Ford F150

[skb12172]

For the record, I get more use out of my F-150s than even Paw Paw does. My current one is a 1993. I'd get in it and drive to Miami tomorrow with no worries.

[skb12172]

I'm on my second, Baby Brother has one too. It was the only American truck on my list when I went shopping this summer, and half the cost of a Nissan or Toyota. Only reason my next truck will likely not be an F150 is because I'll likely need to step up to an F350.

Also made here in Louisville.

[Aesop]

Personally, I'd look long and hard at a 2-4 year old F-150 with low mileage. They're everywhere, so finding what you want should be pretty easy.

^^That, right there.
My F350 is a tank.
If it got better mileage, I'd buy two more, and live in one of them.

[HTRN]

I will say that Ford can't build a Diesel to save their lives. I don't think too much of their modular motors either. The rest of the truck is pretty good.
Ram is a case of "great engine, crappy suspension and autos".
GM probably has the best gasser V8 right now, in the LS series, along with the best autos(seriously, the 4L80E is basically an electronic Turbo 400 with an overdrive, and the Allison is, well, an Allison. ) The rest of the truck has "meh" build quality.

The only other thing I would say is, if you're looking at a light truck, look at Tacomas. Be warned though - they have a ridiculously high resale, and they recently had serious problems with frame rot, including a recall, at least in the Northeast.

[Dub_James]

The 2014 Lariat version I drove at the local dealers had dials similar to Gandalfs, I was quite amazed at the roominess inside. Don't think I've been in a vehicle with that kind of room before.

I don't mind the shorter 5.5 foot bed (The Ranger's is 6 foot), I can use a bed extender if I really needed to. I really do need the extra seats, as it'll be acting as a "taxi" on occasion, and needs to be clean and comfortable, and spacious is a big bonus. Based on the little time I drove the dealer's example, it would seem quite suitable for long trips too.

[skb12172]

I will say that Ford can't build a Diesel to save their lives. I don't think too much of their modular motors either. The rest of the truck is pretty good.
Ram is a case of "great engine, crappy suspension and autos".
GM probably has the best gasser V8 right now, in the LS series, along with the best autos(seriously, the 4L80E is basically an electronic Turbo 400 with an overdrive, and the Allison is, well, an Allison. ) The rest of the truck has "meh" build quality.

The only other thing I would say is, if you're looking at a light truck, look at Tacomas. Be warned though - they have a ridiculously high resale, and they recently had serious problems with frame rot, including a recall, at least in the Northeast.

You know, it's fairly common around here for guys to drop a Cummins in their Ford Super Duty trucks.

[skb12172]

The 2014 Lariat version I drove at the local dealers had dials similar to Gandalfs, I was quite amazed at the roominess inside. Don't think I've been in a vehicle with that kind of room before.

I don't mind the shorter 5.5 foot bed (The Ranger's is 6 foot), I can use a bed extender if I really needed to. I really do need the extra seats, as it'll be acting as a "taxi" on occasion, and needs to be clean and comfortable, and spacious is a big bonus. Based on the little time I drove the dealer's example, it would seem quite suitable for long trips too.

Especially the 2014 and 2015 models. They are definitely road trip worthy, as far as comfort goes.

[blackeagle603]

This being California we have the opportunity to shop much older rigs be able to fine them rust free. I passed recently on a beautiful '97 F250 7.3L 2WD, 108K miles, grandpa's rig. Must have been his retirement baby. Immaculate. $8K with really nice tire.

My palms get sweaty just thinking and writing about it. The time just wasn't though for me to get a truck again. Have to make do with the Excursion, and my utility trailer for a while longer.

[Yogimus]

F150 is a shitbox that falls apart from inside out.

[evan price]

These are my opinions, based on me working on them and taking them apart, and knowing a lot of friends that use their trucks for hauling not commuting.

Ford trucks- the F150 is the defacto gold standard for light duty pickups. The Modular V8s run forever until they suddenly crap out major. They either run well, or they start smoking and knocking and the time between running decent and needing work, to scrap metal, is a very short interval as opposed to a Chevy motor where they will limp along on 50% output indefinitely until someone stops bothering to top up the fluids.
The 7.3 Navistar IDI was a good but underpowered motor. The 7.3 Powerstroke was a good motor. The 6.0 Powerstroke was a turd. My judgement is still out on the recent motors.
Ford's trannies are meh. The front suspension is not that great especially on the Super Duties. I have friends that run heavy trucks for work and farm use, every single one of them has had to totally rebuild the front ends by 100K miles. Stout axles, suspension and frames. The 1980-1996 trucks were not bad for what they were. The 1997-2003 IMHO was a POS. Rusted easy, the modular motors are not that great to work on (God Forbid you need to pull the heads or do a motor in one! It's like working on a van!). I would skip the 97-03 and go right to the 04-08s.

I'm not fond of Ford's cost-cutting plan of dropping the compact Ranger line and trying to force people to buy an F150 Ecoboost. I know of two people with Ecoboosts and they both have had engine troubles. Maybe it's just that I remember the 80s when everybody was trying to use small motors with turbos to get better MPG, but I know that the average driver can barely remember to get the oil changed annually, and turbos do not like dirty oil, and there were a lot of turbocharged small-motor big'ish cars that got junked with a grenaded motor at a relatively young age.

Dodge, they have a great motor (Cummins) but the entire rest of the truck is poorly built crap. The friends I know with them have been nickel-and-dimed their entire experience. Wheel bearings, intake gaskets, U-joints, front end parts, water pumps, electrical parts, door handles, you name it. They eat up front end parts just as bad as Fords. They have gotten better. But they had a long way to go.

GM, the small block V8 just gets better and better. Like I said above, a Chevy small-block will run like sh*t for longer than a Dodge or Ford V8 will run at all. The transmissions are very good. Rear axles had trouble (but so did Dodge) and that's been resolved. Dex-Cool antifreeze was a real PITA too, it ate head and intake gaskets.
The Duramax had issues early on but that's been resolved. The D-Max/Allison combo is outstanding. In the past the frames were weak on GM trucks. I haven't messed with a new one yet to see if that's gotten better.

And the rust. I swear the official truck of Northern Ohio is a 03-06 GMT-800 4x4 extended cab with holes in the rocker panels you can put your arm through.

I just can't bring myself to forgive Government Motors.