Buying a 2015 truck, need advice

[ShermanEF9]

are you towing much OP?

Im going to board the ecoboost love train. i've been very happy with mine. i've seen fuel consumption as low as 9.8 on the highway, and usually 15s in city. it also hauls ass and cargo very well (and i have 3.31 gears). i also like how quiet it is. i don't need the v8 noises to rustle my jimmies. its just nice to drive around and not have to wind it up to get anywhere.

if you're doing minimal hauling/towing, or lighter stuff, maybe check out the 2.7 ecoboost? i drove one this summer and fell in love. it simply goes. it felt like it had a bit more pickup than the 3.5, but obviously a bit slower. also managed to get in the 11s in city and low 9s on the highway.

at the end of the day, go test drive a bunch and see what you like. we can only provide personal experiences and advice.

[CompletelyNumb]

My ecoboost got around 10L/100km on the highway and averaged 14L/100km in the city.

Last winter however I did notice that it dropped substantially to about 18 in the city and 15 on the highway. I blame winter fuel (even though I was filling premium that apparently didnt have added ethanol)

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

My Tacoma gets worse fuel economy then most of the trucks

[dirtsniffer]

You're perfect for the RAM inrich.

[CLiVE]

Originally posted by Twin_Cam_Turbo
My Tacoma gets worse fuel economy then most of the trucks

This. They've all come a long ways since 2005. Don't worry about it.
Any of the trucks discussed will meet your needs, drive them all and buy which one you like best, and/or has the best incentives at the time.

[snoop101]

Ok so i'm pretty much done test driving trucks except I really wanted to test drive the new Ford 2.7 eccoboost. Cochrane Ford does not have one, but there is one in Airdrie. They were closed today

Here is what I feel so far.

Look: Ford and dodge are the best looks so far with Dodge coming in 1st, but by a hair. Toyota Tundras actually have a decent look.GMC Sierra looks good, but the wife hates how bulky it looks.

Interior: Dodge wins by a long shot with nice leather and wood trim, everything from heated/cooled seats to heated steering wheel. Ford I like the room and the placement of things, but find it a bit too cheap(even in the lariat). GMC seemed middle of the road. Toyota I drove was the platinum 1794 edition and was actually amazed on how it looked. My only issues was some of the placement of controls were hidden and hard to find. Also a small thing, but my wife is short and the Tundra doesent have adjustable pedals.

Steering: Dodge seemed to be the biggest winner here. Tundra came in 2nd with Ford being way to loose. GMC sierra was an odd one, though I liked the feeling I found it to be big feeling. Making tight turns felt big.

Power: Dodge and Ford seemed very similar. Oddly enough I found the GMC and Toyota to not have the pep and kinda blah. Which is odd because Dodge doesn't have the best 0-60 times.

Price: This is an odd one. Ford seems to have the highest prices, but then the biggest discounts. Ford also has good financing. GMC has good financing and pretty good prices. Dodge i'm not 100% sure yet because other than the sticker being $60k and change I really have no idea what he can do on it. Toyota was hard to compare. On all other trucks I looked at 2015 which have good incentives, though here at Cochrane Toyota they have no 2015 left and he advised they can only go by what is listed online for the 2016. Toyota does have nice 2.4% over 84 months.

Fuel economy: If I can get a 2015 2.7 eccoboost I think I would go with Ford. The 3.5 i'm still on the fence. GMC 5.3 sierra seems decent and would get the same as the Hemi. Toyota I got to look into more, but so far what I have been reading is that they are very horrible.

Overall: Dodge seems like what we want in a truck, though pricing I have no idea yet. Ford is a bit higher price and they honestly gave me crappy trade in value which I think is because they made the Truck a discount good (so they made up for it). GMC i'm afraid the wife will think its too big. Toyota has some strengths, but the weakness's are just to high.

Places I have dealt with:
Dodge- We traveled to Airdrie for their reputation. So far the sales guy was nice, but will see when negotiation starts. The one here in Cochrane is beyond horrible.

Ford- Cochrane Ford the guys are pretty straight up which I do like. Have not dealt with any other ford.

GMC- My coworker knows a guys at Jack Carter and so far he has been very good and straight up with me.

Toyota- Cochrane Toyota was the only one and talked to today. Seemed straight and non pushy.

Notes: I can never see myself towing anything other than a small boat or a smaller camping trailer.

With trading in two vehicles and having around the $15-$20 thousand in negative equity makes getting the best incentive and financing critical.

After driving all those Trucks I can pretty much name all the features that I would need and not need. which is nice, because going in I was not to sure what is important.

[r3ccOs]

Originally posted by snoop101
Ok so i'm pretty much done test driving trucks except I really wanted to test drive the new Ford 2.7 eccoboost. Cochrane Ford does not have one, but there is one in Airdrie. They were closed today

Here is what I feel so far.

