Personal diesel truck

[moodfart]

Yeah, minds made up against the diesel. They're cool but not for me and what I need.

Brand new Tacoma and brand new wrx are within a couple hundred bucks of each other, now to decide.

[blacktruck]

No experience with either but they both look nice. Buying a vehicle is a pain usually so now you just need to get whatever you decide and enjoy...
Drive safe man.....

[slackmeyer]

Originally Posted by moodfart

Yeah, minds made up against the diesel. They're cool but not for me and what I need.

Brand new Tacoma and brand new wrx are within a couple hundred bucks of each other, now to decide.

I do have to say, the price i paid for my 99 ford diesel and my 02 wrx together was $12.5, still in your budget. . . . . of course, if you include the maintenance/repairs I put in them in the few months after I bought them, i'd have to say it ended up around $16k.

[moodfart]

@Slackmeyer: I hear you - I've driven old vehicles since I got my license 11 years ago. Buying used is a crapshoot, any way you look at it, and I've taken some big hits in the past with bikes, a truck and a boat. I detest buying and selling anything, so I'd really like to buy new, know it's reliable and keep it for the next 5-10 years, long after it's paid off. It's going to be hard leaving my Jeep though, I love it like a dog and every time I drive it recently I remember why I bought one.

@Blacktruck: Thanks man! I'll post a picture when I get it. I think it'll come down to insurance costs between the two, everything else is a wash.

[slackmeyer]

Yeah, I just thought I'd put it out there. I think you're making the right choice, unless you're planning on a side job hauling hay or recycling scrap steel.

[ivel_86]

But they are so much fun to drive and smell awesome starting them up in the morning.

[mud]

Alright.
Someone please explain to me what is "fun" about driving a full sized diesel, or any full sized PU for that matter?

I find them very tedious.

I suppose this probably falls under the "if you have to ask" category.....

[moodfart]

Originally Posted by mud

Alright.
Someone please explain to me what is "fun" about driving a full sized diesel, or any full sized PU for that matter?

I find them very tedious.

I suppose this probably falls under the "if you have to ask" category.....

My experience has been with regular cap dump body Duramax's (brand new at the time)... they used to break the dual rear wheels loose on dry pavement when they weren't loaded, and listening to a halfway spooled turbo whistling down the highway was heavenly. The engine didn't feel hills, and it's really no different than driving an F150/1500 except for more power than you realistically need in a DD truck. My favorite was litterally pulling a tree out of the ground after a hurricane. 4x4LO, dry pavement and all six wheels hopping a bit. We loaded the bed with a pallet of brick and yanked that sucker out of the ground on the next go. Second favorite story was my then boss, a volunteer firefighter and great guy, told of a story where they showed up to a fire, and a Jeep was parked in a way that made accessing the hydrant impossible. He got in his duramax, 4LO and pushed the Jeep out of the way while it was in park.

That being said, a stock WRX goes for the same price as a 5-10 year old diesel with ~100k on the clock, and I'd guess it accelerates faster out of the box quite a bit faster than a lot of mildly modded diesels. It also corners on rails, brakes better, has more dry cargo room and is more fun in the snow and willcome with a factory warranty. Hence, the local Subie dealer and I are now on first name basis.

[Lonestar2112]

The '01 dodges with a banks package on them are anything but stealthy. My wife knows if I am within a block of the house.

2500 ext cab, AT, Banks package, Air bag suspension, 4X4, 3.55 gears
Complete front end rebuilt at 150K miles $3k
Tranny completely rebuilt at 110K $6K, custom torque converter to withstand added torque
Around town 15mpg, I am quick off the lights
On the road ~20mpg, at 70++ mph

Towing trailers;
17K lbs 36' Alfa 5er ------ 10 mpg, truck way over loaded. Going down the freeway at 70 no problem. Stopping
8.5K lb bumper pull trailer, two quads on the bed of the truck ------- 12.5 mpg No issues starting, stopping or general riding.
4K lb utility trailer, camping gear on tonneau cover. 20 mpg, no issues, truck rode like it was empty pulled up and down hills without a thought to the load

[blacktruck]

Originally Posted by ivel_86

But they are so much fun to drive and smell awesome starting them up in the morning.

I would never admit that publicly and I know nobody would ever read what I post here but I agree completely. When I start my truck to move it out of the garage, it smells far better than the exhaust from the car. Hadn't even thought of that until I saw it here. Funny the things that make us remember.

