Longest Lasting 1/2 Ton Pickup Truck

[JTK]

Originally Posted by oilpsi2high
Here is what I am considering for my next vehicle:

2019 Silverado Custom, 5.3 without AFM, 6-speed auto, 4x4 & locking rear diff

Custom trim has minimal options, with less things to go wrong. The lack of AFM on the 5.3 means this should go 250,000 miles without a problem. The GM 6 speed is a great trans, as is their locking rear end. I am not sure about the single speed transfer case, but I imagine it is fine.

Thoughts? Any better trucks out there to consider in the 30k price range?



Sorry if I missed it, but how do you intend to use the truck?

I agree with the above. They're all good. For rust belt use, the newer aluminum bodied F150s are intriguing. It will be interesting to see how they hold up over time. I like the looks of the F150, just don't care for the seating comfort or ride, but this could be related to the trim levels I've been in. Could also be something I could easily get used to.

I went from driving 3 different Subarus to the 2017 Ram 1500 in my sig. I like the relative simplicity of my Pentastar powered Ram express, quad cab 4x4 model. I know folks who have had Ram 1500 pentastars as rentals and they assumed it had a V8 under the hood. I especially like the Buick-like ride, super comfy seats and 23mpg average tank/tank I get out of it and I'm not easy on it. I haven't had to tow a thing with it. It's mainly my commuter and kid hauler, but I've moved a lot of various cargo with it. The ~6.5' bed is awesome. I can replace the 17" tires with decent Mastercrafts, etc. for $100/ea. Nothing fancy about Express model Rams.

 

[JustN89]

Originally Posted by MNgopher
ALL of the manufacturers make decent trucks. All of them have quirks and issues features.

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted by supton
That's like saying McD's makes the best food 'cuz they sell the most.

It all depends on how you define "best". Best taste? Best availability? Best consistency? Best value?

If I want my burger to taste the same in NYC, LA, and BFE, McDonald's is my best.

It may not offer the best in every category but few things are.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by supton
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by JasonC
Threads like these are asinine. There is no concrete answer. It's nothing more than opinions, period! Go drive the trucks you like, pick the one that you like the most.


This.

But picking the one I like the most is to pick my own opinion over others opinion. What is to say mine is most correct?

While that sounds like a stupid statement--how many times have you looked back 5 or 10 years and realized you were wrong in the past, and others were right?

Ergo, I don't put much faith into my own opinions.


On vehicle selection? Never. My Ford vehicles all served me well, as have my more recent crop of FCA ones. Trucks are something that rarely become a rolling disaster. They will all have their own share of issues, that's something you can't avoid, but they shouldn't be major, typically. You really can't go wrong with whichever one best matches what you are looking for; your criteria.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
On vehicle selection? Never. My Ford vehicles all served me well, as have my more recent crop of FCA ones. Trucks are something that rarely become a rolling disaster. They will all have their own share of issues, that's something you can't avoid, but they shouldn't be major, typically. You really can't go wrong with whichever one best matches what you are looking for; your criteria.


Fair enough. Over the last 19 years (my working career as an adult) I've bought 5 vehicles, and I think I've regretted them all at some time or another. Two were good buys with moments of regret, but I think honest analysis says they were good. The other three I think were mistakes with varying levels of regret.

Originally Posted by itguy08
Originally Posted by supton
That's like saying McD's makes the best food 'cuz they sell the most.

It all depends on how you define "best". Best taste? Best availability? Best consistency? Best value?

If I want my burger to taste the same in NYC, LA, and BFE, McDonald's is my best.

It may not offer the best in every category but few things are.

True, I'll give you that. Usually when people state "best" they mean best quality with a hint at lowest cost. And usually don't state what parameter they are measuring by.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted by kstanf150
Apparently I did since I made a reply
I'm stating my experience as an Ecoboost owner and having driven one everyday for 120,000 miles.



I have posted my review of the truck before on here in great detail. I repeat, it is not a bad truck. It is quite quick. Also, we drove it well over 2000 miles in our area which includes lots of open areas where you can clear its throat. It was a very low mileage Gen 2 3.5 with no 4WD so it was lightweight.


Before it is crowned the king of all trucks by the rabid Ford fans, my Wife and I raced them side by side from a 10 mph roll to about 100 mph. From the start the EB pulled away very slowly, then as the speed increased the RAM was gaining slowly. Very close to a dead heat. Our hemi is a 4 door Rambox model with a tow pack, no 4WD. It has 3.91 gears which makes it quite peppy, not to mention 395hp/410tq. For a pickup truck, it's pretty peppy. It also weighs quite a bit more than the EB.


