What NEW truck should I buy?

It happens all the time here. I just smiled said OK and went home sprayed some brake cleaner on the caliper and wiped things down. Went back the next day the mechanic made a show of looking at the brakes (never did take the wheel off) and gave me my sticker.

 

From what I've heard, guys are not happy with the new (EPA) diesels. My brother has an '04 cummins 2500 4x4 and that thing is a beast. Guys with newer Ram diesels truck want to trade him.

 

I've been hearing good things about the 14/15 Cummins diesels... It's a lot like the big truck market, everything sucks when the EPA gets there mitts on it, but once the manufactures figure out how do deal with it, the engines get better... still would like to see a CAT diesel in the light duty truck. I like the Cummins, biggest reason to have a Dodge, if they ever go away from the Cummins.... then I will look at others. I had an 04 GMC 2500HD with the Duramax, awesome truck, but didn't get the millage my Dodge does.

 

Good point. I was referring to earlier EPA diesels. It makes sense that with time they will get better.

 

my current truck is an 01 f250 7.3. 8 mpg on a good day. but it has 320000 miles....410 gears and 33" tires. its a work truck. this truck is gutless even with a 100hp tuner and work on the turbo. 35psi boost and its a turd but i wouldnt give it up for one of the new diesels. I dont need DEF to keep my truck running. i dont need to replace the particulate filter every 20k miles. no twin turbos to deal with(one is expensive enough..spent $1500 last year replacing/upgrading it) no variable vane turbo or EGR system. my old diesel is a turd and on its best day only gets 12mpg but it has $5 oil filters, $15 fuel filter, $40 air filter. that beats my old truck. 05 f350 with a 6.0 diesel...10mpg empty or loaded(stock was 6mpg so i added cold air intake, tuner, 4" straight pipe exhaust and deleted the cat ), $50 fuel filters that needed replaced every couple months, $20 oil filter, $1500 variable vane turbo that needed replaced at 25k miles. diesels are expensive enough on maintenance without adding a bunch of emissions equipment that needs constant attention and replacement

 

TAXES! Diesel is taxed to death because it is mainly used for trucking (freight), so they are taxing freight and we get screwed because of it!

Yea, the aluminum is not corroding, it's the addatives. Pure aluminum will last a long long long long time.... but the cheap bastards mix in crap and kill it!

 

I've had every generation of Dodge and the 6.7 in the 4th Gen is the best overall truck I've had. 81k miles and I've put track bar bushing in it, oil changes, and air filters is it. Still have 3/4 of the original brake pads on thanks to the exhaust brake.

 

Mike, how's the mileage on the 6.7?
And does yours have the "deleted" emissions mods ?

I love the simplicity of the Ram/Dodge trucks. Still feels like the old "power wagons " to me, and not some wiz bang .com compu truck TV thingee that I need a manual to open the door with.
Ol skool !!!!

 

Wow, really? 45 on the TDI? I also need to replace my wifes SUV, and was thinking about the VW Taurig wit the TDI diesel in it, he loves that vehicle. But he is not getting anywhere remotely close to 45! More like 25.

Oh, she has tons of mileage left in her! She's actually a great truck, especially looking.... I get a lot of compliments on "your new truck" all the time. When I tell them it's a 2002 they can't believe it. But when you start looking up close, the paint is starting to crack, the bottom end is all rust, and she's starting to take deep breaths mechanically.... she just needs a bit of love and care. But I need a very reliable truck, I can't be playing games with it when problems arise or have a possibility of breaking down while away skiing or something. I cant spend the time caring for it, so it's time to pass it along to somebody who can handle it.

So you won't pay a few extra bucks for the "expensive filters" and other stuff, but you will pay 4 times + the amount on the single most expensive investment you will make in a truck, which is FUEL?? That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Do the math, and you will find you would be much better off replacing expensive parts once in a while as opposed to pumping in $5 a gallons diesel fuel 2, 3 or 4 times as often as required (because of bad fuel economy).

 

LOL!

 

i didnt get any better fuel economy out of my brand new 05 than i do my current 01. i had a $700 a month payment on the 05. i paid cash for my 01. $4500 rust free 270k miles on it 4 yrs ago. it would take a new truck getting 100mpg for the fuel savings to make up for the payment. Put 4.10 gears in your new truck add fuel tanks in the bed and trailer behind it to take it up around 20-22ooo pounds and see what the fuel mileage is. i bet that its not far off from my 8-12mpg. when i run empty down the highway i get 15-16mpg if i set cruise on 55mph(that is around 2200rpm 70mphtakes me up into the 2600rpm range)
that is rare occurrence for me to be empty and even rarer to be empty on the highway. my old boss got 20mpg out of his 01 f250. it had 350 gears and stock sized street tires. 2 things that will never be on my truck. at times i wish i had 456 gears since i switched to the 33" tires

 

My Nissan Frontier has 170k miles on it, and I'm thinking about replacing it soon so I'm in a similar position. Also looking at 4 doors, and I'm thinking about stepping up to a full sized so I can haul a larger trailer, and midsized don't give any benefits as far as fuel economy anyway. I think GM has fallen a LOT in the past 20 years, so they aren't on my radar at all. You couldn't pay me to own one. Dodge had fallen and produced worse crap than GM for awhile, but are starting to improve in the last few years, but I'm still not ready to own one yet.

Which leaves Nissan, Toyota, and Ford. Nissan had some growing pains when they entered the full sized market, but they seem to have figured things out. The Toyota is nice, but like the Nissan, they don't get great fuel mileage, although on the plus side both have great engines. But Ford has REALLY impressed me with their Ecoboost line! So unless Nissan and Toyota blow my mind with the mini diesel engines they are supposedly launching, I'll likely get and F150 next.

 

Town is 15-16 and interstate is 17-20 depending on speed. It's still stock until next March.

 

How long did that drive take ?

 

I'm not going to be hauling a trailer (my boat is too big to put on a trailer or rd), I don't haul anything with any weight except the occasional firewood scrounge a couple times a year. And the only thing it ever pulls will be a log splitter a few miles to a scrounge. So weight capacity vs fuel eco is not a consideration. I want decent fuel economy, and a full size (4' width) bed to haul fishing / boat gear in. The rest is regular old "car" mileage.

 

I said earlier that midsized trucks don't get any better mileage than full sized, but that's not true if you get a manual transmission. I've got a buddy with quad cab Frontier with a 6 speed manual and he gets 20-22 mpg. The Tacoma's and Frontiers can still tow up to 6500lbs, lay a 4' wide sheet of plywood flat in the bed, and haul 4 people relatively comfortably. And they're WAY better in tight parking lots or off-road trails.

 

They tried that in Maine, then closed all the inspection facilities after dumping a bunch of $ into building and such. They inspect for headlights, shocks, tire depth, brakes, signals horns, exhaust etc. Is like a yearly inspection to make sure the car is safe and legal. They don't do that here, just emissions tests in the bigger metro areas. Yes, in maine, and other states in tbe Northeast they charge you as a new car buyer to inspect a new car for roadworthyness. Before you take it off the lot. That is stupid.

 

Lol.

I married one, Sicilian actually. I'm German and Norwegian. Italian vehicles are beautiful, but needy. We all know it, but still want Ferrari's and ducati's.

 

Sounds like you really owe yourself a nice look and test drive of a new 2015 ford f150 super crew 2.7 v6 ecoboost 4x4.