Tundra or Silverado?

I don’t believe that all Chevy/GM are POS and will break every day but the fact is Tundras are more reliable both in real world and in predicted. I have a 4.6 double cab so not as expensive of a truck as you are looking for but I have put nice wheels on it, have a great sound system installed (the Stereo in the Tundra is one of the worst factory “systems” I’ve seen/heard) and upgraded my interior with leather seats, along with some other cosmetic mods as well. All that and with selling the stock parts that i replaced, I still have less in it than the 42 grand that you would be paying for that trail boss. So you can get an apples to apples truck for around the same $$ with Tundra, just get a lower trim model, fix it up the way you want and don’t pay Toyota’s price for as you said minimal upgrades or things you don’t want/need....and I guarantee your value down the road will be more than the chevy plus it’s more fun to work on it and make it your own. As far as looks are concerned, I like the look of lifted Chevy’s from the side but the front end of those things are god awful. Looks are opinion obviously but the Tundra is a much better looking truck overall to me.

 

My friends GMC Denali HD duramax has been in the shop two or three times since he bought it new in 2017. Once was a coolant line blew off and dumped antifreeze all over. Then his phone wouldn’t connect to his stereo and no voice for directions while using navigation. There might have been something else I am forgetting. I bought my 2016 tundra used two months after he got his GMC and it has never been in the shop. He even admitted that if Toyota made a 2500 with a diesel, he would buy one the day it came out. It is not that I don’t like gm trucks, I own a 1976 now and had an ‘88 a long time ago. As said before reliability and resale the Toyota wins! Since you look to be leaning towards the Chevy, I hope you have good luck with it if you pick one up.

 

This point is what I've learned the expensive way this time - so many features can be added later. There's the obvious ones like never paying for the OEM wheels - if you want them go to Kijiji (Craigslist for us up north). And being on this forum I've seen how many have done like you have with the leather and heated seats, something I thought for sure would be better to buy on the truck from factory but isn't the case. I get some people don't want to touch their truck (I will likely do this with the 2022 Tundra as it will be the wife's DD) but if I end up with a diesel HD it'll be a low trim and I'll work on it like crazy. That way you get the truck pretty much exactly how you want while keeping costs as low as possible and getting something to consume your days off that's not housework

 

I wouldn't buy a new half ton GM, the AFM/DFM is killer for me. Plus the 24 gallon gas tank is the final nail.

If you are looking GM, I'd get the 6.6 gas HD. Historically GM's HD gas jobs have been pretty bulletproof for us on the farm.

 

True that - it’s not that the options are just more expensive from the factory because they are, but they won’t just add $2000 leather as a stand-alone, you have to get a $7000 package with a bunch of stuff you don’t need/want. I got my leather for just over $1000 installed plus it’s a custom look over just a solid color of Toyota’s choice. If you don’t want to pay up front for it then add $5k to your financing if that works better for you and them at will get you leather, a lift, wheels, and some other stuff you may want as well.

 

This.
We have (had) only Chevys and Fords at work. All kinds of problems, but it is a Michigan based company so it would be a sin to buy a non-american brand. After research though the owner decided to be a sinner - they have started buying Tundras as fleet trucks based on reliability and thus lower operating cost.

 

Get a GMC. They look better. I like them both. It all depends on what YOU like better and I don’t fault you in the least for going away from the Tundra. I would suggest an extended warranty and good dealer on the GM.

 

Being brand loyal only benefits the manufacture, there is no benefit to you in any way so I can appreciate your trying to make a decision based on logic rather than the feels.
obviously we are all a little bias towards the tundra because we all made that choice.
here is my .02 cents.
*If going GM, I wouldn't consider anything but he 6.2 (420hp / 460tq / 16?mpg listed as TBD on their site) vs 5.3 (355hp / 383tq / 16mpg).
At those numbers your fuel economy is realistically not much worse than a Tundra 5.7.
Not sure on this history of the 6.2 but it is LS based if I remember, not sure how long this particular model has been around, but the Tundra 5.7 is going on 13 years unchanged, so that says something about the reliability. The LS has been a Chevy staple motor and the current 6.2 has won some awards. I wouldn't consider the 5.3 considering the MPG is likely the same or close to the 6.2 but down 65 hp.
*EDIT did a quick search because i was curious the 6.2 was introduced in 2007 so so an equivalent history to the 5.7 from Toyota. But it has gone thru some iteration, L86 the current variant was introduced in 2014.*
I couldn't do a Chevy as I absolutely hate the front fender, I would consider a GMC tho I think they look better for basically the same truck.
Agree that you get more and better features with the Chevy, but how many of them would you use daily?
The best advice which one would you turn around and look at every time you park it in the parking lot of your local hardware store? get that one.

