Sell me a new truck

I'm not sure if the six inches wider part will help Randy in how he drives lol. Only concern I see is that desert "racing" suspension and towing heavy trailers usually don't mix very well. A good looking truck for sure, but I would hate to see the price tag with that diesel in it.
 
The fact that trucks now come with worthless, 4-ply, gum-soft tires is prima facie evidence that the truck world has gone soft. The day I get a new truck, I go down to the local tire shop and they give me a $25 credit for each tire when I swap them out for 10-ply.

That said, I'm never going back to hubs you must get out and lock in. That's not a good feature when you realize you needed 4WD, but find yourself in water up to your door panels.

I was told they do this now to meet the EPA requirements for fuel economy... And yes, such a waste of money and time having to replace tires right away.
 
Fuel economy improves if you have flat tires ......
...........isn't that why Ford put Firestones on? Or are they "Fireballs" I forget.
 
I got a chance to spend some time in the new Nissan Titan with the 5.0L Cummins. It seems like a nice truck and was pretty quiet for a diesel, but surprisingly was maybe a little louder than the much more powerful 6.7L Powerstroke. The one I was in is the Platinum package with a $61,000 price tag, and for that price I was a little disappointed in the interior trimmings. It seemed a little cheap, almost Mickey Mouse-like, compared to the Platinum package in the F-150, which feels more luxurious to me.

I haven't seen the sportier package yet, which is probably more what Big Fin is looking for, but that was my take on the luxury version.
 
I was able to put some miles on a Titan XD Platinum w/ the Cummins motor today.

For some background... my great-grandpa started a car dealership in 1943 and it is still in the family, so I literally grew up in the car business... Ford and Nissan specifically.

To be honest, I really wasn't impressed with the Titan XD. Here's my thoughts...

- The transmission has a very strong 1st gear and then a hard shift into 2nd gear that wasn't my favorite.

- It only averaged 7.9 mpg around town (admittedly I was driving it aggressively just trying to see what it could do).

- The driver information interface on the dashboard wasn't as intuitive as I see from the Ford trucks.

- There were some weird button locations, like for instance the steering wheel heater button (yes, it has that) is all the way over by the passenger seat, it seems like it should be next to the steering wheel and the driver.

- I didn't check what tires were on it, but it rode quite a bit rougher than the 2014 F-250 diesel with 10-ply tires that I currently drive.

- $61,000 sticker price.

I didn't spend any time looking at it from BigFin's perspective (modifying to an off-road rig) as I tend to limit my aftermarket accessories to a leveling kit and new tires that will still allow chains on all four tires. I know Randy is a lot more aggressive with his mod's than I am so I am interested to hear his thoughts, as he has a lot more experience than I do with aftermarket stuff.

Full Disclosure. Even though I have equal access to Ford and Nissan, my tastes tend to lean towards Ford. I don't know why, I just like their characteristics and style a little more. I'm certainly not dumping on Nissan as they make great vehicles... just sharing my personal thoughts after driving this specific truck today.

If I had the funds and wanted a 1/2 ton truck, I'd be leaning this way... http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150raptor/ or http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2016...ew-is-ready-to-roll-over-just-about-anything/
 
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Appreciate the input grizz. I drove one last week and took it out in the desert. It rode better than I thought a truck of that size would ride. It was more responsive than I expected for a diesel, but I was in low gears most the way.

My biases, due to my intended use of trucks, left me with some other thoughts. I did not care for the interior. I do not like the shift on the steering column when I am getting bounced around. Having it on the console is way better for being bounced around. It is just too big in dimensions for what I use.

I can see where it would have some great applications and will probably find a spot for the person who needs a 'tweener truck that is bigger than a half-ton and less than a three-quarter ton. That truck, like many others I've looked at, is not designed with my use in mind.

I will wait to see how the smaller non-XD Titan looks and feels before taking this decision further. I got to talk to folks in the know and explained what a hunter like me needs. Given the smiles and their replies, I suspect I will find the non-XD Titan to be more like the Titans I have abused for the last ten years.
 
I have been following this to see what I could learn about different trucks and how others used them. I have had Dodge, Toyota and Ford and I feel (no technical reason just feel) the the Ford 150 1999 that I have is 'more truck' than the others I have. I liked the look of the Raptor (link from Grizz) so in a few years I will look to see how they hold up.
 
