Need used truck buying advice.

My opinion https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/759336332/overview/
V6, 6' bed, has some options, gets better gas mileage than any of the trucks you listed, can be bought for ~$18K and it's new enough you'll get a good loan.
Otherwise, look at real old/beater trucks. Drop $1K on whatever you find. Be it a taco, ranger, Silverado. If you know how to turn a wrench old vehicles are always cheaper than a payment. And depreciation is negligible when you consider tires, batteries, and other normal wear and tear.
And if you only need a truck to haul the bike, a Camry will pull a small harbor freight trailer just fine

Need to have 4wd. As much as I want to buy American, they just don't put on miles as well as the Japanese stuff

I really dont want something that needs work all the time. I built a couple older Vws when i was into cars and I have any tool I would ever need but I have no desire to be trying to fix something when its 10 degrees outside.

Gonna have to agree to disagree there
But if you want reliable, go with the taco. The frontiers are pretty good, but not as good as the Tacomas.

Check out lease hacker. Some innovative ways to get cheap vehicles and buy out at the end!

I think a crew cab 4x4 frontier is your best bet for am afforable pickup. About 20k gets you one with 20k miles on it from my searching.

I read your situation and I’d steer you to new. I bought a new LTZ Silverado for 14k under sticker. 46k truck got 32k. Brand new with no worries about repairs for the next 36,000 miles. Look for massive rebates or zero percent financing and go with a long term loan to get the payments as low as possible. Anytime you buy used (more than 20-30,000) miles you are just asking for breakdowns and repairs. People boast about the reliability of Tacoma’s. I’ve bought 2 used ones in the past 7-8 years and both of them were n the shop more than any other vehicle I’ve had. The last one had a pulley crack break loose from the block right about the time I pulled into a clients driveway and dropped a few quarts of oil on a very nice stone driveway. Took that piece of shit an an had it repaired and the next drive was to a dealer to trade it in. Not to mention it was like driving a mini truck compared to a full size truck, the comfort cannot compare to what the American trucks offer. And don’t believe the horror stories on American trucks, any vehicle can have issues as I’ve learned from Toyotas. I’ve been driving trucks for the past 40 years being n construction and have had zero issues with most of them. The F150’s seemed to be the best so far but this last one I went with Chevy as they offered me the best deal.

I know buying new is not always the best when buying a vehicle but when you get a shitload off of retail sometimes it is your smartest option. And since you mentioned you have leased in the past I know you are a intelligent person. For the right low mileage driver leases are the best option. You know you’ll get to work on time and you’ll be spending nothing on anything but routine maintenance.
Anyway there’s my advice. Keep us posted on what you find

KennyT wrote:

I read your situation and I’d steer you to new. I bought a new LTZ Silverado for 14k under sticker. 46k truck got 32k. Brand new with no worries about repairs for the next 36,000 miles. Look for massive rebates or zero percent financing and go with a long term loan to get the payments as low as possible. Anytime you buy used (more than 20-30,000) miles you are just asking for breakdowns and repairs. People boast about the reliability of Tacoma’s. I’ve bought 2 used ones in the past 7-8 years and both of them were n the shop more than any other vehicle I’ve had. The last one had a pulley crack break loose from the block right about the time I pulled into a clients driveway and dropped a few quarts of oil on a very nice stone driveway. Took that piece of shit an an had it repaired and the next drive was to a dealer to trade it in. Not to mention it was like driving a mini truck compared to a full size truck, the comfort cannot compare to what the American trucks offer. And don’t believe the horror stories on American trucks, any vehicle can have issues as I’ve learned from Toyotas. I’ve been driving trucks for the past 40 years being n construction and have had zero issues with most of them. The F150’s seemed to be the best so far but this last one I went with Chevy as they offered me the best deal.

I know buying new is not always the best when buying a vehicle but when you get a shitload off of retail sometimes it is your smartest option. And since you mentioned you have leased in the past I know you are a intelligent person. For the right low mileage driver leases are the best option. You know you’ll get to work on time and you’ll be spending nothing on anything but routine maintenance.
Anyway there’s my advice. Keep us posted on what you find

I currently have a 2016 Silverado and its been a turd. A bunch of issues popped up at 10k miles. The truck has the "chevy shake" at 70 mph the center console shakes like crazy. Truck was at the dealer for 2 months trying to fix the issues. Its also had 2 torque converters and 2 exhausts.

fourfourone wrote:

I currently have a 2016 Silverado and its been a turd. A bunch of issues popped up at 10k miles. The truck has the "chevy shake" at 70 mph the center console shakes like crazy. Truck was at the dealer for 2 months trying to fix the issues. Its also had 2 torque converters and 2 exhausts.

Change the rim size to 16 inch and get some good tires, shake will go away. Something with 18inch wheels and 4th order tire vibration has been an issue on GM's since the 2007 generation trucks. It's pretty crazy watching the waveform with some accelerometers in the cab. I did a bunch of captures when the 14's first came out.