Originally Posted by mud

Alright.
Someone please explain to me what is "fun" about driving a full sized diesel, or any full sized PU for that matter?

I find them very tedious.

I suppose this probably falls under the "if you have to ask" category.....

Gotta agree with your last line but just because I'm here and it doesn't cost anything, I'll give you my take on it. Realistically I could get by with a small truck except for needing a gooseneck hitch on occasion. My son has a small truck. I don't like it. My crewcab is far more comfortable to drive and ride in and for the size of the truck, it rides pretty good. Mileage is okay and the power and sound of the Dmax with straight pipes makes me want to just go riding around some days just because I can. I'm not one of those people who delight in blowing smoke on anybody but I do like the sound of a good exhaust system. Bottom line is that I enjoy it. I've been in a lot of countries where the norm for vehicles is far different than what we as Americans are used to. I'll take my living to excess, oversized man toy any day.

[Big Bird 928]

Originally Posted by Lonestar2112

The '01 dodges with a banks package on them are anything but stealthy. My wife knows if I am within a block of the house.

2500 ext cab, AT, Banks package, Air bag suspension, 4X4, 3.55 gears
Complete front end rebuilt at 150K miles $3k
Tranny completely rebuilt at 110K $6K, custom torque converter to withstand added torque
Around town 15mpg, I am quick off the lights
On the road ~20mpg, at 70++ mph

Towing trailers;
17K lbs 36' Alfa 5er ------ 10 mpg, truck way over loaded. Going down the freeway at 70 no problem. Stopping
8.5K lb bumper pull trailer, two quads on the bed of the truck ------- 12.5 mpg No issues starting, stopping or general riding.
4K lb utility trailer, camping gear on tonneau cover. 20 mpg, no issues, truck rode like it was empty pulled up and down hills without a thought to the load

My dog starts going nuts when I am about a mile out from the house...
I just can't sneak home at all.
My results are very similar to yours with a comperable 01 Dodge Cummins.

[Gummee!]

Personal opinion: let some other sucker take the depreciation hit and buy 3-5+ years old.

Pay cash if you can help it, but I understand not being able to.

As a comparison, my F150 extended cab, stepside, 5.4l got 14-17mpg around town and low 20s on road trips if I kept it under 75mph or so.

My F250 PSD got 14-17mpg around town and low 20s if I kept it under 65mph. If I'd gotten around to changing out the rear end to some more highway friendly ratios, I would have done better on the freeway.

The biggest difference showed up towing. I towed a roommate's boat back to Sandy Eggo from Yuma and got 8mpg. Towed my GF's Camero () around with all our worldly goods in the truck, the car, and had my GS-Adv in the bed and got between 10 and 14mpg at the same 65mph.

JRA* in a diesel? Overkill. Towing/working with a diesel.

Having said that, its better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

M

*Just Riding Around

[pookiebear]

get 2 vehicles with the 20k
1 $4k ish truck diesel for hauling the stuffs. when you need it. late 80s model GMC or ford.
2. diesel jetta or mercedes for $10k ish used. COMFORT
3. then you got 6k in your pocket... hmm use 2k to turn the car into a greasecar.


Just my opinion. And I didn't read the whole thread to see if the OP got the truck already.

[adam_c_eckhardt]

Originally Posted by moodfart

Yeah, minds made up against the diesel. They're cool but not for me and what I need.

Brand new Tacoma and brand new wrx are within a couple hundred bucks of each other, now to decide.

I've owned both and miss the Tacoma far more than I miss the WRX. There was lots to like about the WRX; very fun car when you push the go pedal. Goes anywhere in bad weather. But it didn't get much better mileage than my Tacoma and it shifted like a truck. Squeaks and rattles everywhere. Felt like a tin can. Windows whistled. I've heard the newer ones are more refined and if I was in the market I'd consider one.

I didn't mind the Tacoma riding and shifting like a truck because it was a truck. I drove it cross country several times and used it as a camper many times. If I was smart I'd still have it.

[moodfart]

Yeah decided today I'm going with the truck. I have been looking at cpo trucks as well, thing is with taco as they hardly depreciate, so buying slightly used doesn't save a whole lot. I have given thought to keeping the jeep and buying an older 2wd truck as a dd, but id rather maintain bikes than trucks.

Well see, I'm over this buying crap, ready to have it already and get back to obsessing over bikes.