My first Toyota pick-up went 346,000 very hard miles, inc. plowing every winter in NH, before it finally rusted away. This was the same era that (the good) Top Gear got one put into the Book of World Records for toughest truck.
My current one was purchased 10ish years ago for $13k, I could probably get 9k for it now. It's 20 years old now, has 180,000 miles on it and had the frame replace, for free, a few years back.
Speaking of frame replacement. Who does that? Not only did I get a new frame and everything that touches the frame new, but they gave me a 500mile Camry SE to drive around until they were done.
There is a reason that you see the more discerning terrorist in the world driving a Toyota. The best terrorists like the bulletproof reliability of Toyota without the fact that they are not bullet proof.
captainawesome said:
In reply to Puddy46 :
Trying to stay away from anything not naturally aspirated so the Ranger and Maverick are out. I also need to do some towing which I failed to mention which also knocks out the Gladiator. I like the Gladiator with some big meaty 35" or bigger tires though, just trying to be pragmatic on this purchase.
Ranger is a 2.3L Ecoboost and paired with the 10 speed transmission. They are shockingly quick for a mid-sized pickup truck.
I had a 2017 Colorado with the 2.8L Duramax that i loved but it was plagued with emissions and fueling issues that GM couldnt figure out. Got $30k when i traded it in because GM wouldnt buy the thing back. I did see it spent months with another dealer trying to figure out what was wrong with it. They replaced some fuel pump at the engine and it looks like it cured it. Either way, tested a Ranger and F150 and bought the F150 Ecoboost but the Ranger was definitely on my radar after a short drive.
preach (dudeist priest) said:
There is a reason that you see the more discerning terrorist in the world driving a Toyota. The best terrorists like the bulletproof reliability of Toyota without the fact that they are not bullet proof.
This cracked me up. Sounds exactly something Clarkson would have said on the good Top Gear.
I will say that my 2005 4.0 double cab long bed Tacoma was much, much more truck like than my 2019 3.5 double cab short bed, which feels much more like a car. The old one was certainly better for towing and doing other truck stuff, but the newer generation is much easier to live with day to day.
For less than $100, I added a pair of SeatJackers, which made the driving position much more comfortable.
Two guys that I work with bought brand new diesel Colorados or Canyons. Both got rid of them very quickly. One guy decided he didn't like it and the other guy was bringing it back into the dealership constantly. He liked the truck, but got frustrated and decided that it wasn't worth the aggravation.
In reply to preach (dudeist priest) :
This Whistle guy attempts to destroy a Toyota and even he is shocked how well it holds up. Can't say much for the new ones? Maybe different?
Go with the Toyota and avoid Ford or Chevy. I've been daily driving my 01 Sequoia because my 2022 Raptor has been in the repair shop more often than not.
Present daily drivers are 2016 CX5 Touring AWD and 2013 Tacoma Access Cab V6 auto 4x4. Both nearing 100,000 miles. Just LOF, factory recommended spark plug and fluid changes that I did, tires (winter and summer), a couple of bulbs and key fob batteries for the CX5. Tacoma factory frame inspection passed with 0 rust last year. Living in Minnesota we wash our vehicles weekly when roads are salty (5 months).
i would not buy anything built during the "chip shortage" era.
parker
HalfDork
2/22/23 11:08 a.m.
I'm an admitted Toyota fanboy but an experience I had really sold me. I was photographing the elk rut in northern New Mexico and working with hunting guides. This is tough off-road use. The Fords and Chevys all felt like they were about to fall apart. Rattling and bouncing and a very unpleasant place to be. The Toyota trucks were solid. No rattles or squeaks, controlled body motions. My 1998 4Runner has 430,000 miles with original engine and (manual) transmission.
As for driving like a truck, it's a truck. If you don't need a truck for truck things don't buy a truck.
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:
i would not buy anything built during the "chip shortage" era.
2012 Toyota started with the soy based wire insulation. I do not know if the still used it but mice love it.
In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :
Forgive my ignorance, but when would that chip shortage range have ended? Is it still ongoing? I don't follow current events for the most part so I'm kinda in the dark on that one. Also is this something all of the manufacturers I'm looking at dealt with or just some?
In reply to captainawesome :
IIRC it started with Covid, not yet 100% resolved, but i'm at a low-volume manufacturer now so haven't paid close attention. my future vehicle purchases will have a big hole in the 2019 - 2024 model years.