Also just because you get a chevy doesn't mean you can't come chat and get some bad mod advice from us... I'm sure we could have a good time busting your balls for driving something other than a Tundra.

 

I drove a 2019 or 2020 LT Extended cab Silverado as a rental when I was out in Arizona a few weeks ago because I am a fan of the truck's looks and have always considered it a second choice if I don't want a Tundra next time around.

Admittedly it was not a trail boss. But my Crewmax is just an SR5, not a fully loaded model. So comparable trims. The two vehicles felt very similar in terms of ride quality, smoothness and general feel from behind the wheel. Which is problematic because my Crewmax is 11 years old and has 93K and the Silverado is a brand new truck. I felt like the Silverado is an impressive truck if I'm getting behind the wheel in 2010 or 2012 but a bit behind the times in 2020. Best I can say about it was that the fuel economy at 19mpg with a normal driving style made me more jealous than anything else. Acceleration felt similar. Ride quality felt similar. Interiors were comparable. I don't know if it was the old 8 speed or the 10 speed, but the tranny got caught up and banged into gear in some low speed acceleration scenarios where the 6 speed on my Crewmax shifts like butter. I believe it may have been the old 8 speed. Don't know if they're doing the 10 across the board now.

I was not impressed spending several days in the truck and it has me re-thinking my fondness of the Chevies. If you look at a lot of pro reviews the conclusions are similar. Not updated enough inside and out compared to newest models of other half tons. If the next Gen Tundra is not what I am hoping for and there are no more Gen3 Crewmaxes to be found, probably gonna look at Rams and Fords.

 

I looked on NADA and I'm seeing a ballpark of $3,000 delta between both trucks comparable options. This aligns with the numbers that I mentioned earlier assuming mileage and options are as comparable as possible on 5 years and 60k miles. I wouldn't use this as a determining point as this isn't static and anything can change. Accident's, high mileage, etc....

I would like to argue that yes, the Silverado and Sierra are 4th and 6th and the Tundra is in 2nd, but this takes into account both full-size and mid-size trucks. If you break out the truck sizes, the Silverado takes 3rd and Sierra in 4th behind the Ram 1500 in 2nd. With such a small pool of participants, it does become more significant. To put it on a grading scale, 4th place down is a Fail. 2nd Place is a B-, and 3rd is a D grade. The Tundra comes in 1st as most reliable truck on the market.

This is a link that shows the most dependable trunks for the past 15 years from JD Powers.
https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2019/04/most-dependable-pickups-last-15-years/

Off-Topic, I'm liking this thread as you are demanding facts and research to back up statements and at the same time, removing the emotion from the decision factor. And we all know that human emotions drive a lot whether you are aware of it or not.

 

This is a really great point.. I'm also pretty disappointed that Cadillac won anything at all in the past 20 years. =(

 

I had a 14 Sierra Denali that had the "Chevy shake" on the highway then dropped a lifter at around 5K on the clock....that thing was gone after just over a year because I didn't trust the truck. That cluster not taken into consideration here are my honest thoughts as I almost pulled the trigger on a AT4 last year before buying my second Tundra.

I'd never buy a 5.3...go 6.2 or get the Tundra IMO
GM rides better and is much quieter on the highway...get the GM
You can get a pretty legit deal on the GM so even if you hate the truck a year or two down the road you didn't get hurt to bad...get the GM
You said you want to keep it ten years...defiantly get the Tundra
The new Tundra will be out in a year and half or so from now so that is something to consider as your spending good money on a truck that will be "old" very shortly. May matter and may not but defiantly something to think about.

Even with my terrible experiance with my prior GM I almost bought one as they are nice driving trucks and, when paired with the 6.2, tow way better than my Tundra. I do honestly believe you are rolling the dice with one though...might get a great one...might get a lemon. Sounds kinda like you would like something different so I say get your Trail Boss w/6.2 and don't look back. My .02

Good luck.

 

6 pages of you basically picking the Chevy. Go with man. Baby the shit out of it though because in 5 yrs it’s probably going to start failing you. If there’s one thing I’ve learned working in the service industry, you never win a debate with an engineer, so I’m not going to try.

