:::Is Any New Truck Worth Buying?

Status
Not open for further replies.

NDL

Joined
Apr 10, 2016
Messages
258
Location
Carolina Foothills
Between Ford, Chevy, and Ram, are any worth buying?

More specifically, I'm the kind of guy who will buy a base model truck, and drive her into the ground. Right now my sixteen year old Ford has 195k on the clock, and at some point I will be looking for a replacement.

My concern is that, with the exception of Chevy/GMC, the low(er) end powertrains are often car based. And the new diesel options (e.g. Colorado), and those in the upcoming Ram (3.0), and Silverado (rumored 4.5), were designed by companies that are not well known in the U.S.

Can the new, sophisticated, car based, 4's and V6's hold their water against the traditional truck based counterparts? What about the new diesels that are coming from Europe? I know that Europeans drive diesel powered vehicles, but I know nothing of their long term durability.
 
They can, if used under their design specs. IF you go over their design parameters and duty cycle, they will suffer. For the "real people, not actors crowd", sure they can be long lasting and give reliable service. If you take a chevy 2.8 and put 10,000lbs behind it, she'll be very short lived.
 
IMO, no. Just bought in May a 99 F350 dually,7.3 crew cab, had factory upgrades and other aftermarket upgrades that I would have mirrored anyway. 72k on the clock and zero rust. Good used trucks are around but if they show, better have the $$$ and move.
 
New trucks are horribly, horribly over priced. If you can get past that, I think all 3 you mention are well built trucks and worthy of consideration. The attitude of the dealer that service's it, and their commitment to customer service is probably a more important consideration than brand name.
 
If I were buying one it would be a Chevy or GMC. Too leery of the Chrysler gremlins still but it would be a close second and I would never own an aluminum Ford.

Dodge body style is also going to be 10 years old.
 
Hope so because we recently bought a 2016 Silverado with the 4.3 Ecotec3 motor. Only option on the sheet was carpet and wish it didn't have that. The V6 has very close to the same hp/torque numbers as the 5.3 did in the 2006 Sierra we had. It rides and drives great, I get 17-18 mpg pulling a 3000 lb camper easy and overall mpg to date is right at 20. Yes it has the dreaded AFM cylinder deactivation and direct injection but what are you going to do? I researched this stuff and have a plan to hopefully keep the truck happy for 10 years. Older trucks in this environment have issues not seen elsewhere and didn't want to deal with it. Who knows how a 2017 truck will be in 15 years with the electronics etc.? People probably thought the same thing of the 2000 trucks.

Nick, we bought the truck at Chapman in Mesa and it was the best buying experience at a dealer I've ever had.
 
New trucks $$$$.
Cylinder deactivation etc etc
Too many things that dont seem optimal for a basic long lasting truck.

So glad my expedition has no rust.
 
Originally Posted By: AZjeff


Nick, we bought the truck at Chapman in Mesa and it was the best buying experience at a dealer I've ever had.
Good to hear. I live about 2-1/2 miles from that dealer, (I live in Mesa and work in Phoenix)
 
I found 2500 gas trucks to be quite cheap compared to half ton gassers. I guess the casual home owner wants half ton and everyone else thinks they have to have a diesel.
 
I would have absolutely zero qualms about daily driving an older truck whether it be diesel or gas (perfect example the '99 7.3 mentioned above) versus a new one. If its low mileage, in great shape body and drivetrain wise, I dont see the problem. Just because its old doesnt mean its junk, I'd have no problems daily driving even a 1970s or 1980s F-150, Chevy etc. I'm only 26, I've grown up with all kinds of new technology in my short 26 years but I have no need for all the fancy things in todays vehicles. A 1500 Chevy crew cab 4x4, with a radio, heat and AC, vinyl floors etc is all I would need. My dad has this mindset that buying second hand means buying someones problems. He thinks buying from a dealer means they traded it in because it was trouble, overlooking the fact that maybe they just wanted something new/different. If I were to buy brand new, it would be as I mentioned, Chevy 1500 Crew Cab 4x4, 5.3 Ecotec V8, base model, I'd put a berliner, tint the windows and maybe a bolt on cat back exhaust, change the oil and fluids regularly as a Bitoger would do and run it till it cant go any more.
 
Last edited:
If you want dual exhaust, you gotta get a Dodge. I don't know why that is.

Oh ya and that reminds me, I would not get any truck with cylinder deactivation. That variable cam timing is bad enough as it is without adding even more complexity.
 
Your asking on a forum where the vehicles are on average several years old. You will get answers accordingly.
 
I guess whether a new truck is worth buying, depends on what you want or need.

I bought a new truck, because it makes a nice tax write-off. It is rated to do what I needed it to do, and it's nice to drive. I could've bought an old truck, but it's chassis wouldn't be rated for the weights involved, it would be much slower unless heavily modified, it would be louder, and it wouldn't have the nice interior or creature comforts.

There is a possibility of issues with the emissions or gadgets, but so far it's been trouble free and I am pleased.
 
Ford has the V8 option for like what $2k? If u drive them into ground I'd take ford 8 before any new turbos.
 
You can rebuild/fix anything on an older truck and keep it running forever if you're not in the rust belt. One reason for buying a truck is that at least in the past they're easy to work on, parts are everywhere and you can just plain keep them going. The newest trucks are probably becoming more reliable at the cost of taking owner maintenance for all the new stuff out of the owner's hands.

Several friends have older pickups and they just keep them running. One has a 74 crew cab F-250 Ford with a swapped in pre-computer Cummins with an Allison transmission and it's a 4x4. His only problem is people keep offering to buy it and are willing to pay a lot. This is his drive it forever truck and not for sale.

I have a 4 door pickup with a permanent camper shell. It's called a 4Runner. The parts including the V8 engine will be available long past my expiration date. This vehicle is as reliable as they come even though the gas mileage is poor all the other costs are at a minimum and I never plan to sell it.

When someone asks me what to buy for a keep it forever vehicle my first choice is a pickup.
 
Bought a 2001 Ram 2500 and ran it for 14 years. Not one major issue. Had my 2014 Ram for 3 years now. No issues at all. The ZF8HP transmission and 5.7L Hemi combination are unbeatable (smooth as glass and powerful). MDS is seamless. I have had a number of GM and Ford trucks in the past. Major engine and transmission issues with all of them.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: HM12460
New trucks are horribly, horribly over priced. If you can get past that, I think all 3 you mention are well built trucks and worthy of consideration. The attitude of the dealer that service's it, and their commitment to customer service is probably a more important consideration than brand name.


I agree. Some buyers don't mind paying $50K+ for a truck.

Problem is that many buy much more of a truck than what's really needed.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top