Thoughts on new truck

[DTro]

I think the planets have finally aligned and I think I'm ready to pull the trigger on a truck.

For discussion sake let's use these numbers for a reference:

Budget of 20K or less (less is always better )

Married with no kids

Drive approx 15-20k/yr

Small alum 14ft boat

No other toys to haul around yet (possible 4 wheeler purchase later this year)

4x4 for sure

I'm thinking I would like an outside box (non SUV) for the unmentionables that a catfisherman totes around

I'm leaning heavily towards a double cab Tacoma. I've also eyed a few Ford Explorer Sportracs. The options/creature comforts you can get on a domestic vehicle blows away the Tacoma. On the other hand, none of my Toyotas have seen the repair shop yet.

I haven't ruled out a fullsize truck. Is the MPG gain worth the sacrifice in space?

Obviously this will have to be a used vehicle with my budget.

Opinions?

[hanson]

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I don't think I would go with the crew cab(personal preference), unless you are going to be hauling a crew of guys around with you.

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Buying a Quad Cab is a surefire way to be the designated driver on fishing trips with your buddies. Red River... here we come!

[Jeremy airjer W]

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Toyota over the Explorer overwhelmingly IMO.

Can't wait to hear from Airjer

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You all know what I think. 13.9 inch rotors, 381 hp, 6 speed transmission. 10,000 lb towing! Mine will have 4 doors!!

[MuskieJunkie]

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Buying a Quad Cab is a surefire way to be the designated driver on fishing trips with your buddies. Red River... here we come!

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Boy that aint no lie! I have been to Upper Red 4 times in my life, everytime was with a group of guys (4 or more), every time I have driven.

[Juan Grande]

dtro,

I had a 2001 Ranger XLT with the extended cab. Great truck, but the gas mileage is terrible for a truck that size.

The extended cab in the Ranger and in older Tacomas is a joke. You can fit a couple bags of grocies back there or a friend if they don't mind sitting sideways with their knees in their mouth.

I'm sure you can get by with the extended cab with a full sized truck, but if you're going with a smaller truck then you almost need quad cab.

I've had a Honda Ridgeline for a year now and I absolutely love it so far. It has a full back seat and the seats can fold up so you can fit your ice fishing buckets and stuff back there.

The box is kind of small, but big enough for most portables. The best feature is the trunk that's sunk into the bed. The tailgate opens like a regular truck or like a station wagon and there is a full size trunk underneath the bed. The trunk can be locked and it great for extra storage.

I think the Ridgeline has only been out for a couple year so finding a used one might be tough. There maybe a few lease returns starting to show up.

The Ridgeline is the perfect truck for someone who doesn't need a full sized truck, but needs more room than a compact pickup. It has a smaller 3.5 liter engine so it still gets good gase mileage and pulls my 17' Lund like a champ.

[jltimm]

So Airjer, when you get that new truck, be sure to give us a full review, as my wife won't buy me one yet! ( But I'm workin on her )

[federline]

>>For the guys who have extended cabs-->Do you wish you would have bought a 4 door?

No. I like to put my truck in my garage, and I like at least a 6 foot bed. The two just don't work out with a 4 door. I've got a Chevy extended cab. I have plenty of storage under the backseat, and I can fit three grown men in the back if I have to, two comfortably. I can open the back doors and front doors and load/unload/reshuffle stuff from both the front and back seats without doing a pirouette around the back door. I wouldn't get a quad, the extended cab fits me better, plus they just look cooler, like a coupe is to a sedan.

[slotlimit]

YOu can get 3 grown men in the back seat comfortably. The funny thing is you're not the one ridig in the back. If you were you would think different. I'm 6'1" and I can tell you no extended cab is comfortable to ride in for very long. Especially once you ride in a Quad cab. Maybe if you're friends are little people it would be fine.

[Big Dave2]

You guys are all refering to "quad cab" as a huge cab.

The dodge quad cab is no more than an extended cab with 4 REAL DOORS. They open from the outside, not suicide doors.

