07-09 Crew cab truck Chevy vs Ford vs ???

Today I decided that I will upgrade my 1999 Silverado extended cab to something with a more carseat friendly back seat. I use a truck as a truck so I don't want to spend more than $20k and I will likely use it to commute 80 miles round trip per day about 50% of the time so gas mileage is a bit of an issue. I am thinking a Chevy Crew cab shorty bed with a 5.3L will probably get the nod. If I run into a great deal on a 6.0 truck I might do that instead. My question is how does something like the Ford FX4 F150 with a 5.4L mill compare to a Silverado Z71 with a 5.3L? I have seen a few write-ups but nothing very conclusive. It needs to have 4wd too so the wheel(s) don't spin on my lawn when I back the boat up into my side yard. I'm not going to spend the extra $$$ on a diesel so that's not a consideration.

Thoughts on trucks?

Your best bet I think would be to get a truck and buy a little honda civic of some sort to commute in. 80 miles a day will kill you on gas no matter what you drive. I have an 07 titan crew cab with 8" lift on 35" tires and I am lucky to get 12-13mpg. I also commute 35 miles each way to work and there is no way in hell I would commute anything with a V8 that distance every day well unless you make 100K a year lol or use your truck for work. I would stay with the smaller V8's if you just commute it but if you are towing alot those little V8's are gonna suck. I love my titan and am so glad I bought it and the only way I would buy a truck from the big 3 is if I wanna upgrade to a diesel which I don't so good luck with whatever you pick.

Mike, they're both nice. For me it would be more about finding a nice truck. I'd leave the search open for both and take whatever you can find in the best shape. I really like that boxy Ford body style on the last gen F150. IMO the Chevy interior is a bit more plush, but for me the Ford interior held up better. As for durability, the 5.3 is pretty bomb proof. I never had any issues with mine. If you ask my stepdad, who has a fleet of 50+ trucks at a time, he'll tell you that the Ford's hold up better to abuse and mileage.

Either way.... like I said, I'd find the nicest, lowest mileage, best optioned truck you can and go with that.

Stay Domestic for a truck!

What about the GMC Sierra. IMO it looks cleaner and the Chevy trucks

The GM will probably get slightly better fuel mileage but I think Ford's cab is bigger.

I already had a Prius, but I got rid of it because the wife would not drive it and it was not a great kid hauler. A couple months ago I grabbed a retired rental 2009 Pontiac G6 GT which is surprisingly nice for a $10k car. I just refer to it as "my rental car". It doubles as my commuter and the nanny rig, it hauls the kids much better than the Prius and is also nicer to drive than my Prius.

At this point with 2 year old twin boys it doesn't really make sense for me to own a vehicle that is not carseat friendly. My 3 door extended cab Silverado is anything but kid friendly. If it had the door behind the driver seat I would be keeping it but it is so hard to load the kids that I just need to make the change.

I mentioned Chevy but I don't make a differentiation between the GMC and the Chevy. I'll probably take Evan's advice and stay open to either Ford or a GM truck. I will probably pick up an lease return or ex rental like I did with the Pontiac. The GM is my first choice since I am so familiar with the drivetrain. I'm also getting pretty quick at changing out fuel pumps LOL.

Mike just go out and take all the 1/2 ton trucks for a drive and see what YOU like the best. You might be surprised what the Tundra and Titan have to offer. I have always been a Ford man but actually taking them out on a test drive is what helped me make my decision. For the price range I bought my Titan for I would have gotten no joke an extended cab v6 vinyl interior F-150 when I got a Titan crew cab 5.6 (only engine offered) truck. I drove the hemi ram, silverado, F-150 and Tundra. Also I liked the way the interior is setup in the Titan, interior ergonomics are better laid out and it even comes with a power rear window standard and the trans shifts so smooth. Tundra was way overpriced IMO or should I say out of my budget lol. And BTW daveronix199 the Titan and Tundra are only built in the United States by Americans which can't be said by some of the big 3. F-150's used to be built in Canada (don't think the new ones are though) and Rams are built in Mexico. Mikeski you can use this website to get real dealer pricing on whatever you choose to buy before you purchase before you go the dealer. www.carsdirect.com

6mpg! Ugh! Reminds me of when I used to pull my old XStar around with my old suped up '02 Ford Lightning! But that was back when premium was like a buck thirty a gallon!

