I am currently looking into purchasing a new ride for my daily driver needs for work. I love my focus, but it was never meant to be my daily driver(SVT edition), and I am looking for a replacement. By trade I am a Union Millwright, and have spent a considerable time of my career booming out of Colorado, and working the western US. During these trips I lug around 3 Toolboxes which probably total close to 400lbs, As well as enough basics for a kitchen, bed room, and cloths for 2 weeks. There have been some interesting trips in my Focus because of this. Aside from that, the places i work at have varying commutes from dirt access roads to goat trails to highways. And have to be able to be driven in all serve weather conditions. The power gen industry seems to think weather ans safety aren't as important as generating power and making money, so theres no such thing as a weather day for me regardless of conditions. The round trips to these places vary anywhere from 30miles to 150miles, so fuel efficiency is nice, but not a huge concern for me. I have narrowed it down to options.
Option 1;
A 2014 Ford F150 XLT, extra-cab, long bed, 4x4 with the ecoboost V6. As it stands now I currently already own a 1970 F100, 1970 C20, and a 77 F150, so the need for a full size truck isnt huge on my list, but I do like having an 8' bed over any other bed option. Historically speaking I am a ford person and have always had good luck with them. Not meaning I haven't veered off and owned other vehicles.
The things I like about it are;
Turboed V6(more room to tune and gain power)
Long Bed
Full Size
Decent MPG Rating.
Dislike;
Only available in an automatic
Electric power steering
Over priced spec wise in comparison to the yota.
Electronic Tcase
Option 2;
2014 Toyota Tacoma, Access Cab, 4x4 with the TRD package. Significantly smaller than the F150, but boast similar fuel economy, with less power. Granted the largest bed i can get is 6' it would still have plenty of room for all of my work stuff while traveling, and still leaving me with an empty cab, vs being packed in with my stuff like the focus. However, I am not to "heavy" in the Yota scene, and do not know much about the new 4.0L V6, or how reliable the "electronic" shift on the fly tcases are.
Likes;
6spd
Toyotas Long Life Reputation
Loaded the way I want(or as close as possible) IS about 10K cheaper than the Ford(which isnt as close to optioned out as the Tacoma)
Dislike;
No hubs and Electric Tcase
Small Bed
Power output seems low to me for a 4.0L v6 at 238hp and 268ftlbs
I have test drove an Ecoboost several times, and even got to drive one before they were publicly available. I have not driven a new Tacoma but am planning to do so on Tuesday. Hopefully the have one with a 4.0L and a 6spd on the lot to be test driven. Have a feeling no matter what I decide that I will be ordering it from the manufacturer and not driving one of the lot.
Any info on peoples opinions of the newer Tacomas/4runners would be greatly appreciated. However please dont try and sell me on something else, as these are the 2 options I like, and have considered/looked at just about every other truck out there.
I am not exactly a Ford fan but I cant knock there love. From what I have read the best option for you would be the F150. it seems to have all the needs you expressed and I know the new 6cyl isn't that bad of a motor. Have you looked into any of the SUV's they would keep you and all your gear dry while working and still get similar milage such as the explorer or durago. I am personaly a dodge fan and they two trucks have similar specs out of the 1500 class they 6cyl in the ram is decent and gets close to the same power and economy plus keeps you in the 8ft bed class
Last new 'Yota I had was ten years ago. Unless they have wised up, 3-400 lbs in the bed gives a lot of sag. Add Hellwig helpers and 1500 lbs rides good but rough empty. My son has a 2010 supercrew with the 5.4 3-valve getting 18/19 hiway & a great truck but not Ecoboost. I've heard there are problems with the Ecoboost trucks. Personally I would go with the new 5.0, talked to 2 or 3 guys who have them & love them. But I'm like you on the 6 speed, and if I were in your shoes I would definitely check out the 'Yota. It sounds like it would work great for you, and less money too.
You're comparing an F-150 and a Tacoma? Shouldn't it be the Tundra instead? I mean, one full size truck to another and all.
My my brother inlaw has a 2011 F-150 ecoboost that he's piled the miles onto. It has like 70,000 miles without any issues. MPGs aren't quite what he was hoping for, but it does pretty well for a full sized truck. I took him up to Chinns Lake this summer and those 20" wheels are a bit out of sorts in the rocks.
i know a guy at work with a 2011-2012 Tundra. He drives in from Pine Junction to Roxbourough everyday and it's been trouble free for him.
For your work do you need the bed space alot? I pains me to say it but I would go with the Tacoma if the bed space and cab space isn't that big of an issue. The Tacoma is also quite a bit cheaper as well. I would think of it this way is money an issue? Do I need the large bed for work? What are options I must have? Cab space sounds like something that is important. If money isn't that big of a deal the F-150 may be the better choice: more space inside the cab and in the bed. I don't know what the MPGs are on either vehicle but if your traveling out of state I would check for sure! I would assume the Tacoma would have higher MPG sense it's a smaller lighter truck but I don't know enough about either to give you a very good educated guess. I would take all of this into consideration if you have not already when deciding on your decision but that's just me you will make the right pick for your needs.