My neighbor traded his Raptor in for a Eco-boost. MPG was horrible he said.
His new slightly modified F-150 EB with all the flashy trim 2tone(his choice,he's from NY) is a sleeper . I'd have to take some pizzazz off it or not wash it if it was mine........
 
My neighbor traded his Raptor in for a Eco-boost. MPG was horrible he said.
His new slightly modified F-150 EB with all the flashy trim 2tone(his choice,he's from NY) is a sleeper . I'd have to take some pizzazz off it or not wash it if it was mine........

I think the new Raptor has an Ecoboost with a 10 speed transmission.
 
The Tacoma TRD offroad looks amazing, and that crawl control is pretty sweet. I've never seen a truck buried up to the axles/frame just walk itself out like that.

But the cheapest double cab I've seen is about 38k, too rich for my blood. The ol' Frontier will have to do!
 
I have an 05 titan with 140k on it. Haven't put a dollar into it other than oil changes and normal maintenance.

Ive put it through tough times too. It does anything from farm work, to hauling the ski boat, to tailgating at ball games- I even flooded it over the windows in a marsh once- air dried her out and she still hasn't had any problems.


With that being said- I've heard nothing but amazing things about the Tundra's and once I hit 200k on my titan and she gets retired to full time farm use, I'll prob get a Tundra if I go the 1/2 ton route- or a Ram 2500 if I go the diesel route.

Our family dodge ram 2500 has 275k on it with no major issues. Both the family Toyota 4runners both have over 225k miles on them with no major issues. Those reasons alone is why I'll stick with toyota or cummins for the power department moving forward.
 
I know this thread was started a while ago, but I figured I would throw in my 2 cents.
We just got a 2016 ford f150 for a replacement work vehicle, and I'm very impressed. it is a crew cab, and the back seat is huge, lots of room for passengers or gear.
It also has a true locking rear diff, and has an off road feature which is nice.
It gets decent mileage roughly 16 mpg.
Might be worth looking at.
 
Big Fin,
From your perspective, what's not to like about the power wagon? I'm having trouble seeing where it's not the most capable mass produced truck out there. (I'm sorry if I've missed it somewhere in this thread).
 
Big Fin,
From your perspective, what's not to like about the power wagon? I'm having trouble seeing where it's not the most capable mass produced truck out there. (I'm sorry if I've missed it somewhere in this thread).

I think I commented on it many posts prior. A couple things.

First, I still have a stigma with Dodge. I know that might be crazy, but I think about all my friends who had problems with them and it still lingers with me. Just being honest. Others probably have gotten over that by owning a newer one that performed really well.

Second, it's a rougher ride.

Third, outside dimensions are bigger than I am hoping to end up with.

Fourth, mileage is not good, according to the numbers provided by the sales guy. It gets mileage about what my current old model Titan gets, according to the sales guy.

Fifth, the price they want for the one I was looking at is off the charts when you compare what you get in the Power Wagon to what you get in some of the others. I could get a 2015 Titan, a model I've beaten up for 10 years, for $20K less.

It is still on the list, but it is behind the others on the list. Right now, the list is in this order; 1) 2015 Titan Pro4X, 2a) Tundra TRD Pro, 2b) Ford F-150 F4X, and 4) Power Wagon. The unknown yet to be tested is the new model gas Titan 2016 in the non-XD Pro4X.

If my application for a truck was different, there is a very good chance the Power Wagon would be at the top, if I could get over my personal stigma with the Dodge. I had that same stigma with Nissan, until I owned one. I not only got over that, but bought three more.
 
Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I've had a bunch of ram trucks over the years (although all diesels) and had great performance and reliability from every one of them. I know that molds my opinion. I also know some people that had experiences different than mine with dodge.

There is no disputing the rough ride. They carry a heavy load very well, but anything less and they are kinda stiff! I figured the outside dimensions would be the biggest downfall.

I still can't understand why the manufacturers aren't wooing you to run one of their trucks with a full sponsorship. I watch the Wyoming OYOA episode all the time and think to myself that that's a better advertisement for a truck than any manufacturer has ever come up with.
 
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