Why pick 2016 Tacoma DCLB over F150 DC (supercrew)

They certainly look and drive nice...lots of options. I don't have a huge need for a bed, so I was looking at GC's briefly before I went back to Tacoma.

 

The Jeep GC and 4Runner are also on my short list.

I've all but ruled out the GC due to reliability issues. A quick visit to their forums, and you'll see tons of posts on electrical failures (shutting down while driving, etc)and buy backs. A Google of lemon law will show you that the GC leads -all- vehicles.

Too bad b/c it is incredibly sharp with a great entertainment system.

The 4Runner is obviously bulletproof, but the only trim with the options I want is the limited. I find the limited to be one of the ugliest SUVs on the road (hate chrome). And at that price point I'm looking at another MDX.

So when my Tacoma arrives I'm going to load it with car seats and do a fit test. Assuming they fit and these 16mpg reports disappear I'm buying it. Otherwise the F150, 4Runner, and probably MDX will be vying for my money.

Wife has a 15 RAV4 which gives me some flexibility.

 

Good luck with the Rav! We had a 2007, ended up trading it for a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. Damn thing started throwing P0420 codes (cat inefficiency) because it was burning oil. (Seeing a pattern with Toyota yet?) I could deal with that I suppose. However, Toyota admitted this was an issue and had a TSB calling for new piston rings for that engine. Dealer wouldn't do it because we were only burning half a quart every 1,000 miles. Threshold was over 1 quart every 1,000. Our rate was still 3 quarts every oil change interval, so no point in changing the oil it seems. Dealer said to check the oil every time we put gas in it since they wouldn't fix it. What kind of shit is that? Anyway, the code coming on caused 4WD, CC, and VSC to shut off. So the vehicle I bought my wife to have 4WD in the snow randomly turns off 4WD and traction control!! What moron at Toyota programmed that?! But that's not a safety issue like the floor mats jamming the gas pedal. That and the Tacoma are why I'm not a Toyota customer anymore.

 

Grand Cherokees didn't start until late 1992 as a 1993 model.

 

You may be correct on the '86. Lorado may have been the top trim.

But I'm certain my '98 was a grand.
http://m.cars.com/research/#!dashboard/Jeep/Grand Cherokee/1998/

 

The F150 MSRP's scared me away from even looking at them when I bought my Tacoma. Now that I'm aware of the discounts I would go F150 if I could do it again. The interior room is nice!

 

If you intend to frequently leave the pavement, or when you leave the pavement you plan to do more than just dirt roads, get the Tacoma.

If you intend to keep the truck until death do you part (its or yours, hopefully not at the same time), get the Toyota.

If you want a truck that is more comfortable, hauls bigger people, more stuff, etc. that you'll probably keep for 3-5 years then trade in because it's falling apart - get the F150.

 

LOL. You act like Toyota is trouble free. The Tacoma has its' share of issues: Rusted frames (which left a lot of Taco owners SOL), broken leaf springs, incurable front wheel shimmy.... Go drive a 2011 F-150 (5 years old) and tell me it's a pile of junk. Our 2012 still drive like new. And zero rattles. My BIL's 2006 just had it's first trouble at 215k miles when the alternator failed.

I wonder how Ford has managed to sell 750,000 F-Series trucks each year while building a product that only lasts 3 years.

Meanwhile our 2013 WT Tacoma had a dash failure, which they replaced almost the whole thing, and it rattles like a 20 year old Chrysler.

 

Exactly how long should that be? After 9 years my Tacoma needed a new frame, tailgate, rear bumper, rear locker, compass/temp display, rear leafs, front axle shafts, wheel bearings, timing cover seal, both number 1 cats, and AC service.

Yeah, I suppose it still technically ran and could be driven (though legally driven was becoming a challenge), but why keep it at that point? It was falling apart like you seem to think the Ford will do. And keep in mind, all that didn't suddenly happen in year 9. It had been going on for several years as I replaced parts here and there before the bigger picture showed me it was a losing proposition.

This was one of my own arguments to look at Ford. How could the F150 be the #1 seller truck AND the #1 selling vehicle in the US if it was shit? Wouldn't people start to say "man, this truck sucks, why do I keep buying it?" and go to someone else if their numbers are just replacement sales for previous sales that failed or fell apart? How many people keep buying a shitty product over and over again? To me that had to mean something. Regardless of Ford's other products, there had to be some quality/reliability/something to the F150 to make it outsell every other make and model in the US. With the 2015, I'm starting to see why. (Granted long term reliability will seal the deal, but for now it exceeds all my expectations.)

 

The F150 is a great truck, I don't think you will be disappointed. But I don't get it.... Tacoma vs F150? Why aren't you comparing Silverado to F150? You first need to decide what catagory you want to be in. Again, apples to organges.

