Having owned both, I personally would not want to go back to a smaller truck. The all-new 2009 F150 gets great reviews and is currently discounted $3000. With that I could buy an equavalent of the '01 that I bought new nine years ago for virtually the same price that I paid back then. Expensive, yes, but reasonable when you put it that way.

If you don't mind going a little heavier duty, the F250s are discounted $7000 and even in Lariat trim can be had for cheaper than an F150, under $30k.

As for me, if the '09 F150's rebate gets around $7000 when the 2010's come out, I'm going to have a real hard time not buying one even though there's nothing wrong with my truck.

A good truck will last you a long time and as such I think they're worth splurging on a bit.

By the way, I've been kicking that F150's tires and find that just walking in to a dealership they pretty much offer you the same as you'll see on an internet site such as carsdirect.com without having to haggle. So from that perspective they really are trying to move inventory.

I can't answer as to the size, but I would definitely go for the Toyota over a Ford because of lack of repairs and milage you can get on a Toyota over a Ford.

Sally, get what you want, you're going to have it for a long time and you're paying a lot of money. Somehow having what you want makes it a bit easier to make the payment sometimes.

If you check the US News auto ratings, you will find that the Toyota is ranked a 9 in reliability and the Ranger is an 8, pretty darned close. Ford loses ground because of interior design and the fact that it "rides like a truck". LOL Well, it IS a truck. (grin)

Ford makes a pretty good truck for the money and I am not a Ford fan in any sense of the word, as evidenced by the fact that I drive a Jeep Wrangler. Had I known I was going to be faced with my current situation, I'd have gotten a truck instead but at that time Dad was still alive and we used his full sized, quad cab Silverado for hauling.

Having farmed all my life I can assure you that the Ford trucks can take nearly anything you can dish out, from hauling cattle from a neighbor to a trek though the National Forest to chase the cattle you just hauled last week and be ready to haul two tons of corn into town to be ground. David's Dad has a Ford F150 with 280,000 miles on the original engine and transmission.

According to Automobile Magazine:

"The main advantages of buying a Ranger are low price and durability. The fact that the truck has gone unchanged mechanically for so long means that Ford has corrected most issues with the engine, suspension, and other systems, making for a truck that should last for the long haul." Maybe that's why David got 280,000 miles out of his F150, it's experience, LOL.

The Ford will do what you want it to do but if it isn't what you really want you're going to resent those payments.

The only vehicle I've ever owned that wasn't a Dodge/Ford/Chevrolet was an MG Midget and was worth every overpriced penny, although it was unreliable and expensive. It was almost worth all the carp I had to take for buying an import in a family who has several members employed at making parts for General Motors and a cousin who was head of the parts department at the local Chevy dealer. (grin)

Annie

Every big Ford I've ever owned, 92 big van, 93 Explorer, 00 Windstar van, everyone of them, all had a $1000 repair of the same engine computer at about 70K-80K miles. Like clockwork. The Explorer we got 165K miles out of and it nickeled and dimed us after 75K miles. it was always something. The big van was used less, but we gt rid of it at 75L miles because of the other experience, same with the Windstar, which was sold at 100K, as we started getting $500 repairs every other month or so, which was what the Explorer had done.

The Hondas (several Accords over time and now a van) OTOH, have been almost repair-free. Jim's old Accord was donated when he hit 265K miles and 16 years. Didn't even need a new clutch until 180K miles, and was still driving perfectly when we got a new one.

Machines all will need repair eventually, it's the nature of the beast. I've had great luck with Dodge vans, I totalled the first one with 92,000 miles on it and it had never been in the shop for any reason other than routine maintenance but others have had problems with them.

