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Pickup Truck or SUV - Pros/Cons; help me decide (long post)

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Of the models you mentioned, I lean towards the Tundra, I'm impressed with Toyota's build quality, and they're offering 0% financing (foreign pickups just don't sell in the US & Toyota's trying to garner market acceptance).

Ripped from Consumer Reports:

The Tundra is currently our top choice among full-sized pickups. Built in Indiana, it's the first import-badged, full-sized pickup to compete seriously with the domestic models. Along with a 3.4-liter, 190-hp V6, the Tundra offers a smooth and powerful Lexus-derived 245-hp V8. The ride is smooth, the handling competent, and the cabin quiet. The extended-cab version includes four doors, although the rear seat is cramped. Low side rails make it easy to load and unload lightweight items but compromise cargo-box volume slightly. Good offset crash-test results are a considerable plus. Overall, the Tundra ups the ante in this class. ABS joins the standard-equipment roster on Limited models for 2002, and all V8-powered Tundras can now be had with a limited-slip differential.

New for 2002: ABS now standard on Limited model. Limited-slip differential now available on all V8-equipped Tundras.

Tundra V8 Access Cab Limited lists for $26,700, should last you a good long while.

Damnit, I want one now, must resist new car fever.....

Nissan's the only other game in town.

What the hell do you keep in an 8 foot snake cage?


 
My brother has a 2000 F150 that he bought new. They have replaced the right cylinder head and all associated gaskets/etc a grand total of 3 times since he bought it and it still leaks oil. No thank you

That sounds like a factory defect, I know plenty of guys with the 4.6's and 5.4's that don't have that problem, when you produce over 1 million of those blocks a year, your gonna have odds of a defective one. The new blocks are not known for any type of oil consumption due to valves, heads, gasket's or any other leak
 


<< My brother has a 2000 F150 that he bought new. They have replaced the right cylinder head and all associated gaskets/etc a grand total of 3 times since he bought it and it still leaks oil. No thank you

That sounds like a factory defect, I know plenty of guys with the 4.6's and 5.4's that don't have that problem, when you produce over 1 million of those blocks a year, your gonna have odds of a defective one. The new blocks are not known for any type of oil consumption due to valves, heads, gasket's or any other leak >>


My dad just took his '97 Explorer XLT (SOHC 4.0 liter V6) in for the 35,000 mile check up, and they had to replace the check engine sensor, O/D transmission light had to be fixed b/c it kept blinking and holding gears, transmission had to be fixed, and they had to fix a rattle coming from the rear axle area. Oh, and it has developed a high speed rattle in the center console at anything about 75MPH.
 


<<

<< That sounds like a factory defect, I know plenty of guys with the 4.6's and 5.4's that don't have that problem, when you produce over 1 million of those blocks a year, your gonna have odds of a defective one. The new blocks are not known for any type of oil consumption due to valves, heads, gasket's or any other leak >>


My dad just took his '97 Explorer XLT (SOHC 4.0 liter V6) in for the 35,000 mile check up, and they had to replace the check engine sensor, O/D transmission light had to be fixed b/c it kept blinking and holding gears, transmission had to be fixed, and they had to fix a rattle coming from the rear axle area. Oh, and it has developed a high speed rattle in the center console at anything about 75MPH. >>


And this has to do with the Triton block in what way?

My truck is past 35,000 miles, has been raced for 3 regular season's, I tow and haul loads all the time, and been off road 7 or 8 times a year since I got it in late 98, so it's been hammered on far more then any Car could handle and it doesn't have one squeak,rattle,or roll. Infact I took it to a dealership cause I was going to the parts department to get the 6 litre engine cover found on the denali and the guy asked if the truck was a 2001 cause it's in such great shape..... Nope I use it like a workhorse but also have the Auto-I.Q. to know how to take care of it.
 


<< That sounds like a factory defect, I know plenty of guys with the 4.6's and 5.4's that don't have that problem, when you produce over 1 million of those blocks a year, your gonna have odds of a defective one. The new blocks are not known for any type of oil consumption due to valves, heads, gasket's or any other leak >>



Probably true, but it's inexcusable that it's still not fixed. Looks like they're going to drop a whole new short block into the damn thing next. I think they should just give him a new truck after all the time this stupid thing has spent in the shop. :|

Jzero: I don't think you can really put any of the domestic trucks/vehicles/whatever above the others. Everyone I/you know has either a "my truck has 2 million miles on it and I've never even had to put gas in it" or "my truck caught fire and leveled a city block as soon as I drove it off the lot" story. I really like my bro's truck, but statistically I would rather have something that I know is going to be reliable day in and day out. I think that was pretty much MD's point. Besides, it's his money and his purchase.

Fausto
 
<< Probably true, but it's inexcusable that it's still not fixed. Looks like they're going to drop a whole new short block into the damn thing next. I think they should just give him a new truck after all the time this stupid thing has spent in the shop. :|
 
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<< I have friends who work for Jerry Roth, they don't put up fight's it's not their money just their mechanic's time, which is also billed to GM, they just replace the $h!t >>



That's the weird thing about all this, Ford is the same way. There's no hit to the dealer other than the mechanic's time so they'd just as soon get it fixed right the first time. Oh well. That's why I bought an Altima, I was too poor to have a car breaking all the time so I needed something I wouldn't have to worry about. In 6 years and 100,000 miles I've only had an idler pulley go bad.

