Truck shopping - I HATE car buying

[dprimm]

My car is getting old. I am at a point with the family and life a truck will be better. Going to start looking now so I can watch for a deal and/or be ready to buy should the car decide it hates me.

what do I require? Fit in the garage- so it has to be a smaller truck. Full size won’t fit. The small bed will be enough for sports gear or dead animals.

4 doors. With a wife, grandma, and kiddo, I want it easier for folks to get in and out.

tow ability. I can see towing a pop up camper or smaller trailers for the farm. Big and heavy, I will get the farm truck.

decent mileage.

I am not brand loyal. Must last a looong time (my 02 car has 231000 miles). Stick shift would keep it from being stolen but wife won’t relearn how to drive one.

the Ridgeline looks great on paper. Temp control for back seat. Decent mileage. Hear towing is not good.

Toyota Tacoma is supposed to last forever.

everything turns into a blur.

what suggestions does the INGO collective have?

Gotta find the thread where someone’s daughter had spreadsheets on all the car features and knew costs and fair value. I would pay a commission for that to be done once I figure out what I want.

Oh. Prefer used but there are times new and used are almost the same price.

 

[Warrior]

I love my 3rd generation (2016 to current) Tacoma. 4th Toyota truck and my favorite so far. Fits in the garage well and is likely to last until I am tired of looking over the hood. Bonus on resale value when/if that day comes. I recommend getting the 6' bed as opposed to the standard 5'. Ive had that bed full so many times and can't imagine how life would be with the shorter bed.

 

[Super Bee]

If you are thinking of towing anything I would pass on the Ridgeline, they are not built to haul anything of substance. I have a couple close friends who owned them and unless you are hauling more than grocerys I would look elsewhere.

Tacomas are not a bad looking truck.

I would also take a look at the Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon and the new Ford Ranger.

 

[Gabriel]

Luckily I don't have to shop for new vehicles. My wife just buys me a new truck when she gets sick of the old one.

 

[worddoer]

I have been researching this for a good part of this year. We will have a couple of things paid off in the near future and once done I want to get myself a truck.

Based on my research, here is my list in order of best bang for the buck.... aka for me.... durable and reliable even after very high miles. I usually get 300,000 to 500,000 miles out of my vehicles. I regularly (some would say religiously) maintain my vehicles and I am not afraid to make repairs. You can make a LOT of repairs each year when you are not making $6,000 to $10,000 a year in payments.

1. Toyota Tacoma

2. Ford Ranger

3. GMC Canyon

I would avoid the Honda Ridgeline. It is not really a truck. It is basically a minivan with a truck bed. It is front wheel drive with rear wheel assist.

 

[dprimm]

Great info. Thankyou. My car is rusting out. The engine has a particularly annoying issue when it is hot. don’t mind doing repairs. The car has needed few other than maintenance. Just life is getting beyond what a Focus Can haul.

I will measure the space in the garage to see if a 6 foot bed will fit. Freezer sits in front of where I park.

We should be able to pay cash. I don’t like tons of bells and whistles, though I always wanted a KITT car to drive so I can sleep.

 

[AtTheMurph]

I have had 2 Ridgelines, a Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu, Ford small/mid-size pickups.

For reliability all but the Isuzu were/are really good. The only issues I have had on either Honda were front sway bar linkage and one bad front strut.

The Toyota and Nissan had some minor parts replaced other than wear items. Ford had an issue with the rear suspension that was fairly expensive. My mechanic said it was a common issue but otherwise that Ranger was tough. On all except my current P/U I put over 150k miles.

Now for carrying people the Ridgeline is so much better than the others as to be laughable. It is wider and has more back seat room than the others. So if you plan to carry adults in the back the Honda is easily the best.

Honda will tow 5000lbs. I think the Toyota/Nissan/Ford will tow 7k or so. For occasional towing of a pop up camper the Honda would do fine and probably handle better than the others because of the added width.

My current P/U is the 2nd generation Honda. It rides better than my Mercedes is comfortable and I get 24+ on the hwy and 21 in the city without the stupid eco thing which helps not one bit. I test drove all the 4 door awd/4wd trucks in the same size range. For me the easy choice was the Honda as it is mostly a hwy driving vehicle.