My truck has factory 20s with good cooper tires. They road forced balanced perfectly. The dealer also put 16s from a WT and it still did it. They then took the rear diff apart and re lashed it 3 times. The list goes on...

After months of BS, GM said this is considered normal operation and did nothing for me.

That's the exact video. The fact they charge 45k for such a poor build POS is the reason I will never buy another one. And its not just me, thousands have had this issue. The 14-18s are the worse.

Wow same situation. Leased a Silverado, then leased a ram after that, now buying a used a truck. Over the leasing thing. No more stressing miles or every little scratch or ding from side work or taking road trips down to Florida. Wanted a mid size so the wife’s more comfortable driving something smaller when the roads are bad in winter and she needs the 4WD, and it needed to be crew cab to have plenty of room for the baby seat. Read allot about mid size trucks the last couple months and eventually decided on a Nissan Frontier crew cab cause it fits the budget and accomplishes everything I need in a vehicle without the added expense of a Tacoma or Colorado. Both a bit pricier. The frontiers and proven as the truck is basically the same for the last decade now. It’s fitting cause I’m a YZ250 two stroke kind of guy. Don’t need all the extra bells and whistles today’s vehicles have and this thing has a CD player which I totally dig been years since I had a vehicle with that. Miss jamming to some sublime cd’s while cruising. Went with the PRO-4X model after seeing a good price on a clean one with only 11,000 miles. This model has some added features the normal SV model doesn’t. Beefier shocks, black alloy wheels, Rockford fosgate subwoofer w/ 10 speakers, rear tinted windows, heated seats, navigation. Financed no money down payments $425. The goal was to stay under $400 but after seeing and driving the Pro-4X model and a SV model back to back yesterday for comparison it was worth the little extra to get this model. Picking it up tomorrow after work

I am heavily considering a frontier. Same reasons too. If you don't mind me asking how much did you pay for yours to be at 425 per month?

KennyT wrote:

I read your situation and I’d steer you to new. I bought a new LTZ Silverado for 14k under sticker. 46k truck got 32k. Brand new with no worries about repairs for the next 36,000 miles. Look for massive rebates or zero percent financing and go with a long term loan to get the payments as low as possible. Anytime you buy used (more than 20-30,000) miles you are just asking for breakdowns and repairs. People boast about the reliability of Tacoma’s. I’ve bought 2 used ones in the past 7-8 years and both of them were n the shop more than any other vehicle I’ve had. The last one had a pulley crack break loose from the block right about the time I pulled into a clients driveway and dropped a few quarts of oil on a very nice stone driveway. Took that piece of shit an an had it repaired and the next drive was to a dealer to trade it in. Not to mention it was like driving a mini truck compared to a full size truck, the comfort cannot compare to what the American trucks offer. And don’t believe the horror stories on American trucks, any vehicle can have issues as I’ve learned from Toyotas. I’ve been driving trucks for the past 40 years being n construction and have had zero issues with most of them. The F150’s seemed to be the best so far but this last one I went with Chevy as they offered me the best deal.

I know buying new is not always the best when buying a vehicle but when you get a shitload off of retail sometimes it is your smartest option. And since you mentioned you have leased in the past I know you are a intelligent person. For the right low mileage driver leases are the best option. You know you’ll get to work on time and you’ll be spending nothing on anything but routine maintenance.
Anyway there’s my advice. Keep us posted on what you find

fourfourone wrote:

I currently have a 2016 Silverado and its been a turd. A bunch of issues popped up at 10k miles. The truck has the "chevy shake" at 70 mph the center console shakes like crazy. Truck was at the dealer for 2 months trying to fix the issues. Its also had 2 torque converters and 2 exhausts.

Funny you mentioned that. On average I buy a new truck every 2-3 years so I won’t have it past the warranty. I have 20’s on mine and my center console shimmies. Maybe that’s why it was 14K off of retail? I had a 2013 Ram Laramie with air suspension and 8 speed auto and that 2013 was a far superior truck than this 2018 Chevy. Put 60,000+ miles in 3 years on the Ran and had zero issues . I still would buy any American full size truck over anything else....any of the 3. I’ve had 2 Toyota’s and could not stand them. Like driving a fiat with a bed on the back

fourfourone wrote:

I am heavily considering a frontier. Same reasons too. If you don't mind me asking how much did you pay for yours to be at 425 per month?

$27,400 was what I got them down too and had the taxes, fees, and everything else rolled into that too

Just get this and be done.

https://www.netdirectautosales.com/used/2016-toyota-tundra-4x4-crewmax-sr5-8212/

If they changed wheel size and it was still there than it's not a tire vibration. Every GM dealer in the country is supposed to have a vibration analyzing kit, the problem I've found after talking with several dealerships is that they don't know how to use it, and don't want to learn.

Another vote for the Frontier. That'll probably be my next truck in a year or two. Good sized, durable, no frills pickup.

The used Tacoma market is retarded. No, I'm not paying $20k for your 100k mile '11 Tacoma.

I'll chime in about the first gen Tundra.