The EB had the most obvious spark retard in lower rpm ranges of any car I have driven lately running on 87 octane which is all my RAM has ever seen since new. It was very powerful, made boost at just off idle, and in most ways acted just like a much bigger engine. But I prefer the smooth quiet V8 noises while my Hemi works around town, with its far smoother 8 speed and the tach seldom above 1500 rpm whenever I look at almost any speed. Just a nice relaxed feel, much quieter and with zero shudder and shiver like most pickups have.


I would like to know how much seat time our Ford man has in a properly optioned RAM, my EB review is the third one I have been in. I actually like my good friends 2.7 the best anyway...

 

[MNgopher]

Originally Posted by SteveSRT8

I would like to know how much seat time our Ford man has in a properly optioned RAM, my EB review is the third one I have been in. I actually like my good friends 2.7 the best anyway...


As a 2.7 owner, I second that...

And having spent a ton of time in a RAM, its a very nice truck too. The beautiful thing is we call can get what we prefer, rather than what someone else does. For me, it was a choice between the RAM and F150. GM is the one that needs to figure itself out - not a great look for the new generation of truck to have the sales start it has...

 

[JeffKeryk]

Rumor is, the next Tundra will offer no V8; the mileage is horrible; worst by far I believe.
It will be a V6 hybrid. Tons of torque and 30 MPG.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted by MNgopher
Originally Posted by SteveSRT8

I would like to know how much seat time our Ford man has in a properly optioned RAM, my EB review is the third one I have been in. I actually like my good friends 2.7 the best anyway...


As a 2.7 owner, I second that...

And having spent a ton of time in a RAM, its a very nice truck too. The beautiful thing is we call can get what we prefer, rather than what someone else does. For me, it was a choice between the RAM and F150. GM is the one that needs to figure itself out - not a great look for the new generation of truck to have the sales start it has...



Great point, simple and easy for anyone to understand. I've had many a Silverado, they simply shake more than any other light duty truck I have ever driven. To the point my poor Wife with her medical history disliked driving one. She is the primary driver of our RAM, and its smooth quiet ride is far more car-like than the other brands we drove. We don't need the biggest payload or the largest tow rating, we just needed a truck to match our family's needs. And we got it, over 80k miles and sweet still...

 

[kstanf150]

Originally Posted by SteveSRT8
Originally Posted by kstanf150
Apparently I did since I made a reply
I'm stating my experience as an Ecoboost owner and having driven one everyday for 120,000 miles.



I have posted my review of the truck before on here in great detail. I repeat, it is not a bad truck. It is quite quick. Also, we drove it well over 2000 miles in our area which includes lots of open areas where you can clear its throat. It was a very low mileage Gen 2 3.5 with no 4WD so it was lightweight.


Before it is crowned the king of all trucks by the rabid Ford fans, my Wife and I raced them side by side from a 10 mph roll to about 100 mph. From the start the EB pulled away very slowly, then as the speed increased the RAM was gaining slowly. Very close to a dead heat. Our hemi is a 4 door Rambox model with a tow pack, no 4WD. It has 3.91 gears which makes it quite peppy, not to mention 395hp/410tq. For a pickup truck, it's pretty peppy. It also weighs quite a bit more than the EB.


The EB had the most obvious spark retard in lower rpm ranges of any car I have driven lately running on 87 octane which is all my RAM has ever seen since new. It was very powerful, made boost at just off idle, and in most ways acted just like a much bigger engine. But I prefer the smooth quiet V8 noises while my Hemi works around town, with its far smoother 8 speed and the tach seldom above 1500 rpm whenever I look at almost any speed. Just a nice relaxed feel, much quieter and with zero shudder and shiver like most pickups have.


I would like to know how much seat time our Ford man has in a properly optioned RAM, my EB review is the third one I have been in. I actually like my good friends 2.7 the best anyway...


My seat time in a Ram is very limited at best
I have a co-worker who DID own a Long Horn package with a 5.7 Hemi. It's was an ok truck but I wouldn't trade my Ford for one just like.
That truck was his 3rd Ram in 5 years ...³...³...³
He just traded for a Chevy
Got tired of the trips the dealer for repairs

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted by Tman220
Originally Posted by oilpsi2high
Here is what I am considering for my next vehicle:

2019 Silverado Custom, 5.3 without AFM, 6-speed auto, 4x4 & locking rear diff

Custom trim has minimal options, with less things to go wrong. The lack of AFM on the 5.3 means this should go 250,000 miles without a problem. The GM 6 speed is a great trans, as is their locking rear end. I am not sure about the single speed transfer case, but I imagine it is fine.

Thoughts? Any better trucks out there to consider in the 30k price range?


