Chevy, GMC, Ford, Dodge, Toyota, Nissan

[Instrument 41]

Well looks like I'm about to be a victim of the Oil and Gas downturn. Currently I have a company truck, but for the new position I'll have to get my own (sucks, liked having insurance, gas and maintenance covered)
Anyway looking at 1/2 ton 4 door trucks from 2009 to 2011, maybe 2012. Trucks are really expensive and have great resale! So, of those listed in the title what has been "yalls" experience with regard to reliability?

[Oracle]

Unfortunately there is no clear winner.. they all seem to have issues. No clear winner..

[Jrboulder]

I originally went looking for a used Tacoma but prices were so ridiculous I ended up just getting a new one. The specific flavor of Taco I got (I4 AT 4wd) isn't very popular here so I guess they were more motivated to get it off the lot.

I just don't see why anyone would pay almost new prices for a beat up 5 year old rig with 100,000 miles.

[wdfifteen]

Stepson has a 2014 tundra that's pretty nice. He raves about it. I drive an 09 Silverado that's not a bad truck. It takes a half acre field to turn it in. The turning circle is much bigger than my 03 4wd Tundra even though it's only 2wd. That's my biggest complaint. My 03 Tndra is my favorite truck but it's old.

[chocolatelab]

toyota
nissan
chevy
gmc
ford
dodge

thats my order

[aigel]

I wanted to get a good used truck too. Something with 120k or less. Not abused ...

I found that the new trucks have significantly better gas mileage than even 3 year old ones. I.e. the F150 with the 2.7 or the Ram with the 3.0 diesel. Anything under 100k miles is still over 20k and barely under 20k when it is just over 100k. Anything around 50k miles will be close to 30k. That's 3/4 of a brand new one. At 50k you are done with the bumper to bumper warranty and almost out of drivetrain warranty depending on brand. At 100k you are looking at stuff like shocks, water pumps, brake disks etc. etc. Not expensive to DIY but do you want to wrench all the time on a truck? I'd rather wrench on my 993.

So, I went and picked a pretty plain jane Ram with the 3.0 diesel, 4x4 from the RAM website and bought it right off the delivery truck. Driving home in mixed traffic I got 25 mpg. Added a factory 7 year bumper to bumper warranty for not much money - with a money back option if I don't use it.

While this truck is no BMW SUV in terms of fit and finish, it rides super smooth and will be a great camping / road trip / hunting rig for us. I should be in good shape for the next 5+ years.

G

[onewhippedpuppy]

Sorry to hear about your employment change, hopefully it turns out to be a positive. I was laid off last year and it has turned out fantastic to me, definitely a blessing in disguise.

Originally Posted by Oracle

Unfortunately there is no clear winner.. they all seem to have issues. No clear winner..

I would totally disagree, all of them are very good trucks. In that regard there is no clear winner, you really can't go too wrong with any of them. My thoughts on them:

Nissan - very underrated truck. Very affordable used, excellent powertrain, excellent standard feature content, overall a reliable truck. We had an Armada, which is the SUV version, and drove it from 60k to 120k with zero issues. The DOHC V8 is a REALLY nice motor, very responsive with great torque and a nice sound.

Tundra - going to be your most expensive choice. When I went truck shopping I expected to like the Tundra the best, and ended up with an F150. Not really a standout from the Ford and Nissan from a fit/finish standpoint, MPG lags behind the domestics. 2nd biggest backseat of the bunch. Most options are in a few major packages, which makes finding exactly what you want more challenging.

Ford - I ended up with a 2012 F150 SCrew 4x4 5.0 when I went truck shopping in 2012. The Ecoboost and 5.0 came out in 2011, I would highly recommend buying one of those two, because the previous 4.6 and 5.4 were pretty mediocre. Back seat is HUGE. Lots of flexibility in options and packages. I was pleasantly surprised in the fit/finish and found it to be similar to the Toyota.

Chevy/GMC - excellent powertrains, nice driving trucks, but the back seat is mediocre compared to the others. Interior fit/finish is also off compared to most of the other trucks in the segment.

Dodge - current bodystyle is nice, not sure when they introduced it. Rear coil springs ride nice. Backseat is also not super big. Interior is actually very nice. Hemi MPG sucks but it has great power and is fun to drive. Reliability with past Dodges can be a little suspect.

Shameless plug, I will probably be selling my F150 soon. 2012 loaded XLT 5.0 with 53k, purchased it brand new, lots of extras, immaculate inside and out. Really nice truck.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Shameless plug, I will probably be selling my F150 soon. 2012 loaded XLT 5.0 with 53k, purchased it brand new, lots of extras, immaculate inside and out. Really nice truck.