I have a 2000 TRD access cab. Have owned it since 02. Bought it with 39k for $20k, and it has 240k on it now. It's spent its entire life in west Michigan, the last 6 years or so only being my winter truck. To say I love it, would be an understatement. I've had no real issues, aside from the frame rusting away. 3 years ago Toyota replaced the frame under a recall along with a laundry list of parts associated with it, ie bushing, control arms, brake lines, fuel lines etc. all for free, all while giving me a new TRD tacoma as a loaner.

I've always wanted the Double cab (4 door) since they came out as my family has grown. I've been looking the last few years all over the country willing to pay top dollar for a clean rust free lower mile (100k more or less depending on condition). I ended up buying a 14 Raptor, which is sweet, but I miss driving my Tundra. As sweet as the Raptor is, there's just something about the first gen tundra that's perfect. It's not too big like my raptor or any full size truck, and it's not too small like a tacoma. Just perfect.

The resale on the double cabs is pretty steady, and they seem to be growing in popularity with a following as they a pretty off road truck, kind of similar to Land Cruisers and Tacoma's (not THAT crazy, but i might be eventually). But the prices are all over the place depending on where in the country they're being sold.

That being said, if you decide to buy one my advice is, find one down south or west, where ever there's no salt on the road and the truck has spent its entire life there.(there's a lot in texas as that's where they're built i believe) Timing belt is a 100k service, and it's an interference engine, and they've been known to snap, so make sure that's done. Don't be afraid of them if they're higher mileage, and documented maintenance history. Get the TRD package, or limited, as they'll have better resale. If you get one, do all the fluids, especially the tranny.

If you decide to look locally, check to see if the frame was replaced or undercoated. The way it worked, was you get it inspected, if there's a hole in frame bigger than a quarter, they replace it, if it's not, they undercoat it. The undercoat lasts like 2 minutes, and if your frame rusts later, you're not eligible for full replacement.

I don't have any experience with the other trucks your'e looking at, but I know, if I hadn't driven a raptor last year, I'd have two tundra's right now. There's been more than a few times when I'm driving my Raptor, I feel like I made a huge mistake not buying a first gen double cab tundra.

fourfourone wrote:

Need to have 4wd. As much as I want to buy American, they just don't put on miles as well as the Japanese stuff

I really dont want something that needs work all the time. I built a couple older Vws when i was into cars and I have any tool I would ever need but I have no desire to be trying to fix something when its 10 degrees outside.

My buddy is big into VW's (has a bay window, 54 oval window beetle, MK2 GTI and a few others) and for last decade I've been building/playing with a b5 S4, so I know where you're at lol.

My Tundra has been mine and my friends "rock" if that makes sense. Never have to worry about it, and it is just capable enough to pull a car trailer for when the VW's/audi shit the bed. Those VW/audi dumps are the only reason I never bought a Tacoma as I needed something with a little bit of towing power haha

Also, I used to pull a 6x10 enclosed every weekend. The 4.7's are very capable and peppy. When I bought mine in 02, after driving a z71 and an FX4 f150, I test drove mine and knew after pulling out of dealership lot that I was going to buy the Tundra. They're quick, and ride like a lexus compared to the two others..

Tundra's are kind of "bare bones" and lack the fancy BS compared to most other trucks, but the older it got, the more I appreciated the way they're optioned out.

I dont have any experience for buying a truck, but you can get info from online stores.

I'm not a big fan of buying used vehicles in this price range. Why? because they still have so much room for depreciation for the 2-5 years you are going to own the vehicle. You might buy something for around $20k and it might only be worth $10K by the time you need to sell it.

My advice would be to find the best used vehicle you can for under $10k. Drive it for 2-5 years and maintain it well and you are still going to have a $5-8K vehicle years from now when it's time to sell. This is the best way to reduce how much money you waste on depreciation.

Maybe not the answer you wanted to hear, but I think you should focus your financials on saving for your house so that you can maximize your down payment. A cheaper vehicle will also allow you to carry less overall debt which will be reviewed when you do your mortgage application.

mxtech1 wrote:

I'm not a big fan of buying used vehicles in this price range. Why? because they still have so much room for depreciation for the 2-5 years you are going to own the vehicle. You might buy something for around $20k and it might only be worth $10K by the time you need to sell it.

My advice would be to find the best used vehicle you can for under $10k. Drive it for 2-5 years and maintain it well and you are still going to have a $5-8K vehicle years from now when it's time to sell. This is the best way to reduce how much money you waste on depreciation.

Maybe not the answer you wanted to hear, but I think you should focus your financials on saving for your house so that you can maximize your down payment. A cheaper vehicle will also allow you to carry less overall debt which will be reviewed when you do your mortgage application.

You are correct. I was looking at 2010-2013 silverados. 20k you can get a nice truck. But in 2 or 3 years the same truck is worth half of what I would have paid. Witch would leave me upside down in the loan.

Big reason why I was considering a Tacoma is because they hold there value very well. Especially in the north east