[FDfranklin]

So I am thinking of getting a truck for daily use/hauling all of my hockey gear. I plan on staying around the 10k range and seem to like the look of Fords. I've never owned a truck in my life and know nothing about them. Am I looking for trouble looking for a Ford with 100k+ miles on it? I really don't want to have to do any work at all on the car.

Here is one I was looking at:

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...29355218&Log=0

133k Seems like a lot but I have heard Ford trucks run for a long time, is that a risky move buying something with that many miles? Any other suggestions for trucks?

Any help/opinions appreciated!

[VMcV3y]

Originally Posted by FDfranklin

So I am thinking of getting a truck for daily use/hauling all of my hockey gear. I plan on staying around the 10k range and seem to like the look of Fords. I've never owned a truck in my life and know nothing about them. Am I looking for trouble looking for a Ford with 100k+ miles on it? I really don't want to have to do any work at all on the car.

Here is one I was looking at:

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...29355218&Log=0

133k Seems like a lot but I have heard Ford trucks run for a long time, is that a risky move buying something with that many miles? Any other suggestions for trucks?

Any help/opinions appreciated!

I had purchased a Mazda B3000 DS in 2002 in order to carry motorcycles. It's a sister-vehicle of the Ford Ranger. I gave it away to a relative four months ago. It had 150,000 miles on it, and the following maintenance/repairs:
- four sets of tires
- two sets of front brake pads
- one coil pack
- one headlamp
- two taillamps
- one center brakelamp
- six spark plugs and wires
- one valve replaced with new gaskets
- two serpentine belts
- five sets of windshield wipers
- front rotors replaced.

That's it. It was utterly reliable.


My daughter has a 2003 Mazda B3000, with 75,000 miles on it.
- two sets of tires
- two sets of wipers
- one brakelamp

And that's all. (I think we'll replace the front brake pads in a few weeks)


The Mazda and Ranger lines have available parts everywhere, so it's very easy to get something fixed -- if you need it.

Also, you may want to get a hard-top tonneau cover that locks. They make it look better (if same color), and help protect your expensive hockey gear or other items, from either theft or inclement weather. They can cost an additional $1,000 - $1,400, but worth every penny.

- V


.

[MisterSkiMask]

I am more of a Ford fan, but it is hard to go wrong either a Ford or Chevy if you are looking for a full size truck.

My personal experience is with Diesel Fords, and they have been quite good.

I have customers who run 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton Chevys well over 200,000 miles. Most are solid, some have transmission problems (seems to depend on who is driving it).

[Silver-Bolt]

Like any modeern vehicle the mileage doesn't much matter if it was properly maintained. The F150 is a great truck. Stay away from the 6cyl & 4.6L V8 as they are grossly underpowered. The 5.4L is a great motor. The XL trim is the most basic work truck. No frills. The XLT has a few more bells & whistles. Then there are several special editions like HArley, King Ranch, etc. Most just amount to more options and nicer interior.

[e92oholic]

Dude get a 2007+ Tundra. My dad has one 5.7l v8. We live in Buffalo and roads here are rough, full of pot holes. He has 147k on his 07, list of work done to it.

non maintenance items:

Idler Pulley (175)

and thats it besides brakes, tires, oil changes, and plugs at 100k

Suspension is still rock solid and it drives so nice youll forget your in a truck. Test drive one you wont regret it.

My dad is actually going to look a new one today too they are running a great deal on them up here right now.

[swanson]

Get a Ford F150

[VMcV3y]

There's nothing wrong with a F150 or a Tundra -- they're well-respected vehicles.

But the thing I liked about the Mazda B3000/Ranger is that you can get them in a V6 for power, they have great towing capacity, they can ride higher with the DS (Dual-Sport) package, and they are small enough to throw into parking spaces.

And if you're planning to carry gear (and the occasional piece of furniture for new-found friends, haha) why pay for all the extra real estate -- all the time -- when you're not going to use that large truck bed and wide body but for a small % of errands?

.

[TK-421]

Gasoline trucks are FAIL. Diesel or go home. They make tons of torque and will yield 30+ mpg on the highway no problem. With a cheap tune you'll hear nasty turbo spool and black smoke people if you want while increasing your gas mileage. Plus, you can even run it on vegetable oil to save money and get even better mileage.

[CAPSGOD]

Gas is going to be expensive. Do you really need a full-size..? If not get a Ranger or pre-05 Tacoma.

[Legato2057]

Some things to consider:

Would you fill the bed of the pickup?

Are you going to be towing anything?

Are the roads you take rough?