One of my attorneys has a Honda Element that has been in the garage nearly constantly since it hit 70,000 miles. It is so unreliable that he is going to trade it in because he has a baby girl and is afraid he'll get stranded somewhere with the baby in it. It's never suited him very well anyway, he parked it next to my Jeep when he first bought it and made some remark about the "all wheel drive". I told him to talk to me after the first big snow, LOL, and after the first big storm I asked him how that Element was. His response was "it sucks, shut up". One of Elery's staff put a transmission in his Toyota Corolla at 87,000 miles. It happens no matter the make or model and it depends on who you talk to.

I've had spectactularly bad luck with Ford cars (I owned one of the "exploding Escorts" that had bad ignition switches) but the trucks are better and I love my Jeep Wrangler.

I will never buy a Honda based on the experiences of a couple of my friends, others love them. I still say buy what you like, it makes the payments so much easier to pay.

Annie

Thanks for the input, everyone. I'll show this to DH, who's the one that's going to be driving it the most (for now, lol).

Sally

Well I have a 95 Ford Ranger in the yard. It has over 300K on it and still runs almost as good as it did brand new. It's had very little done to it. Timing belts at 70K, oil changes at 6K, it commuted 3 hours a day for about 3 years.

So I can't at all say that a Ford doesn't make great trucks.
And domestics are cheaper to fix if repairs are needed.

We also have a Mazda MPV and a Volkswagon Jetta..both expensive to repair!! Especially the Jetta!!!

Terry, I should have sent you my old Fords when all the idiot lights started to come on to the tune of $500+ every time. Maybe it would have behaved itself at your house!

Truth is, the Toyotas and Hondas are no longer any more expensive to repair (as long as you find an independent shop and not the dealer) as domestic brands. Most of the so-called imports are made in North America anyway.

We had a routine 60K major service on one car and it was $600 at the dealer and only $300 at an independent shop specializing in Hondas.

Ford F150 fan here. I've had them for the last 16 years or so. 1992...270,000 miles, 1997 190'000 miles, and my daily driver now a 2002 with 150,000 miles and still truckin'!

No major things, just normal repairs and oil changes. I was shocked that I didn't have any transmition challenges with the miles. Most costly was a fuel pump on the 97...500 plus. I changed the oil every 3500 miles or so, transmission every 60 - 70 or so, and the radiator every year...tires when they needed and tune up when needed. I think they ride better than a Chevy though...like Annie said ..they are a truck...lol!

The only down side...I helped more people move or haul stuff than I cared for at times. : )

David

Hey Sally --

I don't know about your area, but used trucks are very reasonable where we are living... Cars and trucks devalue so much just driving them off the lot that I personally can't imagine ever buying a new one -- even a young three or four year old used truck will cost you MUCH less while still having many years of life left in it.

Just an opinion (from someone who happily drives a 96 Camry wagon, and whose husband drives a 1990 Nissan pickup!)

Emily

I am a big fan of Toyota. Have had two, a Corolla back in the 80's and now drive a '97 Rav 4. Both of them the most reliable cars I have ever owned. Rarely needed anything but routine repairs, great on gas and they go forever!

My Rav currently has 235,000 miles on it and runs like a champ.

Tim drives a 2002 Ford F150 and he loves it, too.

We have not had great luck with Chrysler vehicles, and so-so with Chevrolet. Lots of friends love their Honda's but I have no experience with them.

Good luck on making a decision. Sorry this happened now, tho.

Linda

Actually I did have a problem with my F150 at around 70k: One of the coil packs went. My mechanic told me it's fairly common. Not too long after a second one went. Against the advice of my mechanic I had him replace all. It was expensive, but I just didn't feel like dealing with it six more times. Aside from that, everything's been pretty much standard maintenance items. So yes, I had a problem, but not such that I like my truck any less.

Like Annie, I have a friend whose Honda was nothing but a nightmare. But statistically they're tops in reliability and I took this into account over my friend's experience when I bought an Acura. If you look at Consumer Reports' reliabilty ratings of the F150, apparently there were issues with the "drive system", particularly '03 through '06, but pretty much everything else is red.

