I like chevy trucks but the deals on ford,dodge are unreal.ford crew cab MSRP 30000.with 13000.off plus 100000 mile warranty 2008.Dodge crew 14000 off of 29000.Chevy has 2500.rebate on 32000 for ext. cab crew cabs much more. He plays football and school so he can not work.What would you buy? We are looking at mid level trim packages 2wd auto tran
1/2 ton pickup for 16 yr. son
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In my experience with work trucks, the Dodges are made out of the same plastic as Rubbermaid containers and the only good reason to buy a Dodge is to get a Cummins.
The GM half tons have good value in them, but the front end parts seem to wear out fast and pick up weird electrical glitches over time. They are nice in half tons and performance for dollars pretty good, but if you can get a better deal I'd take the better deal. Half ton extended cab with a 4.8 would be a nice ride. One thing I like, especially with the half-ton GM crew cabs is they have the step in height of a car.
I'd probably get a Ford though if the deals on them are that good. 4.6 is a good little motor (16 year old kids don't need horsepower), the trucks are pretty solid all-arounders (my dad has ran three to 75,000 miles or more the past three years, the most recent one made it to 87,000 miles of hard off road, heavy use and didn't need any major work.) Extended cab with a six and a half foot box, two wheel drive, 3.55 limited slip rear end so it makes alright mileage and the 4.6 motor would be a good combination for him if the price is right, I think.
Extended cab would be better than crew cab so he has the extra cab space/jump seat room but that way he won't have five friends with him distracting him all of the time. Not saying it's wrong to give your kid a brand new, high horsepower crew cab truck, but if he doesn't need those things keep him out of trouble.
I'd personally look for a two year, low mile lease return, not eat any of the depreciation and he'll probably be just as happy with it as something brand new. My first car was a decade old when I got it and not in the greatest shape but [censored] was I happy to have wheels.
The GM half tons have good value in them, but the front end parts seem to wear out fast and pick up weird electrical glitches over time. They are nice in half tons and performance for dollars pretty good, but if you can get a better deal I'd take the better deal. Half ton extended cab with a 4.8 would be a nice ride. One thing I like, especially with the half-ton GM crew cabs is they have the step in height of a car.
I'd probably get a Ford though if the deals on them are that good. 4.6 is a good little motor (16 year old kids don't need horsepower), the trucks are pretty solid all-arounders (my dad has ran three to 75,000 miles or more the past three years, the most recent one made it to 87,000 miles of hard off road, heavy use and didn't need any major work.) Extended cab with a six and a half foot box, two wheel drive, 3.55 limited slip rear end so it makes alright mileage and the 4.6 motor would be a good combination for him if the price is right, I think.
Extended cab would be better than crew cab so he has the extra cab space/jump seat room but that way he won't have five friends with him distracting him all of the time. Not saying it's wrong to give your kid a brand new, high horsepower crew cab truck, but if he doesn't need those things keep him out of trouble.
I'd personally look for a two year, low mile lease return, not eat any of the depreciation and he'll probably be just as happy with it as something brand new. My first car was a decade old when I got it and not in the greatest shape but [censored] was I happy to have wheels.
Kids don't need a new car . Get something cheap . Most likly he will crunch it . I have a 16 year old and has a 96 Toy p/u Imo is too much $$$ car for a youngster.
You are over looking the best 1/2 ton out there, the tundra.
invoice pricing, and then subtract 4K rebate, it is an incredible deal. blows the other 1/2 tons away in every category. Consider everything, and then make the right choice. If toyota is not an option, i guess a chevy.......
invoice pricing, and then subtract 4K rebate, it is an incredible deal. blows the other 1/2 tons away in every category. Consider everything, and then make the right choice. If toyota is not an option, i guess a chevy.......
Originally Posted By: njcruiser
blows the other 1/2 tons away in every category.
It does? I have never heard that before.
Go with the best deal, they're all pretty equal these days.
blows the other 1/2 tons away in every category.
It does? I have never heard that before.
Go with the best deal, they're all pretty equal these days.
Originally Posted By: Steve S
Kids don't need a new car . Get something cheap . Most likly he will crunch it . I have a 16 year old and has a 96 Toy p/u Imo is too much $$$ car for a youngster.