Dodge does make a mega cab, that is the one that all of your friends will want you to drive them to red lake in.

I am no Dodge salesman and I like all the brands but it just sounds like you are in a similar situation as me and I think that for the money I bought the perfect truck. Not too big, not too small but just right. IMO you should at least go down to your local Dodge dealer and take a look at what I mean.

And BTW, you can buy a new truck for under $24,000, or at least you could in '04 but I think there are still deals like that now.

[hanson]

Big Dave-

What kind of gas mileage are you getting with your Ram?

Every rumor I've ever heard is the mileage is not so good and the Hemi powered Rams are even worse. At $2.45/gallon, I hope I can get more than 12-13. Notice I said rumor, would like to hear some real world testimonials.

[slotlimit]

What I am talking about is a Ford or Chevey which I believe the technical name is called a Super Crew. Maybe you can buy a Dodge for $24,000 but I gaurantee you can not buy a new 07 Chevy Super Crew for that price. I checked with many dealers and quoted other dealer prices to each dealer. I know of all the "Kick Backs/Inentives" as of four months ago. The lowest price I found on the Chevy I wanted was $27,500. You could probably get it a little lower for a stipped down version.

[Bryce]

I must be missing something. A new truck for under $24,000? You gotta be talking mid-size or extremely stripped down full size. I'll jump for joy in a couple years to replace my 01 for anything under 40.

[Doonbuggy]

In Saturday's Strib there was an ad (forget the dealer) for a new '07 Dodge Quad Cab for $23,990. Stickered for around $35k less dealer discount and $5k rebate.

This past fall you could get new '06 Quad Cabs for $23k new on close out.

Ford Supercrews were going for $24k-25k for '06 closeouts. The new '07s are now going for $27k. All these prices include cash rebates in lieu of low interest financing.

If you don't mind the old body style you can get $3,000 cash back on '06 Tundras, too. Rarely will you see that big a rebate on a Toyota!

DB

[Powerstroke]

Last spring ('06) a friend of mine bought a new '05 leftover from the previous year for around $19K.

Yes it is unlikely you will get a new '07 Crewcab 4wd with all the bells and whistles in your price range. Duh. SO lets stop making that comment. The point I made and others is that a savvy shopper can find a new leftover or lightly used truck for a fair price ans you can still get all the options you want.

[CrappiesNeyes]

I have an 04 Dodge 1500 quad cab, 5.7 hemi. I get approx 15 mpg (everyday driving) 12-13 mpg pulling the boat (1750 Crestliner Fishhawk) and I have gotton up to 19 on long trips. I am happy with the milage, I also considered smaller trucks (I had a Dakota before this) but the milage really doesn't seem to be much better. Like they say "you wanna play, you gotta pay". Good luck with your purchase. I would definitely check your Dodge dealer, they have 0% and some great deals from time to time.

[Walleye Guy]

A few random thoughts on the subjects discussed above....

A guy I work with just bought a new 2006 Dodge 4 x 4 crew cab (not mega cab) that is not loaded and but not stripped down for $22,000. It does not have a hemi.

Last fall my wife and I bought a 2006 Durango Limited with a hemi. Its a very nice rig and has every option except a sunroof. I would never buy another Durango with a hemi. The hemi is big-time overkill and the mileage is brutal. She gets between 12-13 mpg. Granted most of the miles are city miles between school, the grocery store, our daughters dance lessons etc. We can get 17-18 on the highway on long trips if we keep it under 65 MPH. I believe I would go with the smaller 4.7 L V-8 next time.

When we bought the Durango we were also looking at the new 2007 Tahoe. At the time there was little to no discounts on the Tahoe. Comparably equipped the Durango cost $18,000 less then the Tahoe. And yes, I realize the Tahoe is slightly larger vehicle than the Durango.

