Tacoma or Silverado?

[snagger]

I will soon be in the market for a different truck. I am considering a Chevy Silverado or Toyota Tacoma. Which ever one i get it must have the quad cab and be able to pull my 17-foot Lund with a 90HP (estimated at 1,300 lbs). Obviously the Silverado V8 has plenty of power to do that. Toyota says the Tacoma can tow 6500 lbs. That's also plenty. But....at what cost? Are the breaks and transmission adequate to tow my boat to Canada and back?

And does anyone have any first-hand knowledge at what type of gas mileage i can expect from each of these trucks? Most websites indicate that they are about the same mileage.....21 mpg on highway.

Thanks for your help.

[PierBridge]

I'll break the ice on this one!

GMC!...

[skolfoppa]

What years are you looking at for those vehicles? I have a '99 Tacoma with the 3.4l and I have towed my 17' lund for the past five years without a problem. The only thing I've done is add a leaf to the rear. I run 31" TA/KOs and my air box has been modified, but I still get 19 mpg.

The newer Tacomas have a 4l with close to 300hp and are very capable of towing a boat of your size/weight. Have fun. Skol.

[brian6715]

I would go with the Silverado.

I bought an '05 Trailblazer, which is rated to tow 6200 lbs (maybe 6400, I don't remember). I regret not just getting a full size truck with a V8. I am already getting the same mileage (if not worse) and it's not full size. I would be fine with it, except I want to get a 16x8 wheelhouse, and while I know it could tow it, it really isn't made for the long haul with that kind of weight.

Just my 2 cents

[Jeremy airjer W]

The brakes on the tacoma are also better than the brakes on the silverado.

I towed my old 18' lund for years with my 2.7 liter tacoma with no problems.

If you get the quad cab the only sacrifice is the size of the box. If thats an issue get the GMC!

[BoxMN]

Can't help with the Toyota info, but can with an 07 Silverado Quad. It gets 21.5 on freeway driving reasonable, and when we pulled an 18' alum boat w/ 150 (loaded with gas and "stuff") to Redgut Bay in Canada and back, we averaged 16.5. No kidding. I couldn't believe it but we did both dash readout and hand math. Again, we drove very reasonable to try to save gas money, and I am sure it will start to gobble gas with the pedal down.

Be sure to read about the GM oil consumption, and if you are buying new ask the dealer about it. If they don't have an answer or say there is not an issue I might walk away. Maybe it is fixed, but something to think about. BTW - this is my brothers truck, not mine, but use it plenty. It is VERY comfy, but for me even this box is too darn small, I think my 98 chev ext. Cab box is too small. If the Toyota is smaller than that I personally could not do it for that reason alone.

Good luck, all the newer trucks seem great to me but my next will have full 8' bed...

[brian6715]

The brakes on the tacoma are also better than the brakes on the silverado.

I towed my old 18' lund for years with my 2.7 liter tacoma with no problems.

If you get the quad cab the only sacrifice is the size of the box. If thats an issue get the GMC!

It really wouldn't matter how good the brakes are when the trailer weight starts approaching the vehicle weight; that's more physics.

I am guessing the weight difference between the two would be about 800 lbs? It may not sound like much, but it's around a 20% difference, which will be huge when you have something hefty behind you.

You can try to convince yourself that the Tacoma will pull the same, but it won't. You will always know your boat is there. When I pull my boat behind my Trailblazer I know it's there, you feel every bump and it takes a LOT longer to stop. When I pull it behind my dad's Tahoe, it's easy to forget that you even have a boat behind you. It is a substantial difference. Will the Tacoma do it? Yes, and you probably won't have mechanical issue from towing, but there is a difference.

You don't hear a lot of people saying "I wish I would have gotten that mid-size pickup over this full size!" Unless of course they use their pickups for hauling groceries

[randerson]

The tacoma you can get either a 5ft4" bed or a 6'6" bed that is one thing you can't do with the Government Motors all there crew cab 1500's 07+ are going to have the 5ft8" bed I must say if it was me and those were my only 2 choices I would go with the Toyota but thats a whole other topic. I work with pick ups every day and I must say every time there is a body change they sure cheeping them up but the cost never goes down

[Pistol Pete]

I have owned a toyota tundra, nice truck, not a tacoma, but It didn't get very good milage. Not nearly what it was supposed to. Had an 2008 Chevy Silverado with 5.3 crew cab. It did not get much better milage than any other truck I've owned except at 65000 miles it started to use oil. At 74000 miles it was using lots of oil. Between 70 and 74K I added 3.5 quarts. Traded it for a ford f-150 with an ecoboost engine. Really like the truck. Gets the best milage of any other truck Ive owned by 2-3 mpg. Rides as good or better than my chevy truck did. Huge back seat with the crew cab. Everyone comments on how big the back is for leg room. That little 3.5 liter engine would kick the [PoorWordUsage] out of my old chevy. I always said my Chevy was guttless. Always downshifting with the boat behind it. Can't say that with this ford. You may be a die hard Chevy guy but take a look, it never hurts. No I don't work for Chevy either!!

[CJH]

You don't hear a lot of people saying "I wish I would have gotten that mid-size pickup over this full size!" Unless of course they use their pickups for hauling groceries

You are comparing a full size (Silverado) to a midsize (Tacoma). As mentioned, just do to the physics of it, the Silverado would be a better tower of the two.

[Powerstroke]

So Brian, are you really trying to say a Tacoma will weigh around 2200lbs?

