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THE COMPETITION ( GOING FROM FORD, RAM, TOYOTA, ETC)


aha1987

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Here is a place to talk about the competition. It would be great to hear from the people that have swapped from the competition to GM. What brought you to the decision to buy a GM?

Edited by Aycock1987
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Not exactly the same thing but I'm looking to get back into a pickup this spring and while I'm leaning toward a Custom Trail Boss ever so slightly, I'm open to just about all of them. Here are my pros/cons with the trim I'd be buying:

 

All trucks would be extended cabs

  • Silverado Custom Trail Boss
    • Has a great stance, good tires. Not crazy about black wheels and while I love the look of the optional 20" wheels, they come with a much less aggressive tire and I don't want big wheels on a truck.
    • The Custom comes with basically all the features I want despite being on a low trim truck- CarPlay in the infotainment, lighting inside the bed (cab light is useless with a tonneau), a good bed tie down system and a remote start for these lovely NH winter mornings.
    • GM did cut a lot of features from these trucks. 2018s had standard HID or LED lights in all trims, now you're stuck with halogen on these trucks. No height adjustable seat belts.
    • The 5.3 is the weakest V8 out there right now unless you count the base 4.6 V8 in the Tundra that basically no dealers stock. On the plus side, the 5.3/6L80 is a proven and reliable powertrain.
    • Most of the other trucks offer a legit e-locker. I hate the G80. Never locked up reliably in my past two Silverados. 
    • The remote release tailgate is cool but I worry how it will work when ice storms freeze up the tailgate.
    • Can't get fog lamps. You can buy a kit and install them and this is something I would do. Having driven several rentals recently in the rain I really appreciate the extra light they throw. I know there are endless aftermarket solutions but I like the clean integration of factory parts.
    • It bugs me that even Indiana-built trucks have like 45% US parts content and that GM is sourcing so many parts from Mexico. Make those parts here.
  • Ram 1500 Big Horn
    • The 5.7/8-speed is in my opinion the best powertrain combination on the market. I've driven several previous gen Rams with this and they're just dialed in.
    • That said, I'm leery of Chrysler quality. Both my Jeeps had/have issues late model vehicles should not have.
    • Ram also has in-bed lighting, CarPlay, remote start and all the other things I want in whatever I buy next. They also have a 33 gallon tank as an option whereas the best you can do on the Silverado in most cases is 24 gallon. Just commuting I drive 4-500 miles a week and I hated in the Wrangler having to buy fuel 2-3 times a week. Nevermind the bad range on road trips. 
    • Interior in the Big Horn trim is beautiful. I can't fault it, they knocked this part out of the park IMO.
    • Not thrilled that I have to step up to the Big Horn trim to get the items I want. The Tradesman (similar to the Custom trim) cannot be optioned with a higher level radio with CarPlay or fog lamps.
    • E-locker is available as are much lower gearing options. 
    • Despite being $3-4,000 more than my ideal Trail Boss, the incentives on these trucks are generous right now so I could conceivably get into a more expensive truck for less money out the door.
    • I hate my local dealership. They're morons.
  • F-150 XL/STX
    • I'm not afraid of the aluminum body like some may be but the assembly quality is poor. Take a look at any new Ford truck and you'll see wavy body panels and poor panel fitment. 
    • The 5.0 is a monster. This is the only engine I'd consider and with the 3.73 gearing option they just fly.
    • You cannot get in-bed lighting on an XL. Why on earth would Ford not offer this on their work truck trim? Stupid stupid stupid. To make matters worse, the plug is there to add them but the harness wires are not. It's like they did this on purpose.
    • Ford's base interiors are not all that nice. I have not sat in a new Ford but the previous trucks all had very very firm seats which I did not like.
    • Can't get OE remote start on an XL but it's super easy to add aftermarket and it behaves/integrates like the factory one.
    • Ford's tie down system is the least useful. No movable tiedowns, nothing in the middle of the bed. I'm thinking like running a tote filled with sandbags over the axle and having nothing to anchor it to. Literally every other truck on this list lets you accomplish this.
    • Ford does offer the e-locker.
  • Tundra SR5
    • I don't have as much to say on this because it is not on my list to consider but if I were buying a truck to run as long as possible, this would be it. I think it would be the most reliable.
    • But, it's missing way too much. You cannot get CarPlay on any trim, locking tailgate and bed lighting are sloppy dealer add-ons that require wire splicing. Fuel economy sucks. Cannot get a limited slip or locker. Interior is horribly dated.
  • Titan SV
    • There is a lot I like about this truck. It has all the options I'd want aside from the locker (available on more expensive Pro-4X trim). 5.6 V8 seems to be a strong engine and it sounds awesome.
    • Its great that it sounds so good cause the aftermarket is basically non-existent. All I'd really want is exhaust and a tonneau but there is not much out there and there never will be given how few of these Nissan sells.
    • Nissan has the best bed tie down and lighting system of all the trucks. Even lights in the tailgate area so if you're using the tailgate as a bench at night, you're good. Also has 115V outlets in the cab and bed, something not available on most of the others. 
    • I dislike that even with a factory spray-in liner the tailgate has a plastic covering. GM does this too now but theirs looks good. Nissan's looks like a piece from a garbage drop-in liner. So cheap looking.
    • Backed by a 5 year/100k full warranty.
    • That warranty is important cause Nissan has very little track record on big trucks. The Frontier seems well made but this is a very different ballgame. My dad owned multiple Nissan cars that were good to him but I'm not sure how I feel about buying this from them.
    • Only truck at this price point with keyless entry/ignition. 
    • Due to it being a slow seller, incentives are good but from what I understand, factory ordering from Nissan (all these trucks would have to be ordered, I'm too particular about options to find something acceptable on a lot) is difficult. 

