Fullsize Pickups; Half Ton Trucks.........Which & Why

[D45]

Definitely has to be 4WD, 4 full doors, and auto trans

Which would you pick and why?

Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra, GMC/Chevy 1500

Definitely will not be new........no older than 2010

Ford F-150 5.0L V8:
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 32-valve
Aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 302 cu in, 4951 cc
Compression: 10.5:1
Bore: 3.63
Stroke: 3.65
Main Bearings: 5
Power: 360 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 380 lb-ft @ 4250 rpm

Fords are very reasonable and affordable..........but what about the quality with how many they produce? Ford sold 528,349 F150s in the US in 2010. Toyota sold 93,000 Tundras.

Toyota Tundra is VERY nice, but the SR5 cab is a tad (just a tad) too small.......the Crew Max is a must

Tundra 5.7L
HP: 381 @ 5,000 rpm
Torque: 401 lb.-ft @ 3,600 rpm

Anyone know the bore and stroke and motor specs?

What about the GMC/Chevy? I have heard the 5.3 is good and bad..........is the 6.0L offered in the 1500?

The Dodge Ram 1500 with the 5.7L Hemi does not impress me, at all

Daily driver, weekend hauler for a deep v boat, hunting rig,.......family vehicle

 

[CRolandLJ]

I have a 2014 Silverado Z71 4x4 crew cab and its been really good so far, about 6 months and 10k miles in. What annoyed me about Ford was their engine choices... their V6 eco-boost cost more and got (supposedly) about the same mileage as the chevy/gmc 5.3. My EPA Mileage was supposed to be like 18/22 and i'll get about 17 with mixed driving and 21 on a long highway drive...but this may go up as I get a few more miles. I think the Ford eco-boost is EPA'd at 21 hwy. I think the 5.0 was 18 hwy. Obviously mileage isn't the biggest concern when buying a truck but for me it was like "why pay more for a more complicated engine that's less proven and get the same mileage or worse" This doesn't take into account the hot rod effect of driving a twin turbo. My 5.3 has enough power to tow anything you'd expect it to. 21 ft ski boat, 17 ft aluminum bass boat, flat bed with a CJ5, bumper pull cow trailer with 2 cow/calf pairs were all no problem, just gotta be smart. The integrated trailer brake controller make it really sweet if you have trailer bakes.


With all the being said, if you could get what I got in a Silverado for the same price as a Tundra I would have loved the crew max, it's freaking huge inside. The only problem is you're gonna pay a lot more for a Tundra. I initially started shopping used Tundras trying to pay low 30s for something pretty nice options but not loaded and 4x4 but that's what i got in my new Silverado with 18 miles on it, plus a new warranty and 2 yrs of maintenance and all that good stuff. I'd be in a several year old Tundra with a good amount of miles (not to mention one body style old which hurts resale value) for the same price.


Additionally the ford option pacakges were all discounted drastically different, so to get a couple more options you'd have to jump up a package level (no big deal in chevy because their discounts were not limited to a package) but in Ford the discounts were reliant on getting specific packages. I'm sure this has all changed somewhat since this was shopping for the 2014 trucks in 2014... and none of this will apply to you if you're buying used anyway.

 

[Regcabguy]

I had the opportunity to sit in a 2013 F-150 4wd Ecoboost last week. This was a top of the line truck with every imaginable option. Cab's very roomy with comfortable seats but the interior is much too "Transformerish" for my taste. Truck had 78K(guy does some driving) and the average mpg read 14.0,stock pizza cutters. I don't know what axle ratio it had. He does tow sparingly.
Today I rode in a 2014 F-250 XLT 4wd crewcab longbed 6.2 V8. Aluminess bumpers fore and aft and a construction type rack courtesy of Aluminess also. NTG Racing here had just completed a Carli 2.5 pintop system with full replacement leafs out back. VERY comfortable cab,way less glitter. Suspension works incredibly well. Tight,rattle free,quiet truck. It had 11K and overall mpg for that mileage was 8.7. No towing,315's.
Two different trucks for different applications. Just my observations.
Driving V-8 slushboxes is distinctly different than driving a manual diesel as expected.

 

[TXLX]

I've been in a few newer GM's, I'm underwhelmed as always.

So on to Ford and Toyota.... The super crew is very roomy inside and rides great. My dad has a ecoboost 4x4 and gets ok mileage, but if you need to tow.... It's a go getter. The 5.0 is a great engine and mileage and towing capacity isn't bad. They are a dime a dozen, so you can usually find a good deal. I've had a lot of ford trucks, and not because they aren't reliable, quite the opposite.

