Buying a new truck. Talk me out of buying a F150

^ That was a couple of weeks ago, the only thing different is I added Bushwackers flares yesterday

 

Love the look, too bad it is not Inferno ;-)

I can't wait to pay mine off and start the mod process. The Ford guys will get jealous when I'm wheeling by with my rear window down and v8 roaring

 

Drive the tundra it sells itself.

 

lol wut? have you driven a 5.0 V8 F150? it will run rings around the tundra. dont take my word for it, check the performance specs.

and in my worthless opinion, the front end of the tundra is ugly as hell, good looking truck from the side profile... but that's about it.

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/trac-control-off-tow-haul-beast-mode-confirmed.8116/

 

I call BS about you seeing "plenty". How old are you and how have you SEEN plenty of Tacos and Tundras with issues? Huh? Answer me that!

 

I have a chain to help the Ford go in circles.

 

My brother has been a master technician with Toyota at a large dealership for over 20 years. Since the 3rd generation Tundra came out, he has only seen 1 Tundra with the 5.7 motor come back with an engine issue. It had catastrophic failure with 30 miles on odometer. Toyota gave owner new vehicle and engine was taken out and shipped to Toyota to find the problem. He says nothing goes wrong with the 5.7 engines (that is not usually owner induced). Likewise, transmissions are solid. Do your home work on what the Ford Ecoboost engines have been having issues with; there is plenty of material here. Like my brother says: engines with more moving parts and sensors have more issues. Good luck.

 

https://www.f150forum.com/f2/buying-new-truck-talk-me-out-buying-tundra-418347/index4/#post5803133

Check out comment #38 :O

" I'm not disappointed in the Ford, but would have been quite happy with a Tundra if I'd found one that met my needs. " (shopped/bought used)

We seem to have some lukewarm replies about "Buy what you want" but no one that said they'd be just-as/if-not-more happy in the competitions vehicle... but maybe i just missed it.

 

So I am no expert. But I think I am good at being pretty self aware and unbiased...

I have owned every type of truck other than dodge.

Toyota has always been in the back of my head because growing up, my uncles that were into trucks(like really into using trucks for work/off-road) always preached Toyota’s reliability and capability even if it wasn’t what they drove(one of these uncles was a remarkable salesman for dodge for 40 years). This always stuck with me but I always went for Ford, Chevy because I was young, dumb and broke.

Let’s just say I learned the hard way.

I am not going to go into all of the issues I have had with other brands but I have 105k+ on my tundra now and I finally had to pony up and replace a battery.

I will also say that since I got into offroading/wrenching in the last couple years it is blatantly obvious the quality difference in the suspension components between my tundra and my buddies (insert manufacture). I have seen fords and chevys break things while basically doing nothing offroad. It is borderline ridiculous honestly.

If you want a truck that will last, get the tundra. If you like to trade in every 3 years and continue to roll negative equity or break even get the ford.

 

TUNDRA FOE THE WIN

 

To elaborate with my personal observations and recent purchase experience...

Although, I have previously owned Ford F150 trucks, I didn't buy a 2018 F150 Lariat or XLT due to:
a. Had to go to a Crew Cab (CC) to get rear passenger room equal to or greater than Tundra.
b. Price was MUCH more than the Tundra...partially due to going to a CC. Also, going to CC shortened the bed length so that it would fit in my garage.
c. Had to go to 5.0 V8 or 3.5T V6 to get egual/better towing capacity.
d. Found the both the Lariat and the XLT interior had basically the same center console. It has hard plastics meeting hard plastic. My first thought was future rattle trap.
e. Lacked the SAFETY innovations that are standard on Tundra (radar cruise - which is somewhat like Subaru's Eye Sight; Blind Spot and Rear Cross Traffic Alerts; and Brake Assist).
f. Poor reliability and resale.
g. I saw two F150 aluminum beds with torn/ripped fenders for what appeared to be minor scrapes. One was the over-fender ripped off with a large fender tear about 3-inches wide and 10-inches long.
h. Turbo power is neat, it's cutting edge, it's better than it used to be, BUT does it have longevity?
i. I lacked trust in the F150 to do what I need it to do and Ford to "make it right" should I have issue(s).
j. To many articles and owners complaining of NOT getting the advertised MPG.