I do use it as my bird hunting vehicle and can put 4 adult hunters, shotguns (under back seat) 2-3 dogs in crates in the bed and have plenty of room for food/drinks/extra gear in the trunk. And I like full time AWD.

 

[dprimm]

Will the Honda actually tow 5,000? Comfortably?

 

[gregkl]

Everyone is hitting the ones to consider. I'll put this out as a when to buy.

Believe it or not, right now there is a pent up demand for vehicles and they are selling briskly. Which means the deals won't be as good as they can be.

If you can wait until October, November you might score a deeper discount.

Of course this is speculative. I'm in the automotive industry and the OEM's are filling pipelines right now due to losing production during shutdowns. Once the lot's are full again with 2021 models, you might do well picking up a 2020 model. And once the demand retreats, dealers will be sitting on large inventories.

Used vehicle sales are also going well right now. But with something like a Tacoma, you are probably better to just buy new.

Just some things to think about. I'd bank the deals won't get worse, but they certainly could get better if you can wait a touch.

 

[dprimm]

I can wait. Just want to get research done now before I am HAVING to buy. Car should go another couple years ... but it could be totaled today as well.

thanks. Hoping for fall or winter specials.

 

[two70]

I have 235,000 miles and counting on my Colorado with no major problems. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one and almost certainly will next year. Few Toyotas have enough room for me.

I found carcomplaints.com helpful last year when shopping for a newer SUV for my wife.

 

[Route 45]

I have had 2 Ridgelines, a Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu, Ford small/mid-size pickups.

For reliability all but the Isuzu were/are really good. The only issues I have had on either Honda were front sway bar linkage and one bad front strut.

The Toyota and Nissan had some minor parts replaced other than wear items. Ford had an issue with the rear suspension that was fairly expensive. My mechanic said it was a common issue but otherwise that Ranger was tough. On all except my current P/U I put over 150k miles.

Now for carrying people the Ridgeline is so much better than the others as to be laughable. It is wider and has more back seat room than the others. So if you plan to carry adults in the back the Honda is easily the best.

Honda will tow 5000lbs. I think the Toyota/Nissan/Ford will tow 7k or so. For occasional towing of a pop up camper the Honda would do fine and probably handle better than the others because of the added width.

My current P/U is the 2nd generation Honda. It rides better than my Mercedes is comfortable and I get 24+ on the hwy and 21 in the city without the stupid eco thing which helps not one bit. I test drove all the 4 door awd/4wd trucks in the same size range. For me the easy choice was the Honda as it is mostly a hwy driving vehicle.

I do use it as my bird hunting vehicle and can put 4 adult hunters, shotguns (under back seat) 2-3 dogs in crates in the bed and have plenty of room for food/drinks/extra gear in the trunk. And I like full time AWD.

I've got a new Ridgeline, and after test driving the others, you are completely correct in the Ridgeline being laughably better than the others in the class in ride and passenger comfort. In fact, it is laughably better than the other midsize log wagons for most things that one would use a midsize pickup truck for. The OP said that he needs something to haul sports gear and the occasional animal in the bed, and to tow a popup camper or small trailer. Does anyone really think that you need a 7000 lb tow rating for that? I could probably do that with a sedan.

I still smile every time I use the in-bed trunk to haul stuff. The bed space is not eaten up by wheel wells, and the size is better than the competitor's midsize offerings. The bed is composite and will not rust. It truly is a smart design.

 

[Trapper Jim]

Choose with dignity, cause Just like anything else that becomes your commerce, it helps to define you.

good luck

 

[Route 45]

It is a sad, sorry and pathetic "man" who is defined by the vehicle he drives or the guns he owns.

 

[phylodog]

If I were moving to a small truck I'd have a hard time looking at anything other than Toyota.

 

[Bigtanker]

Choose with dignity, cause Just like anything else that becomes your commerce, it helps to define you.

good luck

That might help some folks.

 

[worddoer]

The OP said that he needs something to haul sports gear and the occasional animal in the bed, and to tow a popup camper or small trailer. Does anyone really think that you need a 7000 lb tow rating for that? I could probably do that with a sedan.