Unless you answered yes, you probably don't need a truck. If it's just you, a decent wagon or small SUV might suit your needs better. Just fold down the seats and you should have plenty of room. That being said, if it were me, I would get an old beater truck - pre 1975 - that I didn't really have to take care of too much and the maintenance was easy.

[MisterSkiMask]

Originally Posted by TK-421

Gasoline trucks are FAIL. Diesel or go home. They make tons of torque and will yield 30+ mpg on the highway no problem. With a cheap tune you'll hear nasty turbo spool and black smoke people if you want while increasing your gas mileage. Plus, you can even run it on vegetable oil to save money and get even better mileage.

misinformation here, you won't see 30mpg out of a full sized diesel pickup.

you will need to do extensive exhaust work to hear spool.

they can be converted to run on veg, but you certainly don't just dump it in the tank, you can simply put biodiesel in the tank, but there are some potential issues with that as well

[S_M]

OP, FWIW consider financing a new truck. I know you said you only want to spend 10k, but consider the option of spending a few hundered bucks a month for a brand new truck, versus plunking down 10k on someones old worn out workhorse with 130k miles. With the used car market at an all time high, I don't understand why people don't take advatage of deals on new cars. Certain MFGs are giving away trucks with rebates and financing deals.

You can use me as an example. I bought a new 2010 Nissan Titan around 3 years ago. I paid around $30k OTD. That was ~$10k off sticker, a deal that you can still get today. Galves says the truck is currently worth $26,500 with 30,000 miles on it. If I were to sell it today I have no doubt I could get $26k for it in a heartbeat. So the truck cost me $4,000 over 3 years if I let go of it tomorrow.

So why spend 10k to drive a used truck, when you can drive a new one for less?

[TK-421]

Originally Posted by MisterSkiMask

misinformation here, you won't see 30mpg out of a full sized diesel pickup.

you will need to do extensive exhaust work to hear spool.

they can be converted to run on veg, but you certainly don't just dump it in the tank, you can simply put biodiesel in the tank, but there are some potential issues with that as well

i ride in my friend's cummins 6 speed dually quite often and he only has a tune and we got over 30mpg driving to orlando from tampa and you can most definitely hear spool whenever he gasses it.

EDIT: he just told me he scrapped his cats so that's probably why you hear spool, my bad. this leads me to believe that he was just talking shit so disregard what i said about 30mpg too. i know for a fact that they can get in the mid 20's, though, without modification and you don't drive like a dickhead

[S_M]

Originally Posted by TK-421

i ride in my friend's cummins 6 speed dually quite often and he only has a tune and we got over 30mpg driving to orlando from tampa and you can most definitely hear spool whenever he gasses it.

EDIT: he just told me he scrapped his cats so that's probably why you hear spool, my bad. this leads me to believe that he was just talking shit so disregard what i said about 30mpg too. i know for a fact that they can get in the mid 20's, though, without modification and you don't drive like a dickhead

Highly unlikley to achieve 30mpg in a Cummins. I own one. 17- 20mpg around town. 22 - 25mpg at best on the highway. 12mpg towing 17,000lbs. Combine the high cost of diesel fuel which negates the mpg savings, a rock hard suspension, and an iron block that literally takes 15 minutes to get warm, and you have a really uncomfortable DD. The only reason to buy a diesel is if you are towing, or using it as a work truck.

[MisterSkiMask]

Originally Posted by TK-421

i ride in my friend's cummins 6 speed dually quite often and he only has a tune and we got over 30mpg driving to orlando from tampa and you can most definitely hear spool whenever he gasses it.

EDIT: he just told me he scrapped his cats so that's probably why you hear spool, my bad. this leads me to believe that he was just talking shit so disregard what i said about 30mpg too. i know for a fact that they can get in the mid 20's, though, without modification and you don't drive like a dickhead

Yeah, guys love to b.s. about their trucks.

Originally Posted by smohr33

Highly unlikley to achieve 30mpg in a Cummins. I own one. 17- 20mpg around town. 22 - 25mpg at best on the highway. 12mpg towing 17,000lbs. Combine the high cost of diesel fuel which negates the mpg savings, a rock hard suspension, and an iron block that literally takes 15 minutes to get warm, and you have a really uncomfortable DD. The only reason to buy a diesel is if you are towing, or using it as a work truck.

These are facts based upon my experience, except with a Ford dually. The ride is f*cking horrible, it needs about 2000 lbs in the bed to tame the suspension.

