New truck?

[kb4ns]

I need some advice guys. Here's my situation...

I have a 2005 Ram Quad Cab that I bought used a few years ago. I've put all of about 1,000 miles on in the last year (since I bring the squad car home from work) - it has about 55k miles total on it. I like my truck and so far, it hasn't given me any problems. Since I don't drive my personal vehicle often, I have no desire to get the latest and greatest, but I do want something that'll last me the next 10-15 years. Again, I like my truck, but I don't trust it to make it 20 years worry-free (from big stuff like engine, tranny, etc). I've been thinking about a Nissan Titan, Toyota Tundra or a diesel of some sort (F250, etc.). With my low mileage, gas prices aren't a huge deal and I refuse to get anything other than a fullsize pickup. So, if you were in my shoes and looking for a truck that's gonna last you 20 years, what would you do? Or would you say keep my current truck and suck up the future repair bills? It's not paid off. I have about $2500 "equity", so it's not like I'm getting a new payment in my life.

Also, anything I look at is going to be used - 4 or 5 years old. Ain't no way I'd pay $500/month for a truck I drive under 100 miles a month.

[titan14]

I will say one thing and I will NOT reply to this thread again...

Nissan Titan

[kb4ns]

I will say one thing and I will NOT reply to this thread again...

Nissan Titan

How'd I know that was coming?

I actually test drove one the other day and wasn't that thrilled. Everyone I know who has one LOVES it. I guess I was expecting it to shock my socks off, but instead, it just felt like "another truck". But, I'm okay with "just another truck", as long as it lasts!

[Erik88]

KB no disrespect but I'll bet all my guns that you won't keep ANYTHING 20 years

You're like a small scale gunbroker.com

But Bill there is NO WAY you can go this whole thread without commenting again

[TGO David]

As you probably are aware, I just ran through this myself. My budget was $40K and I needed four full doors, full-size truck, 4WD and torque. No one... and I mean no one... could touch the deals that I was seeing at the Nissan dealerships. To say that my wife and I are elated with our 2011 Titan Pro-4X would be an understatement. We've only put 200 miles on it so far but it absolutely puts a smile on our face every time we get into it.

It may not be the truck for you after you've done your due diligence and the Pros / Cons don't stack up right, but you really should put it on your short list of vehicles to look at.

[Guest tnxdshooter]

I need some advice guys. Here's my situation...

I have a 2005 Ram Quad Cab that I bought used a few years ago. I've put all of about 1,000 miles on in the last year (since I bring the squad car home from work) - it has about 55k miles total on it. I like my truck and so far, it hasn't given me any problems. Since I don't drive my personal vehicle often, I have no desire to get the latest and greatest, but I do want something that'll last me the next 10-15 years. Again, I like my truck, but I don't trust it to make it 20 years worry-free (from big stuff like engine, tranny, etc). I've been thinking about a Nissan Titan, Toyota Tundra or a diesel of some sort (F250, etc.). With my low mileage, gas prices aren't a huge deal and I refuse to get anything other than a fullsize pickup. So, if you were in my shoes and looking for a truck that's gonna last you 20 years, what would you do? Or would you say keep my current truck and suck up the future repair bills? It's not paid off. I have about $2500 "equity", so it's not like I'm getting a new payment in my life.

Also, anything I look at is going to be used - 4 or 5 years old. Ain't no way I'd pay $500/month for a truck I drive under 100 miles a month.

My dad has a 1993 model dodge 2500 and has 250,0000 miles on it and it still runs like it is brand new. If you take care of them the way they are supposed to be taken care of you shouldnt have problems.

[Chucktshoes]

Oh Lord, here we go again....j/k

I would go with a diesel. You never know when the ability to run off of reclaimed vegetable oil will come in handy. Not being facetious at all, totally serious. A diesel is about as close to a multi-fuel vehicle as you can get. Plus, engine longevity of a good diesel is somewhere around twice that for a gasoline engine for the win.

[kb4ns]

As you probably are aware, I just ran through this myself. My budget was $40K and I needed four full doors, full-size truck, 4WD and torque. No one... and I mean no one... could touch the deals that I was seeing at the Nissan dealerships. To say that my wife and I are elated with our 2011 Titan Pro-4X would be an understatement. We've only put 200 miles on it so far but it absolutely puts a smile on our face every time we get into it.

It may not be the truck for you after you've done your due diligence and the Pros / Cons don't stack up right, but you really should put it on your short list of vehicles to look at.

I'm sort of afraid to drive a brand new one. I might like it too much and buy one!

