Buying a new truck

Hi I am in the market for a pick-up truck and would appreciate some advice. Being a girl I am not the most mechanical-savy person, butr I do my due diligence and thus am collecting advice and words of wisdom. I am looking for a truck that will me a faithful companion for the next 15-20 years, adapt to changes as life changes, do what it has to do and most importantly not break. In short term I want a truck that I can throw my dog in, some camping gear, and go exploring, which usually ends up off-roading a bit. Hopefully drive 1000k/week to some remote places, so a truck that will be frugal on fuel is important. But then in the next few years I hope to buy a farm, renovate/build a house and have some horses. So will need the truck to carry building material, hay, and possibbly, on some occasions tow a horse or two, may be?
It seems from what I gather that a Tacoma 4x4 V4 manual would respond the best to "last long time, not break and not gulp fuel" requirements. However I am now in Quebec, and it seems here that the salt in winter makes any vehicle rust before anything breaks mechanically. Or at least that what happened to my dad's car.
On the other hand while I love evertyhing about Tacoma on paper, I did find it a bit cramped inside and claustrophobic compared to my work truck which is F-150. At the same time the Ford dealer is willing to sell me a new F150 for a same price as a Tacoma, and tells me there is not a huge difference in fuel efficiency. So F150 seems like a bigger a truck, bigger engine and more "value for money", and if I ever end up towing horses it will probably be much better at it, then the Tacoma? (Not sure how much a horse trailer weighs but each horse is about 1000lb). He also tells me it aluminium so it will not rust.
However I am somewhat sceptical. Intuition tells me Tacoma will out-last the F-150. Am I right?
At the same time the Toyota dealers are trying to sell me the Tundra (since I complained the Tacoma is cramped) or at least a V6 Tacoma and say it as reliable as the Tacoma. Should I believe them?
Any input will be great, and hopefully save me from buying a lemon

 

Both the Tacoma and F-150 are great vehicles. I like my 2014 Tacoma because it is mid-size and that works well where I live...tight parking at work and stuff like that. I'm not overly impressed with my Tacoma's engine, somewhat under-powered and poor fuel economy in my opinion. The truck is very basic compared to most F-150s, which is fine for me because I use my truck like a truck and I don't need all the bells and whistles (although they're nice to have).

If a mid-size truck fits your bill the Tacoma is a solid choice. If you want to step up to a full-size I'd definitely say the F-150 is for you, not the Tundra. Based on what you said in your post I think you'd be very happy with the F-150 and the larger bed, better towing capacity, similar fuel economy, etc. Just my two cents and I'm sure I'll get flamed for not saying "buy a Tacoma, they're the greatest truck ever". Good luck with your purchase!

 

Sounds like you are considering the 4 cylinder? I would not tow a horse trailer with one. The V6 tacoma on the otherhand isn't exactly fuel efficient... at all...

As far as power/torque and mpgs go, I think a F150 would be better for doing hard work. A 4 cylinder taco gets good gas mileage but it's very limiting.

 

^ this

 

If you want a truck to play in, modify, etc I'd say a Tacoma is a great option.

If you want something to perform work (haul things, pull horses, etc) I'd go with something with a V8.

Never been a Ford guy but people seem to like the new F-150's. My boss has a 2014 Tundra and I can tell you it's WAY more spacious than my Tacoma is. Way, way more spacious. I felt "little" while sitting in a Tundra. LOL

Truck & "frugal on fuel" don't mix. Is your local dealer offering you an F-150 V8 or the V6 model?

 

If a full-size extended cab (not 4-door) would work for you, check out the 2015 F150 XLT 4x4 with the 2.7L EcoBoost engine (325HP / 375TQ), EcoBoost Payload Package, and whatever other options you want or need. I think something like that might do the trick for you.

Payload:
2,140 lbs

Towing:
8,400 lbs

Mileage:
EPA-Estimated at 19/26 MPG

 

Thanks all for your replies. I guess those are the words of wisdom, the F150 is much better suited for towing, but I thought it is hard to justify buying a big engine to tow potential horse trailer for the potential horses that I don't even have yet. I guess my concern was that F150 will not last 15-20 years, while I know for fact my work Toyota Hilux in NZ had 400k on it and despite me giving it death it was still going as strong as ever, never had any issues. My ex-husband' Toyota Hilux towed our boat just fine and was also another fine vehicle, but I guess horse trailer might be quite a bit heavier than a boat.
On the other hand one might hope that F150 is the one model Ford has got right, although I am weary of american brands...
The real questions for me I guess are:
- would any truck F-150 or the tacoma, or any other last 15-20 years in the Eastern Canada conditions including snow and salt (a new concept for me) provided of course it is properly looked after (yet driven hard)?
-which one is likely to survive the longest?
-and what is the most likely cause of premature death: rust or being broken down?
I am more afraid of a vehicle that constantly needs repair then not being able to tow my potential horses: because being a girl dealing with mechanics seems to be a constant rip off, or a feeling of being ripped off, and I don't have skills to fix my car myself

 

If rust is a problem in your area that could rule a Tacoma out. I didn't know about the rusty frame recalls until AFTER I bought mine. Seems like Toyota doesn't give a crap and has been producing frames that are highly susceptible to rusting. At least that's the impression I get reading all the posts here on TW!

