the ford and if the seats fold up the same. The backseat of the Ford is a huge selling point, along with the safety, payload, 36 gallon fuel tank, rear locker, and power. Only part I’m nervous about is reliability.

I'd spend less time worrying and just enjoy it....I've had Audis that everybody said were unreliable, no issues, VW's, no issues, BMW's, no issues....I'd have 0 concerns personally, much more important things in life to worry about.

 

[NudeLobster]

Uhhh... Turbos are easy to change on an F150 and cost ~480.00 brand new from Ford. They also last many hundreds of thousands of miles. DI is as reliable as any other fueling system (if not more reliable) and isn't at all complicated to repair.

The start stop feature actually makes the motor more reliable and last longer due to the way it works. Fords system rarely uses the starter....and that is an upgraded part along with the wiring.


FWIW: my dad has a 2015 Navigator with the 3.5. He has around 150k on it with about 100k of that having a travel trailer behind it. He's had zero issues. All he's done is a lot of oil changes, three spark plug changes, and few sets of tires.

I would respectfully argue against the start/stop point. Starting is the single most wear inducing action of an engine due to the lack of oil pressure and circulation when it starts up, no matter how it initiates the start.

I will say, I'd get the 250 for no other reason than that dreamy 7.3L big block!

 

[Sendit]

I’m thinking of switching from the 3.5 eco and 6.5 bed to 2.7 with payload package and 5.5 bed. No plans to tow anything heavy (or at all, we have no trailer). I do a lot of hunting and the shorter wheelbase will be better off-road. The 2.7 has plenty of power, might be more reliable, and gets slightly better fuel economy. The payload package plenty of payload and 3.73 gears so adding 33 or 34 inch tires should be fine.

 

[Porkchopexpress]

I'm going to be the contrarian here and say that if I was in the half ton market, I would get a new "old" Tundra before the next gen comes out. It's probably the last time you might be able to negotiate price down on a Toyota truck and I predict there will be a lot of fan boys who will prefer the last generation keeping the resale value up. Just like there are people who want the previous generation of Tacoma, there are a lot of Toyota fans who like the simple reliability and not the 10 speed, turbo boosted tech.

Trucks are utilitarian and as long as the older gen Tundra meets your needs, I think I is still a great, reliable choice.

 

[Sendit]

I'm going to be the contrarian here and say that if I was in the half ton market, I would get a new "old" Tundra before the next gen comes out. It's probably the last time you might be able to negotiate price down on a Toyota truck and I predict there will be a lot of fan boys who will prefer the last generation keeping the resale value up. Just like there are people who want the previous generation of Tacoma, there are a lot of Toyota fans who like the simple reliability and not the 10 speed, turbo boosted tech.

Trucks are utilitarian and as long as the older gen Tundra meets your needs, I think I is still a great, reliable choice.

I thought about it but the current tundra has crappy payload and sucks in the crash tests.

 

[phsycle]

I thought about it but the current tundra has crappy payload and sucks in the crash tests.

Also, you’re not getting any sort of discounts on them right now, anyway. IIHS crash tests was one of the major reasons I stayed away from the Tundra as well.