I'm a fan of Nissan. Just bought my wife a brand new Altima about 6 months back and she absolutely loves it (and I was fond of their 0% interest!). I know Nissan and Toyota are two of the best players when it comes to longevity in gasoline powered cars. Of course, a new one is out of the question. My budget is between 15 and 20k, but there are a lot of used ones (2004 - 2006 models) available in my price range. Trying to get a feel for what the "car guys" think. I'm somewhat mechanical, but a long way from a guru!

[56FordGuy]

I would go with a diesel. You never know when the ability to run off of reclaimed vegetable oil will come in handy. Not being facetious at all, totally serious. A diesel is about as close to a multi-fuel vehicle as you can get. Plus, engine longevity of a good diesel is somewhere around twice that for a gasoline engine for the win.

The ability to run used veggie oil usually requires some modifications to the truck if you want to do it year round, along with the filtering process for the oil itself. Biodiesel is a completely different ballgame, it can be run in any diesel any time.

Diesel trucks are great, but if you don't haul heavy stuff often they can be a pain. Not sure what size you're looking for, but most manufacturers only offer diesel engines in the 250/ 2500 line and up. Maintenance ain't cheap, either. Doing it myself with conventional oil, it costs about $60.00 to change the oil in my truck.

I'd look for a cheap used truck, but that's just me. Modern vehicles are a lot more reliable than they used to be. The '94 model F-250 I used to have has 315,000 miles on it with no major problems.

[kb4ns]

My dad has a 1993 model dodge 2500 and has 250,0000 miles on it and it still runs like it is brand new. If you take care of them the way they are supposed to be taken care of you shouldnt have problems.

The 2500? Diesel, I presume?

I would go with a diesel. You never know when the ability to run off of reclaimed vegetable oil will come in handy. Not being facetious at all, totally serious. A diesel is about as close to a multi-fuel vehicle as you can get. Plus, engine longevity of a good diesel is somewhere around twice that for a gasoline engine for the win.

I've thought about the veggie oil stuff, but I try not to let it play too much into my decision since it's, although possible, not a surefire option.I definitely am digging the longevity.

[kb4ns]

The ability to run used veggie oil usually requires some modifications to the truck if you want to do it year round, along with the filtering process for the oil itself. Biodiesel is a completely different ballgame, it can be run in any diesel any time.

Diesel trucks are great, but if you don't haul heavy stuff often they can be a pain. Not sure what size you're looking for, but most manufacturers only offer diesel engines in the 250/ 2500 line and up. Maintenance ain't cheap, either. Doing it myself with conventional oil, it costs about $60.00 to change the oil in my truck.

I'd look for a cheap used truck, but that's just me. Modern vehicles are a lot more reliable than they used to be. The '94 model F-250 I used to have has 315,000 miles on it with no major problems.

Yeah, once upon a time I had an F350 that was given to me as repayment for money owed. It was a great truck, but that dually was WAY more truck than I needed (and felt like parking in the city). It was fun, though, running 100' of extension cord across the front of an apartment complex for the block heater!

Have the modern diesels gotten away form needing block heaters?

[56FordGuy]

Have the modern diesels gotten away form needing block heaters?

Down here, yes. My '94 model and the '02 model I used to own would both start without being plugged in down to 10-15* They would run like crap and miss for a few minutes, though. Plug them in and they would start up and run as if you'd just shut them off a few minutes before.

[kb4ns]

The F350 I had was a '96 model. Would NOT start for anything below about 25 degrees if it hadn't been plugged in. Buddy of mine said he heard that they've done away with block heaters because the new ones don't need 'em.

[56FordGuy]

Buddy of mine said he heard that they've done away with block heaters because the new ones don't need 'em.

I can only speak from my experience, but my '94, '01, and '02 Ford diesels had them. The 2009 F-650 trucks we have at work have block heaters, along with the two 2011 F-550s. The 550 trucks share the cab/ engine with the 250/ 350/ 450 trucks.

The F350 I had was a '96 model. Would NOT start for anything below about 25 degrees if it hadn't been plugged in.

The '94.5 through 2003.5 7.3 liter Powerstroke trucks use high pressure oil to fire the fuel injectors. Any number of things can cause them to be hard starting in cold weather, from dirty oil to weak glow plugs. When kept in good shape, they'll start right up. Currently going through this on the '01 model I bought used, it doesn't like to start when cold either.

