Buying a new truck...

[Grouse]

I just bought a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado with a full sized bed. It has the big V8, automatic transmission, 4 wheel drive and all the bings and whistles. I love the thing. I only get about 21 mpg in the summer and it dropped to 18 mpg this winter.

So far it has needed nothing for service other then an oil change. I only have 4000 miles on it. A very smooth driving truck, excellent acceleration, came with Wrangler Radial Tires and seems to go through the snow well, and with the 17 inch tires it sits up nice and high.

My friend drives the new Tundra Crew Cab. They are a Toyota family. All they buy are Toyotas. He loves it, but says the gas mileage sucks big time. He Rhino lined the bed and put a topper on it. A real nice looking rig. And there is a lot of room in the front, but I think the Silverado is more spacious. At least it seems that way to me. The other thing he said is, Toyota's last for ever but when they need to be fixed, you better have a good warranty or a fat wallet. His beater truck is a 1984 Toyota 4x4 truck. It has over 200,000 miles on it, on its second engine, and the box rusted in half and broke so he built a flat bed on it. He runs that as a woods truck.

I looked at Fords, Toyotas, and Chevrolets. Ford are out because the company does not stand behind their vehicles even when the problem is a design flaw. Believe me, my woods truck is an old Ford F150 4x4 that has to go back to the shop tomorrow again. Also they are gas hogs. I will never buy another Ford truck EVER!! The toyota I test drove was a nice truck without a doubt. But the gas mileage and the very stiff ride was a turn off. The Silverado has lots of room, a great ride, and good gas mileage for a truck that big. So I would put my vote to the Silverado.

:applause: I really enjoy reading all your posts.

 

[teacherboy]

What happened? Did you make a purchase?

 

[big6x6]

What happened? Did you make a purchase?

Not yet! I will within a couple of weeks or so.... Right now I'm still leaning toward the Chevy...

 

[Doohan]

I would buy a Silverado if it were a 2500HD with a Duramax... :wink:

I also drove a Tundra yesterday and .. wow! I really liked it!

 

[big6x6]

I would buy a Silverado if it were a 2500HD with a Duramax...

Well I would TOO if diesel wasn't thirty cents a gallon more than regular unleaded... But not a Silverado 1500 with a Vortec MAX 6.0?

 

[Grouse]

Chuck,
Is the Flex Fuel an option?

 

[teacherboy]

Here in Milwaukee, on Thursday, diesel was 70 cents a gallon more. It really makes no sense to me why diesel is so much more.

I would buy a Silverado if it were a 2500HD with a Duramax...

Well I would TOO if diesel wasn't thirty cents a gallon more than regular unleaded... But not a Silverado 1500 with a Vortec MAX 6.0?

 

[cayuga]

Flex Fuel is an option on the bigger V8 engines in the Sliverado, but the mechanic at the dealership and I were talking. He does not like the stuff for some reason. When I asked him about burning it, he said there are no stations up here that sell it, and I'd be better off with regular gasoline. A friend of mine tried burning the stuff in their truck. He lives in the southern end of the State. He said the gas mileage dropped about seven miles per gallon.

teacherboy.. I have noticed that also here in the northern wisconsin area. Diesel fuel is unreal in cost. It must be because they want to soak all the home heating people good and hard this winter. I have an oil furnace I use as back up and paid $3.09 a gallon for #1 diesel. That is insane. Thank goodness I cut 10 logger cord of wood and am burning wood this winter....

 

[funman]

Buy the tundra heres three easy reason why


1. They are proven reliability

2. The i force engine is very powerful

3. The new tundras ( in my opinion of course) are the best looking trucks on the market



Now thats my two cents how many rednecks did i piss off

 

[Doohan]

I would buy a Silverado if it were a 2500HD with a Duramax...

Well I would TOO if diesel wasn't thirty cents a gallon more than regular unleaded... But not a Silverado 1500 with a Vortec MAX 6.0?

I really don't know the answer to that. The 6.0 has to be a better answer than the 5.3.

 

[MCee67]

I believe diesel is more expensive, just for the fact that most buses, semi's, delivery trucks (fed-x,ups) etc. use diesel, and also because of how much the price of crude oil is per drum now. Seems logical anyways. Years ago everybody bought diesel because it was cheaper. Those days are long gone.

 

[big6x6]

Yeah I could get a Flex-Fuel 5.3. Same stats as a gasoline only 5.3.

Tundra DOES have a great drivetrain. BUT... Right NOW...the 4X4 Tundras reliability is ranked DEAD LAST by Comsumer Reports. The best ranked 4X4 non-diesel truck is the Chevy Silverado. How's THAT for "trading places?"

As far as looks go....The Tundras with the stock wheels(18s), even the the limited IMO SUCK! That makes the whole truck suffer by comparison to a Silverado. Of course looks is a very personal thing!

