Cars are dirt cheap right now compared to trucks and SUVs. Better to drive a $5000 used Civic into the ground instead of a $35,000 pickup. And the Civic will burn half the gas. Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk
With the current fuel price trend, a truck is potentially going to be a money hungry beast soon. If it spikes to $4 a gallon again theres going to be a glut of cheap trucks on the market. I've been lucky that with the exception of 4 years when I only had a 5 mile round trip commute, that I've always had company vehicles to drive to work. So my trucks didnt hurt to fuel. With the current truck & fuel prices, I'd much rather buy a nice car and a beater truck, or two nicer vehicles and keep the mileage off the truck. You could buy a brand new Honda Civic and a decent older truck for the price of a new truck.
I wasnt referencing Ford... but if you want too, and discussing MPG’s.. does the 5.0 ford really get significantly better mpg’s than a 5.7l tundra? It shows a slight advantage... They did put a 10sp in it, but have you ever been in a truck thats constantly shifting when its towing a big load? Like i said, its all about gearing. And please... dont start comparing turbo charged 6cyl trucks to big V8’s...
1st Generation Tundra with 4.7? Have been told they get ~20mpg on the highway. I have seen these trucks abused...brutally (oilfield guys) and they just keep going. I had the 1995 T100 version (3.4 v-6) before my tacoma and it was a good truck. Sent it down the road with 196,000 on the odo. Kept seeing it around town for about 5 years after I sold it. The platform is solid. Looks like they can be had for reasonable duckets... 2002 Toyota Tundra For Sale - Carsforsale.com
Does anyone know the price to replace a 10 speed transmission in the new F-150? I had a 1996 Explorer, the 4 speed trans went in 2010. The repair bill was only $1800. I have to image a pricey trans swap might send many newer cars with 8,9,10 speed transmissions to the junkyard prematurely.
The gearing in the fords isn't really much different than other brands, at least the axle gearing. Yes, even the older 6 spd 5.0's get better mpg than a current 5.7 6 spd tundra. 4-5 mpg city hwy, or combined is a big difference. The Ford 10 spd doesn't hunt while pulling if that's what you are suggesting.
Constantly being in the right gear should in theory keep the transmission from getting stressed. Remember, Ford and GM co designed the 10 speed. The same transmission is in 650 hp Camaros to tourquey diesels.
I've got the 4.7 in a 4runner. Yes, 20 mpg. That engine block was used in everything. From Toyota competition ski boats to lexus cars to trucks. Yes, there's the 4.6 V8 6spd tundra as well, but that engine/ drivetrain is a little long in the tooth.
I agree Mwalsh9152 . A beater truck is the way to go. If people are truly going to use their trucks as work trucks to haul wood, mulch, manure, top soil, etc. then they are better off getting a beater. As I've said before, my '88 Silverado isn't much to look at, but it's hauled all the things I just mentioned, especially firewood. When I'm out cutting in the woods or loading at the sawmill I don't worry about adding another dent or scratch. Hey, it adds character! I've attached two pics: One of getting some ash and white oak down by a creek a few weeks back, the other of a load of slab wood from the sawmill from about two weeks ago-mainly oak with some other hardwoods mixed in like locust and ash.
I can't even imagine how much I'd puke if I had a split bounce off the side of a brand new $60k truck!
I've hauled many cords with a $60k truck and not one dent. I love this notion around here that many people seem to have that nobody uses nice trucks for work/what they are meant for.
That's great woody5506 . I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers. I think you are the exception rather than the rule. We older people can remember a time when pickup trucks were not nearly so popular. Back in "the day" they were mostly used by farmers, contractors, firewood hoarders, etc. Somewhere in the 1990s they became fashionable and it seemed that every suburban yuppie had to have one. You see them all the time. Perfectly clean trucks, tonneau covers, pristine condition. These yuppie types think they are real blue-collar if once a year or so they help a neighbor move a couch. As a result, the price of new trucks has skyrocketed since the demand is so high and people who truly need a work truck often can't afford one.
This is basically my truck + as much wood as I can fit into the bed. No shame in keeping my equipment in good shape. Have you ever seen 18 wheelers with pristine paint jobs, mirror finished chrome and overall just very "tooth brushed" looking? I'd probably be one of those geeks if I drove for a living. And yes those trucks certainly are doing what their meant to do. I do agree with your interpretation of the general pickup market to an extent, I'm not sure how fashionable trucks are where I live but I'm convinced once you have a truck it's pretty hard to go back to anything else.
To say it doesnt hunt while pulling would be a biased or uneducated statement... the sole purpose of having a 10sp is the idea it would constantly be changing to maximize efficiency... the problem is, its either tuned for maximum mpg’s or maximum grunt... but they dont both mix.
Like the saying goes, I suppose we just have to agree to disagree. Comparing an 18-wheel tractor trailer to a pickup truck is like comparing apples to oranges. Different missions. Most 18-wheelers are pulling on hard pavement, interstates, state highways, etc. I know a little of what I'm talking about since my stepson drives truck and has for about 15 years, both long-haul and local. Very rarely are they going off road into the woods, etc. Now dump trucks, logging trucks and the way I use my pickup are another story. Don't know if you've ever been to central PA or Huntingdon County in particular. Very rural rugged country. My friends and I are off road quite a bit. And I'm not talking mudding. I mean going on narrow dirt roads into the woods. That big scratch you see on the passenger side of my truck was caused by a sapling as I was going down a narrow dirt road to cut up a fallen ash tree on my friend's property. If I were fussy about my truck I would have missed out on a great load of wood. I haven't seen too many clean or pristine logging or dump trucks unless they are factory new. By the very nature of what they do they get dirty, they get dents, and they get scratches. I like to think I keep my truck in good shape. My definition of that is regular oil changes, etc. I'm more interested in function over form. And to be quite frank, I can't afford a $60,000 truck. Well, I suppose I could, but why would I want to basically have two mortgage payments, high insurance, and the constant worry that my perfect truck may get a scratch or dent? Anyway, it's all good. To each his own. Variety is the spice of life. May your wood always be dry and your fires always be hot. Keep hoarding!
You basically hit the nail on the head as far as "different missions" in that I do not take my truck through the woods to get wood because I don't need to where I'm from. I'm in upstate NY in a suburb of Rochester, not much rugged country around here besides maybe the outskirt rural areas, however that's where most people burn wood and being in the suburbs where many and most people have converted to gas stoves/fireplaces or done away with them all together, the wood hoarding is plentiful. In the realm of hauling I don't do nearly as much as some people, however the truck is necessary for our business and it's really an added bonus for firewood. I agree 100% if I was taking a truck off road through the woods in rugged country on the regular, it wouldn't be in what I am currently driving.