Curb weight (under estimated compared to actual usage weights) for a 2011 Taco Double cab with v6 is 4190 lbs. Tow ratings are 6500lbs with tow package and 3500lbs w/o.

Except for the engine power, I would say that a Taco will pull that boat just fine.

You are comparing a full size to a mid-size pickup. Its not really apples to apples.

[brian6715]

So Brian, are you really trying to say a Tacoma will weigh around 2200lbs?

Where did I say that?

[rundrave]

getting a 05+ crew cab tacoma with a 6ft bed is hard to find. they are out there but I have been looking for one since january. I just havent found one for the right price. I am in no hurry to buy a truck just yet though, gonna wait for gas to get a little higher first.

Having owned a 94 toyota pickup, 02 Tacoma and most recently an 05 Tacoma they hold their value. I just rolled my 05 Tacoma dbl cab long bed back in January. I paid $21,500 for it in the Fall of 08 and it had 38k. At the time of my wreck it had 69k miles and my insurance gave me $19,800 for it this past january. It was bought by a local auto body shop and sold for $17,500 with a salvage title.

My 02 Taco I bought used with 8k miles, and sold it 3 years later for $3k less.

I have never had an issue towing boats or my quads. they are great trucks and definately got beat on and I have never had to sink any money into them except for normal maintanance.

[trolloni]

toyota ,when it comes time to sell it youll be very happy and every time you hit the key itll start and everytime you put it in gear itll go!andfor toughness its not even a question !

[Mike_Top]

SILVERADO. no brainer

[1johntimm]

I have had a 1997 Tacoma Extra Cab 4x4 with the 3.4 V6 for over ten years now. I get 18-20 just driving around, and have got as high as 22 and as low as 14 in the winter towing.On a trip to Canada towing a Lund 1660 Pro V loaded with the truck also fully loaded I got 18 mpg with it. I have towed a 8x16 fishouse with it and have really "USED" the truck. It has given me no issues other than 1 new starter put in a year ago. I would get a Toyota over a Chevy any day of the week!

[Jeremy airjer W]

The tacoma you can get either a 5ft4" bed or a 6'6" bed

The four door tacoma has a 5' bed as the only option

[rundrave]

The four door tacoma has a 5' bed as the only option

thats true for 97-04 tacomas, but for the 05+ you can get a 6ft bed in a dbl cab they are just not as common.

im not sure how or why, but it is only an option at certain dealers/areas

[whitebassman]

I would get a Toyota over a Chevy any day of the week!

+2!

Towing you'll be fine with the Tacoma. Even my Toyota FJ Cruiser pulls my Lund 175 Explorer 115 hp Merc just fine. You do notice the longer brake distance but easy to adjust for. Keep in mind other things besides towing. You'll probably just drive much more then tow. Comfort and reliablity should be number one concern. I know I'd trust a toyota over chevy any day! At 99,000 miles on mine, got her at 200 miles on the odo, and works just like day one and no mechanical or other headaches at all! I've towed my boat to devils lake, nd and Voyageurs national park without issues.

[Down2Earth]

I went from an 04 Ford f150 with the 5.4 to a 08 GMC with the 5.3, I pull a 18ft Smokercraft with a full windshield. I make 10 or so trips to the river in SD a year, the pond a couple times, and leach once a year. Pulling the same boat the Ford you can forget overdrive. I am very happy with the new GMC currently at 68,000 miles. In my opinion anything but a full size truck is a waste of money.

[fishtrapgirl]

Silverado! I have an '09 1500 crew cab, I average right around 20 mpg driving back and forth to work 25 miles each way. Averaged about 22 mpg on a trip to Montana last summer. Plenty of room for us and 3 German Shorthairs. Plenty of power to pull our boat or Grand Lodge. In fact, I think we need a bigger boat! Thanks for bringing this to my attention! Sorry, I've seen way too many crashes working as a Paramedic for the past 11 years. I don't care what gas costs, I won't drive anything other than a full-size truck. I want to feel as safe as I can out there, and a full-size truck is what works for me.

[Ufatz]

Tried a Toyota and they are nice enough but ended up with Silverado with big V-8 and crew cab, six speed Allison and all the other stuff. Just made another 1500 mile cross country trip with a load in back and was showing 20-21 mpg average much of the time. I was only so-so about this truck when I bought it but it was comfortable for two and the Labs. Now that I have 40,000 on it I am impressed. It really IS a very nice truck. I am an old Ford guy and a Powerstroke guy on top of that!! I have had no troubles......NONE....since I've owned it. This truck is much nicer than most sedans used to be!! Oh....and it doesn't even know my Crestliner 18' Fishhawk is back there.

[snagger]

Wow! I should have known this topic would have no shortage of replies. Lots of good information. Thank you.

I only pull my boat about 6 times per summer. So this truck will be used as a commuter truck mostly (22 miles to work each day). So i need a reliable and comfortable truck with decent mileage. My current Chevy is falling apart with 145,000 miles on it. I'm about fed up with it. I'm leaning Toyota. I don't really care about the shorter box since i dont' haul a lot of stuff.

Thanks again for all the info guys and keep the debate going!

[MNice]

Wow, this is different. Isn't it supposed to be ford vs chevy not toyota vs chevy??

[jwmiller33]

Wow, this is different. Isn't it supposed to be ford vs chevy not toyota vs chevy??

It was already decided that Ford took first place in that debate b/c of the Ecoboost... Now Chevy/Toyota are fighting for second