Fordboy77 previously posted:
"However please dont try and sell me on something else, as these are the 2 options I like, and have considered/looked at just about every other truck out there."
Yup. Mine is the same way. My Ranger gets from 15 to 18.
Same year F150 or Supercrew gets the same mileage.
If it was for the space I would have got the fullsize..
"You're comparing an F-150 and a Tacoma? Shouldn't it be the Tundra instead? I mean, one full size truck to another and all.
My my brother inlaw has a 2011 F-150 ecoboost that he's piled the miles onto. It has like 70,000 miles without any issues. MPGs aren't quite what he was hoping for, but it does pretty well for a full sized truck. I took him up to Chinns Lake this summer and those 20" wheels are a bit out of sorts in the rocks.
i know a guy at work with a 2011-2012 Tundra. He drives in from Pine Junction to Roxbourough everyday and it's been trouble free for him.
personally, I'd go with the Ford."
Ya I know the idea of comparing a full size to a light truck seems rather odd. However I am not comparing payloads, towing capacity, and power by numbers. It's more of a comparison between functionality, and practicality for daily commuting.
Tundras are just to expensive to get close to how I want them. The F150 and Tacoma are both loaded as close to they way I'd like and can get them for far cheaper than a tundra.
"You're comparing an F-150 and a Tacoma? Shouldn't it be the Tundra instead? I mean, one full size truck to another and all.
My my brother inlaw has a 2011 F-150 ecoboost that he's piled the miles onto. It has like 70,000 miles without any issues. MPGs aren't quite what he was hoping for, but it does pretty well for a full sized truck. I took him up to Chinns Lake this summer and those 20" wheels are a bit out of sorts in the rocks.
i know a guy at work with a 2011-2012 Tundra. He drives in from Pine Junction to Roxbourough everyday and it's been trouble free for him.
personally, I'd go with the Ford."
Ya I know the idea of comparing a full size to a light truck seems rather odd. However I am not comparing payloads, towing capacity, and power by numbers. It's more of a comparison between functionality, and practicality for daily commuting.
Tundras are just to expensive to get close to how I want them. The F150 and Tacoma are both loaded as close to they way I'd like and can get them for far cheaper than a tundra.
"For your work do you need the bed space alot? I pains me to say it but I would go with the Tacoma if the bed space and cab space isn't that big of an issue. The Tacoma is also quite a bit cheaper as well. I would think of it this way is money an issue? Do I need the large bed for work? What are options I must have? Cab space sounds like something that is important. If money isn't that big of a deal the F-150 may be the better choice: more space inside the cab and in the bed. I don't know what the MPGs are on either vehicle but if your traveling out of state I would check for sure! I would assume the Tacoma would have higher MPG sense it's a smaller lighter truck but I don't know enough about either to give you a very good educated guess. I would take all of this into consideration if you have not already when deciding on your decision but that's just me you will make the right pick for your needs.
Couple Comanches on Craigslist..."
Money isn't a too much of an issue as I have been saving for some quite time for this purchase. However cheaper is always better for the wallet. I only will utilize the bed space for 1-3 days to transport me and my stuff to the job then once there my tools stay at work and everything else goes into my hotel room. Jobs typically last 2-8 weeks and my need to haul things would just be for that limited amount of time. Seeing as how I've been managing this with a Focus, the bed space of a Tacoma would be more than adequate.
In a perfect world I would get a F150 with a 6spd manual with manual hubs and tcase. However it's not a perfect world and ford discontinued the manual transmission in the trucks a few years back. Hubs and tcase soon followed.
As far as options go, it could have none other than be 4x4 and I could care less. Never had power windows until a 2 years ago, and still don't really care for them.
That being said I did "spec" out each on the way that is closet to what I want(electronic rear locker, 4x4, extra cab) and the Yota comes in at 10k cheaper and has some extra stuff like a power inverter and a back up camera I'll never use.
As far as MPG go, both motors I have listed are claiming similar numbers so that doesn't seem to be a factor.
And for space all I really need is enough for me 1 other person and my dog, which both seem to have enough for on the cab. Never been a huge fan of hauling people around(Probably because I had party car in high school and got stuck driving large groups all the time. 4 door 1972 Plymouth fury easily enough room for 8+people comfortably not even cramped). And for heavy haul I have other trucks that can be used.
Currently in the fleet;
Trucks
70 F100 long bed
70 C20 long bed
77 f150 long bed
91 ranger supercab
98 dodge dakota extra cab
"id like to throw in the Frontier or Titan with Pro4x package. i think they compete or exceed a toyota. i stay away from american unless its 1 ton.
but
id also consider a lightly used truck. better price, just as good.
good luck with the choice."
Not a huge nissan fan personally unless it's the old hard body's. My uncle had a Titan and traded it in for a Tundra, out of the 2 he had I personally like the tundra over the Titan. Also as odd as this is I still believe in made in American or same when can be had. Tacomas are assembled in Texas employing US workers. Much rather spend a dollar there than send it all over seas. This is also a belief in which I go out of my way to maintain and obide by.
