Ford vs Chevy

[Stephen Cherry]

I'm looking at pickup trucks; comparing the Ford F150 with the Chevy Silverado 1500. Which one is the more reliable, longest lasting, and most trouble free truck? Right now, I have a 1992 F150, long past it's expiration date. The paint is peeling, it has some rust, the transmission is acting up, but it keeps on chugging along. The easy choice would be Ford, but I still need to consider the other options. Maybe even Toyota, or Nissan.

Not looking for a daily driver, maybe 5k miles per year. I occasionally haul stuff, tow stuff, and at some point I may want to tow about 7000 lbs. 4wd is a must. I'm interested in the bare bones models. Needs to be offered in blue or grey. I've been looking at used, but it looks like used pick ups go pretty high. My guess is that any of them would be fine, but does anyone have any LEGITIMATE negatives on these trucks? Otherwise, unless a good used deal pops up, I'm just likely to buy the cheapest.

Thanks!

[Matt Meiser]

My 2009 F150 is my favorite vehicle I've ever owned. We used to tow a camper with it as far as Maine and it did great. Its a really comfortable truck and relatively easy to maneuver. I do wish I had the backup camera. Mine's a supercab and even the back seat is relatively comfortable. Front is great on long drives. Mileage-wise with the 24V 4.6 I get around 17 average, and it takes a good jump on long trips (but to what I couldn't tell you--I just know my miles-to-empty jumps way up.) I owned a 99 I bought new for a few years. The 2009 is a giant leap forward. I suspect its light years ahead of your 92 (briefly owned one of those as a beater truck after trading in the 99 on a minivan.)

Problem wise--not trouble free but nothing major either. At 65K miles on our AWFUL roads its developed a couple squeaks that I could probably fix if I took a couple hours. I had an ABS sensor fail electronically replaced under bumper-to-bumper warranty pretty early on and two leaks around 55K that are known issues--one a leak where the wiring enters the transmission repaired under powertrain warranty and a power steering hose leak/seep which I discovered a year ago and haven't done anything about because at first the part was unavailable and since I've found that it apparently only leaks at full-lock so I just avoid that and haven't had a noticeable drop in fluid in that year.

Just did the brakes around 60K and they were just evenly worn. Seems reasonable on tires--the original Korean ones were junk but they were wearing evenly. The ones I've put on it have as well. Other than that, just oil changes, air filters, and unfortunately 2 parking lot incidents that landed it in the body shop.

I told my wife that when its paid off very soon I'd like to set aside some money to upgrade to a leather interior and get a backup camera, but no intentions of trading it in anytime soon.

Mine's red but I've seen blue and grey ones. ;)

[Jeff Erbele]

I'm looking at pickup trucks; comparing the Ford F150 with the Chevy Silverado 1500. Which one is the more reliable, longest lasting, and most trouble free truck? Right now, I have a 1992 F150, long past it's expiration date. The paint is peeling, it has some rust, the transmission is acting up, but it keeps on chugging along. The easy choice would be Ford, but I still need to consider the other options. Maybe even Toyota, or Nissan.

Not looking for a daily driver, maybe 5k miles per year. I occasionally haul stuff, tow stuff, and at some point I may want to tow about 7000 lbs. 4wd is a must. I'm interested in the bare bones models. Needs to be offered in blue or grey. I've been looking at used, but it looks like used pick ups go pretty high. My guess is that any of them would be fine, but does anyone have any LEGITIMATE negatives on these trucks? Otherwise, unless a good used deal pops up, I'm just likely to buy the cheapest.

Thanks!

The Ford vs Chevy debate is somewhat like debating politics or religion :)

I grew up with Chevy trucks on a farm & ranch and owned so many I lost track long ago. Including those I drove at work, the models included nearly every combination of 1/2, 3/4 and 1 ton duallies, and every cab and box style; 2x4 and 4x4's.