By soon, do you mean when I'm in the market for a truck?

[Instrument 41]

Thanks for the replies. I've been short sided to strictly price and never thought about mileage and how things need replacing at higher mileages. A 120K mile truck is averaging $22K, depending on options and condition. Step up to the 27K price and now your into the 20K to 50K mileage, again depending on options. If I was in the market for a nice 4 door car, you can get a lot of nice car at that price. I am shocked at the resale of trucks.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

By soon, do you mean when I'm in the market for a truck?

Well I suppose that all depends, now doesn't it?

I'll probably end up waiting until boating season is over, so probably September. We use it every weekend over the summer so I really should wait until it cools down.

Originally Posted by Instrument 41

Thanks for the replies. I've been short sided to strictly price and never thought about mileage and how things need replacing at higher mileages. A 120K mile truck is averaging $22K, depending on options and condition. Step up to the 27K price and now your into the 20K to 50K mileage, again depending on options. If I was in the market for a nice 4 door car, you can get a lot of nice car at that price. I am shocked at the resale of trucks.

Even the older ones seem to have a $10k or so floor. My father in law has an older F150 SCrew 4x4 with over 100k, I think book value is still at least $15k. It's also been a totally flawless truck. A little gutless with the 5.4 but otherwise very good.

[Salty Springs]

Tundra 2001/2004/2012 with a 2011 Sierra in between (obviously didn't like it kept it less than a year) Look at the older Tundras they seem to age very well! Drove them all 100k plus.a right tear wheel bearing went on the 2004 was the only problem.They do like there fuel tho (about 15 mpg)
Dave

[Instrument 41]

Spent a few hours looking and driving and have narrowed the field to Nissan or GMC. Drove a 2012 Nissan, loaded, all the bells and whistles, sunroof, etc...Really liked this truck but the bed is so short. Really nice fit and finish, for a Nissan. Had a very solid feel, more so than the GMC. 25K miles, asking $28,900.

GMC nice, like the 5.3, bigger bed than the Nissan. But the truck without a center console, has a boring dash and interior. Found a 2011 with 40K miles for $25K.

Hopefully will know about the new job by weeks end and then flip a coin on either vehicle...unless I see something else.

[SiberianDVM]

2 years ago we bought a 2010 GMC Sierra "Texas" Edition used and 18k miles. Has the 5.3L V8 and towing package. We love it and it hauls the 911 or the Supra ChumpCar on a steel trailer with no problem.

[GH85Carrera]

There are lots of pickups you did not list.

2016 / 2017 Pickup Trucks - Reviews, Release Date and Price

Maybe the new Caddy pick-em-up!

The new El Camino looks interesting.

[Instrument 41]

Thanks for those "other choices". I could do that Gladiator and other than the GMC that would be the only one. I'm hearing some not so good reports from the real world concerning the new Ford Aluminum body.

[Neilk]

Originally Posted by Instrument 41

Thanks for those "other choices". I could do that Gladiator and other than the GMC that would be the only one. I'm hearing some not so good reports from the real world concerning the new Ford Aluminum body.

So not in the market for a pickup truck, but was interested to hear about Ford going to AL. What problems are they having?

[speeder]

If I was buying new right now, it would probably be Chevy but it's a competitive segment. It's where auto makers earn their big profits, not on the little cars.

[Instrument 41]

With regards to the Ford aluminum bodies, repairs are taking much longer than first thought and cost are higher than expected. Also, if the truck frame is twisted too much beds are warping and tailgates are not closing.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Instrument 41

With regards to the Ford aluminum bodies, repairs are taking much longer than first thought and cost are higher than expected. Also, if the truck frame is twisted too much beds are warping and tailgates are not closing.

Sounds like shops that don't know how or aren't equipped to repair them. A friend of mine is a body shop manager, they were investing about $50k in tools and a segregated area for aluminum vehicle repair (can't share tools with steel).

[MDH]

One vote for Nissan
I've driven Nissan Frontiers for 24 years
The first was a 91 4 cylinder 5 speed, 98 was the same, the current is a 2005 NISMO, v6, auto
All were or are over 100,000 miles.
The 91 ran great but had a a rusty box....that you might fall through.....
The 98 was losing it's clutch at 180,000 miles... other than that brakes and shocks around 100,000...
2005 has been great. Changed brake rotors and pads at 130,000 miles and door seals about the same time, one recall to retrofit a remote ATF cooler.
Nissan build quality and cost of ownership has been good in my opinion.