To my mind, I could do nothing worse when purchasing a truck than pick an unreliable lemon. And trucks that are lemons do exist. Some trucks have, from time to time, serious electrical, mechanical and handling problems. In short, if your truck won't take where you want to go, it is simply a heavy piece of junk. For example, if you have a job to do and your truck breaks down that day, not only are you faced with the cost of repair, but you lose a day. With reliability first in mind, I bought the Toyota Tundra Limited, Access cab, 2001. Toyota is primarily known for its quality. I like the Toyota Tacoma very much, but when I looked at the Tundra very closely, I realized it is just a bigger, luxury version of the Tacoma. The Tundra costs only a few thousand dollars more than the Tacoma Prerunner with a V6. But the Tacoma with a V6 can only tow 5,000 pounds, versus 7,200 pounds for the Tundra. The Tacoma's bed is much more narrow, too, not only giving you less room but making it impossible to lay flat a long, four-foot wide article. I checked the EPA gas estimates, and I found the Tundra is suppose to cost little more than $200 a year to operate than the Tacoma V6.
And the Tundra is much more quiet and less bouncy than the Tacoma.
The looks of the Tundra are also classic. It's sheet metal is curved, reminding me a little of the Ford trucks of the 1960s.
I do like the Chevy Silverado, but I found it has a history of serious reliability problems, as does the Dodge Ram. The Ford F150 has a reasonable reliability record, but I found the interior, ride and styling less to my liking.
I think many people agree with my views on the Tundra. I can hardly go anywhere without someone stopping me and asking about the truck, often saying how much they want one.
The advantage of the Ford, however, is that it has many more models, making it easier to get the exact package you want. I can understand the need for someone to choose a Ford. So many people have. But I found the grace and reliability of the Tundra a must for me.
Amount Paid (US$): 24,300
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: Limited V8