Unfortunately there's a chance of getting a lemon no matter what you buy, car or otherwise. Some people even have problems with Miele dishwashers! ;)

We're definitely going with used, unless someone offers a new one for just about as cheap. Well, cheap isn't the operating word for trucks in Texas, we're finding out. DH is feeling overwhelmed, and I told him we just have to get out there and drive some. I just don't know when. Meanwhile, it's good the weather is getting better because he's riding his bike to work now.

Sally

I'm a Ford guy. I've had imports....Honda, Mitsubishi and Nissan. They are fine, but I had problems with both the Mitsubishi (needed new clutch at 11,000 miles) and the Nissan burned a catalytic converter out at 3,000 miles. Ford's reliability tops Toyota right now. Like Annie said every machine is going to need repairs from time to time and if you ask 100 people you will get 100 different opinions. Get a budget, stick with it and shop different brands. Personally I would get an F-150, even a year or two older over a Ranger. Ranger's are tight on space, both interior and cargo and they don't get any better mileage than the full size unless you go with a 4 cylinder stick and then you are not getting the towing and cargo capacity you would with the full size. BTW, my wife hates Fords (brainwashed by her dad!) and has a Toyota Rav4. 4wd and she gets 30mpg in the city, but it's not a pickup obviously.

Annie, I had an Element with the AWD. Yes, it sucked in the snow. Mostly I think because of the tires. It was a fun and funky vehicle, but bad in the snow.

Duane

I drive GM but make lots of Ford parts. While any particular vehicle can have problems Toyota has the gold standard for making vehicle parts. I work very hard to get the factory I work at to adopt some of the Toyota ways of doing things. That said, Toyota's quality guru claims he learned almost everything from Henry Ford and Benjamin Franklin! I currently make turbo charger parts at work... a job that was lost by two previous factories because they could not maintain quality... our current idiot managers are whipping on people to go faster so it is only a matter of time before our quality takes a bad hit.

Idiot lights! Most vehicles made in the last 20 years have a computer that you can plug into. There is a little hand held code reader available at the auto store that costs about $100. Mine has saved me big $$$ in repairs as it tells me why the idiot light is lit. Most of the time on my truck it is an exhaust gas recirculation error. I reset the code and drive on idiot light free for another six months. My dad had his van in the dealership several times for a no start problem. They jacked him for a couple grand without fixing the problem. He borrowed my reader and found it was a bad coil... which he fixed himself.

I went with a small Blazer last time and got one decked out with most all the options. While the 4 wheel drive was expensive it has been a blessing during snow storms. Now 13 years old and getting 20mpg ( I drive slow).

: )
lyra

We had a Ford F150 for over 20 years. If it'd had a name it would have been "old reliable." We were religious about routine maintenance but other than that the only issue was an alternator.

For us one critical consideration is access to service. Our small town has two dealerships and both sell only domestic brands. (Though that's sometimes misleading; the Pontiac Vibe is a re-badged Toyota Matrix.) We just weren't up for driving over 30 miles and spending the day every time we needed a tuneup.

If it's a tossup I'd look very carefully at the dealer's reputation and choose the vehicle with the best support. Reliability data doesn't mean much once you've driven off the lot. Every brand has its lemons.

Carol

I didn't read all the way through this thread. But I love Ford and Chevy trucks. Will never buy a Dodge product again. I currently have a Toyota Sequoia (essentially the same thing as a Tundra) and I adore it. My DH has a 96 Tacoma that he's had since brand-new, and it is an amazing little truck. That said, it's little. I'd personally never want a little truck. I know that's funny, being a female, but I *love* trucks. Lol. I would buy a F350 in a heartbeat if I could justify it, having to haul four kids around. My uncles, all farmers, always had Ford or Chevy trucks. I had a Chrysler T&C Van (Dodge product) and as a result, will never buy a Dodge product again. Worse purchase of my life. I know I said that already, but I can't say it enough. Get what you love. Perhaps look at used vehicles, cause I think that's where the real deals are. My DH knew I wanted a Sequoia with all my heart, and when I found one used at Carmax, he gave his blessing. I've had it now for over 2 years, it's a 2003, and no problems except for one, which the extra warranty I bought covered.