I regularly tow a camper. I have had both pop up campers (mine was 3,000 lbs max loaded) and travel trailer campers (mine is around 4,250 lbs max loaded). Keep in mind that the weight is not the only issue to consider. Wind resistance is also a major factor.

For example, when towing a tall travel trailer, most camper dealers will say to keep your total loaded trailer weight to 50%-60% of your max towing capacity. My 2010 Expedition tows max 9,000 lbs with the HD towing package. I tow a 21 foot full height travel trailer that max loaded weight is 4,250lbs. Below 55mph it tows easily. But on the interstate once I start pushing some wind, you can tell the difference.

With pop-ups you can up that percentage some since they have less (although still some) wind resistance to 60%-70% of max towing capacity.

Keep in mind. Towing with your vehicle at max capacity down the highway for a 100-200 mile trip (I often do this or more) will tear it up and beat it to pieces fairly quickly. Max towing will dramatically reduce the life of your vehicle and all it's parts.

I would love to see the condition of your sedan after it would have towed my 3,000lb pop up down the interstate to Colorado and back. I am sure it would be "less than optimal".

 

[Route 45]

I regularly tow a camper. I have had both pop up campers (mine was 3,000 lbs max loaded) and travel trailer campers (mine is around 4,250 lbs max loaded). Keep in mind that the weight is not the only issue to consider. Wind resistance is also a major factor.

For example, when towing a tall travel trailer, most camper dealers will say to keep your total loaded trailer weight to 50%-60% of your max towing capacity. My 2010 Expedition tows max 9,000 lbs with the HD towing package. I tow a 21 foot full height travel trailer that max loaded weight is 4,250lbs. Below 55mph it tows easily. But on the interstate once I start pushing some wind, you can tell the difference.

With pop-ups you can up that percentage some since they have less (although still some) wind resistance to 60%-70% of max towing capacity.

Keep in mind. Towing with your vehicle at max capacity down the highway for a 100-200 mile trip (I often do this or more) will tear it up and beat it to pieces fairly quickly. Max towing will dramatically reduce the life of your vehicle and all it's parts.

I would love to see the condition of your sedan after it would have towed my 3,000lb pop up down the interstate to Colorado and back. I am sure it would be "less than optimal".

The best midsizers for towing are the Ford Ranger and the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon. They are rated at 7500 lbs and 7700 lbs respectively. The Ridgeline is rated at 5000 lbs.

It sounded like the OP was interested in occasional towing of a pop-up or small trailer, not a continuous loop journey to Colorado and back with a tall travel trailer until the wheels fall off. A 3000 lb trailer is only 60% of the Ridgeline's capacity, so well within your parameters.

Regarding the sedan comment, lots of trailers and small campers are towable with a sedan. I don't think anyone mentioned going back and forth across the United States over and over. But to be fair, you'll have to ask the OP. Sounded to me like he's just going to use the pickup for occasional towing. Anyone wanting a truck for serious and frequent towing has no business looking at midsizers, anyway.

But heck, maybe you're right. He should get a Kenworth.

 

[dprimm]

Right now I have minimal towing needs. Looking long term I can see some, hence the requirement. Pop up camper right around Indiana. Small flat trailer w stuff. If I need serious hauling, I will use the farm truck.

serms the best ting to do is just test drive all of them. Figure out the packages and get to comparing apples to apples.

A question about the beds... is the ridgeline bed as deep (tall?) as the others? I could not tell if the bed just was over the wheel wells and lost capacity that way.

 

[Route 45]

Right now I have minimal towing needs. Looking long term I can see some, hence the requirement. Pop up camper right around Indiana. Small flat trailer w stuff. If I need serious hauling, I will use the farm truck.

serms the best ting to do is just test drive all of them. Figure out the packages and get to comparing apples to apples.

A question about the beds... is the ridgeline bed as deep (tall?) as the others? I could not tell if the bed just was over the wheel wells and lost capacity that way.

Check out this article for a comparison on midsize truck beds:

https://www.cars.com/articles/range...n-which-has-the-best-bed-and-tailgate-409453/