I agree strongly. Does he really need a truck? Is he hauling alot of stuff, or work on a farm?
Who is putting gas in the truck?
Does he really need a 1/2 ton truck?
If I were buying the kid a truck it would be a newer Ranger or Mazda clone with the 2.3L 4 cylinder.
That would be PLENTY of truck for any kid that age, with good gas mileage.
Kids don't need a new car . Get something cheap . Most likly he will crunch it . I have a 16 year old and has a 96 Toy p/u Imo is too much $$$ car for a youngster.
I agree strongly. Does he really need a truck? Is he hauling alot of stuff, or work on a farm?
Who is putting gas in the truck?
Does he really need a 1/2 ton truck?
If I were buying the kid a truck it would be a newer Ranger or Mazda clone with the 2.3L 4 cylinder.
That would be PLENTY of truck for any kid that age, with good gas mileage.
I want to get a truck for safety reasons.Size counts in a wreck.Any price for gas in trade for a life.
I have thought about ext cab.But with the discounts and resale value.Crew cab small v eight.Houston is a big city a v six would make it hard to pull on fwys or get out of the way if need be.
No offense, but you may be overestimating what your son needs. This is your decision, but it's going to be a couple years before he knows his limits behind the wheel and develops responsible driving habits.
My first truck at 16 was a 2001 2.5L I4 Ranger with a 5-speed. It only had 119 HP, but that was enough to get into trouble. Cops in my hometown were quite familiar with the truck. I never wrecked it, but I came close and I was one of the lucky ones. Tires never lasted very long on that truck, and it routinely saw speeds over 90 MPH. I once drove it two hours from my hometown to Charlotte maintaining a speed of around 95 MPH except when traffic was too heavy. It was always in the left lane. My point is, 16 year olds really don't need a lot of power. I was only working with 119 HP, but looking back, that was more than enough for me to potentially wrap that truck around a tree. I'm lucky I never did.
I would suggest a Ranger, Colorado, Tacoma, Frontier, or Canyon. All have available 5 and 6 cylinder engines that make more than enough power for any 16 year old.
If a 1/2 ton is a requirement, just pick whichever has the biggest discounts. They are really all very comparable. Just pick whichever one you like the most or is the cheapest.
My first truck at 16 was a 2001 2.5L I4 Ranger with a 5-speed. It only had 119 HP, but that was enough to get into trouble. Cops in my hometown were quite familiar with the truck. I never wrecked it, but I came close and I was one of the lucky ones. Tires never lasted very long on that truck, and it routinely saw speeds over 90 MPH. I once drove it two hours from my hometown to Charlotte maintaining a speed of around 95 MPH except when traffic was too heavy. It was always in the left lane. My point is, 16 year olds really don't need a lot of power. I was only working with 119 HP, but looking back, that was more than enough for me to potentially wrap that truck around a tree. I'm lucky I never did.
I would suggest a Ranger, Colorado, Tacoma, Frontier, or Canyon. All have available 5 and 6 cylinder engines that make more than enough power for any 16 year old.
If a 1/2 ton is a requirement, just pick whichever has the biggest discounts. They are really all very comparable. Just pick whichever one you like the most or is the cheapest.
get a grand marquis, less likely to roll over. kids do stuff like overcorrect when they slide into a ditch.
Also because the car is "less cool" it will be less of a cop magnet and everything else, and your son will be less tempted to show off, etc.
Also because the car is "less cool" it will be less of a cop magnet and everything else, and your son will be less tempted to show off, etc.
I would suggest that you drive one of the modern 4-banger Rangers, Frontiers, or Tacomas. You'll probably find that they have more than adequate acceleration.
Make no mistake, you're not going to tow an 8,000-lb trailer with one of them, and the top speed is nothing special, but the 0-60 acceleration is nothing to scoff at.
Make no mistake, you're not going to tow an 8,000-lb trailer with one of them, and the top speed is nothing special, but the 0-60 acceleration is nothing to scoff at.
