Why I Will Go Midsize Truck

Right now I'm in a 2014 Mustang and as most of you might expect it is a fun car to drive but like any vehicle it has its pros and cons. At the moment it is in the shop because at 37,100 miles the A/C compressor took a dump. Some forum investigation on my part has revealed that motorcraft A/C compressors in general are apparently pretty crappy because there are a lot of owners reporting compressor failure between 30 and 50 thousand miles. Fortunately for me I opted for the extended warranty so it's not going to cost me a fortune but for anyone considering a Ford product I recommend two things.

1. Get the extended warranty. The Ford stuff has a tendency to be flawless right up until the factory warranty expires.

2. Go ahead and save up for an aftermarket A/C compressor so that when your compressor gives out you can replace it with something other than Motorcraft parts. Otherwise get ready to replace your compressor every couple of years.

Now I prattled on about all of that to bring me to this point. While my Mustang is being fitted with a new compressor the dealership arranged a loaner vehicle and in this case its a 2015 Ford F150 Super Crew with the 5.0 V8. Now right off the bat I think it should go without saying that the truck has plenty of power. The 5.0 is a torque monster. If you hammer the gas it's going to give you all you want off the line, and of course the throaty growl of the V8 is always a joy to listen to. It actually gets respectable mpg for a V8 truck as well so long as you don't hammer the gas everywhere you go. Are you going to be out there showing up the Mustang guys? No, get a clue. It's a big heavy ass truck with truck gears. My V6 Mustang can hang with this thing with no effort and easily out handle it.

The cabin is literally whisper quiet. As road trip vehicles go this would be an excellent choice. With the room in the Super Crew cab you can easily fit 4 adults very comfortably and have more than enough room in the bed for luggage obviously. The seats are pretty comfortable although I would not rate them as more or less comfortable than the Tundra or Tacoma seats. The road manners are good and the handling is not at all bad for a big truck.

Now the bad.

I'm not even going to get into gas mileage because if you're buying a truck with an eye towards good mpg you're an idiot, go to another forum. The problem with this truck is that as a day to day running errands around town kind of vehicle it really sucks. These big fullsize trucks are a pain in the ass to park, a pain in the ass to get into and out of parking lots, a pain in the ass to back and a pain in the ass getting into traffic. As an around town kind of vehicle they just are not a good choice. The midsize truck is easier to live with in these situations in every respect. On the highway, the F150 and fullsize trucks are totally awesome. They make excellent highway cruisers. Around town, its like driving an aircraft carrier through a slalom course. I wouldn't want to deal with this crap as my daily driver choice.

So the end result is that I am now even more confident that I am going to get a midsize truck. It will likely be a Tacoma although I have heard rumor that Ford is planning to put the 3.2 liter diesel in the Ranger and that could change things. I may have to provide my own aftermarket AC compressor two years down the road from purchase but at least I would have a motor that I know would run for 400 to 600 thousand miles with no problem. Either way, I know I will get a midsize truck because having now spent an entire day running errands in a fullsize truck I can say with absolute certainty that they suck as an errand running or around town vehicle.

 

Parking structures and lack of parking on a tiny island helped me make up my mind between a tundra an a Tacoma. I feel you lol.

 

I should also point out that a crew cab Tacoma fits in my garage while a crew cab fullsize truck does not. That's just a personal point but one that is important for my decision making as well. I could technically park a fullsize in the driveway but I would prefer to garage the vehicle.

 

I know a bit about your situation. My daily for 5 years was an 04 GTO with a 6 speed. I still have it, and still love it. I needed a truck for all the projects, and figured I would own it for at least 5-8 years. Because of that, I needed the 4 door (for when there's kids in the picture). So I have a double cab long bed...pretty much as big as I can go with a midsize before making the jump to full size. The backup cam is key, it allows you to back into almost every parking situation. That makes parking lots a breeze. Otherwise, its about having your mirrors well adjusted and getting a good feel for the truck. The first few weeks, the truck felt really lonnngggg. Now its not a hassle at all.

My coworker has a double cab GMC Sierra, he clips a parked car once every few months because he doesn't get a feel for the truck. He admits freely its too big of a truck, but he never hauls anything and has no kids. He just wanted a lifted truck for the look.

That being said, its much easier getting around in my wife's new small VW SUV. I drove it today and forgot how easy it is to get around in a small car.

 

Yeah I'm sure some of it has to do with the fact that I am used to driving a Mustang everyday. I've driven the Tacoma before as I've owned two of them. I've also driven the Tundra before but just for a test drive. When you get to use a vehicle for what you will be doing in it day to day and not just a quick test drive down the road it makes a difference in your perception of it. The big trucks are undeniably comfortable, quiet and make excellent road trip vehicles but for day to day and a truck I think a midsize is going to make more sense for me. The backup camera does help but only somewhat. At the end of it all I'm still having to position a big ass truck in a parking spot that it barely fits into. Just more hassle than I want in a vehicle and in exchange for what, some bed space I don't really need?

 

I have always liked midsize trucks. I still have a 2005 dodge dakota with the 4.7 v8. Our work truck is a Tundra double cab. Sure it pulls boats with ease, but as you said, everyday running around town is a pain.
Ford is bringing back the ranger and jeep is reintroducing the jeep truck in 2017. Will they be any real competition to toyota, probably not, but it could help with negotiations on a tacoma. Right now they know there is nothing to compete with.

 

You're being a real homer if you think the ranger and wrangler truck won't be real competition.

 

I don't want to get into any arguments here but I have to agree with this. I've watched plenty of videos of the 3.2 diesel powered Ranger in Australia. It is essentially the same truck that Ford will build here and I have to say it is a very capable and durable truck. It could really give the Tacoma a run for the money.

 

Parking is the number one reason I traded my Tundra for a Tacoma. I do miss the power some but overall I love it. It's so nice to be in a midsize again.

 

On the highway.... Big truck wins.... Day to day and trails... Little truck wins.

 

All these idiots buying a truck with concern for gas mileage, according to OP - who's buying a truck that was designed for gas mileage.

Trucks aren't gas guzzlers anymore, and haven't been for over a decade. The old mantra is no longer relevant. Stop assuming everybody who doesn't want 6 MPG in a truck is an idiot.

 

6MPG was bad mileage in the 1980s. 19MPG is bad mileage in 2016. In 2025, 30MPG might be a crime.

Smaller, lighter vehicles are just plain more fun. Up to a point.

 

Looks like it could.

http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-news/ford-ranger-hits-toyota-hilux-where-it-hurts-28529/amp

 

You would be amazed at the number of people I've met that complain about the mpg of modern trucks. That is what I was making reference to. Trucks are more fuel efficient, true enough, but by comparison to the rest of modern day automobiles they are still less efficient than other vehicles. People like us understand this but do I really have to point out to you that there are many people out there who don't have the first damn clue about how automobiles work? There are far more "idiots" than there are people who have a clue. You should know that.

 

Lol.

Even if the engine made it that far with no major repairs, the rest of the truck would fall apart on you well before that.

I had a Ford truck. Any rubber bushing/mount (including cab mounts) barely made it to 120k. By 150k, most plastic pieces on the interior were starting to snap off. Headliner drooping, center console lid broke in my hand and sliced my finger open. Rear differential left the building. Fuel pump dead. Power steering failed. Thermostat housing failed leaking coolant, twice. AC compressor died early (like you said). Timing chain slapped around due to the guides failing. And the best part was being stuck in 1st gear on cold mornings until the auto transmission warmed up. Or it slipping constantly. All this before 150k....

But at least the engine still ran, right?

 

Growing up around fords and chevys I figured all that as normal wear and tear, although we actually USED our trucks quite a bit. I'm almost giddy to see how my taco handles 5-6000 years from now

 

Hilarious. Exactly the same sale pitch I got from a GM dealer re. the new Colorado! Yep. Australia, govenment, mining companies. Shockingly also based on the un-verifiable data from a "confidential" source... And without a doubt same exciting story in the article

"Confidential figures obtained by Carsguide show the Ford Ranger has outsold the Toyota HiLux in government fleet sales, and is closing the gap in deliveries to mining companies and other businesses."

This is priceless!!

 

I knew someone would chime in with a smart-ass, sarcastic, negative answer, even though the OP wrote what I thought was a pretty honest, un-biased and level-headed post.

As far as trucks not being gas guzzlers...really? They still don't get great mileage compared to other vehicles out there on the road (note that I said 'vehicles', not other trucks), which the OP already addressed. You just vomited out something useless with no real contribution.

 

Not gonna lower myself to your brainpower bracket with any other reply than reiterating what I said.

.. is a foolish viewpoint, among other things.

If that offends you.. well, go to another forum, aye?

 

I mean my 6k 16 taco has already had the tailgate latch replaced, the rear differential replaced, been in the shop for 2 weeks, and has a laundry list of things that are "characteristics of the vehicle" that are awaiting tsbs. And now my AC is acting up...

I can't imagine a poorer initial showing for this wonderful vibrating piece of Japanese engineering.