 

Thats a long read but hope it serves to help someone.

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Honestly if I was choosing between the big three right now it would be Chevy or Ram. Used to be a die hard Chevy guy but the ever increasing price tag while getting fewer features is turning me off. And after having a Ram as a work vehicle... there not all that bad. 

 

Ford makes a good truck. But the current and previous body style; no matter what I did there was no way I could get comfortable in the driver's seat. I see people complaining about GM seats and really want to ask them if they've ever sat in a Ford. Imo it's like sitting on a piece of plywood. 

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13 minutes ago, Jollygreengiant said:

Honestly if I was choosing between the big three right now it would be Chevy or Ram. Used to be a die hard Chevy guy but the ever increasing price tag while getting fewer features is turning me off. And after having a Ram as a work vehicle... there not all that bad. 

 

Ford makes a good truck. But the current and previous body style; no matter what I did there was no way I could get comfortable in the driver's seat. I see people complaining about GM seats and really want to ask them if they've ever sat in a Ford. Imo it's like sitting on a piece of plywood. 

I have yet to spend time in the 19 Silverado, but after 3 years in my raptor seats were exceptionally comfortable. The flat seat bottom looking silverado have me a little concerned for comfort. 

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5 hours ago, 2017Darkness said:
  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

2019 Silverado comes with keyless entry/ignition

Not at the prices/trims I'm looking at. Keyless starts on LT trims which means like $50k or more. That isn't happening. All the trims I'm looking at are low-mid level trims. Custom Trail Boss uses a key still. 

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the truck level playing field is as close as its ever been .  

 

Go with what looks the best to you and what truck you can get more money off. 

 

They all tow and haul very close to each other 

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14 hours ago, MikeNH said:

Not at the prices/trims I'm looking at. Keyless starts on LT trims which means like $50k or more. That isn't happening. All the trims I'm looking at are low-mid level trims. Custom Trail Boss uses a key still. 

Yep. And that's another thing that runs me the wrong way with this new body style. Went and test drive a custom trail boss. It still had the 6 speed, no 8 speed. No keyless entry. It had the jump seat, which is fine, however there is now no more storage under the armrest when the seat is flipped down. And what I was most surprised with, the carpet flooring didn't even come all the way to the middle seat. There was a nice big gap where you could see the paint of the cab floor. All that for a sticker price of over $50k. ??

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5 hours ago, Jollygreengiant said:

Yep. And that's another thing that runs me the wrong way with this new body style. Went and test drive a custom trail boss. It still had the 6 speed, no 8 speed. No keyless entry. It had the jump seat, which is fine, however there is now no more storage under the armrest when the seat is flipped down. And what I was most surprised with, the carpet flooring didn't even come all the way to the middle seat. There was a nice big gap where you could see the paint of the cab floor. All that for a sticker price of over $50k. ??

