$25K Question. Tacoma SR ACLB vs F150 XL SCSB

This will probably turn into a shit show...

Refuse to spend over $25K for pickup that I am going to beat on.

I am a old cheap SOB, narrowed down my next truck choice, to either a Tacoma SR ACLB 4-Cylinder 5 Speed Manual or a F150 V6 3.5 Super Cab Short bed.

Can't make up my mind which one, plan on keeping it for 15 years/300K miles. Have owned Toyotas for the last 25 years, so I am hesitant on the Ford. Looking at the F150, would be nice to have a little bit bigger truck, the space in the Super Cab behind the front seats would be nice for gear storage, think MX gear bags. That and the tow rating is double of the Taco SR 4.

90% of the time it will be used for commuting 52 miles round trip at 65mph max speed. Gas mileage seems about the same between the two.

Weekends it will pull a 5X10 enclosed trailer with 2-3 dirt bikes and gear, up into the Idaho mountains. 2500 lbs max. Won't see any serious off-road other than Forest Service roads.

As a daily they'll probably be the same, it is the towing on the weekends that makes me nervous. The Ford will probably be fine, think the Tacoma will be overwhelmed.

 

150

 

Towing? F150. Not about power, it's more about wheelbase and payload.

 

Where are you getting a new F150 for under 25?

Anyways I love my SR, but towing was not part of my plan. Sounds like the Ford is the better choice for you.

Only thing I would be cautious of is the carbon fouling issues the ecoboosts have had. Apparently it's fixed now but TL;DR direct injection and no port injection meant that no detergent hit the backs of the valves, and they didn't think far enough down the line about that coked on blowby, because of course they would never do something like add an air/oil separator.

 

Payload is about the same between the two, at 1600 lbs.

Towing Taco @ 3500, F150 @ 7200.

I am well under both, weight isn't the concern, it is the air resistance of the flat nosed 5X10 enclosed trailer.

Wheelbase is 128" (IIRC) on the Taco, 145" on the F150

 

Why not buy used?

 

It is the naturally aspirated 3.5 V6 (282HP/253TQ.) not the ecoboost.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/677608037/overview/

Not sure if I can trust the F150 to go 300K without much fuss, like you can with a Toyota. And do prefer a manual trans. Why I am considering the Tacoma SR.

 

In all my years never bought a new truck, Since I plan on keeping it for 15+ years. Want to start at 0 miles. That and, buying it for peace of mind of not breaking down..I am in the Idaho back country a lot. Don't want to left stranded. Have a Tacoma with 335K miles on it now, has been a great truck, but I don't trust it anymore. Last month I put in a new clutch and fuel pump. Thankfully they both went out close to home, week before I was out in the middle of nowhere, no cell service, but did have my Spot.

$25K buys an awful lot of repairs for the current rigs (have a Trooper too), but I just don't trust them anymore.

 

I'm with Nitori. Where are you getting a new f150 for less than 25k?

I just built one that looks just like the one pictured above with the naturally aspirated v6 with a base msrp for 34,025 and net price of 32,220.

 

Don't build it on the Ford website. Have been looking on cars.com

I punch in 2016-17 F150 extra cab, 4WD, 6 Cylinder (non-ecoboost), max price $25K. Attached a link, but I can't get it to work.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/677608037/overview/

edit: screen shot

 

last time i was at ford, the cheapest one was 27k and that was bone stock with nothing.
and OP you are comparing apples to watermelons.

 

When was the last time you saw a 30 year old ford on the road?

 

Small apple to bigger apple.

Basically what can you get for $25K?

Both 4WD, Extra Cabs, 6' to a 6.5' bed. Power to weight ratio similar, mpg's about the same. Wheelbase is only 17" difference. Track is 3-4" difference. So not too terribly different.

Now if it was a Taco SR ACLB to a diesel F450 Dually CCLB, then yeah...apples to watermelons.

Today! Saw a couple 40-50 year old Fords running around too.

But that is what concerns me....will the Ford go the distance?

 

that truck was probably sold before they put that listing on their website and they don't plan to take down the listing for another 2 months... this is common

 

Never seen old fords on the road, and if they were they had engine/tranny replacements. Go with a toyota. I think my next truck will be a manual, she looks beatiful.

 

Get the Ford if towing I wish I would have got one my 12 foot flat bed the tacoma hates when loaded with 3 quads 4 dirt bikes firewood and Christmas trees

 

Clutches are cheap...new autos, are scary expensive to replace. The Toyota's cost of ownership, would be cheaper in the long run, I would guess.

For my personal vehicle, haven't owned an auto in over 25 years.

 

Won't be towing that much. 90% of my trips are solo...with one bike, 5 gallon jug of gas, some minimal camping gear. Probably 1500-1600 lbs, including the weight of the trailer. If the better half comes, which is rare...maximum would be close to 2500 lbs, with her bike, gear, extra fuel, etc.

 

Get the tacoma.

 

That's not bad why do you need the trailer then that's what the bed of the truck is for? Get a long bed Taco and there's plenty of room for bikes and extra shit