Look: Ford and dodge are the best looks so far with Dodge coming in 1st, but by a hair. Toyota Tundras actually have a decent look.GMC Sierra looks good, but the wife hates how bulky it looks.

Interior: Dodge wins by a long shot with nice leather and wood trim, everything from heated/cooled seats to heated steering wheel. Ford I like the room and the placement of things, but find it a bit too cheap(even in the lariat). GMC seemed middle of the road. Toyota I drove was the platinum 1794 edition and was actually amazed on how it looked. My only issues was some of the placement of controls were hidden and hard to find. Also a small thing, but my wife is short and the Tundra doesent have adjustable pedals.

Steering: Dodge seemed to be the biggest winner here. Tundra came in 2nd with Ford being way to loose. GMC sierra was an odd one, though I liked the feeling I found it to be big feeling. Making tight turns felt big.

Power: Dodge and Ford seemed very similar. Oddly enough I found the GMC and Toyota to not have the pep and kinda blah. Which is odd because Dodge doesn't have the best 0-60 times.

Price: This is an odd one. Ford seems to have the highest prices, but then the biggest discounts. Ford also has good financing. GMC has good financing and pretty good prices. Dodge i'm not 100% sure yet because other than the sticker being $60k and change I really have no idea what he can do on it. Toyota was hard to compare. On all other trucks I looked at 2015 which have good incentives, though here at Cochrane Toyota they have no 2015 left and he advised they can only go by what is listed online for the 2016. Toyota does have nice 2.4% over 84 months.

Fuel economy: If I can get a 2015 2.7 eccoboost I think I would go with Ford. The 3.5 i'm still on the fence. GMC 5.3 sierra seems decent and would get the same as the Hemi. Toyota I got to look into more, but so far what I have been reading is that they are very horrible.

Overall: Dodge seems like what we want in a truck, though pricing I have no idea yet. Ford is a bit higher price and they honestly gave me crappy trade in value which I think is because they made the Truck a discount good (so they made up for it). GMC i'm afraid the wife will think its too big. Toyota has some strengths, but the weakness's are just to high.

Places I have dealt with:
Dodge- We traveled to Airdrie for their reputation. So far the sales guy was nice, but will see when negotiation starts. The one here in Cochrane is beyond horrible.

Ford- Cochrane Ford the guys are pretty straight up which I do like. Have not dealt with any other ford.

GMC- My coworker knows a guys at Jack Carter and so far he has been very good and straight up with me.

Toyota- Cochrane Toyota was the only one and talked to today. Seemed straight and non pushy.

Notes: I can never see myself towing anything other than a small boat or a smaller camping trailer.

With trading in two vehicles and having around the $15-$20 thousand in negative equity makes getting the best incentive and financing critical.

After driving all those Trucks I can pretty much name all the features that I would need and not need. which is nice, because going in I was not to sure what is important.

what is your criteria with owning a half ton, and based on situation as aforementioned, I'm just not certain its prudent to pursue a new vehicle?

I mean yes, a Taco or even the new Canyon aren't much far off in fuel economy or price... but if you aren't using it as a truck, you may be better off buying a used SUV to fit your bill and use case.

My neighbor picked up a low k 2013 tahoe for a steal...

out of all the half ton trucks, I'd say that from a driveability perspective that the Ram and the Titan drove the best.
For some reason, even though the Ram, Tundra, F150 etc.. have way more engine than the Titan, the Titan seemed to haul ass and feel the most nimble, even more like a smaller truck.

speed wise, the Ram and the F150 are rockets... sub 6 second 0-60 in a 5000+ lbs crew cab half ton is stupid quick.

Out of interior quality, the higher trim package Ram's are the "best", however in the mid trim level, its really all flip of a coin...
that being said, the interior space of the GMC and Ram are limited compared to the Titan and F150

Now, if you are trying to use a half ton to perform duty, it is based on tow packages and stats, and if you are talking about doing a bit of 3/4 ton towing, or high payload, you are really looking at only the F150 3.5 ecoboost and Chev/GMC 6.2

I went with a 2014 F150 w/ Max tow, so I can stay within range when occasionally towing my 32 foot bumper pull, and I love the flat floor and rear leg room.


from a post purchase support perspective, in general Ford, Ram and Chevy are going to suck, its just who sucks less.

Toyota, at least south point, seems to be pretty good...

from a fuel economics point of view, outside of the thirsty Titan, you are splitting hairs. Yes the fuel consumption isn't "great", it is still substantially better than what the last generation of half tons were, and yet offer so much more performance and capability.

if you aren't towing heavy and want a good value, I just don't think anything can touch a Ram Hemi.

[ShermanEF9]

if you're worried about fuel economy that much that a L/100 either way is an arguing point, a truck is not for you.

