There’s a reason. Longevity and resale value. If you can live with fewer modern conveniences, I’d go with the Toyota. You get spoiled when you’re going into your 11 th year on the original battery and no repairs. This is pretty typical of most Toyota trucks.
I don’t doubt the reliability. Just not sure I can afford the Tundra. Hell, not sure I want to pay for any of them lol. I was shopping the other night, and a 3/4 ton GM gas burner (6.0) had the lowest sticker price of any crew cab 4wd truck on the lot. It wasn’t a work truck, bare bones truck either. 1/2 ton prices are getting crazy.
I do think the Tundra would probably give less problems, but the higher cost kind of eats up the potential savings of less repairs in my mind.
I have a 2013 f150 supercrew 4wd. 5.0 was my choice when i bought it and still would be.
The pros: 78000 miles and it’s only been at the dealer for a clockspring replacement under warranty and for oil changes. Lots of room for us and 3 grandkids. Very quiet on the hiway. Stereo is good. Engine looks easy to service for maintenance like spark plugs and such. Probably more.
The cons: Mileage runs around 18. Worse on interstates. Towing about 2000 lbs of trailer and atv cuts mileage to 13 on the interstate. With the center seat/armrest down its hard to adjust fan speed especially with drinks in holders. Oil filter makes a mess when you remove it.
When its time to replace it I’ll go back to Ford. GM burned me all thru the 80s and 90s. Toyota’s look huge. Nissan doesn’t appeal to me for several reasons. Ram has a terrible front end but a nice profile. That’s my opinion
Maybe in YOUR neck of the woods
Around here, factory Toyota batteries rarely last past 5 years. That is because the heat ensures a short life
Yup. You’re driving a truck, and a crewcab 4x4, to boot
In my opinion, the Ford truck bucket seats are atrocious, as of late. I suggest you rent a Ford truck for an extended weekend, to see if you can get comfortable.
I guess the question needs to be asked. Are you buying new or used ? If one can’t afford a Tundra whose long term savings and higher resale value is worth the extra money, one still can’t afford a less expensive truck whose repair costs would easily mitigate the advantage. If you plan on trading again before the truck goes out of warranty, you’re taking the most expensive route regardless of what truck you buy.
For sure. But regardless of where you live, it’s worth it to have your own battery tester and feel comfortable using it. Depending upon the parts guy from a retail parts store out in the parking lot when he has to move #number of batteries on the shelf is a recipe for early, sometimes unnecessary replacement. It’s good insurance on both ends to either have your own tester or a mechanic who has a proven record whose opinion you can trust.
1 Like
I guess I can afford most anything on the market if I make payments, but I don’t intend to make payments for long. When I shopped trucks a few years back, a similarly equipped Tacoma was the same price as a similarly equipped F150 after rebates. The Tundra was $10k or so more. While I think the Tundra might be more reliable than a Ford or GM, I question whether it’s $10k more reliable. Resale value isn’t much of a concern since I generally keep vehicles until they aren’t worth much anyway. Plus, if you pay more up front when you buy the vehicle, resale value doesn’t count for much.
I’m not against Toyota at all, my wife has a 2013 Highlander and I like it. But it has cost more to maintain than my 8 year older, 50k more mile daily driver Buick since the converter went bad just outside the emissions warranty. I’d love a Tundra, I’m sure, but I’m just a “bang for your buck” type of guy and I think they’re overpriced for what they are. To be fair, I think all half tons are overpriced as of late, but Toyota seem not to give much off the sticker. A $10-$12k rebate can make up for possible maintenance repairs that may or may not come, and darn sure covers the resale difference. My thinking, although I won’t count the Tundra out completely if I don’t have to pay $10k more to get it.
I don’t mind buying used, but often the price difference between slightly used and new with rebates seems marginal.
We will see. Honestly, I’m not in a huge hurry. I’m sure a great deal will pop up at some point. Maybe I’ll find a leftover base model that no one wants at a good price lol. Even those have more amenities than what I’m in now, so no biggie if I’ve got to rock steel wheels and black bumpers!
1 Like
VThanks for the response and the explanation. One thing I would add, is that use would be a big factor for me. I would be hard pressed to get a Truck that maxed out at 18 mpg if I used it as a daily driver. I guess that’s why when I gave up plowing with a Chevy I went to a mid size Taco. Mileage alone should favor the Ford if you drive it daily.
Speaking of your converter problem outside the warranty period. My 4 wd indicator position switch light failed to work well outside the warranty period, Because the actuator had the switch integrated with it on my 4 Runner, the repair job inside the transfer case was over $900. After a couple of calls to the area rep for Toyota, the manufacturer offered to spring for it ( which I took advantage of). Did you try that, especially since it was barely outside the warranty ?
Btw, I’ve had real good luck with buying off lease low mileage 2-3 year old cars and trucks.
It takes a little waiting till you see one to live with, but they all proved to be good buys.