GM's have the automatic rear locking differential. Not sure about Ford but I know Toyota and Nissan don't have them. Its one of the key components to making a truck a truck IMHO. Check out some of the MotorWeeks Truck Shootouts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7NBHcsIaYk

Definitely check out the Tundra if you're concerned with the kids friendly seating issue. The Tundra's (CrewMax) rear seats recline and slide forward/backward - that will give them tons of room. My brother-in-law has the crewmax and it is huge inside. That sliding seat feature is awesome. My kids love riding in his truck. I also had a Titan but got a Suburban recently for even more rear space and I didn't want to keep paying the weight fee here in CA for pick up trucks.

I had a 2004 F150 4x4 crew cab for four years. Last year I traded it for a 2007 GMC Sierra Z71 crew cab. The GMC in my opinion is much better. It definitely is getting much better gas mileage. My VLX felt a little more sluggish behind my Ford than the GMC. Both are great trucks, but I am keeping my GMC for a while.

Originally Posted by HighVoltage

GM's have the automatic rear locking differential. Not sure about Ford but I know Toyota and Nissan don't have them. Its one of the key components to making a truck a truck IMHO. Check out some of the MotorWeeks Truck Shootouts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7NBHcsIaYk

Not sure about the Tundras but actually the Titans with the off road package came with a locking rear differential since mid 2004 model year.

I don't know about your market but in mine you'd be very hard pressed to find an 07-09 for $20K.

^^^^I was thinking the same thing but maybe a lease return or prior rental but yeah 20k is a pretty low number for 07 to 09 full size.

yeah my $20k number was based on what I saw at the last rental return sale. it's crazy how cheap you can buy a relatively new vehicle if you don't mind miles, scratches, minor damage repairs, and plain jane interior packages. Since this is truly a utility vehicle for me I don't mind any of these issues. I have used my truck as a tractor to haul and pull wire in the past. When I show up on a jobsite I leave the keys in the ignition and let whoever needs the vehicle use it. The rental returns are perfect for this use. I have been know to put over a ton of stuff in the bed of my 1/2 ton praying it doesn't bend. The little bed of this truck will limit it use some but I also need it to be maneuverable.

Yeah if you snatch up and ex rental you're probably in the ballpark. If you go Ford don't let em sneak a 4.6 in on ya as most rental rigs are the smaller V8.

Minimum motors are the 5.3 or 5.4 (too bad eco-boost is not available in my price range). Equally important is the 3.73+ rear axle. I have seen them sneak in freeway gears on some of these. I need to brush up on my option codes before heading to the sale.

Originally Posted by hatepain

I don't know about your market but in mine you'd be very hard pressed to find an 07-09 for $20K.

I purchased my truck brand new in 07 with tow package, 6 disc changer, overhead console, bed liner and premium wheels for $23,745 out the door with everything. No problem finding one in california for 15-18k with low miles. Like I said I got the base model Titan but the base model Titan comes with a whole slew of options that you don't even get on other high end models or options not even available by other manufacturers.

Last weekend I found a great deal (within my budget) on a super clean 2007 Avalanche LTZ 4x4 with only 72k miles. It's even dark blue to match my boat. Been driving the truck for a few days now and really liking the Avalanche. It is a much nicer truck than I expected to find. Will post up pix as soon as it stops raining...

Congrats on finding a rig and a nice one at that. I really like the look of the 07 and on Avalanche.

Can't go wrong with an Avalanche! Congrats on the new ride!

Congrats on the Avalanche. I freaking love mine and I am torn about trading it in on a 2011 crew cab sierra.