Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
HELP 4-door full size truck owners
To all 4-door full size truck owners, I would like to hear from you.
I'm about to get married and I want to start a family soon. I ride a motorcycle and she has an SUV that she doesn't like, so we are looking at getting her a new vehicle. I think we should get a 4-door full size truck so I can haul a bike or two when needed, she could be up high over traffic like she is in her SUV right now, and we'd have 4-doors to put kids in the back.
Are any of you currently using your trucks like this? If so what do you drive and how do you like it? Particularly the ride, her SUV bounces like the Dukes of Hazzard over every bump on the road and that drives her and I crazy. From my research It seems the Tundra (about to be a 4-door) has the best ride, followed by Chevy/GMC, Ford, then Dodge. No idea on how the Nissan Titan will compare yet.
I'm about to get married and I want to start a family soon. I ride a motorcycle and she has an SUV that she doesn't like, so we are looking at getting her a new vehicle. I think we should get a 4-door full size truck so I can haul a bike or two when needed, she could be up high over traffic like she is in her SUV right now, and we'd have 4-doors to put kids in the back.
Are any of you currently using your trucks like this? If so what do you drive and how do you like it? Particularly the ride, her SUV bounces like the Dukes of Hazzard over every bump on the road and that drives her and I crazy. From my research It seems the Tundra (about to be a 4-door) has the best ride, followed by Chevy/GMC, Ford, then Dodge. No idea on how the Nissan Titan will compare yet.
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
My extended cab short bed K1500 is fine in Reno, but I really do not like navigating around is Westwood (UCLA) and finding a parking spot.
Even though some of us think they are totally ugly, crossover(?) vehicles may be an option.
Look for aftermarket air suspension conversions to see if the cost is worth the smoother ride for whatever you might choose.
Better choices are made when you have the time to research the options. ;-)
I spent a whole day driving a RAM Quad and the F150 SuperCrew. In my opinion the ride of the F150 is only marginally better than the Dodge. The real problem is that the Dodge RAM has so much better handling than the Ford, and I think the GMC also (although not by the same margin). I loved the way the RAM handled and despite being firmer, the RAMs suspension is still much improved over any truck of 5-6 years ago.
Despite having one Toyota in the family, I just wasn't as fond of the Tundra for a number of reasons.
Best regards,
Dusty
Ford full sized crew cab is immense, with bench seat front and rear 6 adults can fit comfortably. I believe it's got more room the my Father-in law's '99 Lincoln Town Car. I'm 6'5" and front seat is all the way back, but folks in back still have plenty of leg room. While it's Superduty truck, the ride is surprisingly comfortable, although not quite as good as that Lincoln Town Car.
Not sure, but maybe your future bride would be better off in Ford Super Crew. Not nearlyu as big as mine, but still plenty of room, and much easier to maneuver. Not sure about how easily it would haul bikes, as you would need the bed extender to hold them in. Also payload capacity is only about half as much as a Superduty.
Full sized truck as a daily driver is brutual on gas. Though it costs more up front, diesels are more fuel efficient.
Have her take some test drives to see what fits.
However, it's a gas guzzler (hubby chose not to get diesel), though offset by the fact that he drives 1 mile to work each way. Most of my driving is in town and I hate driving it because it is way too big and difficult to park. Just too much truck for me everyday. I need something more maneueverable.
Did getting into the truck ever aggravate you?
The Dodge Ram has height adjustable pedals, does this sound like the mother of all options to you?
The Dodge Ram also has a assist bar on the pillar to help climbing in whereas the Chevy don't, how important would you rate this feature?
Those add ons would probably be considered non-important fluff to most truck drivers, but probably very helpful to a shorter driver. I wouldn't consider an assist bar(or lack thereof) a deal breaker. IMHO, comfort, control, and clear vision would be MUCH bigger concerns.
I highly suggest a test drive on the trucks you are interested in. I say this because years ago my college roomates and I took my familes full-size Dodge station wagon on a trip from Washington to S. Cal. My good friend who was probably 5'1" on a good day, simply could not handle the size of a car that large. I'm not short and I never liked driving either truck on a regular basis. Just too big!
If she's uncomfortable with the full size, you can scale back to a smaller size 4-door, Dakota, Nissan and the like.
We'll be using the pickup as a daily driver as well as a weekend hauler for a 6300 pound boat and trailer. Twice per year the truck will serve as the vehicle for a 600-mile road trip towing a 1500 pound trailer and a family of four down the East Coast from Maryland to South Carolina.
I've been helping my dad pick out the right truck and its been a struggle to convince him to see the light on a 5.4L V8 over a 4.6L V8 though I think I've been successful in that regard. However, 4WD isn't going to happen as he sees it as an unneccessary expense.
We're looking to find a truck for $25,000 or less after rebates and everything. What can we expect to pay for these trucks? Is Edmunds.com TMV pricing accurate, or is paying Invoice minus rebates reasonable, or do these trucks go for Less Than Invoice minus rebates?
Please share views on the Ford v Chevy v Dodge **for our application and finances** as well as recommendations on worthwhile options and engine choices, etc.
Thanks!
Ben
Ben
When I test drove it I thought the engine was way too noisy but maybe I had a bad one.
As far as the engine goes, don't even consider the 4.6. It's a good engine, but just not enough engine to handle that much load. The 5.4 with a 4.10 ratio should get decent mileage while providing you with enough muscle to get the boat up and ramp and any hills on your way.
Do you have brakes on the boat trailer? If not, then the 1/2 ton is COMPLETELY out of the question. If it does, I'd bet they are surge brakes which will not allow you to use a weight distributing hitch. The WD hitch interferes with the operation of the surge brakes. In any event, a trailer of that weight should have brakes on it. However, if it doesn't, the heavier 3/4 ton truck should be able to handle it.
On a side note related to braking, don't let the manufactures claims of their 60 mph stopping distances mislead you into thinking they can stop a load better. Smaller, 1/2 ton trucks have thinner, lighter rotors than the heavier 3/4 ton trucks. The smaller, lighter rotors are able to come up to operating temp. faster than the heavier rotors on a 3/4 ton, thereby making for quicker stops. The flipside is that the smaller, lighter rotors will overheat before a heavier load is stopped and therefore could put you or the motorists around you in serious trouble.