Although, I have previously owned Chevy/GMC pickups, I didn't buy a 2018 GM pickup due to:
a. Had to go to a Crew Cab (CC) to get rear passenger room equal to or greater than Tundra. Odd, since the written statics show GM/Tundra both having basically the same rear leg room. However, I set the driver seat to fit me and then sat in the back on every truck and NONE of the Tundra competitors fit without me straddling the driver seat. (Not scientific, but it was part of my selection criteria.)
b. Price was MUCH more than the Tundra...partially due to going to a CC. Also, going to CC shortened the bed length so that it would fit in my garage.
c. The 5.3 V8 was "okay", but nothing to brag about. Sales people didn't want to discuss the 6.2 V8...probably due to not having them available.
d. Found the both the SLE and SLT GMC interiors to be extremely CHEAP and BORING. First hint was the center rearview mirror which was inadequate - to small and very cheap. Lacked the SAFETY innovations that are standard on Tundra (radar cruise - which is somewhat like Subaru's Eye Sight; Blind Spot and Rear Cross Traffic Alerts; and Brake Assist).
f. Poor reliability and resale.
g. I lacked trust in the GM twins to do what I need it to do and GM to "make it right" should I have issue(s).
h. I have yet to forgive/forget the Government Motors bailout. A lot of people and vendors were hurt by this action. I don't think that's really over.

Although, I have previously owned Dodge/Chrysler minivans, I have NOT owned a Dodge/RAM pickup. I didn't buy a 2018 or 2019 RAM 1500 pickup due to:
a. Had to go to a Crew Cab (CC) to get rear passenger room equal to or greater than Tundra. Odd, since the written statics show RAM having the same rear leg room. However, I set the driver seat to fit me and then sat in the back on every truck and NONE of the Tundra competitors fit without me straddling the driver seat. (Not scientific, but it was part of my selection criteria.)
b. Price was MUCH more than the Tundra (especially for the 2019 - little to no rebates)...partially due to going to a CC. Also, going to CC shortened the bed length so that it would fit in my garage.
c. The 5.7 V8 was "okay", but nothing to brag about other than the sound it makes. Love it!
d. Found the both the Laramie and Big Horn interiors pleasing, but lacking the SAFETY innovations that are standard on Tundra (radar cruise - which is somewhat like Subaru's Eye Sight; Blind Spot and Rear Cross Traffic Alerts; and Brake Assist).
f. Extremely poor reliability and resale.
g. I lacked trust in RAM to do what I need it to do and FCA to "make it right" should I have issue(s).
h. I have yet to forgive/forget the Government Motors bailout. A lot of people and vendors were hurt by this action. FCA wasn't as bad as GM, but...
i. I love the RAM 5.7 V8 sound and the 2018 wheel choices. Just not enough to ignore the negatives.

Toyota earned my business primarily due to the trust they have built with me over the past 17-years of ownership. Yes, I would like surround-view camera coverage in a tight parking spaces. Yes, I would like better MPGs. Yes, I would like a better rear view camera system (at least one where the guidelines bend to show your path and the center line is extended to line up the hitch ball and trailer coupler. I purchased based on overall VALUE and piece of mind, not for the "shiny new feature or showroom glitz" to get my hard-earned dollars. Oh, I also considered the USA content and final assembly locations as part of my decision.

The Tundra is not the fanciest, the latest, nor the greatest pickup. However, it's honest in delivering what is promised. I'm extremely pleased with the deal that my Toyota dealer provided and with the improvements made by Toyota since my 2008 Tundra purchase. Would I purchase one of the others, well NO or I would've done so last week.

 

This says a lot right here.

 

Before buying my first Toyota in 2009 I was a diehard Ford owner for 30 years. I owned 6 F150s, 2 full size Broncos, and a Sporttrac. I had a 1997 (1st year for the "Mustang with a bed"). It was first year of a top to bottom redesign and surprisingly turned out to be a good truck. The Sporttrac was the best Ford I ever owned. The 2001 Superscrew 4x4x Triton was the end of the road. $4k before putting 95k on the odo and I had enough. Last straw was spitting #6 on a rainy Xmas eve. I will have to add that I still have one Ford. It is a 2011 Escape that my daughter drives. Probably has 160k on it and just developed first problem. I think it is leaking around the sunroof but had not had a chance to confirm. I told my daughter to open and close it.

 

hahaha this reminded me of highschool - I had a friend who's old mazda's sunroof leaked. Her dad ended up just caulking it shut with silicone. That was on the west coast in a much milder climate - i'm sure your daughter would prefer a some times leaky roof over no sunroof down here in the heat!

