Too much $ for these work trucks.

I would be buying one of these used trucks for work so this is in a sense an employment question.

I found a 2008 2-door regular cab Chevy Silverado 4x4 for $15,995 with 98,000 miles. According to consumer reports, the 2008 model of this truck has a poor drive system. I hear Chevys are tough and 98,000 miles is a non-issue.

I also found a 2005 Toyota Tundra with 25,176 miles for $14,496. According to Consumer Reports, this truck is outstanding in terms of reliability. Should I be concerned with a 2005 having so few miles?

I would greatly appreciate your advice. I am 6 feet 6 inches tall and 235 lbs and want something with high ground clearance and plenty of room inside. I also prefer 4x4 to deal with the Minnesota winters. Thanks in advance and sorry if this is out of place.

P.S. Do I really need 4x4 to drive on the icy roads and in the snow Minnesota is known for. I've read as long as you weigh the bed down it will handle similarly to a 4x4. The only reason I want 4x4 is for snow/ice handling.

I had an 04 Tundra. My nephew had an 06 and my brother-in-law an 08. If you like stopping for gas every time you turn around then that's the truck to buy. All 3 of us got rid of ours
strictly for that reason. I had a 73, 455 Pontiac Trans Am that got better mileage. I don't forget that around 90 thousand miles you'd better change the timing belt and that's gonna be
about 800 bucks, give or take, unless you're a mechanic with a shop.

I always think of maintenance costs when buying a used vehicle. My last van (93 vw bus)ddidn't owe me a penny. Part here, a part there, but nothing major. That is cool.

Re: Toyota trucks, when I was a kid all the Toyota trucks had a homemade wooden bed. These midwest winters ate the bed right off the frame! The new trucks may be better in that regard, but they have small fuel tanks and don't get the best gas mileage.

Chevy trucks are like a cheese sandwich. Simple, anyone can fix one. Parts are anywhere. My dad had a Tahoe. Something about a fuel injector failing, the fuel backed up down the wire loom then drown the ECM. Huh....

If you aren't hell bent on getting a truck, you could check into late model Subarus. They worked out all the head gasket issues and they have AWD. Hth!

-dh

If you aren't set on a truck, I would look into an older Toyota Landcruiser. It took me about a month of constant Internet searching, but I finally scored a good deal on one last week. 1994 with 77000 miles on it. Came with all the service records, and brand new tires. $8000 . It's full time 4wd so the fuel mileage sucks, but when I put it in 4 low, I get all four spinning together unlike 99percent of so called 4wd's. good for another 200 to 300 thousand miles.

I have been considering a Subaru Forrester but do not understand their engines. I am no mechanic but know V6 is good and a 4 cylinder not so good. The Subarus have 2.5L H4 16V MPFI SOHC and Gas Flat 4-Cyl 2.5L/150. I have no idea how to interpret this. Consumer digest says to avoid the turbo-charged variant--the XT models.

All that H4 means is that it's like an old VW motor; a horizontally opposed flat 4 cyl. The Subaru motors are very reliable and can go up to 300k MI easy with maintenance. Oil change, tires, etc. Nothing extravagent. Just because something had a V6 or a Inline 6 doesn't necessarily mean its better per se. The early H4's had head gasket problems. The late models dont. Each bank has it's own cylinder head. They have overhead cams. There is a timing belt that is 86 miles long. Changing that is easy. About every 75-90,000 mi. I'm telling you as a VW guy, if i had to, I'd get a Subaru for all the reasons that I'm telling you. That and they get good gas mileage.

My old Tundra gives me 17mpg, which is average. Just be sure to have someone put it on a lift and examine the frame well - some suffered from frame rust pretty bad. Also the 4 speed automatics in them weren't the best, but I think 05 is when they went to the 5 speed. Other than that, they are pretty tough little trucks and ride great.

The price for that chevy is a little too high, IMO. For a few grand more you can get a brand new regular cab work truck with full warranty (and maybe better financing). A few months ago you could have walked away with a leftover 13 for a song, but now isn't the greatest time to buy a truck.