Edited January 23, 2011 by 56FordGuy

[Guest Knightsr25]

I worked for Toyota directly and indirectly for more than a decade.I have been involved in the car business for over 20. The Tundra is more problematic (IMHO) than any US brand fullsize pu. The first one we saw cam in loaded on a wrecker after the factory (torture tested it by overloading it by 100lb). I couldnt stop laughing after the factory rep called that (overloading and torture testing). The Nissan Titan had been one of the most troublesome trucks on the road ( our dealership would only allow 55% of book value for trade-ins. I drive an Infinity so I am not biased against Nissan,and I have had a few Toyotas as well. I even put 200k on my last Ford Lightning with only normal maintenance. When it comes to heavy duty trucks the US.. brands are still top dog. IMHO

[Mike.357]

so unless things change you put about 1500 miles a year on your personal truck? And you don't think it will last twenty years? I know it is a Dodge and all but I would think it would stand another 30,000 miles on it. Heck go crazy, drive it 2500 miles a year, LOL I think it will still be running at just over 100k.

Why get rid of it?

The other truck thread made me laugh. People bragging about how good whatever truck they were touting is. I don't see any of them being the type that will keep a vehicle for 150,000 miles. So no one will never really know how reliable they are or were.

BTW my 99 F150 just rolled over 186,000 single owner miles on it. Every time I think I ought to get something newer I come to the realization that I must be nuts.

I spent about 1000 bucks on upkeep of it last year. I dunno where I can buy a truck for 100 bucks a month.

[kb4ns]

Good points, Mike.

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

Good points, Mike.

And for FWIW I am in full agreement with Mike. You aint driving it much anyway, why even bother with the hassle?

Sounds to me like all is well enough for now. I would just keep it and keep adding to the equity, the miles are going to stay low so once it it is paid for you may well have something that you can make a real buck or two on.

[mav]

I would keep what you have. I have a 2003 Dodge Ram Quad Cab 4x4 with the Hemi. It used to be my daily driver until I started to spend almost $800 a month for gas. It is driven very little nowadays (<5k miles per year). It has 142k miles on it and is still going strong. Unless you just want a new truck, I would definitely keep what you have. Vehicles only do two things. They get you from point A to B, and they go down in value (not counting classics).

[oldogy]

Sounds to me like you have money burning a hole in your pocket. At the rate you're driving your truck, less than a thousand miles a year, you would will not wear the truck out in the next 10-15 years or the next 20 years. Keep the fluids changed and drive it a bit more. The money you save if you keep that truck vs payment on a later vehicle will be money in your pocket to fix what ever may go wrong. Run some numbers. Get it garaged or at least under cover and keep it. Yeah, I know the new truck bug is mean.

oldogy

[hipower]

An unsolicited opinion from the owner of a 1988 Chevy Silverado Shortbed coming your way. I've been looking for a late model, 1-4 years old, to replace a Chevy S-body Blazer lost in last May's flooding, but I have this pickup I've had since 92. It has 192,000 miles on it and usually was usually driven less than 1000 miles per year. The local emission inspector joked several times that I should drive the truck before coming in for the yearly inspection. It's in fairly good shape mechanically, and the body is in excellent condition. It could use a new heater core and new front suspension, but overall is a good daily drive. Anyway, my point is that if serviced regularly, and treated halfway right, your Dodge should at least equal this. I keep telling myself I really don't need another vehicle, but...it would be nice to have something a little more comfortable for the wife and the few nice places we go. I've been looking at the Buick Enclave and the Chevy Traverse. Really , really like the Buick. But, man that's a lot of money, even used.

So buddy, suck it up. Keep the 2005 and drive the wheels off it. I don't see how you'd really be any better off unless you just really want another vehicle.

[JReedEsq]

I agree with all the guys voting to keep your current truck. I hate car payments period. Right now we have two cars (Caddilac CTS and Nissan Pathfinder) with less than 40K each on them and no payments. Hope to never have a payment again. Cars depreciate and putting more money into something that is dropping in value never makes financial sense and you don't drive enough to justify it otherwise. Just my opinion.... I do agree that, in your situation, fuel economy really shouldn't be a factor.

[kb4ns]

Thanks for the input guys. I think "keep the current truck" is in for the win. I reckon that's what I'll do.

[tnhawk]

I'd keep the truck you have and save for repairs or replacement in the future. I've got 2 SUVs that are paid for and my wife and I will drive them untill they need major repairs, get stolen, or totaled- Memphis. I hated to have the payments, but got a Titan last year and plan to keep it many years.

[kieefer]

Pay that sucker off and keep it.

or

Pay yourself a truck note and pay cash in 5yrs.