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I'm looking for a pickup, why Tundra?

11K views 64 replies 40 participants last post by  nal13 
#1 ·
I want a full size pickup, owned GMs from the age of 17-30 and have been without one for the last few years. I do almost all my own maintenance and repairs. A lot of people are trying to get me to buy a Ford. After owning a Subaru, I do seem to like Japanese vehicles more, so I'm leaning towards Toyota, but what makes them better than the rest? I have a smaller travel trailer and I do landscaping and build stuff from time to time and need pickups to haul whatever. I have been renting them when I need them, but that gets annoying. So I'm in the market, don't want to go much over $20,000 and I want lower miles, I'm hoping ~65,000.


Also, why do I hear that their frames are weak, like on that ford commercial that shows them going over that bumpy track?
 
#3 ·
I do almost all my own maintenance and repairs. A lot of people are trying to get me to buy a Ford.

Also, why do I hear that their frames are weak, like on that ford commercial that shows them going over that bumpy track?
1.You'll get bored with a Tundra, hardly any maintenance and few and far between repairs to be done. lol

2. Commercials are just a half truth to to sell a product. Notice that the "so called American builders" do not include the Tundra in their comparisons. Why, because the Tundra out performs all the others in all aspects of "1/2" ton pick ups.
 
#7 ·
Nal13,
I'll tell you why I chose tundra (or more correctly Toyota).
I got my first Tacoma just because I wanted a truck for my dirt bike and luckily the Carmax salesmen put me in a Tacoma. I bought it 2 yrs old and drove it hard for 2.5 years and sold it (to a dealer) for 1K less then I paid for it. Ever since then I have had nothing but Toyotas; I eventually upgraded to the Tundra for more space in the cab as well as the bed. I have only owned Toyotas since 2009 but I have NEVER had one break down, and I always get a more then fair trade in value. I recommend looking at some of the links in the second post cause there is a lot more input in them. As well as a lot of discussion about that for commercial you mentioned (Spoiler Alert: Its BS)
 
#18 ·
This is a good example of why I have choose to drive toyota over every other. In high school I bought a 88 toyota 4x4 for $3,000 from a man who just wanted to upgrade to full size truck. When I bought it had 130,000 miles on it. I drove it till It had 314,000 miles and only problems where hoses needed to be replaced due to age. I could walk around other people who I went to school with in the mud who's mommy and daddy bought them new Z71's and ford 4x4.. I sold it for $4,000.00 (wish I would have kept it still kicking myself) I loved that truck and so did my wife!!!

Next was a used 2000 Tacoma 4x4 that purchased with 42,000 miles on it and drove it alot down to Baton Rouge when I was attending lsu and studing to be a energy rater for the state. I paid $14,000 for it and drive it till it had right under 300,000 miles no problems at all. Sold it for what I paid for it 4 years earlier.

My current truck is 08 tundra 4x4 in which I don't travel as much and only had 80,000 miles on it. I love this truck also but have had a few issiues with recall stuff and other problems nothing big but still not what I would suspect from a 6 year old truck but still wound'nt buy anything else but toyota. I paid $27,000 for it and was offered $21k just 2 weeks ago I have added a few things also.


My wife drove a nissian Xtra for a few years nothing but problems so cut bait and bought her a 2011 camery she drive it and only had 27,000 miles on it and traded it for 2013 4 runner and she loved them both but the 4runner is what I like for sure size.

So drive all vehicles you are interesting in see the differance check resale value and make a choose. It's hard for anyone to say go by toyota over other manfactors but its simple to say why we drive Toyota over other trucks...
 
#12 ·
Going off what Mountieman said, when looking on the Toyota dealers used lots, look at how many of the "domestics" there are. Chances are the dealership didn't buy them at an auction, they're there because someone got tired of the headaches and traded it in to buy quality.

The only problem I see is what you want for the price. Here in NY a $20k Tundra usually has 80-100k on it. Sometimes you catch a good private sale though.
 
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#16 ·
Thanks everyone, since I live in a small city, it's hard to find Tundras. The ones I have found were 65,000 miles for about $24,000. I might have to drive to Minneapolis, I live in Wisconsin, not far from Minnesota, and would have a better chance there. We are probably trading in the women's 06 Grand Prix, she will be driving the Subaru I bought a year ago, and I will be driving the pickup.
 
#19 ·
There was a Tundra I found online at a local Subaru dealer. Then it was off their website before they even put a price on it. I filled out their little email template on their website and got a reply saying it was in transit to their place and they would email me a price when it was ready. Never got a reply back, but drove through the lot yesterday and saw it sitting in the back with a "repossessed" stick on it. I don't think I would want to own a vehicle that has been repossessed, would you?
 
#20 ·
ehh well oil changes and services are free until 25,000 miles, so if its low miles it may have still been maintained. If they have maintenance records for it I would feel okay with that truck.

