Trucks.

[gravitylover]

Yeah the bed length thing is a problem. Anything under 6 feet is kind of silly. I don't want to hang bike wheels over the tailgate I want to easily put in four bikes standing up. I used to be able to do that in my '81 Courier and my '72 LUV, I should be able to do that now. I guess if it has a bed extender to accomplish that it's not so bad but I'd rather have the extender let it accommodate a sheet of plywood. With a tall topper and at least a half ton (preferably 3/4) bed capacity I'd have more than I would need outside of a handful of times.

[El Chupacabra]

I think the new Ridgeline is supposed to be around a 5.5' bed length. No cab or bed length options -- just the 4-door, one bed size.

I went to the local new car show this weekend to look around, as we're thinking of getting a new (or new to us) vehicle. Toying with the possibility of replacing the old pickup with something nicer, but that could still hold the camper, I looked at all the trucks. Interior fit-and-finish is atrocious on Chevy/GM, Ford, and Dodge. Toyota and Nissan were a tiny bit better. I wanted to like the Colorado/Canyon (not for a camper-hauler, but as a daily driver), but it's horribly cheap inside.

For $40-60K for a 4WD truck, the first thing I see when I open the door shouldn't be plastic mold flashing lines.

I sat in the Honda Pilot, which is fairly nice inside. I expect the new Ridgeline to be identical from the B-pillar forward. It's simple and less cheap looking inside than its mid-size truck competition, and if Honda wants to move many units, I assume it'll be priced slightly less than Tacoma/Canyon/Colorado -- in order to fend off the "it's-not-a-real-truck" shoppers.

[east or bust]

Anything under a 6' bed is pointless IMO. But different strokes I guess.

The sweet spot for me was the old S10/Ranger.

Oh, and here's a 2010 S-10

[Conundrum]

There's more variety and actual choice in the truck market than there's ever been.

The only things missing are smaller pickups getting awesome mileage and simply, stripped down pickups that you don't have to special order that cost under $30k. I remember when a person buying a new pickup started at the base model and then added stuff at a price. Now you start with all sorts of features and have to wait six months for a special order so you can roll your windows down by hand. All these special features add weight and time at the dealership if anything goes wrong. I was having issues with Sync in my Ford (I don't really want Sync and a standard aux plug would work for me but that wasn't an option) and it had to be plugged in for four hours at the dealership. How can an iphone update it's entire OS in a couple minutes and they had to plug my itruck in for four hours at the dealership to find an issue they could eventually never find?

I guess the market wants it but the $65k price tag on a new half ton had me looking at lower trim packages and used really quickly.

[BmillsSkier]

Oh, and here's a 2010 S-10

That's glorious.

[jmedslc]

I got a nice deal on an 05 Tundra crew cab a couple years back and i love the clearance of the truck, but the thing is a huge boat and drives like one. If/when i buy another truck, i'd absolutely go with the smaller Tacoma style, ideally w a v6, 6MT and supercharger.

I would think there would be an even smaller truck option available...ie the old school ranger size. 25-30mpg and a 6' bed to haul stuff around while not being obnoxious in size like the majority of huge cab/short bed trucks out there now.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Get something like this

This is a truck. 12-13 mpg, full time 4wd with locking center diff and lsd in the rear. I bought this for $400 with 70k original miles. Rebuilt the trans and got a new torque converter. Changed some gaskets, new water pump, alternator, oil sender, rebuilt the PS pump, shocks all around with new front leafs and new tie rod/drag link ends. New 31x10.5 Hankook Dynapro ATMs. This thing is clean, drives like new and I have about $3200 into it total and it will outlast me.

Oh yeah, new Magnaflow muffler and 3" exhaust, this thing is torquey as hell for a 318, zero emissions equipments except for the PCV.

[shirk]

Now you start with all sorts of features and have to wait six months for a special order so you can roll your windows down by hand. All these special features add weight and time at the dealership if anything goes wrong.

My current vechile is a pos Jeep Patriot that I regret buying. I found one on the dealer lot with hand crank window, manual locks, no ac, 5sp manual and 4x4. Basically the most stripped down vehicle you could find new in 2009.

Guess what's been acting up lately? The fucking manual locks. Push the knob down and close the door and the bloody latch doesn't latch properly. Sometimes even simple fucks up.

[Conundrum]

Hey, you're the one that bought a Jeep Patriot ; )

Simple is a lot cheaper to fix than the alternative. Back in the day, your radio went out, you called up Crutchfield and ordered a new one with instructions for a couple hundred bucks. In my pickup which isn't the fancy model, if the radio goes out, a lot of the HVAC controls and smaller things do too and a new system was something like $1,800. But hey, I like a system that I can talk to to play tracks off my iPhone. I really appreciate telling the system multiple times, then turning it off, plugging the aux cable in and picking the song on my phone because it can't listen for shit.