As an industrial outside sales rep for three years I drove a company provided F250 HD 4x4, Power Stroke (diesel), extended cab, long bed, loaded with all the frills. There were good business reasons for a salesman driving such a vehicle; snow & ice and muddy roads in coal mines and the oil patch. Routinely I picked up and delivered electric motors, transformers, switch gear and mechanical parts. From day one, the 4-wheel drive had serious problems. It took several attempts for the Ford dealer to figure out that the factory had installed different gear ratios in the front and read differentials. Oh my. After they fixed that problem it was a very reliable work horse. I was the second rep assigned that truck. It had over 300,000 miles on it when my position was eliminated; on the original engine with one transmission overhaul.

When I was on that route I spotted a dealer that sold both Dodge and Chevy. I had to stop and ask, why Dodge AND Chevy and this was a rare opportunity to hear an unbiased opinion of the pro's and con's. I learned there were only 16 such dealers in the U.S. at the time.

They told me if you want a work truck that takes a licking and keeps on ticking, stands up to a beating, buy a Ford; but it rides like a lumber wagon.
If you want the best ride, buy a Chevy.
Dodge falls someplace in the middle, fairly sturdy with a rougher ride than Chevy but not as rough as a Ford.
He went on to say, two years previous they had a snow plow mounted on a new Chevy to clean their rather large lot. At the end of the year the front end was wore out.
They past year they had it mounted on a new Dodge which probably had more plowing use and the front end was just fine.

I bought a 1999 Chevy 1500 HD extended cab 4x4, 5.7 liter. After it was totaled in accident, I drove a 1988 Chevy, extended cab, long box, 4x4, 350 cu. in. I used both trucks to tow a 25 foot 5th wheel RV and a 28 foot cargo van style trailer. Both engines are of comparable size but the 5.7 liter was a better, heavier duty, fuel injected engine. Both engines struggled with towing in the wind and hilly roads. They were not up to task in mountain driving, working hard all the time. Because of it I traded up to a 2001 Chevy 2500 HD extended cab, long box with an 8.1 liter engine. I was shopping for a decent used truck with a 6.2 liter for a month when I found this truck priced right. If one drives conservatively, slow starts and coasting to stop lights / signs, it gets a pretty steady 10 mpg. Towing and hauling doesn't change it much. Stomping on the gas peddle is costly.

Recap - in sequence that I owned them
All Extended Cabs

All 4x4's - After owing one, I won't buy another 2 wheel drive, as long as it is within my means

1999 1500 HD 5.7 Liter - Very Nice Truck. Drawback, Chevy only offered it in a 3 door version which was very undesirable. Big plus: 4 wheel drive push button shift on the fly at any speed. Tow/Haul transmission override. I considered and test drove a Ford and Dodge before buying this Chevy. For some reason long forgotten I rejected the Ford. Finally I rejected the Dodge because of visibility and the 40/60 split bench seats for the Chevy bucket seats with middle console, although Dodge provided 4 doors as standard.

1988 1500 350 cu in - after owning the 1999 with a 6.5 foot box, I came to realize how much I needed, liked, and missed the full 8 foot box. Plus: 8 ft bed; Over Drive Transmission.

Both of the above engines were too small for my towing needs

2001 2500 HD 8.1 Liter - Work truck, less some frills, lacking power windows, locks, mirrors. Lacks carpet.
CON's - I miss the power windows and mirrors for the passenger side. I can lock/unlock both doors with the remote entry.
One must completely stop and have the transmission in neutral to shift the 4 wheel drive. After the '99 shift on the fly, this is a big step backwards.
Gas mileage-some what; trade-off for power.
Higher off the ground than lighter duty trucks; need a booster/step to climb into the box.

PRO's - Used, affordable, paid in full.
Adequate Power and then some; heavy duty, 4 door extended cab, 8 foot bed,
I came to love the plain-Jane, factory, rubber floor mat; so easy to clean and keep clean.

None of them do well with parking, but than they are trucks.

Nissan - I know nothing - no comment
Toyota - In 2006/7 I was a truck equipment salesman. We sold, installed and serviced everything one could add to a truck chassis, except fire trucks, ambulances and garbage trucks. Toyota was a thorn in that most chassis were limited in what we could mount on it. Snow plows were almost out of the question. Many service bodies over loaded the truck with the body alone, much less adding any tools for which they were designed for. For my employer and our competitors, exceeding any OEM capacity was a federal offense and a potential lawsuit without limits; so that simply did not happen. Routinely people bought new trucks and especially Toyotas, they could use for the purpose they intended.
Since, I've been out of the business too long to know if that is still the case with Toyota.

