Chevrolet, GMC or Tundra ???

Newtruck4552

Ok, I was a very devoted F-150 owner and fan, but I just can't get passed the aluminum body. So, I'm doing research on the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra and the Toyota Tundra.

In my research I'm learning that the Silverado and Sierra are basically the same truck, and I like both. A buddy of mine is a rabid Tundra owner. It's very hard to argue his primary point ... He bought his at 144,000 miles and it's now approaching 300,000 miles with no major issues. However, in riding with him, I'm disappointed in the ride comfort. Following are my issues I need advice with:

1). Chevrolet and Sierra come with a bigger engine (5.8 L), and the Tundra, in my price range, has a 4.6 L.
2). I tow an 18' bass boat-the PRIMARY reason I'm in the market is that my V6 F-150 struggles when towing. I currently have 140,000 miles on my Ford.
3). I know the Tundra holds its value a bit better than Chevrolet and GMC.
4). The Tundra has an inclined back seat, allowing the passengers to sit at more of a comfortable angle than a straight 90 degrees.
5). The Tundra comes with a sliding (up & down) rear window-I really like that.

Well, that's about it. Thank you very much!!

Priorities: Towing / Powertrain performance / Ride smoothness

Preferred Bodystyle(s): Pickup

Car Needs: Daily commuter / Towing or hauling

Primary Driver(s): New driver

Need minimum of 5 seats

Will consider new cars only

Maximum price: US $ 35000

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I haven't test driven pickups in a long time, so some other people should be able to provide better recommendations. That said...

Toyotas do tend to ride more firmly than other pickups. The ride probably improves with a load in the bed, but no one's going to keep a load back there just for ride quality.

Rams have had coil spring rear suspensions in recent years, which should give them an edge in ride quality. I'm always suspicious of the long-term reliability of Chrysler products, but other than the diesel these have been okay or better in our survey.

The Chevrolet / GMC seems a solid all-around choice, quiet and relatively smooth (from what I've heard), and with perhaps the best fuel economy. The Tundra tends to use more gas.

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I have owned all the brands except Nissan and used them hard. Most have been trouble free, but I did have two major failures with Chevrolet trucks, an engine oil catastrophic failure at just 1200 miles (thankfully in the driveway or it would have killed the engine), and a coolant in the transmission failure on an HD Silverado at just 35,000 mi and a month before the time warranty ran out. (low miles, but heavy use). A month later I would have had to pay for the repair ($8,000 on their paperwork, though I doubt it would cost that much).

Had major brake failure/abs issues on a Ram, overdrive gear went out and was fixed, and my brother's had a transmission fail just past 36K miles. Previous generation though.

The Toyota will hold more than just a little better resale. Industry source I checked says about 10% more of MSRP after 5 years, which could be $4-5K. It's an older design than others, though, and fuel economy won't be great, but gas is cheap now.

The Ram will have the ride quality and a great interior. The Toyota will cost less to own and be more reliable. The GM products always seem to be a little behind in materials quality and mid-pack on most things.

I would assume the Ram would be less stable towing.

If you like to keep trucks to 140,000 miles, I would definitely get the Toyota. My F150 4x4 isn't exactly a soft rider either. But at just 17,000 miles the transmission shifts are already clunky (towed every day for work).

I also have not liked the Ford seat comfort as much as other brands. Chevy was very good, actually.

The Toyota isn't the most advanced but it would probably be the most trouble free. Though nothing is guaranteed. I just happen to hate interruptions to take vehicles to/from shops.

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Response from Newtruck4552

9:02 pm September 9, 2016

That was an excellent response. Thank u!

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The Silverado Crewcab is $10,000 off MSRP or about $26K and where the Tundra Crewcab is $30K. Average prices for 2007 or 10 year old Chevy and Toyota is $3-5,000 diffrrence, or the same price differences when purchased. The Chevy gets 20% better fuel economy than the Tundra.

So the Toyota bubble has popped. The Chevy costs less to purchase and sell and gets better fuel economy. The fuel savings I'd about $3,500 over 150,000 miles.

Looks like a win for the Chevy over a decade of ownership.

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