The greater question is what kind of work are you using the truck for? Will you be using it for hauling/towing, or just commuting to work? I'd question why you just want a regular cab. The extra indoor storage in a extended/crew cab is handy (even if I like the looks of standard cabs better).

But do get 4x4. It's better to have it and not need it than the other way around. Esp. if you have to go to work when the plows aren't out yet. Saying that, if it's a lighter/nuisance snow, I'll take my SUV over my truck. Handles a lot better in the slop.

PS. with your height, you better spend some time in each to see what is more comfortable. Esp. if you are going to spend a lot of time in it.

From what I have seen from a career working in the industry, I would advise against buying a used railroad truck. Very few industries are harder on their trucks than railroads.

Unless you are buying a truck that was leased to a railroad (and replaced on a schedule), the truck was probably kept in service until multiple components needed overhaul or replacement. As the cost of repair approaches the value of the truck, it makes sense for the railroad to replace it. At that point, the truck is pretty much used up.

Maybe a logging or oil exploration company would be as hard on their trucks. You can figure on getting a vehicle that has seen a large share of its mileage being off-road, having been driven over railroad ties, rocks, and anything else in the way. The trucks are usually driven by people other than those who maintain them.
The interiors are occupied by people with other things on their minds than keeping them clean. Sometimes greasy equipment will have been hauled around in there, too. The bed will have been used to carry heavy, irregular-shaped metal objects, sometimes for years between being cleaned out. Some of the cargo is apt to have been corrosive chemicals. Expect the wiring system to contain many field repairs that were never properly fixed. The paint job will show the result of years of driving through brush.

Les

Les

While my truck wasn't a railroad truck, I can't complain against Chevy. It's an S-10 with 230,000 miles, V6. still runs strong. I've had little trouble with this truck over 11 years of ownership, with few major repairs. Any repairs now are simply due to old age. I've had good success with Chevrolet, cars AND trucks and have driven them most of my life. Me, I won't own foreign brand vehicles: mine must be "born" in the USA. Toyota is not. I know, I know......I hear all the arguments about "imports being 'better'", "but the domestics have foreign parts, etc". But I've also had good luck with Chevrolet for almost 50 years, proving to be reliable, easy to fix, and cheaper to operate overall than others. I had a Celebrity station wagon I bought while working for Norfolk Southern. Brand new with 11 miles on the clock when I drove it off the Spruill Chevrolet lot on 11/87. I drove that wagon for 13 years with never a wrench put on it except for expected and routine wear! The engine nor transmission was ever opened for repairs! I replaced batteries, tires, a couple of alternators--that's about all. It went to Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Michigan without ever a failure. At 199,000+ miles I sold it and bought this used S-10 truck, and I haven't been sorry for it or the station wagon. Kinda wish they still made those Celebrity wagons But the little truck has been a faithful "friend"(?) since 2003) for hauling, towing my old antique Jeep, trailering--or just plain cruising the highway. Not too good on snow, tho!

I wouldn't buy a ex-fleet truck, tho--railroad or otherwise. You just don't know how its been treated. It might cost more, but I would go to a reputable
Chevy dealer. JMHO!

Thanks for the feedback guys. I've grown to like the 2009 Subaru Forester more and more since we last talked. I've found two with 68,000 miles. One is for $16,900 and the other for $15,247. I also found one for $17,995 with 50,237 miles; every appraisal site says this one is very over priced.

What do you all think of this one:
For sale by dealer
2009 Subaru Forester
$15,247
67,744 miles
2.5L H4 SOHC 16V engine
AWD

WhiskeyBravo270 wrote:Thanks for the feedback guys. I've grown to like the 2009 Subaru Forester more and more since we last talked. I've found two with 68,000 miles. One is for $16,900 and the other for $15,247. I also found one for $17,995 with 50,237 miles; every appraisal site says this one is very over priced.

What do you all think of this one:
For sale by dealer
2009 Subaru Forester
$15,247
67,744 miles
2.5L H4 SOHC 16V engine
AWD

If you go to autotrader.com and put in the stats, it will tell you what the retail, wholesale and trade in price is.