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NEW PICKUP CHOICE

RGJD40RGJD40 Member Posts: 2
edited February 2014 in Chevrolet
I'm looking to buy a new 3/4 ton pickup to pull a
6500 lb camper.
I like the chevys but several of my friends have
had their transmissions go out pulling campers.
Chevy redesigned their trannys couple years ago.
are they ok now? I think their 350 cu is a pretty
good engine.
thanks

Comments

  • psycorampsycoram Member Posts: 3
    chevys Suck big time

    It takes "REAL MAN" to drive a DODGE :-)
  • brucec32brucec32 Member Posts: 3
    I am a current '97 Dodge 4x4 owner, and I had a '95 Chevy C-1500 before that. Both were trouble free, except the CD player on the RAM just died this week, at 9 months old. I tow a 2,000 lb trailer every day at work with them, short trips, in stop and go traffic, with not even a hint of a problem. I also put 50,000 miles towing the same trailer on a '93 Chevy S-10 without any problems. I would avoid a disel engine though, unless you REALLY tow a huge load often. The cummings engine in particular is so noisy people have to turn them off to order at a fast food drive through window.
  • ldwldw Member Posts: 2
    I am planning to purchase a new small pickup, 2wd extended cab, 4 cyl., 5-spd manual in March. I'm interested in the Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma. Has anyone got any suggestions?
  • idgieidgie Member Posts: 2
    If you read the Edmund's data and Consumer Reports magazine (libraries have it) you can make an informed decision. I decided to get either a Ranger (or Mazda which is made at the same factory as Ranger but has a few differences). Mazda has a better warranty. I drove the Ranger and am planning to drive the Mazda this week. The four cylinder gets great gas mileage but is probably gutless. I drove a v-6 automatic which was slow, too. Spending this much money is scary!
  • N/AN/A Member Posts: 11
    I'm trying to find out if anyone knows of any sites that has daeler invoices and options available for the new ford 99 truck line. Specifically f250 4x4 crew desiel.
  • mharde2mharde2 Member Posts: 278
    There is some invoice info on Jason's Powerstroke Page. Don't have the link handy, but should be easy to find.
  • mroffshoremroffshore Member Posts: 148
    Thanks mharde2 for that suggestion! I will try to find jason's power stroke page.

    Mroffshore
  • mroffshoremroffshore Member Posts: 148
    I looked and looked and could not find anything called Jason's Power Stroke Page. Could you please assit me with a web address.

    Thanks
    Mroffshore
  • mharde2mharde2 Member Posts: 278
    Click on 1999 Info on the left side of the page and get the complete msrp pricing list.
  • mroffshoremroffshore Member Posts: 148
    Dear mharde2, I can't thank you enough, you were right on. This info wiil help me with a price. What's funny the dealer inflated the msrp on the base by $3000. then discounted down from there.I recieved a pre tax price of 34,330.from two dealers, they were with in 100.00 of each other. That has the power stroke,4x4 crew and lots of options,lariat pk. etc.
    I'm still working on this and it is 12:42 am.
    Thanks again, Mr.offshore!
  • mroffshoremroffshore Member Posts: 148
    mharde2,
    Your honest opinion, how accurate do you think the dealer invoices are that were given on the web page you directed me to? I mean if they are accurate the dealer could still come down $2000.00
    and still make a good dollar! I do not want to shoot off my mouth, in a professional manner of course, unless I am very sure I know what I am talking about! There was a discrepency of $3000.00 between the web pages MSRP on the base and the price I recieved from the dealer on the base. Now I will say, he did not call my base price a base price, he called it the retail price before options,
    inflated it, then discounted to try and create an illusion I guess of a substantial discount. This is true again, assuming the validity
    of the dealer invoices. Tell me what you think.
    Thanks, Mroffshore.
  • mroffshoremroffshore Member Posts: 148
    mharde2, No No No, I'm sorry, I made a mistake I was looking at the XL and I should have looked for the lariat which is $3000.00 more. They are making about 4% over their cost plus the factory hold back. I am satisfied with the deal. Thanks again.
  • DekeDeke Member Posts: 2
    I'm looking at the '98 Chevy S10 LS extended cab w/ auto trans. I've driven the both the 4cyl and V6, and the 4cyl seems to have enough pep, but will it explode after the warranty's up? It will be used primarily as a commuter car for me, and for light duty on the week-ends - no towing. Anybody have any comments about this truck?
  • esoxesox Member Posts: 2
    I'm looking to buy a 95 or 96 1500 dodge ram pickup does anyone have pros or cons
  • rickroverrickrover Member Posts: 601
    Deke,
    You may want to wait a year as the redesigned S10 is coming out in 99. I have friends with S10's and they are very reliable, the 4cyl in one has well over 100k on it and runs fine. It is a really old one though, about an 86 or 87 I think. I have a 96 tacoma 4X4 4 cyl. and it has plenty of pep with manual trans. The only thing I don't like about S10's especially the 3 doors is the rattles and squeaks in the dash and 3rd door, they would drive me nuts.
  • summitarabsummitarab Member Posts: 1
    I'd like to buy either a Chevy or GMC K2500 to pull a 2 horse trailer of 7000#GVW into the mountains (9200 feet and above). Any suggestions for the best drive train?
  • nancnanc Member Posts: 1
    I would wait a year or two also. I have a 1996
    S-10 4wd LS sportside extended cab. Remember that Chevy ad on tv for the ice-cream. Same exact truck. Its a great truck but luckly I did not purchase that 3rd door it came out the year we bought the truck. I've heard nothing but complaints about it. The only complaint I have with the truck is that the turning ratio isn't what it was on my old 1988 s-10 tahoe. We have a friend who purchased the Zr2 one and its the same way. My husband has 72 3/4 4wd that turns tighter than this. Don't get me wrong I've been driving trucks since I was 16. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Other than that this trucks great. As far as squeaks and rattles. A trucks a truck if you want a car buy a car. I prefer a truck over a car any day. I'm waiting for them to come out with an s-10 with a full fold up bench seat in the back
    and a factory installed sun-roof.
  • uilleanuillean Member Posts: 1
    After test driving and researching competing trucks by Chevy and Dodge, I recently purchased a 1998 Ford F-150 XLT Supercab 4x4, and I'm glad I did. I live in Louisville, Kentucky. The truck was a dealer demo with 4200 miles on it. It was in excellent condition and has almost every option available for the XLT, their show-off truck, bedliner and mat, offroad package, tow package, 6 disc CD changer, etc. After doing research here on Edmunds and some other sites I found that the truck I was looking at had a dealer invoice price of 25,500, with an MSRP of a little less than 32,000. The dealer holdback for Ford is 3% or about $1000. Since I knew they had been paying interest on that truck for a while, I walked in and offered them $24,000. After negotiating and walking out of the dealership a few times, I wound up paying 25,500 for the truck. They got their $1000 dealer holdback, and I got a great truck!