If I were buying a truck today, I would consider Toyota, Chevy, Ford and Dodge and let their respective features decide.

One observation, if you plan on towing 7,000 lbs, check on the trucks' rated capacity from the manufacturer, BEFORE you buy it, as 7,000 lbs exceeds the capacity of several 1500 models. Then there is the matter of adequate horse power and gear ratios best for gas mileage and best for power, which are in direct conflict with each other.

EDIT - Year Model 2008 Corrected to 1998

[hank dekeyser]

Asking which vehicle to buy is similar to your wife asking you to pick out a pair of shoes, or "do these pants make my a$$ look big" = For the limited mileage you plan on driving annually any new truck will work.A new truck is a new truck == some have nicer seats, some have nicer features, etc. "Barebones" is no longer an option- SEriously - If you got the money for a new truck, it doesnt matter what you buy- Get a new Dodge and be done - Personally, I would rather buy an old (pre 1990) truck and rebuild it- the only way to get what you want

[Brian Elfert]

Ford still sells pretty barebones trucks if you really want one. They still come with manual mirrors, manual locks, and crank windows. Vinyl floor and vinyl seats too. Air conditioning and radios are standard now. I believe Chevy has similar. It might be harder to find a stripped down model as they aren't big sellers. Locally, we have a Ford dealer that only does trucks and they carry stripped down trucks for commercial use.

I owned both Dodge and Ford heavy duty pickups in the 2000s. I liked the Ford better because it had a real crew cab and the Dodge doors were thin enough to flex and cause air leaks. Dodge has a lot more options on cab size now and I wouldn't hesitate to at least look at Dodge.

[Paul McGaha]

Personally, If I was in the market for a new or used truck I'd buy a Ford based on the good luck I've had with Fords.

At my work though I see they've had good luck with Chevy's.

A good case could probably be made for all the manufacturers.

In my case though I'd stick with Ford.

Good luck with it.

PHM

[Myk Rian]

Ford, of course.

275738

[Brian W Smith]

We have had 5 shop trucks.2 Chevy---3 Ford.With the current being an '07 2wd f150 V6.They all gave VG service with the '81 & '91 straight 6,F-150's getting the best overall mileage vs upkeep(each got 300k with minimal repairs).

One interesting thing about the '07 F150 is that the clutch didn't make it to 100K....which I thought was very bad.There is some other goofy things on it as well.It is a "stripper" bought over the phone.

I'd probably end up with another Ford,but would seriously look into the alternatives.

[Stephen Cherry]

Thanks for the constructive input guys. I know that this can be an issue very close to politics and religion, so thanks for the contrasts without the "fix or repair daily".

I currently have the strait 6 Ford, and that is the problem- It just keeps chugging while the truck around it has left the building.

[Pat Barry]

Stephen, you are unlike most anyone out there when it comes to this decision because, no one, and I really mean, no one would ever consider switching from the found on road dead vehicles type to the gold bow tie, built like a rock vehicle. The fact that you are open minded enough to even consider Chevy must mean that you may actually be subliminally unhappy with your Ford and uncertain of your previous choice. I say, stick to your guns and get the Ford. I'll buy the Chevy and balance the world back out.

[Michael Dedon]

My dad's Ford has 200k+, my brother's Ford has 150k+ and both sit in mom's driveway at Thanksgiving next to my Chevy with 220k+. Different strokes but well taken care of.

[Mac McQuinn]

I personally feel this will be a success for GM..........http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2013/11/2015-chevrolet-colorado-first-look.html
Might be worth looking into although won't be out till next fall. Ford doesn't have a anything sold in the U.S. to compete although I feel it might put them into gear.
Mac

[Brian Elfert]

Ford quit making Rangers because consumers were buying the F-150 instead of the Ranger and the Ranger sales were in the tank. It is partially Ford's fault since they made no substantial changes to the Ranger in many years. GM quit making the Chevy Colorado, so maybe they think it will sell better this time with higher gas prices? I wonder if the diesel engine is worth it with high diesel prices and the higher cost of the engine?