 

Government (state and federal) contracts are the big difference in units sold. No one seems to mention that.

 

The OP asked me to weigh in on my experience with both, and why I moved from a Tacoma to an F150. Others claim Toyota's (or at least Tacoma) are bullet proof and last forever. I'm simply trying to point out my experience has been quite different. My Tacoma was not bullet proof, had a lot of issues (many addressed by Ford's engineering on the F150), lost most of the resale value many claim it should have, and would not last forever. Forget even handing it down to my kids like I had wanted to. I couldn't even keep it long enough to teach them how to drive a manual. That was disappointing to say the least.

My point is Toyota's quality seems to be taking a nose dive. Without the Ranger from Ford the closest option is an F150, Canyon/Colorado from the twins, or Nissan's Frontier. Or essentially only 2 other options if you don't want Toyota so there's not a lot to compare it to "apples to apples". Also, is it really a drastic comparison when you look at a DC Tacoma priced close to (or more than) an SCAB F150? Not as much of size difference at that point either.

 

I've seen that too. And wondered about it. With so many fire, police, emergency vehicles being Ford does that mean anything? They need reliable vehicles, right? They tend to get beat and abused and have to work?

I suppose it could be strictly dollars and who does the contract for less, but wouldn't they buy from Chevy or Dodge if the Fords were costing more money in repairs than other models? I would hope so, but I don't know. It was one of many thoughts I had when I decided it was time to leave Toyota.

 

Just throwing this out there that on a Toyota a forum, it's pretty close to a 50/50 vote for a Ford.

 

Ok, shouldn't have responded directly to you, sorry.

Your one experience doesn't mean Toyota's reliablity is taking a "nose dive." I have always thought the reliability thing with Toyota was exaggerated anyway. But in the past, let's face it, Ford and GM totally sucked. However, I will say, the F150 is not a Taurus and has always had a better reputation than other Ford models.

Drastic comparison, no. But different enough. The final choices shouldn't be Tacoma or F150. If he decides he wants an F150 over the Taco, than it's time to go check out the other full sizes and comapre...and visa versa.

 

This.

Plus the outrage of the governments not supporting American brands. It is important to remember the government doesn't spend its own money, it spends ours. Maintenance costs are irrelevant to them.

 

Fair enough.

And it's not one experience for me. I've had a 93 Tercel burn a quart a week, a 98 Corolla burn through 3 cats (not sure the oil rate when I traded it), a 2007 Rav 4 burn half a quart/1,000 miles and it's cats, and a 2006 Tacoma with all the issues I've mentioned before.

I have a co-worker with a new Rav4 shut off VSC, CC, and 4WD when he had a bad coil pack. No other vehicle I've owned shut off the 4WD system during an unrelated trouble code! Frankly, I don't understand why Toyota would engineer that in. If the transmission had a problem, sure. But why shut that system off over an emission or ignition code?

But really it's the stupid shit that makes me think Toyota engineers are retarded, or the quality isn't there.
Why is the Tacoma the only pickup I've seen without cargo lights of any sort in the bed? (Did they finally change that in 2016??)
Why did they illuminate the 4WD switch in the 4Runner, but not the same switch in the Tacoma?
Why does the Pre-Runner have a locker option, but the 4x4 trucks need to be in 4-low to use their locker?

Things like that just don't make sense to me, and made me choose a company that fixed those issues.

 

I get that. Makes sense. Most probably have a garage that keeps the fleet maintained as well. Like I said, it was just one more thought running around my head. Lots of Toyotas built in the US now, but don't see many of them as fleet vehicles.

Edit:
I was really concerned about coming over to Ford, but at the same time Toyota had a proven history of issues with me. The oil burning thing nagged me. Year after year, engine after engine, model after model, same damn problem with no solutions! I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if the light just came on, didn't shut anything off, and I didn't have to worry about it passing inspection in order to legally drive it. If it was simply adding oil on a regular basis I could deal with that, but it's not. It's a fucking expensive repair job every year to meet NY legal requirements, and a safety issue when it disables 4WD randomly on some snow covered road.

 

I don't doubt you, and basically goes for every car company and is why I started leasing...I didn't have enough faith in any manufacture. Now that I do want to buy something I have narrowed my search down to a 4R, basically 'cause it's the only BOF left under 50k, and may be the only vehicle left with proven reliability.

 

Yeah, honestly that makes sense. I thought about leasing too, but I like the idea of no payments at some point! If this truck doesn't last well after the 5 yr mark I might switch to leasing.

I also liked the 4R. I got to ride in one owned by a friend. Seemed like the SUV version of the Tacoma. However, we already have a Pathfinder and I needed a truck. It also really concerned me me that I'd had the same exact problem over 4 different model and year Toyotas. Clearly there was a pattern, and I didn't want to risk going through it a 5th time.