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School me on truck buying: Crew cab pickups

NFR 
4K views 57 replies 33 participants last post by  Jim F. 
#1 ·
Alright WFF hive brain, I could use your input on this one.

Looking to trade in my 2005 Outback on a used, late model, low mileage crew cab rig. Wants: 4x4, true crew cab configuration (not double cab) and a 6.5’ bed. Brand doesn’t really factor in. Been doing some research and it looks like Ford, Chevy, Ram, and Toyota are all making a good product. This rig will be a family hauler but also used for truck purposes like towing and moving stuff.


Anyone have feedback on Ram’s new line? The 8 speed automatics sound good. Don’t need a HEMI but it looks like the newer ones have an 8 speed V6 option. Downside: I’ll have to make a trip down south of Yakima to drive one.

I have access to a Crew Max Tundra at work and it’s nice to drive but the shorty bed length won’t work.

Found a 2013 F-150 SuperCrew with the 5.0 V8 and low miles priced right at Kelly BB. Took it for a test drive and it seems fine. Anything to look out for on F-150’s?

And finally, is KBB pricing a good gauge for value? Do I have any leverage for bargaining down on price?
 
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#37 ·
Alright WFF hive brain, I could use your input on this one.

Looking to trade in my 2005 Outback on a used, late model, low mileage crew cab rig. Wants: 4x4, true crew cab configuration (not double cab) and a 6.5' bed. Brand doesn't really factor in. Been doing some research and it looks like Ford, Chevy, Ram, and Toyota are all making a good product. This rig will be a family hauler but also used for truck purposes like towing and moving stuff.

Anyone have feedback on Ram's new line? The 8 speed automatics sound good. Don't need a HEMI but it looks like the newer ones have an 8 speed V6 option. Downside: I'll have to make a trip down south of Yakima to drive one.

I have access to a Crew Max Tundra at work and it's nice to drive but the shorty bed length won't work.

Found a 2013 F-150 SuperCrew with the 5.0 V8 and low miles priced right at Kelly BB. Took it for a test drive and it seems fine. Anything to look out for on F-150's?

And finally, is KBB pricing a good gauge for value? Do I have any leverage for bargaining down on price?
 
#39 ·
Found a 2013 F-150 SuperCrew with the 5.0 V8 and low miles priced right at Kelly BB. Took it for a test drive and it seems fine. Anything to look out for on F-150's? And finally said:
I have owned a number of Ford trucks and other Ford vehicles over the years, having worked for Ford (and later for Fiat, owner of Dodge/Chrysler) during my working career. I presently own this exact model truck, in the King Ranch version, with 4x4 and 6 1/2' bed, which I bought new in Bozeman 3 summers ago, and have not had a single problem with it in over 40,000 mostly highway driving.

I put a Lear cap on it, and this it just about everything I could want in a truck. The 5.0L engine is adequate, but certainly not over powerful if you are planning to tow anything more than a couple thousands pounds or so in the mountains, and the truck is extremely comfortable to ride in and drive. The only thing I have noticed in this truck is the the suspension is a bit softer than I would prefer (hence the very comfortable ride), but then I may be swayed by driving another truck that I also own - a Ford F-350 6.4L diesel dually, which is like driving a vehicle with bricks for suspension.

I can't help you with your price negotiation except to say that prices generally go down at the end of a model year, which is now, and dealer asking prices on used vehicles are generally well above what their cost is, so there may be more wiggle room in price negotiations than on new vehicles.

John
 
#43 ·
I have a Ram 1500 Quad cab Hemi with the 8 sp. tranny. After 25,000 miles I still smile everytime I drive it. Power, comfort and decent gas mileage for a vehicle weighing in at over 5500 lbs. The ZF 8 speed tranny is a pleasure to drive and has been proven for many years in German vehicles. If your concerned about mpg and can afford it the Eco-Diesel is the route to go but the 3.6 gasser is a great engine as well. I test drove the other brands but found best bang for buck was with the Ram. Having said all that remember this is just my experience and others will disagree. Would I buy another Ram.... Yes.
 
