Topic: V-6 GM towing test

[Firm]

I tested a reg cab F-150 for a week last summer and hated the reg cab. I used it as my primary vehicle all week and it just didn't work for us. Doing groceries was horrible, it was pouring so keeping them in the bed wasn't an option, there wasn't nearly enough space behind the seats to squeeze much back there. Ended up driving home with all of our groceries on my girl's lap.
Also took it on a day trip out to CTMP, felt cramped with two people and a couple travel bags (girls carry waaay too much stuff with them) on a longer haul like that.
I could only see reg cab being a decent option for someone uses it for work and only work, meaning they'd have to have another vehicle for the day-to-day errands and such.

[tortoise]

A tonneau cover or cap would have taken care of that.

Still, I find myself putting the groceries behind the front seat of my extended cab.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I could only see reg cab being a decent option for someone uses it for work and only work, meaning they'd have to have another vehicle for the day-to-day errands and such.

I wouldn't have any pickup truck as my only vehicle.

[Fobroader]

I could only see reg cab being a decent option for someone uses it for work and only work, meaning they'd have to have another vehicle for the day-to-day errands and such.

I wouldn't have any pickup truck as my only vehicle.

Me neither 

[Northernridge]

That's a great test, thanks for posting. A V6 ext cab pickup would meet my needs nicely. Roads are flat, elevation is low, it would meet my tow/haul needs (extensive but not heavy duty), the truck is our third vehicle for work and play only. A modestly optioned work truck is perfect and low cost of entry is a selling feature. I'm past the point of caring if other guy's truck is more capable than mine.

[PJ]

That's a great test, thanks for posting. A V6 ext cab pickup would meet my needs nicely. Roads are flat, elevation is low, it would meet my tow/haul needs (extensive but not heavy duty), the truck is our third vehicle for work and play only. A modestly optioned work truck is perfect and low cost of entry is a selling feature. I'm past the point of caring if other guy's truck is more capable than mine.

That was a good test.  I was surprised how well the Ram held it's own.  I thought the larger torquier Chevy 4.3 would walk all over it but it was pretty even. 

Sounds like either V6 could replace most of the V8s on the road. 

[Firm]

I DID use an extended cab pickup, my Sonoma, as my daily driver for years. With the extended cab it was a great daily...2wd sucked in the winter, but otherwise I had very little complaints. Swapped in some blazer heated leather seats and a bunch of other luxury type add-ons and it was great. I just can't deal with reg cabs....

[maritime_storm]

To each is his own I guess. My family has owned mostly regular cab long box 2WD pickups over the years, they always suited our needs just fine. Dad still has a regular cab Ranger, my Sport is extended cab, although I do find his truck more cramped inside than mine I have no complaints about it. A regular with an 8' box and an over the rail tool box can carry groceries just fine, did that for years with my old Dodge.

[Northernridge]

To each is his own I guess. My family has owned mostly regular cab long box 2WD pickups over the years, they always suited our needs just fine. Dad still has a regular cab Ranger, my Sport is extended cab, although I do find his truck more cramped inside than mine I have no complaints about it. A regular with an 8' box and an over the rail tool box can carry groceries just fine, did that for years with my old Dodge.

Applaud for the avatar.

[Vanstar]

Now thats a towing test!! Again...why you would buy a V6 truck is beyond me, Im sure the 5.3 doesnt get that different of gas mileage.

If all a person does is haul air, why bother with the V8?

If all a person does is haul air, why bother with a truck??

That's a good question. I've always wondered that.

[Fobroader]

Now thats a towing test!! Again...why you would buy a V6 truck is beyond me, Im sure the 5.3 doesnt get that different of gas mileage.

If all a person does is haul air, why bother with the V8?

If all a person does is haul air, why bother with a truck??

That's a good question. I've always wondered that.

That would be a good poll to ask the people with pristine, virgin truck boxes, but I am afraid that they might get a little offended........

[Ex-airbalancer]

Now thats a towing test!! Again...why you would buy a V6 truck is beyond me, Im sure the 5.3 doesnt get that different of gas mileage.

If all a person does is haul air, why bother with the V8?

If all a person does is haul air, why bother with a truck??

That's a good question. I've always wondered that.

That would be a good poll to ask the people with pristine, virgin truck boxes, but I am afraid that they might get a little offended........

