What Truck Do You Recommend

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

I moved out of Boston in '98 thinking it would save me so much money... While rent is certainly cheaper, factoring in car payments, insurance, gas, repairs etc. it makes it a virtual wash.

So true. One of the smartest things I ever read about budgeting was not to separate taxes from rent from food, but to look at everything as "money in vs money out" because it gives you a much clearer picture of how much your life actually costs to maintain in different areas of the country.

[Crown@club]

The 2012 Ford F-150 Lariat has been fabulous.

Had a 2002 Ford Sport Trac before this one. That vehicle was a thing of beauty also, but not recommended for hauling.

Other Fords in the past.
1993 Ford Explorer XLT 4x4 was a POS. Kept finding metal shavings in the transmission filter. No answer for it. Transmission needed replacing constantly.

1989 Ford Escort - another POS that couldn't last long. Constant issues with alternator.

1981 Ford Granada - best car of them all. Ran beautifully with hardly an issue.

1976 Ford Granada - lasted a long time with few issues.

That's my experience with Fords.

[trackrat59]

Thanks everyone for the great feedback. This has been helpful.

[ntheiroff]

After many GM products, a couple of Mercedes and a Lincoln Towncar, I bought a 2010 Ford F-150 Harley Davidson Model Ford 2 years ago. It has all of the "bells and whistles" including a mechanical running board that extends out when you open the door. It is the most comfortable ride that I have ever owned. Plenty of room front and back. Have had many compliments on it's appearance. It may not be the vehicle that you would drive to your daughter's wedding, but for most other uses, it is perfect. Drove it from NC to Saratoga last August, stopping only for gas and coffee, it was a dream.

[bigrun]

Originally Posted by ntheiroff

After many GM products, a couple of Mercedes and a Lincoln Towncar, I bought a 2010 Ford F-150 Harley Davidson Model Ford 2 years ago. It has all of the "bells and whistles" including a mechanical running board that extends out when you open the door. It is the most comfortable ride that I have ever owned. Plenty of room front and back. Have had many compliments on it's appearance. It may not be the vehicle that you would drive to your daughter's wedding, but for most other uses, it is perfect. Drove it from NC to Saratoga last August, stopping only for gas and coffee, it was a dream.

Hey off, my granddaughter is a PI lawyer in Winston-Salem, if anyone ever bangs your ride , hope not, but let me know and i'll put you in touch.
btw, NC is a no no on most betting sites, you use offshore?

[wiphan]

I have a 2003 Ford F150 Supercrew 5.4L V8. Pulls 2 horses and a smaller bumper pull trailer just fine. Has 215k miles on it. Original trany and engine, no major issues. I would buy another one, however I would NEVER buy a new truck. You can get such a better deal on 1-3 year old trucks than if you buy them new

[trackrat59]

Originally Posted by wiphan

I have a 2003 Ford F150 Supercrew 5.4L V8. Pulls 2 horses and a smaller bumper pull trailer just fine. Has 215k miles on it. Original trany and engine, no major issues. I would buy another one, however I would NEVER buy a new truck. You can get such a better deal on 1-3 year old trucks than if you buy them new

Wiphan: Thanks for the insight. Do you have any recommendations regarding the best source for purchasing used? Also, what type of mileage is reasonable for a used truck?

Thanks

[Crown@club]

EDIT:
The 2012 Ford F-150 Lariat has been fabulous.

Had a 2002 Ford Sport Trac before this one. That vehicle was a thing of beauty also, but not recommended for hauling.

Other Fords in the past
1993 Ford Explorer XLT 4x4 was a POS [EDIT: Bought Used at 18,000 miles]. Kept finding metal shavings in the transmission filter. No answer for it. Transmission needed replacing constantly.

1989 Ford Escort [EDIT: Bought used at 9,000 miles] - another POS that couldn't last long. Constant issues with alternator.

1981 Ford Granada - best car of them all. Ran beautifully with hardly an issue.

1976 Ford Granada - lasted a long time with few issues.

That's my experience with Fords.[/quote]

[Coup Verville]

I have driven Fords my entire life. I currently drive a 2008 F250 with the 6.4 Diesel. I tow a trailer every day for work and on the weekends, tow a 32 foot horse trailer with living quarters. In the 4 years I've had it, it tows like a dream. My only problem with it is that it doesn't get very good gas mileage.

In all honesty, my next truck will probably be a Dodge. Their diesel engine is way more powerful and at the same time, more fuel efficient. While I get around 10 MPG towing, my friend who tows a horse trailer much larger than mine gets around 15. And, his has much fewer miles(in a diesel, the engine isn't even broken in until about 50,000 miles!!!).

If you have any further questions, PM me. I deal with this a lot, so I may be of some help.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Coup Verville

I have driven Fords my entire life. I currently drive a 2008 F250 with the 6.4 Diesel. I tow a trailer every day for work and on the weekends, tow a 32 foot horse trailer with living quarters. In the 4 years I've had it, it tows like a dream. My only problem with it is that it doesn't get very good gas mileage.

In all honesty, my next truck will probably be a Dodge. Their diesel engine is way more powerful and at the same time, more fuel efficient. While I get around 10 MPG towing, my friend who tows a horse trailer much larger than mine gets around 15. And, his has much fewer miles(in a diesel, the engine isn't even broken in until about 50,000 miles!!!).

If you have any further questions, PM me. I deal with this a lot, so I may be of some help.

i don't know that i'll ever buy a diesel. they cost more on the front end, you get less when you trade it in, and diesel costs more. our gas burner hauls without missing a beat, and gets 16 mph when doing so. i love that truck! we made sure when we had it built to get the heavy duty transmission, etc as we planned to eventually buy a 5th wheel camper.
it hauled a pallet plus of shingles, while pulling another load of shingles on a trailer-and that stuff is heavy. no problems at all.

[Coup Verville]

Originally Posted by Danzig

i don't know that i'll ever buy a diesel. they cost more on the front end, you get less when you trade it in, and diesel costs more. our gas burner hauls without missing a beat, and gets 16 mph when doing so. i love that truck! we made sure when we had it built to get the heavy duty transmission, etc as we planned to eventually buy a 5th wheel camper.
it hauled a pallet plus of shingles, while pulling another load of shingles on a trailer-and that stuff is heavy. no problems at all.

That's great!! This is actually my first diesel, I always had gas burners before. I tow a trailer everyday for work, so a few years ago I decided to try a diesel. I have to say, it tows VERY well. But it costs more upfront, maintenance is more expensive, gas is more expensive, and my gas mileage isn't any better than when I had a gasser. In the end, is it worth it???

But, because the trailers I tow can sometimes be extremely heavy, I don't really have a choice. The daily strain would be too much for a gasser over time. I would go back to a gasser in a minute if I could, but such is life!!!