 

[teacherboy]

Because most/all buses, semi's, trucks, trains, ships use diesel I would think the price would be cheaper. I'm not sure of the refining process but it would seem diesel would need less "refining" than any gas would. I think they are just soaking us. Yes oil is more expensive but has engine oil risen like the price of gas? No it really hasn't. otherwise an oil change would be $80-$100. I've been using Mobil 1 full synthetic for years and it really hasn't jumped up that much. But if you look at oil company profits, they have absolutely skyrocketed. It's felony rape but nobody calls the police.

I believe diesel is more expensive, just for the fact that most buses, semi's, delivery trucks (fed-x,ups) etc. use diesel, and also because of how much the price of crude oil is per drum now. Seems logical anyways. Years ago everybody bought diesel because it was cheaper. Those days are long gone.

 

[teacherboy]

By flexfuel I think you're referring to the alcohol based fuels. It take twice as much alcohol to have the same energy as gasoline. So wheres the savings? E85 is expensive and you use more of it compared to gasoline. You're not going to save a thing. Hybrids are the same. Diesels routinely do much better than these "eco" wonders. The Hybrids rarely post numbers like the sticker says. Also, the waste involved in manufacturing the hybrid batteries is much more toxic than running gas cars. Be careful who you listen to.[ quote="MCee67"]I believe diesel is more expensive, just for the fact that most buses, semi's, delivery trucks (fed-x,ups) etc. use diesel, and also because of how much the price of crude oil is per drum now. Seems logical anyways. Years ago everybody bought diesel because it was cheaper. Those days are long gone.[/quote]

 

[big6x6]

By flexfuel I think you're referring to the alcohol based fuels. It take twice as much alcohol to have the same energy as gasoline. So wheres the savings? E85 is expensive and you use more of it compared to gasoline. You're not going to save a thing.

Yeah that's right. Although it IS less exensive, your gas mileage drops so really, NO savings. But it IS a renewable source, so at the least it would be more enviromentally friendly.

 

[MCee67]

I agree teacherboy. When we were in Irag the first time, we should have kept an oil field or 2 for paypack for all the fighting we do for everybody else! Those oil rich countries wouldnt even miss them.

 

[funman]

i sure would like to see where you saw that in consumer reports. i have a 2008 consumer guide that dosent come close with what you stated earlier.

 

[big6x6]

i sure would like to see where you saw that in consumer reports. i have a 2008 consumer guide that dosent come close with what you stated earlier.

You don't believe me? Trust me...the one thing I know about right now is Silverados, Tundras, and Titans! :shock:

Consumers Guide and Consumer Reports...two completely publications. Consumers Guide is nothing more than a "review" publication only that tries to make people believe they are "Consumer Reports." "Consumer Reports" is the only independent testing publication I know of. Reliability "polls" are sent to subscribers/readers(of which I am one) to list the reliability data of cars/trucks we actually own/drive.

Below is the list, IN DECREASING order of full sized trucks. The scale didn't show BUT..

Full-sized pickups

Make and model Overall score


Ford F-150 (V6, 2WD) (~55% better than average)
Chevrolet Silverado 2500 (turbodsl, 4WD)*(~30% above average)
GMC Sierra 2500 (turbodsl, 4WD)*
Dodge Ram 2500 (turbodsl, 2WD)
Ford F-150 (V8, 2WD)
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (V8, 4WD*) (~15% ABOVE average)
GMC Sierra 1500 (V8, 4WD)*
Ford F-150 (V6, 4WD)
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (V8, 2WD)*
GMC Sierra 1500 (V8, 2WD)*
Ford F-150 (V8, 4WD)
Dodge Ram 1500 (2WD)-average
Dodge Ram 2500 (turbodsl, 4WD)-average
Nissan Titan (2WD)
Chevrolet Avalanche 1500*
Dodge Ram 1500 (4WD)
Lincoln Mark LT*
Nissan Titan (4WD)
Toyota Tundra (V8, 4WD)* (~-70% WORSE than average)
Cadillac Escalade EXT* (-220%)

So...the reliability is of the Chevrolet Silverado 4X4 V8 is 85% BETTER than the reliability of the Toyota Tundra 4X4 V8 per Consumer Reports. Now I'll be the first to say that the Toyota won't STAY next to last in reliability. First/second year production issues will be taken care of hopefully and they will probably be one of the more reliabile 4x4 trucks. But as of right now...they are not.

They have since ADDED the Escalade as their least reliable truck. At -220% below average, I wouldn't touch it..but what about 70 PERCENT BELOW AVERAGE!?

Of course this list nothing more/nothing less than subscribers reliability.

 

[funman]

Thanks for the info i did not know that about the ratings.

 

[big6x6]

To me, this says "something"

http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/tru ... oty_winner

Oh, oh. I just read THIS on Motor Trends site:

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Testing, judging, and story for the February 2008 issue of Motor Trend were completed and printed before the latest safety recall involving 15,600 2007 Tundras to correct a potential driveshaft issue)

All this as the local Toyota dealer is ringing my phone off the wall! They have offered me a deal I almost CAN'T refuse on a 2008 Tundra Limited...so new it hasn't even gotten to the DEALER yet...

Decisions, decisions..