I'm about 99.9% sure you cannot obtain a 5.3 without AFM. The two choices you have is the new Dynamic fuel management available in the upscale trims and transmissions and the old Active fuel management available on WT type optioned trucks with the 6 speed.



You can't and AFM does not mean the engine will fail. The L83 enjoys a higher then average reliability rating just maintain it.

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted by jhs914
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by oilpsi2high
The lack of AFM on the 5.3 means this should go 250,000 miles without a problem.


So you're basing your entire truck buying choices on whether or not the engine has an air flow meter? I think more people here complain about the stop/start feature.

AFM=Active Fuel Management. This is GM's term for cylinder deactivation. Runs on 4 cylinders when deactivated.



The current engine can run on 1 to 8 cylinders.

 

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted by kstanf150
Sure when you manufacture over 900,000 trucks there's the potential for more failures. I've owned just about everything Ford has built in trucks in the last 40 years with all the engines you claim were POS. That dog don't hunt at my house, never NEVER had a failure of any kind and I logged thousands and thousands of miles. And I know lots of guys who own Fords as well who have never had the horror stories you tell.
And of course you've seen all the stuff gone wrong in your line of work. Your only working on the bad stuff, just like a doctor. Doctors don't see well folks
So how many Ford trucks are running up and down the road everyday without problems ? Lots and lot I'd say or Ford wouldn't be making 900,000 of em a year. American consumers ain't stupid year after year after year



You still dodged the question I asked.....WHAT makes a Ford F-150 better than a Tundra??

And, YES.....American Consumers are generally stupid and/or ignorant!

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted by clinebarger

You still dodged the question I asked.....WHAT makes a Ford F-150 better than a Tundra??


For me it's power, capability, and comfort. Since we bought used, availability and price was a concern. Toyotas trucks seem to be expensive and not as available on the used market.

The power of the Ecoboost 3.5 is just like a Diesel. Tons of power, flat torque curve, and a great overall feel. Without the hassles and expense of Diesel (around Premium prices around here) and their emissions stuff. Given that the big Toyota V8 is thirsty, it's probably a better deal overall even with the 6-18 MPG I've seen out of the 3.5 while towing and not towing.

The capability is good - we have a Max Tow model (11k tow rating) and it pulls our 9900 GVWR camper well. The only area that needs a little "help" is the suspension - it can get a little bumpy. I don't believe the Tundra goes that high or even has the payload like ours (1800 lbs).

Comfort. While our F150's interior won't win any awards (what 2011 truck would), it's a comfortable place to be in. Yep, it looks dated but so does Toyota's interiors.

I think the durability of the F150 will be there too. We have the first model year and at 96k it's been great. Even though I just had to do the exhaust manifolds ([censored] YOU FORD) it should not happen again as they are revised parts. I've got another 138k Ecoboost (in a Taurus) that has been flawless. Other than that it's been great. Engine works perfectly, the 6R80 is a stout ZF design, and the rest of the bits seem to be wearing well.

If it died tomorrow though I'd be in an F350 as our next camper will be a bit larger 5th wheel. The only other truck worth considering would be a GM product and they may be a great value due to the redesign that has not been met with success.

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted by clinebarger
Originally Posted by kstanf150
Sure when you manufacture over 900,000 trucks there's the potential for more failures. I've owned just about everything Ford has built in trucks in the last 40 years with all the engines you claim were POS. That dog don't hunt at my house, never NEVER had a failure of any kind and I logged thousands and thousands of miles. And I know lots of guys who own Fords as well who have never had the horror stories you tell.
And of course you've seen all the stuff gone wrong in your line of work. Your only working on the bad stuff, just like a doctor. Doctors don't see well folks
So how many Ford trucks are running up and down the road everyday without problems ? Lots and lot I'd say or Ford wouldn't be making 900,000 of em a year. American consumers ain't stupid year after year after year



You still dodged the question I asked.....WHAT makes a Ford F-150 better than a Tundra??

And, YES.....American Consumers are generally stupid and/or ignorant!

I'm biased towards American brands, but we had 3 Tundras as company trucks at work back in 2006. They did not hold up as well as the 2006 Chevy they got the same year. Bad gas mileage, tailgate bowed badly, and they don't hold up mechanically as well when they actually get used as a truck. The Chevy did burn up 3 fuel pumps in its usage, though. They lasted about 100K miles. We also had a 1997 F-150 that ran forever w/o any issues but needed the front end rebuilt (tie rods, ball joints, etc.) after about 225K miles.

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted by ls1mike
Who wants a 1/2 ton truck anyway...

I'll have to say that there's about a 5+ mpg difference between a 1/2 and 3/4 ton. They seem a lot more durable, though.

