Thinking of getting a truck....

[PoolGate]

I've been having the bug for a truck lately. Actually always had it but more than usual lately since my car's warranty just ended. Been looking at F150 Raptors or Chevy Colorado (or GM clone). Anyone have either of these and can comment? I was going to go test drive next week and see what's what. I briefly had a 1500 Silverado and really miss that truck ride!

 

[pooldv]

Ive got a 10 year old brown dodge 2500 4buh4 Cummins diesel truck for hauling hay and what not.

 

[Arizonarob]

4buh4

I friggen love my truck. PG you definitely want full size vs compact. The weight of the truck is what makes the ride better. Take them all for test rides, ( a full days test drive, not 4 lefts and you’re back in the parking lot) and figure out what YOU are going to need to use it for. Planning any remodeling? Gonna need a bigger bed. Gonna tow that shinny new toy? Gonna need towing capacity.

 

[Bama Rambler]

The first and most important question you need to answer is 'what are you going to do with it' now and in the future!

If it's going to be a 'grocery getter' then it pretty much doesn't matter what you get. If you expect it to do anything else you need to match the truck to the biggest job it'll be expected to perform. Now and in the future.

I have a GMC Sierra 2500 because we have a fifth wheel. If I were ever planning on getting a larger RV than we have now I would have gone to the 3500/350 class.

 

[domct203]

I think everyone should own a truck at least once, and here in the Northeast they should always be 4X4. I’m on my third.

Here’s my current, ‘02 Explorer. I absolutely love this thing:

 

[scdaren]

So the Raptor and Colorado are pretty much polar opposites as far as trucks go! The Raptors are sweet!

I drive a lot, and work in ag, so I go through a truck every few years. I love the Rams, I had 4 in a row. The more recent ones are beautiful trucks, super comfortable, and great ride. I have checked out the new 2019 and they are really amazing. But the last one I had, a 2014 1500, was in the shop constantly with all sorts of problems. I had planned on driving in to 200k miles, but at 100k the warranty was up, and I couldn't risk owning it out of warranty. My dad also had a 2014, and had lots of problems as well -- different ones than I had though, which is even more worrisome.

So now we both drive 2017 Silverado Z71s. It's a nice truck, but the 5.3L engine is way underpowered compared to the hemi in the Ram, and the interior is just not quite as nice and refined. The important thing is that it has definitely been more reliable, I'm at 65,000 miles and zero problems so far, though the infotainment system has an annoying hiccup every now and then. Just oil changes and tires. Same for my dad and he is at 55,000 miles.

 

[Texas Splash]

One of my vehicles is your typical Ford F-150 (2004). Yep, I keep vehicles for a while. I've filled the bed up and towed my small trailer so many times I can't begin to count. Can't imagine not having a truck in the family. As for which make specifically, that discussion will never end. :blah:.

 

[Arizonarob]

You go Dom, with your bling bling. My aunt still has her original from 98, only has 65,000 miles on it.

 

[PoolGate]

This will be my daily driver and occasional weekend Home Depot hauler. Like grass seed, dirt, sod, etc. We are sorely missing a haul vehicle. We use my Charger right now with a tarp in the trunk . Might tow I used to have a boat but not anymore so the hitch is great but realistically it will not be used much. The main reason I am considering the Colorado is it's $10k less. I would much prefer the full-sized truck. I suppose I could get a lower model than the Raptor like the XLT but I really like the Raptor! Going to drive some next week and see what they offer for my trade.

 

[scdaren]

This will be my daily driver and occasional weekend Home Depot hauler. Like grass seed, dirt, sod, etc. We are sorely missing a haul vehicle. We use my Charger right now with a tarp in the trunk . Might tow I used to have a boat but not anymore so the hitch is great but realistically it will not be used much. The main reason I am considering the Colorado is it's $10k less. I would much prefer the full-sized truck. I suppose I could get a lower model than the Raptor like the XLT but I really like the Raptor! Going to drive some next week and see what they offer for my trade.

Are you sure the Colorado is that much less? Everything I have seen shows the gap a lot narrower than that. Keep in mind that the sticker prices and what you see online are meaningless. Trucks tend to be discounted A LOT. Chevy especially, mine stickered at $49k and I paid $40k, a 20% discount off the sticker is not unusual. I would imagine you could get a really good deal on a 2018 Silverado right now, because they are about to release the completely redesigned 2019 and will need to get rid of those trucks. Same goes for Ram, there are still a lot of 2018 models on the lots they are trying to clear out (just make sure you get a good warranty). Ford should also be wheeling and dealing right now because of the competition from the new Rams and Chevys. Now should be a really good time to get a deal on a truck.

 

[domct203]

This will be my daily driver and occasional weekend Home Depot hauler. Like grass seed, dirt, sod, etc. We are sorely missing a haul vehicle. We use my Charger right now with a tarp in the trunk . Might tow I used to have a boat but not anymore so the hitch is great but realistically it will not be used much. The main reason I am considering the Colorado is it's $10k less. I would much prefer the full-sized truck. I suppose I could get a lower model than the Raptor like the XLT but I really like the Raptor! Going to drive some next week and see what they offer for my trade.

I miss the convenience of a pickup over the SUV, with a good tarp you can haul anything that fits in the bed.

You go Dom, with your bling bling. My aunt still has her original from 98, only has 65,000 miles on it.

That’s great to hear about that ‘98! Just keep changing that oil and it will last forever.

LOL, my bling bling. My wife says I have ‘show-off-syndrome’. Here I am playing with my rock band NOMAD, I’ve been with these guys since 2001!

 

[Flying Tivo]

Yep, I keep vehicles for a while.

I also have a hard time letting go! Still have my 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport with 150,000 miles. The only regret is that its a 4x2.