If you need A LOT of space, the tundra crewmax is awesome. The 5.7l has plenty of power. But it's seems like a really big truck for a half ton.

 

[jaxyaks]

Of the three listed I would select the Ford with the 5.0.

 

[Wilbah]

I would go with the GM....but you'll find just as many guys who say go with the Ford. But I like the 5.3. I have a Yukon with it and am at 237K miles. Been across country twice....once towing a 24' trailer. Yeah I-70 coming back into Denver (towing the trailer) was a bee-atch but other than that I have never lacked for power. I like the lower stance than the Ford and while not sure about the year you're looking at but in the new 3/4 tons the Chevy/GMC has better ground clearance. Now is that why you buy a truck? Of course not. I would make sure you investigate the specific year, model and option packages you are getting to know what is likely to go wrong with it. If those items are things you can repair yourself or get repaired easily then go with it. But you might find a "hard stop" item there to which would make you pass on one or the other. All are decent vehicles and as long as you buy one that hasn't been beat I'm sure you'll be happy. Good luck!

 

[rad]

My preference tends towards GM and Ford. I don't know enough about Dodge trucks to have much of an opinion. The same with Toyota outside of my opinion that I don't think they've been in the full size market long enough to have all the potential major issues solved.

My thoughts on GM trucks:
- Their designs tend towards conservative and functional. I'm not a fan of the look of the Chevys from 2008 forward, but overall their interior and exterior designs tend to be rather toned down compared to the others. They're not trying to make their stuff look like big rigs.
- GM's truck engines tend towards dead stupid reliable if you take care of them. They are as fancy as some, still having pushrods and all, but they work just as well and run for near forever with little issue. Their automatic transmissions tend to be quite good too.
- Of the big three they probably have the weakest drivelines in the half ton class. Aluminum front diffs (Need I say more?). Perfectly fine for the use they were intended, but it always seems like people want to swap in the 3/4 ton gear if they want to play in the rough stuff or install any serious aftermarket add-ons.
- While they're engines and transmissions seem to be some of the best in the business, it seems like everything else around them will fail or fall apart at some point. Alternators, starters, oil cooler lines, fuel pumps, broken interior parts, warped brake rotors, and it seems like there is always a new rattle noise coming from somewhere every couple years. The longer the term of the relationship, the more stupid little things you end up fixing.
- Rust is a major problem up until the 88 redesign, then much less so. From 96 forward rust seems to be almost a non-issue for the most part.

My thoughts on Fords:
- My favorite model years are 87-91, 92-96 (which is basically 87-91 with a nose job and nicer interior), and 04 to the present. I'm not crazy about the 97-03 models due to looks and engine issues (the 5.4L and it's odd relationship with its spark plugs comes to mind). Any good specimen 86 and older is prefectly serviceable as well.
- The 92 and older trucks are just plain built like tanks. Simple and strong. They tend to resist tinworm better than the 87 and older GM's. Rust and stupidity tend to kill these trucks before anything else manages too.
- The 97 and forward regular cabs are super roomy, but that comes with a price. A big part of that price is that you can't pull the engines out through the hood anymore and access to the back of the engine is very restricted. You have to raise the whole cab off the frame. The guys with turbo diesels know this well.
- Generally quite reliable trucks (they're a top seller for a reason). Any reliability issues tend to be less predictable than with GM trucks. One generation will have some known issues. The next generation will probably have those solved, but bring along a new set.

That's probably plenty to chew on and debate for now.

 

[Kmehr]

Between the two, my advice would be to go with the one YOU like the most. There's really not going to be much difference in price, reliability, or capability between the Ford and the Chevy. It's really going to be personal preference. I think Dodge is the only one of the three that traditionally scores lower in objective reliability measures like JD power by any significant margin. (correct me if I'm wrong on that). I don't think any have really had notoriously awful break down histories other than maybe the 6.0 Powerstroke, but you said you were looking for the half ton anyways.

I'm traditionally a Chevy guy, but own both a Chevy and a Dodge currently (though both are 80's models, so not what you're looking for). Fords just never really did it for me, but nothing against them. I will say though, never really have understood the eco-boost from Ford. I have no experience with it, so this is all third hand speculation, but from what I've read on the internet, I've never seen much advantage to it. Similar power, mileage and capabilities as a V8. Nothing I've read has indicated that it's had any reliability issues, I'm just guessing replacing the turbos alone would probably cost about the same as a long block for the V8s. Just my .02.

 

[nick325i]

I've always been a chevy guy until lately. I've had several 5.3 half-ton chevys. Never had an issue with any of them but with that said, never too impressed with the kind of power the 5.3 produced. It never seemed to have enough low-end torque to tow well but maybe they have corrected that since my last one (09 model). I even put 4.56 gears in that one and still wasn't happy with it. The 6.0 or 6.2 depending on the year in a half-ton would be a lot better but they are tough to find.