[Matt Meiser]

My truck before my F150 was a Colorado. We bought that because of the crew cab option Ford didn't offer on the Ranger. Fit, finish, and initial quality were all way lower on the Colorado. It was noisy and not particularly comfortable on long trips due to seat quality. The bed was short and narrow (though the 2x4 pockets and half-down tailgate to support a 4x8 sheet above the wheel wells were nice touches that helped tremedously. And the 5 cylinder engine (really) in mine didn't get much better mileage than my F150. Actually it got way worse when towing. We kept the Colorado only about 2 years.

It was a decent looking truck, I'll give it that.

[George Bokros]

found on road dead vehicles

You got that wrong...It's "First On Race Day"

Go FORD!!

George

[Dan Hintz]

If you are considering Toyota's, everything I've read and heard from friends/associates/colleagues says the Tacoma is a good buy. Long lasting, good resale value (because of the first part), etc. Now, whether or not it's beefy enough to pull 7k pounds is beyond my knowledge base. I've been considering a truck for a couple of years now for hauling wood, shop supplies, etc. Now that the S2000 is finally gone, I'm getting more serious in my looking... and a Tacoma is at the top of the list.

[Jeff Erbele]

Stephen, you are unlike most anyone out there when it comes to this decision because, no one, and I really mean, no one would ever consider switching from the found on road dead vehicles type to the gold bow tie, built like a rock vehicle. The fact that you are open minded enough to even consider Chevy must mean that you may actually be subliminally unhappy with your Ford and uncertain of your previous choice. I say, stick to your guns and get the Ford. I'll buy the Chevy and balance the world back out.

While there are die-hard fans for each of "the big three" that simply is not the case, that emphatically no one would switch between Ford & Chevy, or Dodge.

Detroit lost the prominence it once had to foreign brands and the owners came from a pool millions of former owners of Detroit iron, .....or polycarbonate, plastic and alloys as the case is.

Personally, if I was stuck on a single brand, I feel I might be denying myself the best option for my needs and budget at that time. The brand prejudiced could be self defeating or at least with self-imposed, otherwise unnecessary restrictions.

[Jeff Erbele]

Nice, really nice, but Stephen wants to tow 7,000 lbs.

EDIT to ADD: This was in response to the link for the 2015 Colorado, intended as a light-duty truck.

[Jeff Erbele]

Bare bones is an option. You can buy a truck without a box, chassis only or to custom specs. I worked for a truck outfitter, you can order them most any way you want.
My 2001 Chevy 2500 is mostly bare bones with a rubber floor mat, crank windows, manual locks and mirrors.
I own a step-van that was factory ordered with a Chevy 1 ton dually chassis, a Chevy 3 speed automatic, a 4 cylinder Detroit "penny-pincher" Diesel and a Grumman Body.
I know a guy that custom ordered a Ford F350, 4x4, 8-door; that is four doors on each side with four bench seats. Why? He has 10 children. It is one long truck, a very nice looking one, as well as expensive. It gives new meaning to "extended-cab".

[Jim Rimmer]

I was sitting in the break room recently as 3 guys related the problems they had with their trucks; transmissions, oil leaks, burning oil, etc. I listened for a while and then asked what kind of trucks they drove. All were Chevy owners. I looked at the guy next top me who I knew was an F150 owner as I am and asked, "Any problems with your truck?" Nope from both of us.

I know this anecdotal and who knows how these guys used their trucks but I have had 4 F150s and would not hesitate to get another.

[Mac McQuinn]

Well it looks like it's close, expected towing capacity is around 6700 lbs.........Since it's close to a year away, we'll see if this changes or not.
Mac



Nice, really nice, but Stephen wants to tow 7,000 lbs.

EDIT to ADD: This was in response to the link for the 2015 Colorado, intended as a light-duty truck.