 

I've avoided chiming in on this thread because everything pretty much has been said, but like any adult male with an ego I will give you my opinion. I was in the same position as you last year when I got my new tundra (deciding between trail boss and tundra). What swayed my decision is the fact that even when driving vehicles with all the features I find myself hardly using them. So I made a note of what features I actually use on a day to day basis. What I found is the tundra had everything I used so as much as I liked all the extra knobs and button's it wasn't worth the added cost. I got a sr5 with pretty much every option during the sale that toyota was having when the 2020's were hitting the lots so I was otd around 46 with a sticker just under 49. The trail boss I was looking had a sticker of 50 and some change with the otd price after working the deal was 49 otd. If those number had been opposite I probably would have ended up with the trail boss. But in the end it came down to what was more important to me reliability and saving a few thousand or questionable reliability and some cool features I may or may not use. The only thing I still question is if any of those cool features would have become something I used on a day to day basis, but you cant miss something you've never had.

 

I’m not reading through this entire thing but why not wait and see if the redesign is the best fit for you?

 

From doing years of research and having a family owned body shop on my dads side, all owning GM, The newer build quality and reliability is terrible. All the parts are mainly made in China and though it looks nice... It doesn't last. Older GM products (before 2005 ish) did have great reliability, but the same cannot be said for anything recent. My grandfather (Who owns the family business) and has bought all GM (Chevy) most of his life has even confirmed this... Another thing to add, Honda's Toyota's and Hyundai's hold their resale value really good. American doesnt. Trust me from first had experience, AVOID GM

 

Also to add, they have had many transmission failures across the product line.

 

It's not all about reliability, but for me that was one of the most important things to look at.
Fact is that there are no real crap on the market; it would not survive - but there certainly is a difference; even if it is percentage points.
It doesn't mean that the Chevy will break "all the time" and the Tundra will "never" break, but there is a general consensus in the motoring world that if you drive a Toyota you will see the dealer a little less often than if you drive just about anything else. Some of it is bias and some is fact. The fact is, Toyota knows what they are doing when it comes to reliability and quality control.


There definitely is a trend....

















etc.....

 

So many less units sold is a point we Tundra owner's don't consider, when we're feeling all "fluffy" about our trucks I bought my 2010 new and at 83,000 issue-free miles, I can't see 'us' ever parting company. It's by far the best,most problem free vehicle I've ever owned ( not counting Wife's 04 Pilot with 357,000 miles)

 

Dude.. buy your wife a new car!

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We keep coming back to reliability and maybe that is far more important than anything else.

 

@Backslider - do you have your heart set on the trail boss? Personally, I'd go up a trim to the LTZ or High Country and get the 3.0L Duramax Turbo Diesel. I have a bunch of "Chevy" friends that have said good things about the Duramax engines and not so much on the 5.3 or 6.2 V8's.

 

Ha! We bought her a 09 Pilot Touring model for her retirement. Being both retired now and totally debt-free,we ain't buying anything we can't pay for! If my Tundra serves me half as well as that Pilot has, I'll be a happy grand pappy. Original engine, trans and radiator+maintenance items.

 

I believe it is a 6.2 not 6.6, premium fuel is recommended, and at one time it was only available in the LTZ/Denali and up. I might have bought a GM with the non AFM/DFM motor.

 

Just go buy a 2020 F250 Tremor with a 7.3 gasser. TFL liked it.

https://youtu.be/4HiR9dxvGLY

 

just met with a client

Just rode in a clients brand new 3.0 Duramax. Much to my surprise they don't come with the Allison Tranny??

 

Just out of curiosity why are you not considering a Ford? Not that I would buy one. In fact just got rid of mine for a Tundra. Personally having worked at a Toyota plant and the legendary reliability of the Toyota trucks (just saw a post where a guys has 400k mileage on his) was what sold me. Even though my Ford has more bells and whistles. My dad has a 1500, and he has not had any major issues, but likes my tundra more. Good luck. Post some pictures of whatever you get.

