Which truck to buy?

I think that you answered your question when, you said GM family discount.
Chevy or GMC 1500 with the 2.7 turbo 4 cylinder.
 
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Friend has a Colorado diesel ZR2, man what a nice package that is. The setup is absolutely spectacular and is worthy of research.

yeah I get it, diesel fuel is expensive. However the MPG is so good, you may find the cost per mile is excellent.
 
Analysis:
If you want to be able to transport boilers and the like you want a full size.

-Toyota Tundra is out because the new one is very expensive and seems to have some teethting problems and the old ones are the worst in mpg.
- No Diesel since it will bust the budget to buy.
- Only vehicles in full size at new or near new, prices left are Nissan Titan and Ram 1500 Classic.
The Titan comes with a 5 yr 100,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.
Give how much you will drive its a no brainer

Also I do not agree with the naysayers that 58.5 cents/mile is a loss.
Even at today fuel prices ( which means the IRS number will be adjusted up soon anyway).
Highway miles are easier on wear and tear and on mpgs.
So in a 4000 mile month he'd be getting like $2340!
Taxfree!
That is not chump change!

$1/mile is a fantasy number.
In a 4000 mile driving month you do NOT run through $4000 of fuel+upkeep.

the rising fuel costs do not affect the mileage as greatly as that , its merely the most visible expense.
Maintenance, oil changes, tires, brake pads, insurance are all included in that rate and they have not risen like crazy.
IN any event the 58.5 cents/miles is sure to be adjusted upward soon.

He will be fine.

Anyway, Dodge Ram 1500 or Nissan Titan.
The base engine in the titan is a beast ( since they dont have an ugraded engine option) and the warranty is 5 yrs/100,000 miles bumper-to-bumper
 
I’m nervous about the insurance. Make sure that is ironed out. Will your personal insurance cover anything if the truck is primarily used for work? The fast food delivery industry almost preys on high school kids using their POV, which are often not covered for a wreck while on the clock delivering food. NOT GOOD.

id also consider an SUV and an enclosed 5x8 trailer, or ability to rent one, if you don’t really want a truck. Trailer will have a much lower load height, and the suv will have weekend usefulness.

dont bother with a 4 door truck if you think you’ll need the bed. An extended cab gets you the full bed and decent space behind the front seat.

my 2.7 f150 is a nice place to spend on the highway, in the work-spec xl trim. Average mpg is about 21, using premium. It’s not the cheapest vehicle to drive, but it’s certainly competitive for a truck. Stock wheels, tires, suspension. Around town it gets big, and I find myself preferring to hop in the sedan for quick zips about for errands, small Home Depot runs and the like.

If you think you can love with a smaller bed, I’d seriously consider the diesel Colorado or the Ranger for your case, if you were to like the ergonomics and feel. This is a case where the diesel makes sense.

the Chevy 2.7 seems to get respectable nods too. I’ve heard of fewer issues with that than the ford 2.7 (leaky coolant connection seals, occasional leaking oil pan. While I do like my ford, my impression is that the chevy’s tend to have a slight edge in lower “surprise“ maintenance, while the Ford and Dodge tend to handle better.

i know this post is all over the place - I’m still not sure the reimbursement and insurance adds up appropriately.
 
Analysis:
If you want to be able to transport boilers and the like you want a full size.

-Toyota Tundra is out because the new one is very expensive and seems to have some teethting problems and the old ones are the worst in mpg.
- No Diesel since it will bust the budget to buy.
- Only vehicles in full size at new or near new, prices left are Nissan Titan and Ram 1500 Classic.
The Titan comes with a 5 yr 100,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.
Give how much you will drive its a no brainer

Also I do not agree with the naysayers that 58.5 cents/mile is a loss.
Even at today fuel prices ( which means the IRS number will be adjusted up soon anyway).
Highway miles are easier on wear and tear and on mpgs.
So in a 4000 mile month he'd be getting like $2340!
Taxfree!
That is not chump change!

$1/mile is a fantasy number.
In a 4000 mile driving month you do NOT run through $4000 of fuel+upkeep.

the rising fuel costs do not affect the mileage as greatly as that , its merely the most visible expense.
Maintenance, oil changes, tires, brake pads, insurance are all included in that rate and they have not risen like crazy.
IN any event the 58.5 cents/miles is sure to be adjusted upward soon.

He will be fine.

Anyway, Dodge Ram 1500 or Nissan Titan.
The base engine in the titan is a beast ( since they dont have an ugraded engine option) and the warranty is 5 yrs/100,000 miles bumper-to-bumper
There is depreciation.....
 
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Full size bed, decent powertrain, modern features.
 
Yea-I agree with the above. Your operating costs are going to be high and that 58.5 cents/mile may or may not cover it. Ask for more vehicle reimbursement-or don't take the job. To answer your question-as a Silverado owner you really can't go wrong with any full size made today. But please note there are early issues with the new Tundra that I'm sure Toyota will have worked out by the NEXT MODEL YEAR.

You may want to consider the Silverado with the 2.7-it's a nice motor-ideal for your use.
What are those issues?
 
58.5 cents is about break even with costs. Buy new, buy a base model, finance the whole thing and if you come out ahead expenses wise including the payment its a win. That reimbursement rate can go up with future costs.

Buy what you would want to own because some day you might quit that job or it might quit you.
That mileage rate has been around for a long time. Has not changed.
 
What are those issues?
The most serious is the turbo waste gate. The fix is having to remove the cab to access the turbo. Reports are 30plus days for parts-or some have had "lemon law" cases with Toyota taking the truck back. There are also a host electronic issues as well.
 
too bad the tools arent his own, the rest of the job sounds like "Independent Contractor' (irs) status. He could write off the truck and geta really nice one.
Can we give him a few others that meet his criteria but stretch the lable? 1 Top of the line and 1 bottom?
Oh, wait, there's 3 more pages here I didnt C...
 
Put a trailer hitch on one of your cars, and expense the renting of a drop-gate trailer whenever you need one. It's easier to load, you're not burning extra gas when you don't need to. Loading appliances into pickup trucks sucks.
 
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