[r3ccOs]

Originally posted by ShermanEF9
if you're worried about fuel economy that much that a L/100 either way is an arguing point, a truck is not for you.

QFT

[snoop101]

Originally posted by ShermanEF9
if you're worried about fuel economy that much that a L/100 either way is an arguing point, a truck is not for you.

I'm not worried to the point that I would never get a hemi because of the fuel economy. I'm actually considering that as an option. My way of looking at it is that its 2015 and engines like the 2.7 eccoboost are the future. It can tow anything that I would think about towing ie: a small camper trailer or a boat.

I drive from Cochrane to Calgary daily and something like a Tundra with a 6 speed matched to a big sluggish V8 isn't something I would do.

[ShermanEF9]

oh ok. i kinda scanned and thought that fuel economy was a sticking point. and i agree with you. the 2.7 is a neat engine, as is the 3.5. but the best plan is to drive them all and choose what you like. just remember with the ecoboosts you need to learn how to drive them to get the fuel economy. if you drive them like a dickbag, the economy will be poo.

[SkiBum5.0]

Financials are none of my business but if you roll $15K, plus finance at 84 months, you are in for a heap of trouble if you need to sell that truck (especially the Dodge). You are going to be upside down $25K the moment you drive off. Might be closer to $30 depending on what they give you on trade.

[carson blocks]

Originally posted by SkiBum5.0
Financials are none of my business but if you roll $15K, plus finance at 84 months, you are in for a heap of trouble if you need to sell that truck (especially the Dodge). You are going to be upside down $25K the moment you drive off. Might be closer to $30 depending on what they give you on trade.

Word. Rolling in negative equity is a dangerous game. It starts a bad cycle with more and more negative equity on each trade-in, especially if you're financing over the max term. My personal opinion is that if you can't at least bring yourself to at LEAST a 0 equity position on the old vehicle, you have absolutely no business shopping for a new one, and if you can't afford it financed over 60 months MAX, you simply can't afford it.

[bjstare]

To continue with the derail...

why the fuck would anyone with negative equity be shopping for a brand new vehicle that's going to depreciate like crazy?

Oh yeah, gotta have that new hotness, forgot about that. Can't consider picking up something thats ten years old for a fraction of the price, the neighbours would laugh you off the block.

[snoop101]

Originally posted by cjblair
To continue with the derail...

why the fuck would anyone with negative equity be shopping for a brand new vehicle that's going to depreciate like crazy?

Oh yeah, gotta have that new hotness, forgot about that. Can't consider picking up something thats ten years old for a fraction of the price, the neighbours would laugh you off the block.

Actually there is many reasons. Warranty, fuel efficiency, safety (and don't mean crash tests, but also backup camera, sensors), financing rates (at zero % it means not paying extra), and finally with 2015's on the way out you can get great deals right now.

[never]

Originally posted by snoop101


Actually there is many reasons. Warranty, fuel efficiency, safety (and don't mean crash tests, but also backup camera, sensors), financing rates (at zero % it means not paying extra), and finally with 2015's on the way out you can get great deals right now.

Hahaha, great logic!

[bjstare]

Originally posted by snoop101


Actually there is many reasons. Warranty, fuel efficiency, safety (and don't mean crash tests, but also backup camera, sensors), financing rates (at zero % it means not paying extra), and finally with 2015's on the way out you can get great deals right now.

I've never owned a new car, never needed warranty, and never been hurt in accidents. Aftermarket backup cameras are super cheap. 0% financing isn't actually a deal, it's often rolled into the overall price, it's not like dealerships are actually out there to make sure you get the best deal. Oh yeah, you can buy a shitload of fuel with the 5-10k per year depreciation you're getting bent on, so fuel economy is really a moot point. Did I miss anything?

None of those are good enough reasons to snowball your debt. But hey, that's just my opinion. I'll excuse myself now.

[ExtraSlow]

cjblair, this is a CAR forum, not a finance forum, take your insane focus on smart budgeting elsewhere!

[JRSC00LUDE]

Buy one with steel bumpers, these plastic ones keep breaking!

[Aleks]

Originally posted by r3ccOs


speed wise, the Ram and the F150 are rockets... sub 6 second 0-60 in a 5000+ lbs crew cab half ton is stupid quick.

Was bored so I looked this up. Someone mentioned TFL truck guys. They tested the Ram 5.7, 3.92, Ford 3.5 Ecoboost, 3.73 and Tundra 5.7, 4.30. Test was done at 1mile ASL so similar to Calgary DA on a summer day. Nowhere near 6 seconds. But rest of results are interesting.

0-60:
Ford 7.99
Ram 8.34
Tundra 9.13

0-60 with boat:
Ford 15.56
Ram 16.64
Tundra 17.36