SPECIFIC VEHICLE RECOMMENDATIONS - Large Pickup Trucks:
The most popular vehicles in the US, these vehicles sell twice as often as top selling cars. They are great for hauling and towing, but the short cab versions need extra weight in the bed to pull a boat up a slick ramp, unless you opt for the true 4 door or 4 wheel drive versions. Manufacturers have gone to great pains to keep them capable of hauling weight without sacrificing empty ride. Seems like the manufacturers finally realized that people buy them for the work capability, but rarely use that capability. What are recommended here are the trucks that can do more than haul rocks, so 4 door, 5 passenger trucks are emphasized. Resale value on these vehicles is very high. It is important to understand that the work capacity of a truck is not solely determined by the engine. TV advertizing stresses the engines that are available for the various trucks, but a hemi, diesel, or a V10 engine does not necessarily define greater tow/haul capacity. If the truck is needed for towing and hauling, check the manufacturer's ratings, not the horsepower. Regular gas is the norm for gas versions except for high performance versions. 4 wheel drive versions are great for snow covered states.
Ford F150 Super Crew - By far the best selling vehicle in America. The Super Crew version has 4 full size doors. You can actually sit in the back seat comfortably, and there’s a decent size (5 ½ ft) bed with an optional swing out bed extender. By putting a hard cover on the bed, you will have essentially a large sedan that can hold 1800 lb in the trunk (bed) or tow 8000 lb of trailer. Also, with the longer cab, more of the weight is on the rear wheels, so the ride is definitely more balanced. Gas mileage is better than most in this class. The Ford is taller than comparable Chevys. There are lots of F150 models to choose from, and if they are not capable enough, there are also the F250, F350, etc. Reliability is high relative to many cars. All are V6 or V8 and rear or 4 wheel drive. King Ranch Edition has true leather interior like saddles and baseball gloves. Excellent gas engines, including a turbocharged V6. (A very quiet diesel is available in the F250 and heavier duty Fords.)
3 - Adequate for most situations 1 - Takes over 130 ft to stop. Rather longish. 2 - 15 to 19 mpg on regular or 17 to 21 on premium fuel 4 - Comfortable for 4 on trips 5 - Best there is. More reliable used than many new cars 5 - Cavernous 5 - Can tow over 5000 lb - horse/travel/big boat trailers 5 - Serious space and weight capacity 2 - Can get out of its own way
Toyota Tundra Double Cab - The Double Cab and CrewMax, true 4 door trucks, have three optional bed lengths and two optional cab lengths. Rear passengers are comfortable, especially in the Crew Max configuration. This is an extremely smooth, high quality, quiet, and very reliable truck. Engine is honey quiet and smooth. Tows 10,800 lb Hauls 2000 lb. Gas engine only, rear or 4 wheel drive.
3 - Adequate for most situations 1 - Takes over 130 ft to stop. Rather longish. 2 - 15 to 19 mpg on regular or 17 to 21 on premium fuel 4 - Comfortable for 4 on trips 5 - Best there is. More reliable used than many new cars 5 - Cavernous 5 - Can tow over 5000 lb - horse/travel/big boat trailers 5 - Serious space and weight capacity 2 - Can get out of its own way
GMC Sierra - GMC/Chevy truck. Comes in short and long bed versions. 2 or 4 door. Also available in heavy duty versions. Decent quality and reliability. V6 or V8 with rear or 4 wheel drive.
3 - Adequate for most situations 1 - Takes over 130 ft to stop. Rather longish. 2 - 15 to 19 mpg on regular or 17 to 21 on premium fuel 4 - Comfortable for 4 on trips 5 - Best there is. More reliable used than many new cars 5 - Cavernous 5 - Can tow over 5000 lb - horse/travel/big boat trailers 5 - Serious space and weight capacity 2 - Can get out of its own way
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