Since you're talking Hilux though... do you have access to the diesel version? That could potentially be a whole different animal for towing. I have no idea what the specs are on the diesel Hilux over seas.

That said, if the EcoBoost V6 F-150 reports 19/26MPG's it's more fuel efficient than a Tacoma by far!

 

Both Hilux were diesels. Most trucks un NZ are diesel. I am quite surprises trucks here are petrol, why are they all mostly petrol?
This may be a silly question: does diesel give a much better towing ability?

 

Because 'Merica!

 

And? Diesel is a foreign liquid in America? Surely there are some other mechanical or socioeconomic reasons?

 

Diesels generally provide greater amounts of torque which is what makes things MOVE. That's your pulling power. They can also run longer miles and in theory can be more fuel efficient at the same time.

I've absolutely no experience with the Hilux though.

 

I believe diesels are more expensive. To maintain. To build. Diesel fuel is more expensive than the low end gasoline/petrol. Plus, Americans (in my opinion) seem to like the muscle car vintage and the idea of gas guzzling, guttural, raw naturally aspirated beefy engines.

That being said, The FolksWagon Jetta TDI (diesel) is a fairly popular vehicle these days. And here in Montana where I'm at lots of guys drive giant tricked out Dodge Ram diesels all the time because they are loud and blow black smoke...

 

Well, that's sad. That makes my ex-husband right once again: always go for a diesel truck. May be I should then consider Ram ecodiesel? I thought Rams are temperamental, according to some people, but that's the only diesel one out there I think

 

It all comes down to what you actually intend to use it for. Dodge isn't known for reliability (or resale value). I'm sure someone int he forums can talk diesel way more than me - I know very little about them.

 

Right there says go Tacoma or Tundra. Better quality and they hold their value like crazy if you ever decide to sell. You said you noticed the F-150 felt bigger than the Tacoma. That's because it is. The F-150 is a full size truck and the Tacoma is a mid size. Since you said you don't yet have a need to tow as of yet then I'd probably lean towards the tacoma. And IMO, later on when you do need a truck to tow you can pick up an older beater for cheap, make that your tow vehicle and farm truck. Then you can live in luxury driving around the Taco.

As far as diesels, we've been through a couple and have kind of given up on them at this point. Some people actually DO need diesels to pull extremely heavy loads, but in our experiences they've been much to finicky to be worth the hassle.

 

Call me a fan-boy but I'd rather a Tundra than F-150. Simply because it's Toyota vs Ford. But I've never owned a Ford.

 

Well, I mainly want to use it for driving around, but I am not so good at staying on proper roads, is there is a track, the more overgrown and forgotten it is, the more I have a need to find were it goes. So 4x4 is a must. But also I find a deck handy: to put the muddy gear, dog, paint, hay etc, and not worry too much about keeping the cab in. But then if I end up having a horse or 2, I will probably need to move it occasionally, and it sure will be frustrating as hell to have a truck that can't do that. And then one day it would be nice to have a boat and take it water skiing

 

I think you're talking yourself into a full size truck based on hopeful future needs. How soon do you foresee yourself accomplishing the goals of a ski boat and horses? Both of those really need a full size truck.

Where as a Double Cab Short Bed Tacoma is probably the best bet for trails and adventuring.

 

Okay I have experience with both a 2013 FX4 Crew Cab and a 2007 TRD Tacoma. They are two totally different machines that are built for different reasons. Any vehicle is going to rust in a salty environment unless treated. I would suggest performing an undercoat, such as a bed liner, to protect everything underneath. Some people use a liquid undercoat (oil), but considering you plan on exploring there for several years, I'd go the bed liner route. The V6 EcoBoost outright stomps the Tacoma in almost every aspect besides fuel economy. I get anywhere from 13-15 MPG's around town in the F-150, while the Tacoma is around 17-19 MPG's. I wouldn't consider the 4 cylinder at all if you plan to do any towing. The V6 Tacoma would most likely get you there, but the EcoBoost would perform the job with ease. Now, on to durability. The Tacoma has been around for a LONG time and proven its test to time. The early Tacoma's (mainly first gens and early second gens) had some frame rust issues that Toyota is currently in the process of handling. The majority of people with bad frames have already gotten them replaced under Toyota's recall. The NEW EcoBoost engine hasn't been around nearly as long as the 4.0L V6, so it's hard to tell how long it will last. If I'm not mistaken, the 3.5L V6 inside the F-150 has only been around since 2011. The F-150 is a great choice if you plan for "work" as the Tacoma isn't built to be a work horse.

EDIT: Grammar Usage