Help Me Choose a Truck

mrg

I'm 19 and looking to get a new truck. My favorite picks so far is the 03 Ford Harley and the 03-04 Ford Lightning. I went shopping for a harley today but could not find one at 2 locations.
I'm not considering getting a Lightning. I can't say that there is anything special about the truck in general and it seems like the only thing that i find appealing is the engine specs. I don't know if it's the right truck for me. I don't race or anything but I do enjoy joy riding. I don't need the truck for work or anything. Which truck would best suit a 19 yr old who only needs it to drive to work and to college. I do think the L looks more smooth but the HD looks more like it's worth the money. I want to choose the right that can fill my wants and needs. What should I go for?

aspesisteve

mrg,
you need to go to ford.com to see inventory on dealer lots in your area. If you need to extend your search then use zip codes in areas likely to have more dealers. You can custom configure you Ford and see if any dealers match or come close.

Once you find a car sitting on a dealer's lot you will be in a postion to negotiate over the phone if you really know what you want.

If you're as naive as I was at 19, you might do your self a favor and let Carsdirect find you your car and provide a HASSEL free no obligation quote.

BTW, this new thread you put up will no doubt be torn down - next time go to the prices paid area.

PF_Flyer

We've had several incarnations of the "Help me choose a truck" topic. This is just the latest one, and since the others have slipped to the archives, we'll let this one stay in play!

PF Flyer
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04xlregcab4x4

For anybody looking to buy a truck @ 19 you must have some kind of a down payment or rich parents. But overall if you are paying for a truck out of your own pocket its wiser not to have fancy junk on your truck, I have been married for 4 monthes I am 26 years old, own my home, have a decent job and for the first time in my life I own something new, so what it doesn't have power everything or goes 0-60 in 7 seconds. 10 Years of driving cars and trucks that are 15 to 33 years old tells me that power/horsepower/fancy body garbage isn't worth the hassel. Insurance on a fancier truck WILL be more, no matter what others say.
My best advice is to buy a Focus if you don't really need a truck, because all you will do is throw money away in gas and initial cost by (buying a truck 'cuz it looks cool) been there done that!
I hope I make some sense to you. and good luck!

trucker50

You might consider getting a regular f150 that runs on regular gas....as an owner of a car that runs on premium they arent real desireable....$2 dollars a gallon for regular is plenty

aspesisteve

I wish; it's back up to record highs in Calif.
$2.25 for the cheap stuff
$2.45 for premium

yes, I would agree with some recent posts; when you buy new vs. used, you are throwing a bunch of money to the wind in the first year of ownership. Own that car for a long long time and is works out ok.

trucklooker

I am looking to buy a new truck, but aren't definite on what make and model I want. Any recommedations or suggestions? I am looking to buy within a month, maybe by the end of this month.

aspesisteve

if I were a salesman, and I'm not, I'd have to ask you a sleau of questions to answer your question of what kind of truck to recommend.

pulling anything?
hauling any kids?
wanna go big or small?
need 4x4?
how many miles a year will you drive?
is this going to be your only ride?

boesman1

When the hell is Ford going to come up with NAV. I cannot believe they are the last to the party with the NAV. I love the new exterior & interior of the F150, but where in the hell is the NAV system.

bongo59

I just sold my new F150 and bought a Titan tonight...........i hated to admit it but after driving my buds Titan I was jealous. That truck is everything and more than the F 150 and it was alot cheaper.........especially now on 11/1/04. I got the truck for 5K below list and i got $2300 in options for about 700 bucks........

aspesisteve

bongo,
how much did you lose on your "new" f150?
how many miles did you have?

i too often suffer from the "grass is greener on the other side" syndrome, but would never hear the end of it from my wife if I sold my new car the first year of owning it.

jimmar

I am currently looking at purchasing a new 2004 (or possibly a 2002 or 2003) truck. I have it narrowed down to three - a Ford F150 4X4 Extended Cab, the Chevy Silverado 1500 4X4 Extended Cab or the GMC Sierra 1500 4X4 Extended Cab. I realize that the Silverado and Sierra are fairly similar but I can not decide which of these 3 trucks is the better truck. I have been reading various posts and done some research on the internet but I am just getting more confused as to which is the best truck.

Can someone help me out here?

jbyrtus

Hello. I currently own a 1996 5.2L ext. cab dodge dakota with 108000 miles on it. There haven't been too many issues besides the usual (ball joints, radiator, an incident with 02 sensor). I've done minor mods (k&n, dual exhaust, tires, stereo) and it has served me well throughout high school.

However, I will be attending college this fall and the school is downtown which doesnt cater to my boat. City parking is awful as it is.

I need a 4x4 truck that is a single cab and at least a v6. This said: which of the compact trucks out there are the most reliable? I know Toyota is great, but i've been checking for months and none are for sale in my area under 150k miles.

My budget is about what i can get for my dakota ($5-6000).

S10, Sonoma, Ranger? I will even consider a Wrangler/CJ if it is recommended. This site is helpful but the consumer ratings often vary from 6 to 9 without much consistency.

THANKS FOR ANY HELP!!!

mattdurgin

I wonder if anyone has any insight on the best time to buy a used pickup, particularly in areas that experience snowy winters.

I'm currently in the market for a slightly used (2002-2003) compact pickup, primarily looking at the Toyota Tacoma, but also considering a Ford Ranger. At the moment (mid-March) there are practically none on the market, and the ones that are available are priced very high (negotiations did not lower the prices). I can only attribute this to the fact that I live in New England and we're just coming off a very snowy winter, so people don't want to give up their 4x4 trucks.

Has anyone experienced a general decline in demand and price for 4x4 pickups at a certain time of the year, maybe mid-summer? Are dealers sensitive to seasonal demands, and will they adjust their pricing accordingly??

jbyrtus

best time to buy a 4x4 is in spring when the snow is gone and everyone is thinking about convertibles, motorcycles, and even jeeps.

hope that helps.

ohdaddy926

I am getting ready to purchase a 1999 Toyota 4-runner According to TMV, the price stated $13,500.00 [retail] and then I entered the same information at Kelly Bluebook. The price was $900.00 lower. Which amount do I start with at the dealership? How much should I be able to purchase the truck for - do I go buy the Kelly Blue Book or TMV?? Thanks.

jbyrtus

I would be inclined to say go with what they use to help with pricing: the KBB.

There will almost always be a difference amongst price guides and $900 on a $13k vehicle is not too bad of a disparity.

Also keep in mind that if the vehicle is in esp. good condition and is of a lasting brand, like toyota, the price will be higher than listed. I posted above that I found a few 93-96 toyota tacomas that were going for as much as 96-99 rangers and s10s simply because of their durability.

ritan

What ever you do, stay away from GMC. It has cost me dearly! Every problem is not reproducible to GMC dealerships until the warranty runs out