Late to this thread, but I went thru the same decision making process one year ago. I went to order a new Tacoma but supply chain issues and production delays meant I couldn't get one in a timely manner. I went shopping for a mid-size pick-up and eventually ended up with a Jeep Gladiator Sport which is their most basic model(roll-up windows, manual door locks and a key to open the doors). I went with the Max Tow package which bumped the towing capacity to 7600# and that is fine for most of the towing I do. If I need to tow more, we have an old F350 crew-cab dually. The truck was $42k new a year ago(MSRP) and difficult to find with the Max Tow package. One year in, 20,000 miles on the odometer and no complaints so far. It's a Swiss Army knife, it's a small pick-up, a 4-wheel-drive, a 4-door and a convertible. It does all of the well but doesn't do any of them great. It gets a thumbs up for a daily driver and fits my current needs, but only time will tell.
It may be as good a truck as some of the others, but it's a much better convertible than all of them1
Yeah, don't dismiss the Ranger too quick. Mine is a 2019 that just turned 40,000 miles and has been trouble free with just oil and filter changes. It is also rated with better MPG than any of the other mid size trucks.
In reply to lotusseven7 (Forum Supporter) :
The sport models appear to be the only ones in budget for me. I would like electric windows and locks, and if I got a Gladiator would want 35's minimum for vanity sake alone. To me they just look wonky without big tires and I really don't want to go that direction at all. Also you bring up a good point about it being a convertible. I may be the only person on this forum that hates convertibles. I don't get it at all. The biggest plus to the Gladiator is that in my area the resale value is still insane.
In reply to triumph7 :
I really don't want to hassle with turbo stuff. My TDI just had a failed turbo and a Santa Fe we had was problematic as well. Maybe it's crazy talk but keeping it NA is kinda at the top of my must haves which is the reason the Ranger isn't on the list. I rode in my buddy's Tremor packaged Ranger just a couple of weeks ago and LOVE that truck. It towed my FRS and my Audi really well. Interior was up to my standards. Really I don't have anything to pick apart on it other than I don't want to be dealing with the 100k problems that will pop up well outside of warranty. I'm looking for a forever truck.
triumph7 said:
Yeah, don't dismiss the Ranger too quick. Mine is a 2019 that just turned 40,000 miles and has been trouble free with just oil and filter changes. It is also rated with better MPG than any of the other mid size trucks.
dismiss the ranger, its a ford.
but it is sharp - I give them that
My latest experience with Toyotas has me turned off and the most favorite truck I've ever owned was my 86 Toyota. It had its issues as well. It ate alternators at a fast clip, destroyed starters quickly, blew up the power steering, ate head gaskets yearly, and then the passenger side spring rear speing hanger decided to divorce itself from the frame in a catastrophic fashion. I replaced it with a ranger which required much less work but I hated it.
my 04 sienna was much better than my 13 sienna and my 2007 rav4 was a steaming pile thanks to the terrible piston rings. Toyota did have a device campaign but mine never failed the oil consumption test until it timed out. I just don't think they're worth the premium anymore.
The Tacoma's and 4Runners I've had as rentals ride poorly and get terrible gas mileage. I think the whole company is riding on a past reputation and not really producing up to the quality standards it had previously. Sad. Still want to get an old Toyota pickup again. Or import a real cruiser from overseas.
Peabody
MegaDork
2/23/23 10:34 a.m.
fidelity101 said:
dismiss the ranger, its a ford.
In every test I've read it's finished dead last and the comments have been that it's not in the same league as the GM or Toyota.
I think the whole company is riding on a past reputation and not really producing up to the quality standards it had previously.
I wouldn't disagree with that.
Like Honda with their motorcycle division, just mailing it in.
In reply to preach (dudeist priest) :
I would or a newer one with a diesel and a tray bed from Australia
Fueled by Caffeine said:
My latest experience with Toyotas has me turned off and the most favorite truck I've ever owned was my 86 Toyota. It had its issues as well. It ate alternators at a fast clip, destroyed starters quickly, blew up the power steering, ate head gaskets yearly, and then the passenger side spring rear speing hanger decided to divorce itself from the frame in a catastrophic fashion. I replaced it with a ranger which required much less work but I hated it.
my 04 sienna was much better than my 13 sienna and my 2007 rav4 was a steaming pile thanks to the terrible piston rings. Toyota did have a device campaign but mine never failed the oil consumption test until it timed out. I just don't think they're worth the premium anymore.
The Tacoma's and 4Runners I've had as rentals ride poorly and get terrible gas mileage. I think the whole company is riding on a past reputation and not really producing up to the quality standards it had previously. Sad. Still want to get an old Toyota pickup again. Or import a real cruiser from overseas.
That's too bad. I really loved my '08 V8 4Runner Limited. One of the few vehicles I regret getting rid of.