We had a 99 Ranger XL or something deluxe and it was an awful truck. It road like a buckboard and brake repairs were ongoing as well as a few other things. The terrible ride could have been due to the big knobby offroad tires we had on it. It NEVER went off road either. I've heard others who have Rangers just love em and have no troubles so we could possibly have gotten a lemon.

We traded that in 2006 on an 06 big Dodge Ram 1500 Hemi, what a mistake with the gas prices going the way they did and then the prices on them plummeted by about $15,000 in 08 compared to 06. That being said though and considering the awful rap Chrysler gets we haven't had any problems with the Dodge Ram. It's so huge and it is a bugger to park in town at shopping centers and on the downtown streets etc.. but on the highway and in the country it's good, smooth, pretty quiet and considering it's mammoth size it's very very easy to drive.

It's not my Ram really it's my partners.. so I'm always told if I want to take it, I have the little econo Mazda 3.

LOL, Peter, I always drove those full sized Dodge Ram Conversion vans and loved 'em. I got about 20 MPG even with the V8 and they ran like champs. Yup, I had two of 'em, after I totalled that first one I had to have another. They were perfect vehicles to take the kids on vacation, to go camping in, to haul Girl Scouts around. Neither of them ever gave me a lick of trouble and I drove them from Michigan to Florida and from Maine to California. However, when the girls grew up and I didn't need that type of vehicle I got what I have always wanted, a Jeep Wrangler. Other than a 1965 GTO, it was my dream vehicle. It still is, I LOVE it.

I think if you're paying as much money as a vehicle costs, you should definitely buy what you want.

Annie

Annie, Raymond reminded me last week that he should have followed my daddy's lead and taken my "cars" back to the dealership. I came home with a 4 speed yellow 1965 GTO--that was my dream car. Within one hour of coming home with it, we were back at the dealership with daddy telling the salesman he had no business selling that car to a kid.

CAthy, now I'm envious. I never did get that '65 GTO. Sigh.

Maybe someday.......after the Jeep is paid for!

Annie

I had a new 65 GTO, a black one, I loved that car it had the heavy duty clutch and I just knew my left leg would end up being longer from pushing that sucker in but boy did it go fast. I wish I still had that car. We still have a 55 early series, looks like a 54, Chevy 5 window truck all original that the only trouble we ever had with it was a battery cable that had to be replaced. Even the radio still works but it only gets AM stations LOL

I canÂt give an opinion on a newer truck. It would be slanted on the Chevrolet side but I have to be true to GM thatÂs where the pay checks come from. 421 days until retirement and then I could drive something other than a Chevrolet or at least look at something else although I can honestly say we have not had any problems with any Chevy we have ever owned.

Claudia

I bought a chevy Avalanche in January. Where I live, a truck is often a necessary thing. It is big enough to seat 5, and the back is generous.
I love it, especially because everyone assumes it is my husband's truck. No way.
Jo

Funny, Jo!

Well, we did it! Sometimes things happen a lot faster than expected. It turns out that one of the major clients of the nursery I work for has a son that owns a Toyota dealership. My boss just bought a Camry from him, and gave him a call on my behalf. It turned out that they had a cute little '01 Tecoma that fit our current needs and was priced right. It's only faults are that it doesn't have any crew cab or anything, and it has a bench seat, so DH will do pretty much all the driving if we're in it together. I test drove it and DH's knees were up against the dash. I will use a pillow next time, so he doesn't have to be scrunched. We'll get a locking toolbox to put stuff in that would normally go behind the seat. The nice things about it are that it's clean, is a long bed ( surprisingly, the bed is the same length as the Tundra we also looked at - 6 feet), and is very fun to drive. It's quite peppy, actually. DH is quite pleased with it.

Thanks for everyone's input. Y'all were quite helpful.

Sally