 

You are spot on about going over 8k lbs getting a 3/4 or 1 ton is the wise decision. Those trucks are built to haul and tow day in day out, this includes frame, suspension, brakes. Both the Tundra and F150 could pull 30k lbs, they just can't be guaranteed to do it safely. 1/2 ton trucks are built to drive comfortably and do some towing (campers trailers, boats, light weekend duty basically). Towing 8k lbs with a half ton is noticeable, it may be able to pull ok but turning or slowing down are changed, but with a HD truck 8k lbs is almost unnoticeable.

No one is questioning whether any half ton can pull 8k lbs (or even 20k lbs for that matter), it's just that economically and safety wise getting an HD truck to do the heavy tows is the smart decision.

 

I’ll take a Tundra lemon over a Ford, because Toyota will turn that lemon into lemonade. Ford will say, “it’s normal.”

 

It's normal = Undocumented feature?

 

I was just commenting about how the Ford guys and reviewers of Fords like to tout the towing capacity of the F150's over other trucks... "Best in class towing" - my point was if you're decision is based on being able to tow 2k more, you're probably looking at the wrong class of trucks.

Additionally it sounds like that "Max towing capacity" is only available "on select models"

I had the hardest time filtering through reviews when researching trucks.. they compare the whole line against the other.. which could be helpful for some things (maybe high level reliability), but it seems like ford has like 8 different engines/engine configurations lol Tundra has 2 (i guess 3 if you want to count the 5.7 separate from the 5.7FFV). That doesn't include all the other configurable performance parts (axles, shocks, leafs, etc) - it's really hard to make comparisons with those broad comparison articles. As others have said, just pick the couple of things that REALLY matter to you (reliability, towing capacity, road noise... whatever) and compare based on that... and Test Drive!

 

my 05 has almost 211k on the clock. I do regular maintenance, drive it, and regularly haul my horse trailer with my 1200lb tank of a gelding inside. The interior is still in great condition, and the AC still runs like a champ. The radio is finally starting to give up the ghost. Not bad for a 13 year old truck!!!

 

I'll throw my .02 in. I've had Ford's & Dodges before my Tacoma and now have the Tundra. I drive 100 miles a day and the Toyota's have never let me down unlike the Ford's. So here's 2 stories from guys I work with. 1st guy had a big jacked up Rocky Ridge F150, goes on vaca and transmission goes out at about 50k miles. Truck is under warranty but he's still 6 hrs from home with a rental. So what's he do? Trades for a brand new Rocky Ridge. Some people never learn. 2nd guy has a 2012 XLT Lariat he bought new. Recently he would be driving and it would quit for no apparent reason while normal driving. Had it towed 3 times and spent almost 4k on it over the last 6 mos with nothing wrong found at the dealership. Not sure the exact mileage but it was under 100k. So what's he do? Goes and buys a brand new Platinum 150 with a sticker of 68k. Some people never learn

 

Two things to consider brother.....

1. You come on a tundra site and ask which you should buy......sounds like you’ve already made your decision, big guy.

2. It’s like I always say, do your research, get what blows your skirt up and deal with the consequences.

Good luck.

 

He didn’t ask “which he should buy” he asked us to talk him out of buying the F150. Small but important difference

Bottom line - it’s highly subjective. Different stokes for different folks.

 

Option 1. Are you a Ford Mechanic? Buy a Ford
Option 2. Do you have more money than sense? Buy a Ford
Option 3. Are you a normal human who wants to keep his money, have a reliable truck, spend less money on said truck, and join this awesome forum?
BUY a Tundra!

 

Option 1 spoiler alert. Ford mechanic owns a Tundra.

 

A friend of mine has a 2014 F150 with the Ecoboost; he towed a small pop up camper with it and he blew his turbo. There's a reason those engines have been nicknamed the "Ecoburst".

 

When I had my previous truck, a 2016 Tacoma, in for warranty work for the 3rd time, I was given a 2017 F150 with the 5.0 and 6 speed transmission as a rental, and it was pretty nice. I like my Tundra better, but the F150 in this configuration was solid. Unfortunately, I think F150's all come with the 10 speed transmission now, and I've not heard particularly good things about it. But at least that V8 engine is good.

 

Point taken.

While I understand the hemming and hawing about a 30-50 thousand dollar decision like this (and not one to take lightly). Fact is he still came on a tundras site knowing about the tundras reliability, yet, doesn’t sound convinced by the salesman pitch about Fords being just as reliable.

It’s the subtleties I caught in op’s OP that led me to assume he had already made his decision - albeit subconsciously.

Like we can both agree on, different strokes blow up skirts for different folks