I would lean towards a new ford. I really like the interior and fords seem to tow well (stability wise) from my experience. My only issue with the ford is the weird engine options as mentioned above. A F150 with the 6.2 would be nice but they are tough to find if you don't want a raptor.

I don't have much of an option on the Dodge. I like the 5.7 but I'm not a big fan of the coil suspension in the rear.

I would probably pick the tundra if I was to buy a new half-ton. They are a little old school but you get a decent sized V8 and a sturdy drivetrain plus they seem to get less mixed reviews from people I know that own one. Everyone seems to really like them.

As mentioned above, drive ALL of them. I bet one will stand out to you.

 

[NevadaLover]

If you do your own wrenching I highly stress STAY AWAY from 97 and newer Fords, they are NOT mechanic friendly!!! these 4 pics are examples of what it takes to work on these trucks, this is what you go through just to change the exhaust manifold on the passenger side, WHICH is a pretty common failure as they crack, even if you only need gaskets you still go through this process, not to mention the spark plugs, a/c compressor, oil pan or any of the other regular occurring problems!! Now don't think I am saying GM or Dodge are any more reliable but anybody with a little mechanical skills can repair those same problems on a GM with basic hand tools and without having to buy/borrow/steal 1000 dollar specialized rotunda/OTC tools!!

Notice how high the motor has to be raised!

 

[rad]

If you do your own wrenching I highly stress STAY AWAY from 97 and newer Fords, they are NOT mechanic friendly!!!

That is what will probably keep me in the GM camp. I don't wrench on mine that often, but I'd like to have the option.

 

[D45]

That is what scares me, BIG TIME, about almost all newer vehicles...........engine room and being able to work on things

I love the engine room I have in my I-6 Cummins

 

[papasmurf]

I'll start with this... I love Toyota. I own a 2007 Crew Max Tundra.

I have one chief complaint. I have it lifted 6" with 35's and off road bumpers and a bed rack with tent. The truck gets about 11 city and 15 highway. Im still running stock gearing, which I hear if you bump the gearing up it will add a few more MPG's back in, however all that said the 26 gal gas tank is a limiting factor on range. I can comfortable get 225-250 miles mixed driving in its current config. Im just about to replace my gas tank with the transfer flow 46 gal replacement tank to extend my range to 500+ miles. Its a 1200$ investment that will really expand the trucks abilities. Other than that, I love my tundra, nothing bad abou the other vehicles listed, but the tundra does have the highest towing capacity in the group, as well as power and torque for days.... and its far more spacious in the inside than the others IMO.

So this is just my two cents being I own a 07 crew max as I type this. Its really up to you and your budget and how far you want to take the truck.

~Bruce

 

[SDDiver5]

Heres my opinion.

Chevy's bumpers hang down too low and the interior doesn't impress me that much. I do like the 5.3L that came in the Escalades, which I believe are the same engine that you can find in a 1500 (someone please correct me if I'm wrong). My dad put about 250k on his escalade and it ran great with the many miles. It also towed our 23 foot mastercraft with ease and its a pretty big and heavy boat. The 2014/2015 Chevy 1500's didn't impress me at all. I specifically didn't like the size of the dash and the placement of all the controls and 4x4 buttons.

The dodge- Mixed opinions. I like the power wagons of all years for obvious reasons but they are hard to come by and get something like 12mpg if you're lucky. I really like the generations with the 12V cummins. But other than that they are more of a fufu truck.

Toyota- Good trucks. Very spacious. My dad just bought one and it has a strong engine, good interior, tows well etc etc. But I feel that they are Tundras are too much of a "look how big I am" and "look at me" truck. The front end is very boxy and very bulky. And I dont like the guy who makes his voice way too deep and tries to be manly on their commercials.

Ford- I'm biased to a certain extent but I definitely like ford. The FX4 packages are awesome and there is a lot of aftermarket support. Strong engines and reliable. I have 260k on my 4.6L and still runs strong. My family used to own an excursion with the V10 and it was based off a F250 platform. Great rig. I drove it in high school and owned the parking lot. Towed our family and boat every summer to various lakes. Lots of road trips. I miss it to be honest. You can find a good F-150 for a pretty decent price with low miles. Top notch in my opinion. Certain years could have used a little more thought in the interior but the new interiors are spot on IMO.

 

[DangerAbe]

Tundras are too much of a "look how big I am" and "look at me" truck.

Then about a Ford

I drove it in high school and owned the parking lot.

LOL