Talk me out of a truck

[Dice144]

I currently still have a 2008 VW Passat time bomb. Last week borrowed my Uncles 2015 F150 XLT and fell in love driving it at night in a brutal winter storm.

The cheap guy in my says that a truck is just overpriced. In the summer I Kayak a lot and always wish I had a truck. People that pull up with a truck are in the water faster!

Current car is paid off and will be traded in. It is worth close to nothing tho.

I love the look of the new F150, Chevy Silverado, and GMC Canyon.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Entirely depends on what you're doing. I never used to want a pickup but I got one this past summer (2007 Silverado 5.3L 4x4) and it has been such a handy thing to have. Trucks aren't necessarily better in the winter, a truck with basic tires won't do better in the snow than a car with good winter tires. My truck has crappy tires on it and it kinda sucks for winter driving right now. Good thing I still have my trusty rusty old Trailblazer kicking around for my primary winter beater as it is much more capable for it because of tires.

MPG is not going to be terribly stellar compared to a car so keep that in mind (I average 16-17 mpg with mixed driving), and yes trucks cost more to purchase. I would suspect any of those three you listed would be cheaper to maintain than a VW however

 

[Yuriman]

A few nights ago, I was sitting in a restaurant, watching trucks lose control one after another in a particularly slick intersection (cars weren't having any problems), and I see more trucks in the ditch than anything else. A RWD vehicle is undoubtedly going to have more issues with traction in poor weather conditions than a FWD. OTOH, if you take it slow, trucks can often get out in conditions where you can't in a car, due to ground clearance, and 4WD is an option.

How's your expendable income? Be aware that even if you get the truck for free, it's going to cost you several thousand dollars more per year than most cars. My solution is to have a 20 year old truck that I use on the rare occasion that I can't use my car for something, and I don't take it out at all in the winter because it's flat-out less safe to drive. It's lucky if it gets 1,000 miles each year, whereas I put closer to 35-45,000 miles on my car. Right now gas is cheap, and it still saves me about $5,000 per year that I'd otherwise spend on fuel. At $4 per gallon (and it will go up), this number is closer to $10,000.

 

[3chordcharlie]

How much do you drive? Be prepared for double the fuel of your current ride. VW isn't known for cheap maintenance. But every part of a truck is twice the cost of the same part on a car, because they are bigger.

Colorado/Canyon or Tacoma might be an ideal fit as a 'lifestyle' vehicle but in terms of price and value the F150/Sierra/Ram are hard to beat.

 

[SparkyJJO]

A few nights ago, I was sitting in a restaurant, watching trucks lose control one after another in a particularly slick intersection (cars weren't having any problems), and I see more trucks in the ditch than anything else. A RWD vehicle is undoubtedly going to have more issues with traction in poor weather conditions than a FWD. OTOH, if you take it slow, trucks can often get out in conditions where you can't in a car, due to ground clearance, and 4WD is an option.

The problem often times is people think they are somehow invincible to weather conditions just because they are in a truck. Stupid drivers. As someone who has driven nothing but RWD and 4WD vehicles for 9 years now through various weather, RWD can be a bit tougher to handle in some cases but it isn't really that bad. Just takes a little different mode of thinking than FWD. FWD is kind of a "point n shoot" type of thing which just makes it simpler.

I rarely use 4WD even when there is snow on the roads. With good tires it isn't usually necessary. It is certainly nice to have though don't get me wrong, I'd never buy a truck/SUV that wasn't capable of 4WD.

 

[Pulsar]

I currently still have a 2008 VW Passat time bomb. Last week borrowed my Uncles 2015 F150 XLT and fell in love driving it at night in a brutal winter storm.

The cheap guy in my says that a truck is just overpriced. In the summer I Kayak a lot and always wish I had a truck. People that pull up with a truck are in the water faster!

Current car is paid off and will be traded in. It is worth close to nothing tho.

I love the look of the new F150, Chevy Silverado, and GMC Canyon.

F-150 (new) - I have the 5 liter. Expect 13 - 15 mpg driving around town, and 19 on the highway. Of course, that's not really going to change between trucks much. The only one I've heard that is majorly different is the ram with the ecodiesel..... but it's a ram so expect Dodge quality. The new aluminum body on the F-150 won't rust.

Silverado is just as nice as the F-150 frankly (and I'm a Ford employee). Drive both. See which you like better. I have the front bench F-150, and the 'monster' arm-rest that doesn't hold anything and has cup holders that are too small in many cases is a pain in the ass. In addition the headrest of the fold-down blocks your two lower cup holders. I don't know if the silverado has the same access issues on their bench version.