#45 ·
Spent 10 days fishing in Idaho and Wyoming recently. Reserved a 'Cute Ute' rental for the trip. Wasn't ready when I got there, so they offered to upgrade me to a brand new, 4-door Silverado. Oh, hell yes. I been kinda checking them out at a distance lately.

Thing was great. Powerful, comfortable, quiet, great ride, plenty o' modern bells and whistles. Did a bit of light off-roading. Nice suspension.

By the time I was done, though, I was ready to turn it in. Can't imagine tooling around suburbia in this thing as my daily driver. It's a beast. It's huge. In traffic, let's call it less than nimble. In a parking lot, it's an elephant. Not sure which engine it had, but it was a rental so I bet it was the smallest they make. According to the electronic MPG gauge (yep, it had one of those) I was getting 19 MPG. That included a ton of highway miles.

My daily driver back home is an Outback. I also own a 2000 F-150, which is also a beast. The Outback does 90% of what the truck will do. I only use the truck when I need to haul stuff, tow stuff or sleep in the back - which, combined, comes out to rarely. I sometimes take the truck just because it needs driving.

I imagine you could get a new Outback and a beater pickup for $10k - $20k less than a new pickup by itself. And when you're ready to get a new daily driver, you'll still have the beater truck.
 
#48 ·
Try driving a mini van Ora politically correct Subaru in 3 ft of snow , melted snow mud in Montana , WY ID, Alberta , BC , Alaska or up a steep incline pulling a load or on melted snow freezing ice in late afternoon or evening. Throw a 1/2 cord of wood in a mini van or Subaru.

Pull a boat up
Out of steep Schitty boat ramp in a mini van or subsru. Icy duck hunting conditions on the Columbia. Throw a few deer elk or moose in a Subaru and haul Out in icy snowy conditions

My quad cab Tacoma is sometimes a pain to park in Seattle or Portlandia but come November to April I'll take a a high clearance 4x4 in the PNW

Have owned a Subaru and Honda CR-V and both great urban only vehicles

180,000 miles Tacoma is still going strong

Would love a Hi Lux though
 
#49 · (Edited)
My quad cab Tacoma is sometimes a pain to park in Seattle or Portlandia but come November to April I'll take a a high clearance 4x4 in the PNW
If you need a truck, you need a truck. I don't deny that there are a significant number of people whose lifestyle demands it and it makes perfect sense.

But, I read somewhere that the Ford F150 is the top selling passenger vehicle of any kind in, like, 45 different states. And I bet that for 80% of those truck owners, for 360 days a year, the heaviest thing they haul is pizza and golf clubs.

A modern pickup is today's luxury car. 40 years ago you aspired to a Lincoln or Cadillac. 20 years ago it was an Explorer XLT. Today it's a quad-cab Ram or Silverado.

You see a lot more new pickup trucks in the parking lot of a golf course than you do at a makeshift takeout under a bridge. (You do see more beater pickups under the bridge, though.)
 
#50 ·
Alright WFF hive brain, I could use your input on this one.

Looking to trade in my 2005 Outback on a used, late model, low mileage crew cab rig. Wants: 4x4, true crew cab configuration (not double cab) and a 6.5' bed. Brand doesn't really factor in. Been doing some research and it looks like Ford, Chevy, Ram, and Toyota are all making a good product. This rig will be a family hauler but also used for truck purposes like towing and moving stuff.

Anyone have feedback on Ram's new line? The 8 speed automatics sound good. Don't need a HEMI but it looks like the newer ones have an 8 speed V6 option. Downside: I'll have to make a trip down south of Yakima to drive one.

I have access to a Crew Max Tundra at work and it's nice to drive but the shorty bed length won't work.

Found a 2013 F-150 SuperCrew with the 5.0 V8 and low miles priced right at Kelly BB. Took it for a test drive and it seems fine. Anything to look out for on F-150's?