Felipe

 

[sharonnicole81]

Get a full size truck. Last year I purchased a brand new 4 door Jeep Rubicon from the showroom floor inside the dealership (not jacked up and tricked out but with all the upgrades like leather, seat warmers, touch screen navigation, etc. that us women like). It was fun for a bit and I still like it but after my father in law passed away we got his 2008 Chevy Silverado (4 door) and I hardly drive my Jeep anymore. I love the truck and it has become my daily driver. It drives comfortably, it's spacious, I can bring home a new things like furniture without him saying no first! lol! Before I would have to ask my husband to borrow his friends truck which usually led to my cheap husband talking me out of buying whatever it was. It looks a little weird with me driving the full size truck and my husband driving a car but I don't care. I love it. Anyways, like I said, get a full size truck. I think Ford has a pretty sharp looking one right now if you are wanting to purchase a newer model.

 

[PoolGate]

Get a full size truck. Last year I purchased a brand new 4 door Jeep Rubicon from the showroom floor inside the dealership (not jacked up and tricked out but with all the upgrades like leather, seat warmers, touch screen navigation, etc. that us women like). It was fun for a bit and I still like it but after my father in law passed away we got his 2008 Chevy Silverado (4 door) and I hardly drive my Jeep anymore. I love the truck and it has become my daily driver. It drives comfortably, it's spacious, I can bring home a new things like furniture without him saying no first! lol! Before I would have to ask my husband to borrow his friends truck which usually led to my cheap husband talking me out of buying whatever it was. It looks a little weird with me driving the full size truck and my husband driving a car but I don't care. I love it. Anyways, like I said, get a full size truck. I think Ford has a pretty sharp looking one right now if you are wanting to purchase a newer model.

If it is a Raptor it will be brand new. I looked at used Raptors and they are almost as much as new ones.

My niece drives a 2500 series Ram and her husband drives a Mustang. She has a horse so needs it bigtime!

 

[PoolGate]

Are you sure the Colorado is that much less? Everything I have seen shows the gap a lot narrower than that. Keep in mind that the sticker prices and what you see online are meaningless. Trucks tend to be discounted A LOT. Chevy especially, mine stickered at $49k and I paid $40k, a 20% discount off the sticker is not unusual. I would imagine you could get a really good deal on a 2018 Silverado right now, because they are about to release the completely redesigned 2019 and will need to get rid of those trucks. Same goes for Ram, there are still a lot of 2018 models on the lots they are trying to clear out (just make sure you get a good warranty). Ford should also be wheeling and dealing right now because of the competition from the new Rams and Chevys. Now should be a really good time to get a deal on a truck.

Configured the way that I want for each, they are about $10k apart based on MSRP (Raptor vs Z-71). I am also considering that dealers rarely take much off Raptors but that on the Colorado I can expect a 10-20% discount.

 

[scdaren]

Configured the way that I want for each, they are about $10k apart based on MSRP (Raptor vs Z-71). I am also considering that dealers rarely take much off Raptors but that on the Colorado I can expect a 10-20% discount.

Yeah, the Raptors don't get discounted much. But MSRP is meaningless for a Chevy product, so in reality there is probably a lot more than $10k between the Raptor and Colorado. If you are considering Raptor, I think you would be much happier with the Silverado than a Colorado. The full size trucks are so nice and spacious, for us it's a great family vehicle. The difference between a Silverado and Colorado should only be around $5k, if that. Or even take a look at the other F-150's. Comparing how the F-150 and the Silverado drive and feel is like night and day -- after my Ram I had planned on an F-150, but did not like how it drove, so went with the Silverado even though it has less power. I ended up putting an exhaust and intake on the Silverado to give it at least a little more power, and I'm pretty happy with it. If I was in the market right now, I would probably be going for a 2019 Silverado -- primarily because of the new transmission. The 5/6 speed in the Silverado I have sucks, and contributes to the sluggish feel, especially after being used to the wonderful ZF 8-speed in the Ram.

 

[PoolguyinCT]

I think everyone should own a truck at least once, and here in the Northeast they should always be 4X4. I’m on my third.

Here’s my current, ‘02 Explorer. I absolutely love this thing:
View attachment 84941

When you are at a red light, the first thought must be - that’s the wrong dude to mess with!!!

Love the mods!

 

[bmoreswim]

Here's our '97 F-150. Dad bought it new and I obtained it in 2014. I love to drive it, though it was never my daily driver. But now my son primarily uses it as he's 17. He says he'll always own a truck.

The reason I'd never buy a Raptor? 6.3". The amount a Raptor is wider than a standard F-150 (excluding mirrors on both). EVERY time you park in a parking lot you will be reminded of that statistic. But if the heart requires it, it's awesome to look at and, I'm sure, fun to drive (just not park).

 

[scdaren]

Here's our '97 F-150. Dad bought it new and I obtained it in 2014. I love to drive it, though it was never my daily driver. But now my son primarily uses it as he's 17. He says he'll always own a truck.

The reason I'd never buy a Raptor? 6.3". The amount a Raptor is wider than a standard F-150 (excluding mirrors on both). EVERY time you park in a parking lot you will be reminded of that statistic. But if the heart requires it, it's awesome to look at and, I'm sure, fun to drive (just not park).

Wow, is that pic recent? That is one clean looking '97!

 

[bmoreswim]

Wow, is that pic recent? That is one clean looking '97!

Thank you. Yes, last year I think. It was garage kept for the first 17 of it's 21 years and never was a daily driver. I only have two bays so it sits outside now but is shaded in the PM.

I just paid more than what the truck's KBB value is to rebuild the transmission due to the looks, state of other mechanicals and sentimental value.