"Not a huge nissan fan personally unless it's the old hard body's. My uncle had a Titan and traded it in for a Tundra, out of the 2 he had I personally like the tundra over the Titan. Also as odd as this is I still believe in made in American or same when can be had. Tacomas are assembled in Texas employing US workers. Much rather spend a dollar there than send it all over seas. This is also a belief in which I go out of my way to maintain and obide by."
All titans are built in Mississippi, and the last few years of frontiers are built in Tennessee. Just saying. I understand you have a preference. I usually do to. But I love the **** out of my Xterra. It's a good name in the hat. You might be surprised.
For made in America, I'm game. As long as its a worth while product. But for the auto industry, NOTHING competes with Japanese engineering. Especially since Toyota and Nissan are the world top 2. Taco's are awesome, I eyeball them everytime I drive by one. You will be happy with one. Being a ford guy, you might be happy with an EcoBoom, but there reliability has been proven as not so much.
I'm assuming you're going to "tinker" with whatever you get. I have a hard time not tinkering.....
If that's true, what's the aftermarket look like for each? I'm assuming the Taco has a better aftermarket than the F-150. All too often in my case, I get a vehicle with a horrible aftermarket (I drive an Explorer- case in point).
And you mention the need to drive on the occassional trail. And while your Focus has been up to the task as of late, have there been any times where the trail just wasn't possible in the Focus? And where I'm going with this is that the F-150 is much wider than the Taco- could that be an issue for you?
I know I said earlier that I'd go with the Ford, but now I'm indicating more toward the Taco. I think either way, you're trying to decide between 2 really good trucks and you'll probably be happy with either one.
"Tundras are just to expensive to get close to how I want them. The F150 and Tacoma are both loaded as close to they way I'd like and can get them for far cheaper than a tundra."
I've heard the Tundra also doesn't have the resale value of smaller Yotas. I'm partial and have owned Yotas since the early 70's so my opinion is worth what you pay for it. My only observation is that seeing you need to carry living gear for two or so weeks an enclosed 4Runner may be a better option that a open Taco.
"I've heard the Tundra also doesn't have the resale value of smaller Yotas. I'm partial and have owned Yotas since the early 70's so my opinion is worth what you pay for it. My only observation is that seeing you need to carry living gear for two or so weeks an enclosed 4Runner may be a better option that a open Taco."
You are indeed correct Chris. A 09 Tacoma with 50000 miles is worth $20k and had a sticker price around 30. A 09 Tundra with 50000 miles is worth $19k with a sticker price in the mid 40s.
ExplorerTom previously posted:
"I'm assuming you're going to "tinker" with whatever you get. I have a hard time not tinkering.....
If that's true, what's the aftermarket look like for each? I'm assuming the Taco has a better aftermarket than the F-150. All too often in my case, I get a vehicle with a horrible aftermarket (I drive an Explorer- case in point).
And you mention the need to drive on the occassional trail. And while your Focus has been up to the task as of late, have there been any times where the trail just wasn't possible in the Focus? And where I'm going with this is that the F-150 is much wider than the Taco- could that be an issue for you?
I know I said earlier that I'd go with the Ford, but now I'm indicating more toward the Taco. I think either way, you're trying to decide between 2 really good trucks and you'll probably be happy with either one."
As much as I love tinkering, the new rig will remain very close to stock form for at least 5 years because of warranties and other issues. Aside from that I'm trying to get out of the habit of having to tinker on the rig I am about to go jump in to, to drive to work the next day. I could always use one of the old trucks, or cars, but they aren't exactly something that would be half way economical to drive across the country, let alone trust. Most of them abide by the 6 hour rule. Meaning they never get more than 6 hours from home. Typically these trails I am found driving on are a cross between a goat trail, or something you would see in the Baja 1000. The foci has always made it, however it has taken its toll and caused premature wear of the suspension, which Ive replaced 3 times in the last 60K(In 2 years mind you).
I know the feeling of owning vehicles with a bad aftermarket. Before your arrival on this board, i was a proud RBV enthusiast with no aftermarket support. Had 2 different Bronco IIs, My Ranger, and 2 Different Explorers, 1 was TTB and 1 was IFS. Then I bought a FJ60, which i learned after the fact it has one of the lowest aftermarkets out of all the yotas. So it wasn't much better off.
The after markets really appear to be about the same, with the ford lagging slightly behind but not far.
Im supposed to test drive a tacoma tomorrow with the 4.0L and a 6spd. So we'll see how it goes. From a $$$ point the Tacoma is looking better and better.
This is what I am trying to avoid having to do over and over in all honestly-
Getting A New Ride, Opinions and Info wanted.
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Couple Comanches on Craigslist...
My only observation is that seeing you need to carry living gear for two or so weeks an enclosed 4Runner may be a better option that a open Taco.