[Mac McQuinn]

While I have a soft spot for the Ranger and it's simplicity, I feel a few changes would have kept it viable until a slightly larger, U.S. replacement came out. The Colorado came out in 2004 in NA so a replacement was more than due. The 2015 Colorado looks very clean in design to me and the gas engines are already used in the Malibu and Impala albeit in different forms of tune. With the higher initial vehicle price and sometimes higher fuel prices of Diesel plus the cost of adding a fluid for emissions, I don't feel the need to buy a diesel version. Gas is fine for me and IMO there's more room for tweaking at this point. IMO the increase in size of full size trucks in 2007 opened up a new market for mid-sized trucks, not everyone needs or wants a huge truck. FWIW, the wheelbase of the 2015 Colorado ext. cab is basically the same(.9 difference) as my 1972 Chevrolet Regular cab with 8' box, the perfect size truck for me. It will be interesting to see how the Colorado fares and if others follow. I predict it will be the next big thing.
Mac


Ford quit making Rangers because consumers were buying the F-150 instead of the Ranger and the Ranger sales were in the tank. It is partially Ford's fault since they made no substantial changes to the Ranger in many years. GM quit making the Chevy Colorado, so maybe they think it will sell better this time with higher gas prices? I wonder if the diesel engine is worth it with high diesel prices and the higher cost of the engine?

[Larry Edgerton]

Stephen

If you decide on GM stay away from the Multi cylinder engines. Not reliable, expensive to fix, and it does not help the mileage one bit as far as I could tell. I dumped my 08 Silverado after 43K, too many trips to the dealer. Bought a Ranger in 2011, love it, and keep an old 67 Ford campers special around for tough sledding.

If I was going to buy a full size work truck today for work it would be Dodge, Ford, and nothing else, in that order. If you just wanted a car with a box, there are other options. The Dodge can be bought for far less than the Ford, and they are good work trucks.

Larry

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Stephen

If you decide on GM stay away from the Multi cylinder engines.


Yes, only buy the GM single-cylinder engines. :D Sorry, I know what you meant, but you walked into that one!

[Mac McQuinn]

When it comes to full size trucks, Detroit still holds court over the foreign brands. Sales of foreign competition have hardly threatened dominance. That said, I think there has been some wondering amongst the Detroit faithful though.......
Mac



While there are die-hard fans for each of "the big three" that simply is not the case, that emphatically no one would switch between Ford & Chevy, or Dodge.

Detroit lost the prominence it once had to foreign brands and the owners came from a pool millions of former owners of Detroit iron, .....or polycarbonate, plastic and alloys as the case is.

Personally, if I was stuck on a single brand, I feel I might be denying myself the best option for my needs and budget at that time. The brand prejudiced could be self defeating or at least with self-imposed, otherwise unnecessary restrictions.

[Art Mann]

"Fix or Repair Daily"? ;)

[Stephen Cherry]

Thanks for all the input guys. Here's a used truck I spotted, that I decided to pass on.

http://images.craigslist.org/00T0T_ltS3ICOUaYq_600x450.jpg

[Larry Edgerton]

Good Call!

Larry

[George Bokros]

"Fix or Repair Daily"? ;)

First On Race Day:)

[Pat Barry]

Thanks for all the input guys. Here's a used truck I spotted, that I decided to pass on.

I would stay away from that one even though it is a Chevy. I don't want anything that even looks like they may have tried to off-road it or soup it up. Like - no worn out extra big sized tires and rims. The swayback does add character though

[Stephen Cherry]

I would stay away from that one even though it is a Chevy. I don't want anything that even looks like they may have tried to off-road it or soup it up. Like - no worn out extra big sized tires and rims.

Yup, anything like that gives me the run Forrest, run feeling.

Based on the responses here, and what I have read, and heard from people that I know, I think that either Cheby or Ford (fix or repair daily) would be just fine for me. I'm going to start looking at some trucks about 5-10 years old, and if that does not work out, maybe I'll go for new.

My main concern with the Toyotas is corrosion. I have a couple of toyotas, and really like them, but the pickups have a long history of corrosion. Even the 10 year old trucks had problems with the frames rusting out. Toyota did a great job of dealing with the problem, but I like to keep cars long past a "normal" lifespan, and rust is what can easily end it all.

[Brian Elfert]

Pickups from five to 10 years ago don't really compare so much to today's pickups, especially as get to the 10 year mark.