When looking for a 1st vehicle for my son we of course looked at the economy stuff, but everything that we looked at in his price range (less than $2k as he had saved up enough to buy it) either needed some body work, a windhsield, or would drive with some serious shimmy / driveline vibration on the highway. We finally bought a 92 F150 with a 5 spd and an 4.9L I6. We replaced the muffler (original with holes), shocks (leaky originals), ball joints on one side, engine mounts, universal joints, and added a sway bar and canopy. Runs great, mileage could of course be better but he's getting 15 mpg city compared to the 20 mpg that the Tarus gets where we live. We're expecting 20 mpg or a bit more on the highway. It's nice that he's learned how to drive a stick.
He did crunch the passenger side of the front end last fall, where a gal in an SUV had stopped on a freeway off ramp and vehicles had stopped on both sides of her blocking a path around her. He was on the brakes while trying to weave in between her and one vehicle but hit her. I replaced the parts for a bit over $500 but it still needs to be painted. An economy car would have been totaled and I wonder how he would fared. His insurance didn't go up as the gal didn't file a claim, as evidently she had some outstanding warrants.
He did crunch the passenger side of the front end last fall, where a gal in an SUV had stopped on a freeway off ramp and vehicles had stopped on both sides of her blocking a path around her. He was on the brakes while trying to weave in between her and one vehicle but hit her. I replaced the parts for a bit over $500 but it still needs to be painted. An economy car would have been totaled and I wonder how he would fared. His insurance didn't go up as the gal didn't file a claim, as evidently she had some outstanding warrants.
Originally Posted By: mudsling
I want to get a truck for safety reasons.Size counts in a wreck.Any price for gas in trade for a life.
I am not against the truck but a new truck for a first car is not the best choice. A nice $5,000 truck is better than a $15,000 truck.
I want to get a truck for safety reasons.Size counts in a wreck.Any price for gas in trade for a life.
I am not against the truck but a new truck for a first car is not the best choice. A nice $5,000 truck is better than a $15,000 truck.
Get him a Crown Vic. They are tanks, and they don't roll over. Trucks are too easy to put on the lid, and they weigh more and are built tougher than just about any half ton out there.
Easier on gas, too.
Easier on gas, too.
I'm very familiar with a situation like this. My 17 year old nephew is a Junior in high school. He is a wrestler and runs cross country. He got a used 93 Nissan pickup for his first truck 8/07. He wrecked it in six months going off an exit ramp when it was raining. The truck was rolled in a muddy ditch. My sister just bought him a replacement 98 GMC sonoma 4.3L V6 which I thought was a terrible decision. He got an upgrade for totalling the first truck.
Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
I'm very familiar with a situation like this. My 17 year old nephew is a Junior in high school. He is a wrestler and runs cross country. He got a used 93 Nissan pickup for his first truck 8/07. He wrecked it in six months going off an exit ramp when it was raining. The truck was rolled in a muddy ditch. My sister just bought him a replacement 98 GMC sonoma 4.3L V6 which I thought was a terrible decision. He got an upgrade for totalling the first truck.
The GMC has a whole lot more power.
I'm very familiar with a situation like this. My 17 year old nephew is a Junior in high school. He is a wrestler and runs cross country. He got a used 93 Nissan pickup for his first truck 8/07. He wrecked it in six months going off an exit ramp when it was raining. The truck was rolled in a muddy ditch. My sister just bought him a replacement 98 GMC sonoma 4.3L V6 which I thought was a terrible decision. He got an upgrade for totalling the first truck.
The GMC has a whole lot more power.
Originally Posted By: mudsling
I want to get a truck for safety reasons.Size counts in a wreck.Any price for gas in trade for a life.
Do the stats show that Trucks are indeed safer?
I want to get a truck for safety reasons.Size counts in a wreck.Any price for gas in trade for a life.
Do the stats show that Trucks are indeed safer?
Quote:
I want to get a truck for safety reasons.Size counts in a wreck.Any price for gas in trade for a life.
Why hand a bazooka to a first time gun owner.
Handing a 6500lb vehicle to a new driver "may" foster poor driving habits, by reinforcing a feeling of invincibility, just as every vehicle I pass "off the road" during a snowstorm is 4wd.
I want to get a truck for safety reasons.Size counts in a wreck.Any price for gas in trade for a life.
Why hand a bazooka to a first time gun owner.
Handing a 6500lb vehicle to a new driver "may" foster poor driving habits, by reinforcing a feeling of invincibility, just as every vehicle I pass "off the road" during a snowstorm is 4wd.
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