They're marketing some of these pickups as off road 4x4 beast machines and you get a little dust in the wrong place and now the computer reads something wrong and you can't even limp home and AAA doesn't go to the places in their TV commercials. Wasn't such an issue when people could work on their own cars without thousands of dollars of specialized tools and diagnostics. Maybe I'm wrong and you'll be able to drive 300k miles without issue but that hasn't been my experience on my 2013 Ford.

Get off my yard.

[ACH]

Get something like this

This is a truck. 12-13 mpg, full time 4wd with locking center diff and lsd in the rear. I bought this for $400 with 70k original miles. Rebuilt the trans and got a new torque converter. Changed some gaskets, new water pump, alternator, oil sender, rebuilt the PS pump, shocks all around with new front leafs and new tie rod/drag link ends. New 31x10.5 Hankook Dynapro ATMs. This thing is clean, drives like new and I have about $3200 into it total and it will outlast me.

Oh yeah, new Magnaflow muffler and 3" exhaust, this thing is torquey as hell for a 318, zero emissions equipments except for the PCV.

She's a beaut!

That's glorious.

Sarcasm, right?
Just checking.

[BmillsSkier]

Sarcasm, right?
Just checking.

Absolutely.

[lifelinksplit]

I do like a couple new trucks(would love to drive a raptor, but probably not own one). I went from an 88 Toyota with 293,000 on it with the 22nd and 5 spd. Bought it for 1700 and drove the shit outta it for 4-5 yrs and sold it for 1700. Moved up to a 2000 tundra with 4.7l and love it. Had high rise topper on both and camp with old lady and two dogs. Also drive a crap ton of questionable MT dirt roads and tow a drift boat not to mention occasional tools, plywood etc. I agree anything less than 6ft bed is stupid, but I don't think I'm the target market for new trucks

[bodywhomper]

[mikdes26]

Excursion Diesel is what I'm itching for, even though I have a Yukon Denali. I love the Denali, but there's something about a lifted Excursion that does it for me.

What I have.


What I want.

[Bobby Stainless]

^ CABT

[Huck_Schmuck]

Exhibit A on why the marketing department runs modern auto companies: only 45 days into 2016 and already shopping to replace a 2015.

The 2015 is already from 2014?

10 pages and this hasn't been posted?

[::: :::]

one thing i learned looking for a domestic truck:
8' bed only comes with a extended cab or standard cab on a 1/2 ton; 8' bed w/ a crew cab requires a 3/4 ton...not sure why that is (marketing research?)

also learned that most truck buyers aren't actually looking for a full size bed (ie, not nearly as available)...which points to someone's statement above about getting a truck for vanity vs utility

i paid $1.21/gal this morning, which makes me feel less bad about owning a huge vehicle

[east or bust]

The 2015 is already from 2014?

10 pages and this hasn't been posted?

I raise you this:






fuckin badass

[ACH]

El Camino FKYA!

[::: :::]

impressive glazing strength

[MagnificentUnicorn]

one thing i learned looking for a domestic truck:
8' bed only comes with a extended cab or standard cab on a 1/2 ton; 8' bed w/ a crew cab requires a 3/4 ton...not sure why that is (marketing research?)

also learned that most truck buyers aren't actually looking for a full size bed (ie, not nearly as available)...which points to someone's statement above about getting a truck for vanity vs utility

i paid $1.21/gal this morning, which makes me feel less bad about owning a huge vehicle

I think it's because the frame rail are too long and they need more beef for the crew cab long bed. Good luck trying to turn a crew cab with long bed around or finding a parking spot.

[basinbeater]

My brother found a tundra with a quad cab and a long bed.... See if I can dig up a pic...

[basinbeater]

Edit... Maybe it is only a 6' or so bed... Still, pretty big truck...
We took it mountain biking in bc for a week a couple summers ago. Pretty nice rig, limited and all that.

[Conundrum]

I test drove a '13 or '14 Tundra with an 8' bed about a year ago. When I called to buy it, it had sold.

[flatlander#2]

I had a 04 F150 with that stupid short bed. Loved the truck the short bed is dumb, it fits in a garage is why the length. I had to order a Tacoma with the 6' bed. I like the size of the smaller truck for many reasons, the longer bed is perfect, I can toss a bike back there under the cap, sleep back there, etc. It is a long little bastard though. Loaded up to camp with wife and two kids and the four bike hitch mount it's hella long.