Alright, I’m torn here..I’m trying to decide what my next truck will be. Currently, I am looking at midsize trucks, and half tons. Born and raised in an autoworker family, I’ve been brought up to buy “American” the big three.
Toyota makes a great Tacoma and I am not opposed to looking at one of them. Not really sure how the family will take it..I’m just not convinced that there is a great choice from the big three.
What the truck must have,
$25k max, crew cab , 4x4, manual trans is nice but not a necessity, gas mileage isn’t huge as my commute isn’t too wild. Let’s hear everyone’s opinion!
Thanks,
Here’s my take on the big 3, back in the days your grandpa and my grandpa were in their 20s and 30s even 40s America was actually producing some pretty stout trucks overall that’s because trucks were built for a purpose. Now it’s all about how cheap we can make trucks to maximize profit. I’m not saying it didn’t happen back in the day. It’s just way more prevalent now. Midsize truck Toyota Tacoma is king for longevity purposes. Next (as much as it makes me sick saying this) I’d go with the gmc or Chevy midsize with the baby Duramax. The gas motors TRASH. And honestly that is it for me I wouldn’t even touch the new Ford ranger. USA gas trucks are just not built for what a truck originally was built for. They went from being workhorses and practical to now they are shoved with so much tech and fancy crap so that way the doctor or lawyer can show off his new pavement princess. That’s my take.
I appreciate the feedback! You hit the nail on the head, in terms of how things are made today, etc. The baby d-max has been a thought of mine as well, with out the emissions equip that is. As for the ranger..it has the 10speed that’s surely to be a Ford/gm disaster. The Toyota Tacoma has my vote so far...but the baby duramax is a very close contender. Thanks again!
A used Tacoma or Tundra are your best bets if you want a truck that will last for as long as possible with minimal issues AND you are not going to be towing all the time, mainly heavy loads beyond 10,000 lbs. (or even just under that). Not too long ago we had a member needing a truck to tow 12,000+ lbs and I wouldn’t recommend a Toyota (Tundra) for that. Even in that scenario you would have to step above the latest Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado/GMC 1500, and Ram 1500 as they are not built to last anymore (and instead go to the 2500s/HD/Super Duty). But even diesels MY 2008+ are not recommended as they can be very expensive to fix over time (sometimes requiring the whole cab to come off) - best to own if it’s for work and you make money with it (to defray the expensive repairs) and/or you absolutely need a diesel because you tow super heavy that a regular gas version wouldn’t cut it. Aside from that, and if you wanted a newer truck beyond 2010 and it was not a Tundra/Tacoma I have no problem recommending an F-150 with the 5.0 or 6.2L from MY2011-2017 (although 2013/2014 is the sweet spot). Aside from that the older Silverado’s and Rams were not bad before 2006, so you may look at those as well. To give a fuller view, see the video below by respected Master Mechanic The Car Wizard: I understand the situation you are in, but at the end of the day when it comes to the repairs you will be the one paying for them (not the family 🙂 ) so choose wisely from our recommendations:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wWP3baxDt3w&list=PLh3LJqzACNaPK0nX3wIypD0FBUd8rILQE&index=4
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u6Jx0dWLQSI&list=PLh3LJqzACNaPK0nX3wIypD0FBUd8rILQE&index=10
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7wDmoUm5VCI&list=PLh3LJqzACNaPK0nX3wIypD0FBUd8rILQE&index=1
You can reassure your family that Toyota employs around 137,000 people in the USA. They pay taxes on the vehicles they sell, and duties on the vehicles they import. They also treat their customers a bit better than "the big 3", which by the way is now the big 2, since Chrysler is now a European company. Or maybe even Big 1 since GM is mostly invested in China now.
I hear you, believe me I see your point clearly. I appreciate the feedback !
I'd get a Toyota Tacoma if you are going to keep it a long time. It's probably made in the USA (though I'd much rather have one made in Japan). I do not trust newer Big 3 vehicles...they just don't have the quality that they used to and it makes me really sad.
My current truck is a 2007 F150 6ylinder, and I pretty much trust it...its the base version and does what I need it to do without anything fancy on it. If you are going the used route, you might do some research on those in that year range as to which to buy and which to avoid.
But if you are for sure buying new or new-ish truck that I planned on keeping, I'd avoid Ford, GM, and Dodge like the plague and get a Tacoma. And it really hurts me to say that. When I was younger I was pretty much 100% Chevy, but swore them off back when the GM bailouts were going on and I'm glad I did. I hate to swear off Fords too but I don't trust the newer ones like I do Toyota.
If you buy the Toyota and the family gives you crap, just tell them if they would stop making crap you'd buy one....that is if you don't mind not getting invited back for Thanksgiving and whatnot 😉
tacoma is the best truck for longevity, but trying to find a used one will give you many headaches. I reccomend the 2015 or older tacomas because they were bulletproof, but watch out for the rusted frames. The ford rangers are also good trucks, but not as good as the tacomas.