 

Honestly with all the issues I've read from people complaining about the 8 speed, I'm fine with the 6. My 2011 had it and it seemed fine. The rest is a mixed bag in my eyes though. I'd like to have keyless entry/ignition but it isn't a must. None of the other low/mid trim trucks have it other than the Titan. Ram does it halfway and gives you keyless ignition but not entry. Still gotta use the remote like the Chevy.  The armrest storage bothers me to no end. Ford does this too and I cannot imagine this saves any money. They paid to engineer, manufacture, warehouse and distribute two otherwise nearly identical arm rests. That has to cost more than just leaving it in. Just like Ford does with the bed lighting. You can't get it on an XL trim truck. The plug under the hood is there but the wires aren't. Again, this is extra work and cost specifically to remove content. It can have no benefit other than forcing a customer to buy the next trim up (which is my guess as to why they pull this). The carpet thing would drive me up the wall. I'll need to check for that whenever I start test driving the different trucks. That's why I think the Ram and Titan offer the most content for your money. But I'm fed up with the garage quality I've experienced with FCA in my Jeeps, the dealer near my office being staffed by morons and I just don't know enough about Nissan to know if I can trust the brand. And even though it probably has more American parts in it than a Chevy, part of me does not want to buy a "foreign" truck.

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On 1/11/2019 at 3:54 PM, KARNUT said:

I’d have to look hard at Nissan because of their warranty. I’m sure their dealing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'd be taking a very close look, too. They are definitely dealing here in Canada and with the warranty would be hard to overlook.

 

Here's a link from a local dealer blowing out Platinum's  https://www.westendnissan.com/inventory/new-inventory?stock_type=New&make=Nissan&model=Titan&page=1&page_length=20&year=2018&trim=Platinum Reserve

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm also looking to get my first truck and 2018 Sierra SLE or 2020 Silverado RST is my first choice right now. Previous edition Sierra supposedly had the same expected reliability as the Tundra. Time will tell for the new edition. 

 

2018 Tundra SR5 or 2019 Limited is my second choice - cheapest way to get heated seats in each year - but it's a bit more expensive, worse fuel economy, lower payload and towing, so big and hard to see over the hood and the 5.7 supposedly howls like a banshee when towing.

 

Ram, Nissan and Ford do not have the reliability I'm looking for. Lots of people say you can get a nicer F-150 for less than a GM but I didn't find that to be the case, based on the Build and Price on the Ford website.

 

Also, maybe I checked the wrong box but the Titan I specced came out about $10k more expensive than any other truck. 

Edited by Cpl_Punishment
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38 minutes ago, Cpl_Punishment said:

I'm also looking to get my first truck and 2018 Sierra SLE or 2020 Silverado RST is my first choice right now. Previous edition Sierra supposedly had the same expected reliability as the Tundra. Time will tell for the new edition. 

 

2018 Tundra SR5 or 2019 Limited is my second choice - cheapest way to get heated seats in each year - but it's a bit more expensive, worse fuel economy, lower payload and towing, so big and hard to see over the hood and the 5.7 supposedly howls like a banshee when towing.

 

Ram, Nissan and Ford do not have the reliability I'm looking for. Lots of people say you can get a nicer F-150 for less than a GM but I didn't find that to be the case, based on the Build and Price on the Ford website.

 

Also, maybe I checked the wrong box but the Titan I specced came out about $10k more expensive than any other truck. 

 

The K2 trucks are pretty well sorted out. If reliability is key, I don’t think you could do any better than a 2018 Sierra / Silverado.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I love my 2019 but there are some definite bugs that need to be worked out. I work from home and have flexibility so I’m willing to deal with some crap here and there because I do love the look. It is a better truck than the ‘18, but not as reliable yet. Waiting for the 2020 or at least until the ‘19s are worked out isn’t a bad idea if you don’t need it right away.

 

The Toyota is hopelessly outdated. It might be a good buy on the used market but mentally I could never spend money on a new truck that looks and behaves like a 12 year old one. Just does not compute. 

 

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4 hours ago, OnTheReel said:

 

The Toyota is hopelessly outdated. It might be a good buy on the used market but mentally I could never spend money on a new truck that looks and behaves like a 12 year old one. Just does not compute. 

 

I just sold my 2010 Tundra for a 2019 Silverado. I loved the Tundra and still love the body style, I think it's a great looking truck but think it seriously needs a refresh due to basically being the same body style for over a decade. For me the biggest turn off was the interior, I was happy with the interior but felt like the new trucks was a down grade. it was just kinda...blah. I'm not a Ford fan, no particular reason, they just don't suite me. I don't like the new RAM's, hated the square wheel wells of the previous gen Silverado's but loved the redesign (interior and exterior) of the 2019 Silverado. So that's what got me.

 

I've heard some people don't like the interior of the Silverado's, there's always going to be people who hate or love it. For me, I really like it. It's not perfect, but I'm super happy with it. 

 

Some think the new Silverado has similar shape to the Tundra, I can see resemblances, maybe that's why I like it to haha. The Tundra was great, but I'm loving the Silverado and don't regret my purchase. 

 

I miss the full electric back window though, not that I used it much, I just thought it was pretty cool :) but now I have an electric up/down tailgate so I'll take it haha

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