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HELP 4-door full size truck owners

hfpieratthfpieratt Member Posts: 11
edited March 2014 in Toyota
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.

Comments

  • seajayacasseajayacas Member Posts: 6
    I would recommend a smaller cab with the suicide doors and a short bed in the back. Otherwise the wheelbase will be too long and she may have difficulty parking or backing up.
  • akjbmwakjbmw Member Posts: 231
    A major factor in your decision is where you both will be driving. In a metropolitan condensed area like San Francisco and Los Angeles or out in the wide open spaces of rural America.
     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. ;-)
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    I happen to test drive the Tundra and the GMC on the same evening. I would say that the GMC has the better ride, if what you're looking for is softer and compliant. The Tundra I drove had rear wheel hop, something I did not detect in the GMC.

    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
  • bigfurbigfur Member Posts: 649
    a Full four door truck, or are extended cab 4-doors ok? after you decide that just test drive them all and see what one you like best.
  • hfpieratthfpieratt Member Posts: 11
    I think I would like a full four doors, but I am open minded. I would hope to keep this truck for a very long time and if kids get big enough I think I'm going to want those full size doors.
  • bigfurbigfur Member Posts: 649
    IF you plan to keep it a long time, you might almost want to think about getting a HD with a diesel just for the simple fact it will last longer IF properly taken care of. Now i dont want to get into the whole diesel/gas argument here (weve had enough of them) but i think it would be something to consider being that they can run 300K plus miles before a rebuild. but yes you have more maintinace and they are exspensive. Course that is just a thought for you to consider. good luck, Tom
  • wpalkowskiwpalkowski Member Posts: 493
    Ford F350, Crew Cab, Long Bed, and love it. Truck is over 22 ft long. As others have said the thing is an ocean liner when driven in a city. You park at the end of the parking lots and walk to the store because it takes up two spaces. It's preferable to also pull out forward rather than having to back out of a parking spot. Want to turn around: you don't do a three-point turn, you do an eight-point turn. Of necessity, you become very good at using your mirrors, but my truck also has reverse sensors. Other cars, and SUVs don't crowd you and give you plenty of respect on the road though.
       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.
  • janzjanz Member Posts: 129
    to a 2500HD Chevy 4-door crew cab. We wanted the 4 door access for our two-now teenage sons and other friends, etc. We use it to drive the family around, then haul bikes and tow our 20' trailer on the weekends. It rides like is a dream on the highway with plenty of room for all 4 of us.

    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.
  • hfpieratthfpieratt Member Posts: 11
    Were you happier with the extended cab? That's what I'm leaning towards now. I figure it might be fine until kids get too big, like yours.
  • janzjanz Member Posts: 129
    we are happier with our 4-door, but YES, we were very happy with the extended cab full-size Chevy truck as our regular family vehicle. Now that they have the modified addl. door, access should be much easier. In our experience, I can't think of any negatives as far as it's usability and it meeting our needs. As family, we took it everywhere. We only got rid of it because it was just time to replace it and we needed more leg room and power for towing.
  • hfpieratthfpieratt Member Posts: 11
    Are you short? My fiancee is 4' 10".

    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?
  • janzjanz Member Posts: 129
    I'm 5'7" and my husband is 6'2". Climbing in always was always a step-up, but certainly will be a much bigger step-up for someone that small in stature.

    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.
  • mr_mbunamr_mbuna Member Posts: 13
    We're currently in the market for an affordable pickup and will be purchasing by the end of the week. Price is the primary concern. Due to the lack of availability of 4x2 1500HD's, we're currently leaning towards the F-150 SuperCrew.

    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
  • ryanbabryanbab Member Posts: 7,240
    check this out. THey are supposed to be put in production in December but maybe they will be out earlier. They will be an 04 model.

    image
  • mr_mbunamr_mbuna Member Posts: 13
    That's nice but we sort of do have a use for the large engine in the 1500HD and the large towing capacity and are looking to buy today.

    Ben
  • lennxlennx Member Posts: 73
    This is no quite a full size truck but not a small truck either. You can get a V8 in it.

    When I test drove it I thought the engine was way too noisy but maybe I had a bad one.
  • mullins87mullins87 Member Posts: 959
    To tow a 6,300lb boat, or any trailer that size, you really need more than a 1/2ton. Now, lot's of people are going to jump on me for saying this. Seems like the Tundra is rated for something like 7,000lbs, the F-150 7,200 is rated for 7,200lbs, and probably the GM and Dodge something in the same range. If towing right at the limit and riding on the bumpstops is acceptable to you, then go for it. Go with a real fullsize truck. I do know you can get an F-250 CrewCab outfitted the way you want it for not much more than the 1/2 ton.

    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.
This discussion has been closed.