The 5L is a beautiful engine for the truck - it has get up and go and it can tow. The Ecoboost works equally well. The small ecoboost on the F-150 bugs me - it has start/stop technology and makes me feel like I'm driving a golf cart. But I'm a 'truck' guy and constantly use the truck features.

Depending on where you live, the Canyon is a smaller truck and might be easier to park and get better mileage.

 

[Dice144]

How's your expendable income? Be aware that even if you get the truck for free, it's going to cost you several thousand dollars more per year than most cars. My solution is to have a 20 year old truck that I use on the rare occasion that I can't use my car for something, and I don't take it out at all in the winter because it's flat-out less safe to drive. It's lucky if it gets 1,000 miles each year, whereas I put closer to 35-45,000 miles on my car. Right now gas is cheap, and it still saves me about $5,000 per year that I'd otherwise spend on fuel. At $4 per gallon (and it will go up), this number is closer to $10,000.

Well, I current put 72 a a paycheck into a car fund every paycheck (bi-weekly). Every week I up the payment one buck, as lets be honest, the VW isn't reliable.

Sorry this might be long but trying to talk myself into this... 10% into 401k, roughly 1k into stocks/lending club a month. Budget 280 toy money a month and have roughly 800 left over a month after all bills (mort. food, utility) are covered. Any money left over at the end of the month, I typically just throw into a mutual fund/into Lending club (just started using LC).

 

[jlee]

Well, I current put 72 a a paycheck into a car fund every paycheck (bi-weekly). Every week I up the payment one buck, as lets be honest, the VW isn't reliable.

Sorry this might be long but trying to talk myself into this... 10% into 401k, roughly 1k into stocks/lending club a month. Budget 280 toy money a month and have roughly 800 left over a month after all bills (mort. food, utility) are covered. Any money left over at the end of the month, I typically just throw into a mutual fund/into Lending club (just started using LC).

Side note, if 10% isn't maxing your 401k at $18k/yr, you're probably better off doing that before taxable investments. The tax advantage is huge.

 

[Dice144]

I had it at 18% for awhile. Lowered it to 10% when I was having some medical issues and needed the buffer.
Right now have a roommate who covers about 50% of the mortgage I including taxes. You are right, should up the 401k again, thanks.

 

[SSSnail]

1. You have all your teeth
2. You don't have the urge to fornicate with your siblings
3. Your family tree has many branches
4. You don't own a ranch
5. You don't actually haul things around, that much
6. You will have long lost friends finding you when all of a sudden, they need to move

You know, the usual. I'll be here all week folks.

 

[Pacfanweb]

How much do you drive? Be prepared for double the fuel of your current ride. VW isn't known for cheap maintenance. But every part of a truck is twice the cost of the same part on a car, because they are bigger.
.

I wouldn't think that's the case with a domestic truck vs the price of VW parts, not at all.

In fact, truck parts are typically cheaper, since they make more of them than anything else and they stay the same for so many straight years.

 

[Dice144]

I have all my teeth. Lol

My first vehicle was a 1987 Ford ranger 4 cylinder. My dad called it the gutless wonder.

My work is a 9 mile drive one way. I typically drive more in the summer months when I kayak and camp. The truck I wanted for ease of kayaking and better space for camping. I would get the club cab.

 

[WackyDan]

What about a jeep? Kayaks fit on all sorts of vehicles and you don't need a truck for kayaks.... though that can make it easier.

 

[tcG]

Don't do it bro, you'll be sorry!

 

[Sho'Nuff]

As many have said - whether a truck is worth the investment depends on how it will be used.

If you are going to actually use the features of a truck (towing, hauling crap around, picking up large items, etc.) on a regular basis - then get a truck! There is no better tool around for those actions and once you have a truck you will wonder how you ever lived without one.

On the other hand- if you really don't need the truck features all that often - it is probably a wiser investment to purchase a smaller SUV and rent a truck when you need one. Or better yet - and if the insurance doesn't kill you - you could buy a used SUV and a decent used truck for less than the cost of a new truck, and use the truck as a pure utility vehicle. That is what I do. I drive a 2011 Acura TSX as my daily driver, and I have a 2003 F-150 supercrew that I use to haul stuff to the dump, pick up furniture, go to our camp, etc. It works out well. Just have to be prepared to work hard to find a good used truck, and then to take care of all that "used truck" maintenance.

FWIW - if I had it my way and did not have a long commute 2-3x a week, I would probably sell my existing vehicles and move up to a nicer and newer truck. I use my truck WAY more than I thought I would, and I enjoy driving it a lot more as well. But - your usage scenario might dictate a different decision.

 

[Dice144]

What about a jeep? Kayaks fit on all sorts of vehicles and you don't need a truck for kayaks.... though that can make it easier.

