Alllllright, I got some questions about Ford trucks vs. Toyota trucks...

And I realize I could be starting a war here...lol...hope not...

Ok so, currently I have a 1991 Geo Prizm (1.6L, 4cyl, 29mpg) car. It has about 120k miles on it, and I bought it for $640. So, it's not going to last more than 3 years. The fuel filter is also rusted onto the gas lines; I've been trying to loosen it up with WD-40, but it would be a huge ($200-something) risk to try to take get it off.

So, currently I am saving a certain percentage of my income so that when the car breaks down I can go buy a NEW truck or SUV (with cash), depending upon my needs. If the car breaks down in less than 5 years I will go buy another $500-1000 car though. I am always on the lookout for a $500-1000 older car with under 50k on it; my folks got a 1988 Dodge Airies for $500 and it only had 37k!!!! So I know it's not impossible. The car has not needed any repairs yet (they have owned it for about 2 months) and runs great. It's previous owner was an elderly woman who only used it to go buy her groceries!

Sooooooooo, anywayyyyyyyyyyyy...about my new truck...

Here's the plan: I want to buy it new, and with cash. And I plan to keep it for about 15 years, keeping it well maintained. I am considering a truck over a car because I want the flexibility of loading big stuff in the back whenever I want. I also would like a more powerful engine, because I tend to like to accelerate quickly and I don't want to have to worry about tearing up my transmission. Greater horsepower is better for the transmission (and also allows for easier fast acceleration), is it not?

I also might want to pull stuff behind my truck, such as another vehicle or snowmobiles. And I would love to do some mountain driving.

One thing I am looking for, in addition, is an engine that doesn't overheat at stoplights, or that doesn't have a history of overheating. That fan needs to come on at the right times. My Geo likes to overheat at stoplights, and the fan only comes on after it has overheated, and not before. The fan needs to prevent overheating, ok, not cool off an already-heated engine! I am wondering about repairing the fan myself, or changing the settings on the fan so that it will come on at lower temperatures. Is there a way to do this? Will there be any unexpected consequences if I do that?

I'm looking for a trusted truck. One that doesn't overheat, one in which the transmission will not go out at least for 10 years, one that does not have a history of problems with expensive engine parts, and one that lasts a long time.

Could you all point out the pros and cons of Ford, Toyota, and Chevy trucks? Especially those of you who own these vehicles. Tell me how often you have to repair them (and if your driving habits have anything to do with this), and how expensive the repairs are.

  aeroz19

I'd get the chev, Dodge 2nd, ford 3rd, toyota... last. :2cents:

  88GrandPrixSE

What is your approximate budget?

I would vote for Toyota. A Tacoma or Tundra.

  abless

Really. But that's only if you treat the lower hp vehicle very nicely. Right?



No it doesn't die. It was dying before, but I took it in and they cleaned the throttle plate and adjusted the idle.



Thought so.



I have heard of this. A transmission on a Ford truck is about $1,800...how much is a transmission for a Toyota?



So, Toyotas don't have the same reputation now that they had in the 70s and 80s? Or do you mean that they give off more emissions or are less safe? Because as far as I am concerned, standards are measured by quality, and that means how long the truck will last, and how few parts I have to replace, and how few times it will break down.





I wonder if other people feel the same way. I'd like to get as many opinions as I can.

  aeroz19

No, the higher the hp the harder it is on the vehicle. Higher power vehicles are built stronger than lower power ones to accomadate the extra power, so, if you babied your higher power vehicle, on paper you could get it to last just as long as a lower powered one. It all depends on what you use it for/how you drive it



Well, then it's probably not over-heating, vehicles get a bit hotter when they've been driven then come to a stop. Just as long as it doesn't red-line, it's all good :thumbs:



I have no idea what a trans in a Toyota costs, besides, every vehicle's different, but it took us 4 weeks to get a mount for one about 2 months ago... and that costed something like $300



I never commented on the quality or reputation, I don't know what they're new trucks are like, I've never been within 100 feet of one, I'm just saying if anything happens to go wrong, you get nailed because you have to ship whatever it may be half way accross the world.

  88GrandPrixSE

The Tundra will be the most reliable out of the F150/Chev 1500/Ram 1500 and Titan. Although reliability data on the Titan is obviously too young to tell. The least reliable will most likely be the Ram as they have tranny problems galore. The F150 and Chevy 1500 will be about the same on reliability as they have issues in certain areas...the Chevy's water pump will crap out and the Ford's tranny may have issues. Honestly if you want reliability above all others in purchasing a truck the Tundra is your best bet. Like all toyota's they have very little problems and last forever. My uncle has an older V6 Tundra with over 270k on it (work truck) and it never has even had a minor issue. If you want power look at the Hemi Ram or the Titan, the Chevy 5.3 1500, Tundra 4.7 and the F150 5.4 just didnt cut it when i drove them against the Titan and Hemi Ram when it came to get up and go. Go drive all 5 and see what you like best. If I were you I'd spring for a Titan. Seems like a very solid truck with loads of power and room. Also, you can get them for way under msrp.

  thunderbird1100

I would say get a Toyota. Toyotas have one of the highest reliability ratings on average. :thumbs:

  StiMan

Nope. Solara, Avalon, and Camry are all built in the midwest United States. I'm not sure where the Tundra is built, but in any case, repairs on a Japanese car are NOT expensive. I'm not sure where he got that idea. They are so common it is not hard to find a shop to work on Japanese cars.

  abless

Actually, they are more expensive to repair, I see it every day at the shop I work at. Parts are expensive, and in most cases, there's a good amount a labour involved too. Price has nothing to do with the difficulty of finding a shop that will repair them, almost every shop repairs both domestic and import vehicles.

I don't mean EVERYTHING is more expensive to repair, but in general they are a good amount more to repair.

Good example on a common import car: Volkswagen Jetta - Alternator Pulley = $400, Alternator = $600. That's a $1000 alternator, wouldn't you like that bill? For some retarded reason Volkswagen put a clutch in the alternator pulley.

That's just one thing that sticks in my head because, well, that's just un-fathomable that Volkswagen would even attempt to charge that much for something so simple.

  88GrandPrixSE

That is true. They are expensive to repair but not as much as a BMW or a MB. The great thing is that they dont break down much. They are very reliable so you dont have to spend much. My 1999 Camry has had standard oil changes etc. and the only thing that has had too be fixed was some broken sensor saying that the emergency brake was constantly on. They are cheaper in the long run. (I think.) :2cents: :thumbs:

  StiMan

Id go toyota dude, my bro's 1990 4runner has 190,000km had head gasket replaced under warrenty within first few years and ever since has run like a top, granted parts aren't the cheapest but at anypoint in time you can pull the dipstick and see honey gold oil, no additives just regular oil change b4 5,000km, maybe it was just his truck but the thing is solid as a rock, two thumbs up for toyota from me, especially a new tacoma! get the e-lock diff option if it is an option or standard on the new ones

  BanffAutoSpa_ap

Toyota, Dodge, or Nissan :)

  ThirdeYe