 

[kstanf150]

Originally Posted by clinebarger
Originally Posted by kstanf150
Sure when you manufacture over 900,000 trucks there's the potential for more failures. I've owned just about everything Ford has built in trucks in the last 40 years with all the engines you claim were POS. That dog don't hunt at my house, never NEVER had a failure of any kind and I logged thousands and thousands of miles. And I know lots of guys who own Fords as well who have never had the horror stories you tell.
And of course you've seen all the stuff gone wrong in your line of work. Your only working on the bad stuff, just like a doctor. Doctors don't see well folks
So how many Ford trucks are running up and down the road everyday without problems ? Lots and lot I'd say or Ford wouldn't be making 900,000 of em a year. American consumers ain't stupid year after year after year



You still dodged the question I asked.....WHAT makes a Ford F-150 better than a Tundra??

And, YES.....American Consumers are generally stupid and/or ignorant!


Ford F-150 vs Toyota Tundra
Published by US News and World Report Auto

11 categories compared
Price= Tie
Reliability= Toyota
Comfort = Ford
Cargo space = Ford
Int quality = Ford
Int features = Tie
Acceleration = Ford
Fuel Economy = Ford
Tow & Hauling = Ford
Ride & Handling = Ford
Safety = Ford

Ford won 8 out of 11 categories

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted by clinebarger
Originally Posted by kstanf150
Sure when you manufacture over 900,000 trucks there's the potential for more failures. I've owned just about everything Ford has built in trucks in the last 40 years with all the engines you claim were POS. That dog don't hunt at my house, never NEVER had a failure of any kind and I logged thousands and thousands of miles. And I know lots of guys who own Fords as well who have never had the horror stories you tell.
And of course you've seen all the stuff gone wrong in your line of work. Your only working on the bad stuff, just like a doctor. Doctors don't see well folks
So how many Ford trucks are running up and down the road everyday without problems ? Lots and lot I'd say or Ford wouldn't be making 900,000 of em a year. American consumers ain't stupid year after year after year



You still dodged the question I asked.....WHAT makes a Ford F-150 better than a Tundra??

And, YES.....American Consumers are generally stupid and/or ignorant!



Many posters on BITOG that make blanket statements are as well................

 

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Silverado12
Originally Posted by clinebarger
Originally Posted by kstanf150
Sure when you manufacture over 900,000 trucks there's the potential for more failures. I've owned just about everything Ford has built in trucks in the last 40 years with all the engines you claim were POS. That dog don't hunt at my house, never NEVER had a failure of any kind and I logged thousands and thousands of miles. And I know lots of guys who own Fords as well who have never had the horror stories you tell.
And of course you've seen all the stuff gone wrong in your line of work. Your only working on the bad stuff, just like a doctor. Doctors don't see well folks
So how many Ford trucks are running up and down the road everyday without problems ? Lots and lot I'd say or Ford wouldn't be making 900,000 of em a year. American consumers ain't stupid year after year after year



You still dodged the question I asked.....WHAT makes a Ford F-150 better than a Tundra??

And, YES.....American Consumers are generally stupid and/or ignorant!

I'm biased towards American brands, but we had 3 Tundras as company trucks at work back in 2006. They did not hold up as well as the 2006 Chevy they got the same year. Bad gas mileage, tailgate bowed badly, and they don't hold up mechanically as well when they actually get used as a truck. The Chevy did burn up 3 fuel pumps in its usage, though. They lasted about 100K miles. We also had a 1997 F-150 that ran forever w/o any issues but needed the front end rebuilt (tie rods, ball joints, etc.) after about 225K miles.



So what Mechanical problems did those Tundras have?

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted by SteveSRT8
Originally Posted by MNgopher
Originally Posted by SteveSRT8

I would like to know how much seat time our Ford man has in a properly optioned RAM, my EB review is the third one I have been in. I actually like my good friends 2.7 the best anyway...


As a 2.7 owner, I second that...

And having spent a ton of time in a RAM, its a very nice truck too. The beautiful thing is we call can get what we prefer, rather than what someone else does. For me, it was a choice between the RAM and F150. GM is the one that needs to figure itself out - not a great look for the new generation of truck to have the sales start it has...



Great point, simple and easy for anyone to understand. I've had many a Silverado, they simply shake more than any other light duty truck I have ever driven. To the point my poor Wife with her medical history disliked driving one. She is the primary driver of our RAM, and its smooth quiet ride is far more car-like than the other brands we drove. We don't need the biggest payload or the largest tow rating, we just needed a truck to match our family's needs. And we got it, over 80k miles and sweet still...



The shaking issue isn't existent on the 14-18 generation at least the half dozen I've driven. All have felt more sure footed then the same generation RAM.