Fausto
 
JD Powers and associates has a yearly Vehicle Dependability study.

here is a link to the study for vehicles Year 2000.

here is the interesting thing. i see all these recommendations for Nissan and yet, look where they rank? Just about even w/ ford, 438 incidents per 100 vs 443. this could be considered statistically insignificant.

let's look even higher up the scale Honda comes in at 318 vs industry average of 448. so on average you will see 1 in 4 fewer incidents w/ honda then you will with the average car. ok. so honda's are better quality, but still the question also comes to cost. truth is you will on average pay $2000 or more for a honda than you will for an equivalent american car. can you really justify those numbers?

everyone has stories as was stated above, but those are just stories based on an entirely too small a sample size. here we have an empirical study. can you still claim that it is a factor of 100? 1 in 10 vs 1 in 1000??

if i had your criteria michael i'd probably go for a large american pickup. but that's just my opinion.
 


<< What the hell do you keep in an 8-foot snake cage? >>



Well, my 7-foot Redtail Boa Constrictor! (BCI - Boa Constrictor Imperator as oppossed to BCC - Boa Constrictor Constrictor) 😀 Keeping non-poisonous snakes (Constrictors) is my other hobby. I'm a Herper. As oppossed to Herpes, thanks.

I have the 7-foot Redtail, a 4-foot Brazilian Rainbow Boa and a 4-foot Royal Python (Ball Python.) They are my pets. 🙂 I'm allergic to anything with fur. (But not THAT furry little critter 😀) so reptiles is my only choice. They require almost no care, which is good b/c I'm never home.

Oh, back to the topic...when I get to 'talkin....




<< That's why I bought an Altima, I was too poor to have a car breaking all the time so I needed something I wouldn't have to worry about >>



Amen to that, Fausto1! That's why I bought the Accord. Something like the Dakota Crew Cab w/the V8 is very appealing, but it's_an_American_car/truck. And that's a nonononononononono!



<< "my truck caught fire and leveled a city block as soon as I drove it off the lot" story >>

Ahahahahahaha! Bwuahahahaha! That's yet ANOTHER "hell no" for an American vehicle.
 
Look at the graph below the overall brand ratings. Notice the Nissan Altima recommendation. I never said all Nissans were reliable (although I'd be willing to bet that its their trucks and SUV's pulling their overall ratings down) I just said I bought an Altima as I wanted reliability and I looked into which cars tended to break less before I bought one. I happen to think Nissan's trucks are pretty second-rate.

Fausto
 
Fausto

the graph your referring to, below was for used cars 96 model.

nissan has had some good and some bad years. but overall their quality isn't that great.

also, many people were recommending nissan pickup here. just letting michael know that overall nissans quality isn't that great. was not making a comment about your altima.
 
I went down this same road a few years ago. Narrowed it down to the two Toyota 4 X 4 pickups and the Nissan Xterra. End up buying the Xterra and have been very happy.

I like it because it's a back to basics truck and not a car pretending to be a truck.

Your points
> 1. I live in a pothole-filled city, not a farm

Yeah that one of the reason that sold me on a truck. I use to live in Montreal which is the pot hole capital of Canada.

> 3. Occasional light off roading...no Rubicon Trail

The Xterra is great off road. I started off roading when I moved to BC. I been through some serious stuff with my X.

> 4. Budget cap is less than 27K

No problem here.

> 5. No American vehicles.

Well it's a Nissan but it was designed in California and is made in Tennessee so your call 🙂.


So say that the X is underpowered. I find that it's fine in day to day driving. If that's really a be issue you can always look at the SC version. If there are any still around you can probably get a good deal on the 2001 as it has been restyled for 2002.

For more X info check out

XOC

Owner Silver Ice 5 Speed
 
everyone's gonna have their own bad experiences

I used to love Datsun, then Nissan.

I owned a 1980 Datsun 200sx that I raced for a few years in SCCA, and always won my division.
Then a 1984 Nissan 4x4, which I should have kept to this day, it was tough as nails.
Then, I wanted to get back into the racing, and bought a '87 Nissan Pulsar SE, which turned out to be a mechanical nightmare, and has caused me to steer clear of the USA bound Nissan manufactured cars.
 
Here's another vote for the Tundra if you choose to go with a pickup, and a Sequoia if you want an SUV. My parents bought a Sequoia and it is truly an excellent vehicle. I've driven it quite often. My mother (who is starting to act like a little old lady), is afraid to drive on the PA turnpike. So, whenever my younger sister (away at college) wants to come home, I end up having to go get her and all her crap in the Sequoia if my father is busy or something. I really like it.

I currently own a Ford Ranger which I love, but the late models have been a true disappointment. My next vehicle will probably be a Tundra, as I will always want/need to own a pickup. I used to only like American vehicles, but lately the quality has been horrible. Toyota is now where it's at, IMHO.
 
Thank you, thank you and thank you.🙂 It's looking like Toyota is where it's at. I did a little reading up and the Tundra was very, very well received by the Motojournals. HOwever, those suicide doors turn me off. I wonder why they didn't make them open "the right way?" I could live with it though. At least it HAS doors for the rear. With TTL, etc, it's slightly out of my range (I won't buy a stripper vehicle...no resale value whatsoever). I've got time to think it over as this wont' be until early in the new year. Keep those responses coming.
 
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