[krnnerdboy]

Originally Posted by TK-421

Gasoline trucks are FAIL. Diesel or go home. They make tons of torque and will yield 30+ mpg on the highway no problem. With a cheap tune you'll hear nasty turbo spool and black smoke people if you want while increasing your gas mileage. Plus, you can even run it on vegetable oil to save money and get even better mileage.

getting a diesel, if your not towing is just plain not smart. The cost of injectors in a duramax alone could have you a rebuilt gasser motor. They may last but theyre expensive when maintaining and fixing. Once you start chipping, you better build the tranny as well. Diesels are a costly big boy toy, for those who are ready to invest...

Originally Posted by smohr33

OP, FWIW consider financing a new truck. I know you said you only want to spend 10k, but consider the option of spending a few hundered bucks a month for a brand new truck, versus plunking down 10k on someones old worn out workhorse with 130k miles. With the used car market at an all time high, I don't understand why people don't take advatage of deals on new cars. Certain MFGs are giving away trucks with rebates and financing deals.

You can use me as an example. I bought a new 2010 Nissan Titan around 3 years ago. I paid around $30k OTD. That was ~$10k off sticker, a deal that you can still get today. Galves says the truck is currently worth $26,500 with 30,000 miles on it. If I were to sell it today I have no doubt I could get $26k for it in a heartbeat. So the truck cost me $4,000 over 3 years if I let go of it tomorrow.

So why spend 10k to drive a used truck, when you can drive a new one for less?

Honestly, I bought my Titan new in 07 for 10k off sticker for 25k and
sold it 1.5 yeas later with 30k mi for 17k. And that took nearly 6 month. the truck was in prisitine condition. While I consider the Titan to be my favorite truck it also holds the worst resale value. So OP, I'd consider an early titan over an f150. They can be had for 7k 04 and 100k mi. Major issues were rear diffs and front brake warpage...plenty of cheap diffs available now and its an easy swap. It's better than dealing with the fords 5.4l stuck sparkplugs and crummy tranny...ask me how I know.

I absolutely hated my 10 tundra with the 5.7l. The frame would bounce on the highway and motor was torqueless. I didnt keep that truck for more than a year.
BTW if your not planning to tow and hauling only small items why not consider an suv, I'd recommend an 05+ xterra, also a great value

[mbintx]

"real" truck guys will probably scoff, but check out the Honda Ridgeline if you need a part-time truck like vehicle. I've had mine for 5 years with ZERO issues or major repairs. It's more comfortable than a body-on-frame truck, seats 4, and will tow a car hauler. It ain't pretty, but it's the Swiss Army knife of vehicles.

[fl335i]

I've owned a ton of trucks. Built my own toyota straight axle rock crawler. The most important thing you need to ask is how are you going to use the truck. Offroad? Hwy? city? Etc. I got out of off-roading and trucks due to the amount I drive and cost of fuel and it just being a total waste. Just a huge black hole. I custom ordered a 2009 TRD off-road package and dumped it at 15k.

Tip # 1- stay away from the "mid size trucks". IE- Nissan frontier & Tacoma. Old platforms and they are VERY light duty. my tacoma sucked. small as crap on the inside, terrible mileage etc... they're all the same. no real savings in a "small truck". That's a false hope. Been there got the Tshirt. and the newer full size trucks get better mpg's Ex- new Ecoboost F150. Truck is SICK. V6 Turbo! better mpg's than both the frontcrapa and taco. Stick with a 1500. Best bet. The reality is the companies put money into their full size trucks. Look at the taco and frontier. They've been the same old oh hum for like 10 yrs. But the full size market is down right competitive.


Tip #2- Don't buy a truck if you don't NEED it. Gas, insurance, tag etc all cost MORE.

My take being a truck guy:


Nissan titan: very cool truck; great frame, features etc. Offers a locker from the factory. Bad: Small rear axle. small brakes. Dated truck... been 10yrs and it's the same. 3rd place vote.

Toyota Turdra: Good engine, fast and big rear axle. Other than that is a heep of shiz. crappy frame, and very large. Not for me. this is the biggest POS truck IMO.

Ford F150: I'd say the best truck. Great frame, great rear axle, great brakes, the ONLY turbo V6. My vote.

Dodge Ram: Good rear axle. small-er brakes. great 5.7. DO NOT get the small V8. 4.whatever. POS. But a Hemi 5.7 new truck... 2nd place vote.

GMs': good frame, overall decent but small rear axle and brakes. Good choice for lighter duty. that rear 10 bolt axle SUCKS. Engines are dated. Very dated. F'k they are using push rods.

SO go drive them all see what you think. But I think Ford owns the 1500 class. Just remember, no 1500 truck is going to be a camry or corolla. Or BMW. Don't expect a lexus interior.