With Jeep being owned by Fiat... I want to avoid another VW reliably wise.

 

[Subyman]

I drive a 2014 GMC Sierra SLE Z71 4x4 as my daily driver. It has been a great truck and I enjoy driving it. In winter driving just keep it in Auto 4x4 and you won't have any issues. Don't drive like an idiot is Winter Driving 101 haha. No, it doesn't drive as well as the 528XI (AWD BMW), but it gets around just fine.

As for daily driving, I get right at 20mpg combined. Towing a 14' aluminum trailer with about 3000lbs it drops to 12-14mpg. I'd definitely recommend the extended cab, but maybe not the crew variation. The 6 3/4ft bed is the way to go, the 5ft bed is rough to use. The SLE trim came with everything I'd need such as hands free phone, bluetooth connectivity for music, large LCD touch panel, USB ports, dual climate, and such. The SLT gives you a console with bucket seats instead of the split bench set up, which you may like.

As for price, MSRP is fantasy land. Mine stickered for $44.5k and I drove away paying $36.8k OTD tax included. You get a lot of vehicle for the money.

I couldn't live without my truck due to my line of work, but it really comes in handy for things outside of my profession. I never think twice about how I'm going to get something home. Doesn't even cross my mind.

 

[Dice144]

I drive a 2014 GMC Sierra SLE Z71 4x4 as my daily driver. It has been a great truck and I enjoy driving it. In winter driving just keep it in Auto 4x4 and you won't have any issues. Don't drive like an idiot is Winter Driving 101 haha. No, it doesn't drive as well as the 528XI (AWD BMW), but it gets around just fine.

As for daily driving, I get right at 20mpg combined. Towing a 14' aluminum trailer with about 3000lbs it drops to 12-14mpg. I'd definitely recommend the extended cab, but maybe not the crew variation. The 6 3/4ft bed is the way to go, the 5ft bed is rough to use. The SLE trim came with everything I'd need such as hands free phone, bluetooth connectivity for music, large LCD touch panel, USB ports, dual climate, and such. The SLT gives you a console with bucket seats instead of the split bench set up, which you may like.

As for price, MSRP is fantasy land. Mine stickered for $44.5k and I drove away paying $36.8k OTD tax included. You get a lot of vehicle for the money.

I couldn't live without my truck due to my line of work, but it really comes in handy for things outside of my profession. I never think twice about how I'm going to get something home. Doesn't even cross my mind.

Thank you for the feedback.

I do love the look of the GMC trucks.

 

[jaha2000]

If i was just going to be hauling kayacks i would be looking at the Taco/Canyon/Colorado.
There is no reason to fuel a V8 hauling 200 lbs of stuff around.
If there are other toys in the future, thats a totally different story.

FWIW, i have a Crewmax Tundra. Giant people hauler truck with a 5.5 foot bed. Decent MPG of 17 on my work trek and hauls anything under 5K without much fuss.

 

[Dice144]

I have been debating a small boat and/or jet ski

 

[Sho'Nuff]

I have been debating a small boat and/or jet ski

A jet ski can be towed by anything. I used to tow one around with a toyota corolla with no issues.

As for a boat - small is quite relative. How small are we talking about? Or rather, the operative question is how much would the boat weigh? If its under 3500lbs many SUVS can handle that without problems. Once you get close to or over 5000lbs though, you really need a truck to pull it.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

If i was just going to be hauling kayacks i would be looking at the Taco/Canyon/Colorado.
There is no reason to fuel a V8 hauling 200 lbs of stuff around.
If there are other toys in the future, thats a totally different story.

FWIW, i have a Crewmax Tundra. Giant people hauler truck with a 5.5 foot bed. Decent MPG of 17 on my work trek and hauls anything under 5K without much fuss.

It might be different now - but in the past there really wasn't a whole lot of difference fuel economy wise between a half ton and a small truck.

Edit - nope - Its still the same

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=37044&id=37018&id=36606&id=36926

 

[RLGL]

A FWD truck is a good thing. I have had several since '77. If you can afford the payment and the fuel...........go for it. As always ,don't believe the mileage claims.

 

[Dice144]

Thanks all. I will watch for any huge deals. Until then, will just keep saving.

 

[jaha2000]

It might be different now - but in the past there really wasn't a whole lot of difference fuel economy wise between a half ton and a small truck.

Edit - nope - Its still the same

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=37044&id=37018&id=36606&id=36926

There is that. But they are cheaper, less expesnsive to maintain and less expensive to insure generally speaking.

The small Duramax is a different story though. If i was in the market for a small truck right now, that would be at the top of my list.