 

Well, here goes. I work with fleets in the oil, gas, coal and utility companies. I mostly do vehicles communications work. I interact with the buyers, the service and the drivers. So, of course the Tundra doesn’t necessarily fit into the “work truck category” but, the Chevy, Fords and Rams do. I average somewhere in the neighborhood of 1500 trucks a year that I have contact with for over 20 years. I can own any truck I desire to purchase. Here’s my line up and why, 2012 Ford F-450 crew cab Platinum (not offered that year but dealer custom built for me) for pulling and towing (I’ve had 5 Powerstrokes 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and this 2012). In my experiences Ford builds the strongest truck on the market, in the earlier years maybe not the most reliable diesel but the 6.7 is beyond satisfactory to me. 2001 F-350 Dump truck for use on my property, again Ford builds em tough. 2013 Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew Cab with a Duramax with an aluminum work cap, this is my work truck (and I have owned 5 Duramax as well, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014 and this 2013). I average around 60,000 miles a year on a work truck. Chevy builds a comfortable, reliable diesel platform. The truck itself lacks a little on the “heavy duty” side compared to a Ford but some depends on how they’re treated. The 1500 Chevys in my experience has had many issues, some in which the deactivated cylinders will pass oil through the ring gaps in the chance they line up causing catastrophic failure. I have come across over 10 vehicles in which this has happened. The interior of all the more recent GM’s are just “cheaply done”, take one apart as I have on thousands of occasions and you’ll agree. There has been some rusting issues long term here as well. To me, I will only own a GM truck with a diesel. The Ford F-150 isn’t a bad truck but the only one id ever consider would have been the 6.2, the Ecoboosts has issues, and the 5.0 seems to like oil. But not a bad truck otherwise. This leads me to my choice of the Tundra when looking for a 1/2 ton truck. I’ve had a 2012 SR5 before and liked it and currently own a 2019 Platinum. I’ve worked on them, not to the numbers of Fords and Chevys by no measurable means, but they are built tight and well. The engine likes fuel but I don’t care. At the coal mines they seem to have issues with the Tundra front end and/or steering components, they do not like the coal slurry and mud and don’t hold up long in it without cleaning often. This does not worry me as mine will never see those environments. The Tundra does lack on the “up to date” conveniencies, bells and whistles as the other trucks but I don’t care. I did upgrade the audio system to 2,800 watts of Kicker amps and speakers but otherwise left stock. For full size SUV the Tahoe would’ve probably been my second choice, currently the New Navigator would be, to our first choice of Sequoia, we own a 2016 Platinum which is our third to own, the others being 2008 and 2012, Platinum as well. The Platinum Sequoia upgrades a few extras the Tundra doesn’t, lockers being one. Small SUV I’ve chosen the new 4 door, Wrangler Rubicon, it goes topless, the 4 Runner doesn’t, and the FJ isn’t offered any longer. I previously owned a 2008 Trail Teams FJ that I sold at 12 years old with 20,000 miles on it. I liked it, but I like topless more. There are other vehicles in our garage but none to accompany this conversation, I believe. I did not mention the Rams, I just do not encounter those in the numbers as the Ford and Chevys as the majority of the fleets I service do not prefer them unless they’re shopping merely on price. I do more Rams than the Tundras as to enough to determine I do not want a Ram. The Hemis seem to break in these environments and conditions. In my opinion if you’re shopping Bell’s and whistles, the Chevy will give you more for your dollar but if you’re wanting a long term investment the Tundra will probably return more pennies on your dollar, minus the excess in fuel cost. In today’s market they all have good and bad and I don’t believe either truck is a bad choice.

 

That's the rumor. Never really asked. My boss has a 2015 3500HD with a transmission made by Allison. I guess sometime after that they split off and Chevy started making their own and just calling it an "Allison" transmission.

 

Im not a homer...my favorite car I’ve ever had was an 07 z06. Complete f’ing rocket, handled on rails. LS(LT today)series V8’s are arguably the greatest engines ever built IMO. Versatile, compact, tons of power NA or under boost and seemingly bulletproof.

That being said...Im considering a new truck and the new GM’s look nice. Again, im biased towards their powertrain(6.2 and a 10 speed) but I dont see the extra “bells and whistles” justifying the extra cost? The GM truck interior is no better than a Tundra, the gauges look cheap as does the dash and head unit.

The DFM and auto stop/start nonsense is borderline a deal killer to me as it sacrifices longevity and durability for marginal at best improvements in fuel mileage.

Auto cruise control and beeping/lights while changing lanes is gimmicky shit I dont use.

I dont trade my cars in every 18 months. I try to get 8-10 years out of them at least and put my money into something else other than a depreciating liability.

My 2007 Crewmax has been bulletproof and Im 100% certain Ill get another 200k out of a 2020 Yota with no headaches. Cant say the same for GM and sure as hell cant say the same for a Dodge(although i like them on paper the best).

 

I would get the GMC over the Chevy. This is the kind of GM truck that I would buy: