try to be impartial.

hi guys, im new to the truck scene and would love to hear your imput. i have a lightly modded (paid off) wrx and now i am looking to get a truck. the only criteria i have so far are 4dr (super/double cab) and 4x4. now before you read any farther, 90% of my truck useage would be to carry around bikes (mountian and road bicycles), kayaks, camping trips and carry around my two dogs (hence the 4 doors). very lite off-roading, haul some firewood and the occasional trips to home depot. i would really like to keep my monthly payment no higher than $500/mo with as little money down as possible. i plan to keep this for 10+ years unless upkeep gets out of hand (i.e.- gas, breaking down etc.)

my first option, an '09 tacoma (4 door, short bed, 4x4 TRD sport package, upgraded stereo, and tow package AND its a 6sp) right around $30,000. i have talked to the dealer briefly about payments and he doesnt really seem to budge. the kicker is, through the dealer there is an unlimited mileage, for the life of the car (to the original owner) powertrain warrenty! with $2000 dwn my payments will be around $499/mo with toyota's 1.9% and nothing off the sticker.

the second option, an '08 f150 (4 door, 5.? V8, tow package, running boards, and some other little tid'bits) for $27,000. Its orginally a $38,000 truck! the dealer is really trying to work within my budget to move a truck that meets my needs. this one is $477/mo with $2000/dwn financing through my credit union.

doing the research, it seems as though gas mileage will be within 2-3 mpg of each other (from what i have read). and each could be bomb proof or a lemon (take that with a grain of salt). once the 08's are gone i doubt there will be another deal like this. i would like to know if any of you came from either size truck or what you experiences are with dbl cab tacoma's or fords. any input is greatly appreciated.

 

Hey mistaare, it's always good to weigh in your options.. I was in a very similar situation as you a few months ago, and I went with a 2008 F-150 FX4 5.4L Supercrew (4-door) Apparently, we even share some of the same hobbies, I use my truck for hauling a pair of bikes and camping gear, and occasionally pull a 14 ft river boat. I don't own a wrx, but I have an 06 Civic that my wife drives now.. so I don't play blindly to brand loyalty. My first vehicle was a 1990 Toyota 4Runner, and that thing was a beast.. it lasted 216,000 miles before I got rid of it in 2005, for the Civic. Obviously, everyone is going to try and convince you to get the Ford, namely because this is a Ford forum. But here's my objective opinion... Get the F-150

Dollar for dollar.. you can't get a better deal. My truck was listed at $39k and I ended up getting them down to $28k on the purchase price back in March of this year. I also opted to finance through my credit union for a 4.25% rate. Appearance-wise, the 2004-2008 F-150 Supercrew is the best looking truck out there in my opinion. Heck, I would have bought a Chevy, Dodge, or even Toyota if they looked even half as good or were equally priced compareably equipped. If you pick up the 5.4L engine, there will be more than enough power for ya from the sounds of it.. heck, even the 4.6L V8 would be good enough in comparison to the Tacoma. For me, it was all about the styling and ergonomics of the vehicle, everything else pretty much came second. The exterior and interior on the F-150 left little room to disappoint. With all the money saved on buying the F-150, I was able to fork over the extra cash to upgrade my truck even more.. For less than another $7k I've thrown on a 6" lift, 35" tires on 20" wheels, cai, dual exhaust, tuner, regeared and etc..
I'm all for Toyota reliabilty and what not, but I haven't driven or read up much on the Tacomas lately, but considering there are plenty of 2004 model F-150s running around, reliability doesn't seem to be too much of an issue with the F-150.. surely it can last atleast 10 years.. in the end there might be plenty of other reasons why the F-150 is still top-selling truck, but I'll leave it at that..

Like I said.. dollar for dollar, you won't be able to find a better deal.. I'd say go with the Ford on this one.

Here's a few pics of my rig!

 

Either truck your looking at will carry those bikes and your other cargo just fine. It sounds like your dealer is working with your numbers which is easy to do. Recent discounts have been greater than the 11k your looking at, and the big deals are in November with the remaining last year inventory, which is what an 08 is. You'll get your best deal sending an email over the internet and asking for the best internet price. You can also ask for a 7 year 75k ESP protection plan which with an $50 or $100 deductible could add as little as $1200 to the price.

I think you can get that 08 for $27,000 including the ESP (Extended Service Plan,) sales tax, and you keep your $2000 to make the first four payments. Send and email with that offer, and let them work you up from there.

 

I have a 2004 Screw. You will not catch me encouraging anyone to buy one of these trucks. I have owned 2 Rangers and a Windstar. I am 35 and always wanted a fullsize truck. My dad always had GMC trucks but once I bought my first Ranger I switched to Ford. With that being said, after having the F150 I likely will never buy another Ford. I would recommend staying away because there are just way too many issues out there. Even if they fixed everything in the new models my confidence was blown out of the water with my 04; dont think I can easily forget. Good luck in your search for a truck.

Cam phaser problem
Rough idle problem
Elec. Window problem
Spark Plug problem
etc, etc.

 

Hey there i have a 2007 f150 supercrew xlt nearly fully loaded. I must say it is a great truck and i have had no problems with it since i took possesion of it in june of 07. without the new models coming out i got it for $25k inc ttl.

The two trucks you are looking at are prett different indeed. The f150 will be larger inside and out and just to throw my 2 cents in i dont like toyotas interior . and if your into modding the new rig the f150 looks alot better imo. All in all i love my truck for to many reasons i can list here and i am very impressed with fords quality.

KHardin1, please remember you bought a first year production vehicle that had just undergone and ENTIRE remodel. Unfortunately it seems you got a bad one out of the bunch. There are many folks out there with 04s that have not had any problems.

 

Not sure if it is still available, but forget your credit union and talk to Fords finance people. Ford was offering 0%. I wound up financing through Ford and I belong to a GREAT credit union (NFCU)

 

I agree with you on that. A lesson learned on my part. I don't mean to come across quite so bitter; it's just that I wanted a full size truck for so long and now that I have one I can't really enjoy it. I will say though, the majority here have problems I listed. Later!

 

Sold my 95 Supercab 4x4 shortbox 302 5 speed in May because of $1.50 per liter gas here (motor needed a rebuild). I have 3 kids, 5 bikes, 2 canoes. We are a 2 vehicle family so we replaced it with a 2008 Subaru Outback and a 4x6 utility trailer. Big mistake. Camping with kids you need to carry a lot of ****. The Suby was getting 24 hwy with the trailer going up mountain passes at 4500 rpm. Fact is with kids and the outdoors a truck is the only way to go. Our 95 took us everywhere. We are surrounded by miles and miles of logging roads here with free Forest Service campsites. So I sold vehicle #2 a POS Chevy venture minivan (hate it) and I'm picking up an 01 Supercrew 5.4 with canopy, 70k miles this weekend. I looked at all the options and I couldn't justify the extra cost of a Tacoma or Nissan Frontier to get better mileage. In my experience with smaller trucks (I drive all sorts of pickups at work) the mileage difference is less than 5 mpg and the truck is way smaller.

Good luck, with a family in the outdoors you will love the truck.

 

Get the Ford!!!!!!!!! Get the Ford!!!!!!!!! Get the Ford!!!!!!!!!

 

I was in a situation just like you a couple months ago. You can see what I chose in the end. Dollar for dollar I think you're getting much more truck with the F150 as opposed to the Tacoma. Don't get me wrong..... the Tacomas are some tough little trucks but I would rather have a full size. The price on the remaining '08s can't be beat either. I just picked up my '08 FX4 for a little over $29,000 and the sticker price was nearly $42,000. It was a no brainer for me.

 

the tacoma will obviously keep a better resale value, but you said you plan to keep it for 10 years so obviously resale value on anything in 10 years will be chit. the f150 will for sure last 10 years if you take care of maintenance and all the extra space inside you will love

 

I can compare the two body sizes for you.

I sold my 98 F150 in Jan 08 and no one was dealing on a full size so I bought a Nissan Frontier NISMO Crew Cab. It was a great truck and didn't give me a single problem. BUT, it wasn't a full size. The little 6 cylinder struggled to pull my trailer and 4 wheelers. I couldn't fit a 4 Wheeler in the back without lowering the tailgate and hanging out the back end and the interior was just smaller.

When the economy crashed I bought an 08 F150 XLT 4X4 SCrew and am very happy. Yes I lost 2-3 mpgs, but I gained an 8 cylinder engine (certainly worth 2-3 mpgs for my needs), 4X4 and lots more space.

I paid just over $27K for the Nissan and after more than $12K off I got the Ford for just under $27K. Unfortunately I had $3K in negative equity. I rolled it over and increased my payment $13 for an extra year. IMO well worth the increase for all I gained.

I agree the mountain bikes will fit in both and probably the kayaks and camping gear. But the dogs and trips to home depot may justify the extra bed space. And the extra interior space is good all the time!

 

The Toyota will cost you more up front.

The Ford will cost you more in the long run.

The Toyota will be worth more than the Ford in the future.

The Ford was more towing and hauling cap. than the Toyota.

 

Some of my buddies have Toyotas. They pull into the pumps as much as me. But I ride in style. They can't drink a cup of hot coffee on our good ole bumpy roads without a bib and lap towel.

 

^^Very true. I'm a huge Ford guy so my opinion may be somewhat biased, but if I was deciding between the two I would have to go with the F150. Both trucks will be able to handle all the things you will be using the truck for, but the F150 will do it for a longer time and the ride quality will be far superior to the Tacoma.