My first Tacoma was a prior "Fleet" Vehicle... so likely a rental or something of the sorts, I was on the fence about buying it cause of that but I never had 1 problem.
 
#24 ·
Why?.... I can give 2 reasons. My first tundra was an 08 DC 2wd. I have a boat that with the trailer comes in at 9600 lbs. I towed it almost every weekend with the truck. I traded the truck in with 155,000 miles on it. Never had an issue, just routine maintanence and brakes. I traded it for an 08 DC limited 4x4 that had 130,000 miles on it. They were selling the truck on the lot. Truck was in fantastic shape and garaged kept. It now has 185,000 miles on it and no problems. Just brought it in to the dealer for an oil change and told them to do a once over. Only thing found were the brake pads were getting near the end on the rear. I tow with this truck as well.

Nuff said.
 
#25 ·
i just traded my 08 tundra for a 2014 dc sr5 5.7. prior to that i had: (truck wise)
1. 94 4 cyl tacoma- bought it with 49k for $3995 at a local dealer. sold it with 115K for $4500. try doing that with a chevy/dodge…i won't even mention a ford.

2. moved to a 2005 Tacoma- bought it for $19K with 18,900 on the odometer, traded it in for the 09 tundra. i got $13,500 on trade for it. i drove that truck for 4 years/80K miles for less than what it would cost to rent a disposable car.

3. traded the tacoma for a 2009 dc sr5 5.7 tundra- bought it with 13K on the clock, paid 23K out the door after all the TTL. i just traded that in with 101500 only because it started slapping a piston on a drive home. I still got $10500 trade for it, with over 100K, and a semi-blown motor. i'm still down about this cuz damn i loved that truck!
there is no way a dodge/chevy/ford can hold that type of value…i know because i was in the car business and saw many domestic trucks come in for trade and get less than $10K on appraisal with under 50K on the clock. damn things loose value faster than a prom queen looses her dress.

4. just got me a 2014 dc sr5 5.7- plan on keeping this for a loooooooong time!! getting the love for the new truck just as i had for my 09 tundra.

i've owned so many toyotas and i just won't look at anything else. build quality, resale value, and overall a great car. i had a 2012 ford f150 loaner from the dealer while my 2014 got prepped and even my 10 year old son said…"wow dad, fords feel flimsy, i'm afraid to close the door hard!"
 
#26 ·
I just cannot buy any other brand of vehicle, Toyota has treated my familty too well.

It all started like this:

1980 Toyota 4x4 Pickup - dad bought and put 100k+ on it with no problem

1986 Toyota 4Runner - dad traded in truck and bought 4runner, still has it and drives it daily, other than oil changes and brakes it's cost him about $300 in 27 years. Runs like a champ at 180,000 miles

1990 Toyota Pickup - my first truck, put 80,000 trouble free miles on it

2000 Toyota 4Runner- traded in the truck for something with A/C, put 65,000 trouble free miles on it

2002 Toyota 4Runner - sisters first car, put 100,000+ miles on it with no problems, still drives it

2009 Toyota Tundra - My first tundra, I only drove it 20,000 miles but wanted more interior space

2010 Toyota Tundra - My dad bought and still drives, it's got 20,000 trouble free miles on it

2012 Toyota Tundra - traded in the 09' double cab for the crewmax for more room since we had a baby. 25,000 trouble free miles.

So what I'm telling you is my family has owned Toyota 4x4's for 33 years, we have NEVER HAD A MAJOR REPAIR in a combined 1,000,000+ miles. THAT's WHAT YOU BUY A TOYOTA.
 
#33 · (Edited)
This is the best reason... ^

I'm 41... and have fixed fords and chevys all my life, thought it was the norm.

That is till in 2011, when I bought a 2008 Lexus RX with 50k, damn thing felt like every new Explorer I test drove and still does @ 96k.
(Its all Toyota underneath)

I was sold after that. The 2014's came out and it was a no brainer.. :laugh: I got huge discounts on my new 2013 Crewmax.

And still lovin' it 20k later.
 
#28 ·
I do my own maintenance as well. So far one of the easier trucks to work on when I have had to. Just did the front brakes and they were a snap.
 
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#29 ·
i am also a long time gm truck owner that switched to tundra a few yrs ago and havent looked back. i went with tundra bc i am a prof auto tech and have yet to work on one.
all of the others fill the shop on a daily basis. even had an 02 ram break in half on the lift. talk about a weak frame...no rust on the truck either.
frame rusted from the inside out. theres your great fully boxed frame for ya:eek:
 
#31 · (Edited)
My 2003 tundra was my first ever truck. Looked long at hard at Chevys and Gmc. It's my daily driver and she just rolled over 180,000k the other day. Iv never had a major repair. Runs great, cranks right up everyday doesn't burn oil, never overheated, transmission shifts smooth, paint looks new, the interior has no cracks. I'd drive it to California and back with no worries. Cost of ownership Is hands down best in class. Why wouldn't you buy tundra.. Then again I am only speaking for first gen.
 
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