    I think Ford engineered a winner with the new F-150 series. Now its time for Dodge and Chevy to play catch-up. Look out 1999!

    I still have the suspicion I got taken somehow. If anyone can enlighten me on how I could have better negotiated, or knows how the dealer made more than I figured, I'd love to hear.

    All the best -
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    It sounds to me like you got a good deal if you got it for dealer invoice. Technically, it's a used vehicle since it has 4,200 miles on it, which is where the dealer probably feels they made money. But that is so few miles and they probably weren't hard miles. Does your dealer invoice factor in the cost of the bedliner? What about a front deflector or other after-market options? If those things aren't factored in, then you got an even better deal than you think. Even if you deduct, say, nine cents per mile, you still only paid a few hundred over dealer invoice. And like I said, that amount may have been offset by the value of any after market stuff.
  • taptap Member Posts: 1
    summitarab: Friends with Jimmys & Bowties say the new 350 cu.in. is HARD to beat and will get better mileage by a ton than the old big block. I'd want the 5-speed manual transmission in the mountains to have better engine braking on the down slope, but the juice trannies are good. You've already said a K2500 so 4wd is a done deal. I'd talk to fellow horse haulers about the rear end you need in your area. I assume because you quoted an altitude of 9200 that you are not in the eastern mountains -- here in Virginia a 3.55 (in a Ford) or the 3.73 (in the General's fleet) are the popular ways to go. You are going to be hauling mighty big horses if you approach your 7,000 pound GVW. I've got a steel 2-horse Shoop (about 2500#) and, with the Arab (about 950#) and the Quarterhorse (maybe 1100#, but more likely 1050#) I'm still on the light side of 5,000. I pull this with an '83 F-150, 3.55 rear end and stick shift and, while I'm seldom the first rig to the show, we don't hold up traffic on the hills. Good luck and have fun -- I'm more than a little jealous at the thought of a Chev or GMC 350/3.73 pulling horses. Oh, my friend, if the truck hasn't been bought, get an extended cab and get the 8' bed. The long wheel base is a much more stable towing vehicle and the 8' bed will let you haul two big round bales if that's how you feed; it's also much better for fence posts and boards that the shorty boxes.
  • donemsdonems Member Posts: 1
    Ulliean:
    You certainly did make the right choice and it looks like about 750,000 others in 1997 did also! Have you seen the most recent sales figures for pickups? In 1995 Ford & Chev were running neck and neck @ about 550,000 for Chev & 570,000 for Ford. Then the new F150 was introduced in 1996 and the gap widened! For 1997 Chev sold about 575,000 and Ford about 740,000. That's almost a 50% gain in market share. You only acheive that by making excellent trucks!
This discussion has been closed.