Lastly, the latest issue of Motor Trend compares the new 2007 Silverado versus the ful-sized Toyota. The new Silverado edged out the Toyota in the comparison. Generally MT is very tough on most GM and Ford products. Not that you should use Motor Trends judgment when buying a vehicle. Just something I thought I would throw out.

[jltimm]

That's funny that Motortrend said that cause Edmunds online said the Toyota was better than the Chevy and the Nissan Titan.

[DTro]

Thanks for the great discussion. A lot to think about.

I have the green light as long as it's not a GM product........ the better half has drawn a line in the sand, and I'm not going to push my luck, if you know what I mean

*insert dress comment here*

anyways, I've gone back and forth and really still leaning towards the Tacoma.

Problem is that there are only a handful to choose from in my budget, so I decided to throw the 4Runner into the mix as well.

I'll be driving a few different vehicles here shortly, and I'll let you know the results.

[hondavxr]

Tacomas are very hard to find and usually when you do find one, its the fully loaded version that cost about as much as a Tundra. A 4runner is nice but they are costly. I have a 00 runner and the best I have gotten on the highway is 28 mpg. I usually get 21-25 highway driving and 16-19 city driving. But my motor is the old 3.4 V6. I don't know how the new 4.0 V6 mileage is.

[jltimm]

Is that 4 Runner a 2WD? If you actually got 28 MPG with it and it's 4WD, I'm impressed! Best I've got with my 97 Tacoma 4X4 with 3.4 ltr and auto tranny is 22 MPG.

[Big Dave2]

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I have an 04 Dodge 1500 quad cab, 5.7 hemi. I get approx 15 mpg (everyday driving) 12-13 mpg pulling the boat (1750 Crestliner Fishhawk) and I have gotton up to 19 on long trips. I am happy with the milage, I also considered smaller trucks (I had a Dakota before this) but the milage really doesn't seem to be much better. Like they say "you wanna play, you gotta pay". Good luck with your purchase. I would definitely check your Dodge dealer, they have 0% and some great deals from time to time.

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I get the exact same fuel mileage as CrappiesNeyes

[Jeremy airjer W]

4 door Tacoma, nice! They only draw back is the size of the box. On the other hand the 4 Runner maybe has about the same amount or slightlty less. On the other hand the box is open and you wouldn't have to worry about something spilling or stinking up the interior!

[hondavxr]

Yeh my 4runner is 4wd. I only got 28 mpg a few times. I usually think it is a fluke. I get consistant 25-26 for highway driving though. The 4runner Limiteds have transmission lock up torque converters, which lock up with the motor in cruising situations, like the highway. This means less power from the motor is used turning the tranny. Most Tacoma's didnt come with this feature and I notice their mpg are lower.

[river-rat4]

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I have an 04 Dodge 1500 quad cab, 5.7 hemi. I get approx 15 mpg (everyday driving) 12-13 mpg pulling the boat (1750 Crestliner Fishhawk) and I have gotton up to 19 on long trips. I am happy with the milage, I also considered smaller trucks (I had a Dakota before this) but the milage really doesn't seem to be much better. Like they say "you wanna play, you gotta pay". Good luck with your purchase. I would definitely check your Dodge dealer, they have 0% and some great deals from time to time.

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Wow, I hope to get that kind of mileage. Any advise, so far I love the rig, but a trip the the metro cost a half tank! (@ $2.40 a gallon)

07 Ram 5.7 Hemi Quad shortbox. 12-13 on a good day. 26 gallon tank, 300 miles if I really watch it (that equals 11.5 MPG).

Those figures are City and Intestate 35 (40+ one way Interstate miles) driving. I only have 300 some miles on it, so hopefully the rings seat REALLY well and it improves.

river-rat4

[Macgyver55]

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07 Ram 5.7 Hemi Quad shortbox. 12-13 on a good day. 26 gallon tank, 300 miles if I really watch it (that equals 11.5 MPG).

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Those numbers are more in line with what a few guys I work with are getting with theirs.

[jltimm]

I've never heard the word "Dodge" and "good mileage" in the same sentence unless you are talking diesel.