And finally, is KBB pricing a good gauge for value? Do I have any leverage for bargaining down on price?
If you are not comfortable riding 500 miles in the back seat of a crew cab, don't buy it. Sit in the back for a few minutes before you buy one.
 
#51 ·
Where I live there is usually 4 months of weather that the west siders can only have nightmares about. During that time the only road in town that is usually ice or snow free is the main highway. I live on a hillside west of town up a fairly steep dirt road and my driveway is another 1/4 mile uphill off of the county road. We seldom see bare ground until late March or April. In addition, we have to cross a mountain pass at least once every two weeks to buy groceries-an 80 mile round trip often in snow. Although I have a new 4WD truck, 90% of our driving is in a late model van with front wheel drive. With the superb Michelin X Ice radials on all 4 corners it is unbelievably sure footed and competent on icy and snow covered roads. Plus, since we are elderly, it is easier to get in and out of than the truck, more comfortable and gets better mileage. Electric doors and tailgate make loading and unloading a breeze, and a host of luxury features make it ideal for what it is-my wife's car.

Since women consist of more than 1/2 of the country's population I don't understand all the hate for a vehicle that is so ideally suited to them and the families they raise. They generally don't do the macho bullshit that so many guys are proud of and their egos don't appear to be near as frail.

Add to all that the fact that 8 months of the year there is no snow and the 4WD feature is a moot point. For my fishing trips the 4wd truck is a must. I am up and down dirt roads and trails that no passenger vehicle wants to see. Today for instance I will be doing a 40 mile dirt road trip to visit and obscure lake rumored to have big brookies in it. By the end of the day I should know for sure if the rumor is true. I have owned trucks for most of my 77 years and they are great for what they can do, living here on acreage I can't be without one, but they are far from the perfect full time vehicle. For the perfect vehicle I'll take the van every time. Fortunately my ego won't shatter if I am seen in a vehicle that makes sense.

Ive
 
#54 ·
Though my Tacoma is an access cab V6 auto tranny (I wanted a 6' box), it's been flawless, gets good mileage & if I had to replace it, I'd have no qualms about getting another (it had 35K miles on it when I bought it). It hauls what I need to haul, is easy to park, & is easy to clean. My only complaint is wind noise around the access cab doors, but I've experienced the same thing with other brands. IF I needed a bigger new truck, I'd likely opt for a Ford, but I doubt that I'll ever buy a new rig again; if Toyota brought back a crew cab Tacoma with a 6' box again, I could be tempted, however, but it would have to be a screaming good deal.
 
#55 ·
Tacomas do have a 4 door with 6ft box. They've had them for years in the base trims and TRD Sport. For the 2016s they added a long bed double cab option to the TRD off road as well (off road includes improved suspension, rear diff locker, and other stuff for off pavement driving).

Here is an old one with the long box, easiest way to tell is the gap between the rear wheel well and the cab.



As for the cab noise, the 2016 taco fixes that and a bunch of other shit.
 
#56 ·
Thanks, Golfman. If they have them around here, they're well-hidden. I may go look again, but my Toy just turned 56K miles. I drove a Caliber & piled the miles on that when I was still working, drive my cherry little Jeep most of the time (the most fun rig I've ever owned even if I did sink a lot of money into it during the build), & only drive the truck on trips or when I need a truck. That being said, the truck in the photo would be perfect if I decided to upgrade.
 
#57 ·
Thanks, Golfman. If they have them around here, they're well-hidden. I may go look again, but my Toy just turned 56K miles. I drove a Caliber & piled the miles on that when I was still working, drive my cherry little Jeep most of the time (the most fun rig I've ever owned even if I did sink a lot of money into it during the build), & only drive the truck on trips or when I need a truck.
Most people selling them are just dumb and don't know what they have. Check the pictures in the car ad first and look for that distinctive gap between rear wheel and cab. Here is a short bed model for comparison, notice there's no gap between rear wheel and cab:



I just went through that whole process looking for one used, but the resale on tacomas is so insanely good that it made buying new a better deal for me, so I went with the 16.
 
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