Why buy a sport car if you are not taking it to the track
Let people buy what they want

[Vanstar]

You know, whenever I do business on the Prairies, the conversation inevitably gets to trucks. It flabbergasts me what people spend on them. However, the people I deal with are quite proud of the large sum paid for the truck and the large sums they put into them. The conversation always goes next to taxes; the one with the tallest truck (and the highest debt) will always rail about "high taxes."

As my dad told me, "It doesn't matter what you make, it's what you spend. If you save a dollar, it's like making a dollar fifty." When I was a youngster, I wouldn't have had access to cheap borrowed money, so I kind of got used to saving up for things. It's much more satisfying if I wait to get a new toy. Even though I don't need to do this now, I still do it for fun!

Canada is at higher levels of personal debt than the USA was in 2008.

[Northernridge]

^^^
You know, whenever I do business in Vancouver, the conversation inevitably gets to houses. It flabbergasts me what people spend on them. However, the people I deal with are quite proud of the large sum paid for their house and the large sums they put into them. The conversation always goes next to interest rates; the one with the biggest (and the highest debt) will always rail about "high interest." 

[tooscoops]

logic.. especially regarding finances went out the window a while ago.

i felt bad about my new jeep because i had to finance some... i said that to our business manager and she went on the whole thing about jeeps being good ones to go longer terms, and that it's not a "bad" loan, etc... then she heard i only needed ten grand and laughed at me for even caring... apparently that's not quite the norm.

anywho, the v6's... they are an alright option really... i'd be going with a pretty simple truck with the v6 though. no point adding more weight and such... keep it cheap. as for reg cabs... i have no issue. the doors are bigger and there is a bit of space behind the seat to put most of what i'd carry.

[PJ]

^^^
You know, whenever I do business in Vancouver, the conversation inevitably gets to houses. It flabbergasts me what people spend on them. However, the people I deal with are quite proud of the large sum paid for their house and the large sums they put into them. The conversation always goes next to interest rates; the one with the biggest (and the highest debt) will always rail about "high interest." 

But houses go up in value and can last a lifetime.  Trucks don't.  I don't consider my mortgage to be debt. You have to live somewhere and the small amount I pay over the cost of renting the same house I consider an investment. 

[Vanstar]

^^^
You know, whenever I do business in Vancouver, the conversation inevitably gets to houses. It flabbergasts me what people spend on them. However, the people I deal with are quite proud of the large sum paid for their house and the large sums they put into them. The conversation always goes next to interest rates; the one with the biggest (and the highest debt) will always rail about "high interest." 

But houses go up in value and can last a lifetime.  Trucks don't.  I don't consider my mortgage to be debt. You have to live somewhere and the small amount I pay over the cost of renting the same house I consider an investment.

Yeah, pretty silly. I have made a rather goodly sum on buying and selling houses in Vancouver, but I have never made money on a pick'em-up truck.

A truck is a depreciating asset while, in the long term, a house will appreciate for sure. One is much better off paying off a mortgage than a pick'em-up truck.

Come to think of it, quite a few of my renters have new pick'em-up trucks. In a way, they truck payments pay my finance costs on their dwellings (such that they are.)

[Fobroader]

^^^
You know, whenever I do business in Vancouver, the conversation inevitably gets to houses. It flabbergasts me what people spend on them. However, the people I deal with are quite proud of the large sum paid for their house and the large sums they put into them. The conversation always goes next to interest rates; the one with the biggest (and the highest debt) will always rail about "high interest." 

But houses go up in value and can last a lifetime.  Trucks don't.  I don't consider my mortgage to be debt. You have to live somewhere and the small amount I pay over the cost of renting the same house I consider an investment.

Yeah, pretty silly. I have made a rather goodly sum on buying and selling houses in Vancouver, but I have never made money on a pick'em-up truck.

A truck is a depreciating asset while, in the long term, a house will appreciate for sure. One is much better off paying off a mortgage than a pick'em-up truck.

Come to think of it, quite a few of my renters have new pick'em-up trucks. In a way, they truck payments pay my finance costs on their dwellings (such that they are.)

So all cars are appreciating assets?? Only trucks depreciate??

[Vanstar]

^^^
You know, whenever I do business in Vancouver, the conversation inevitably gets to houses. It flabbergasts me what people spend on them. However, the people I deal with are quite proud of the large sum paid for their house and the large sums they put into them. The conversation always goes next to interest rates; the one with the biggest (and the highest debt) will always rail about "high interest." 

But houses go up in value and can last a lifetime.  Trucks don't.  I don't consider my mortgage to be debt. You have to live somewhere and the small amount I pay over the cost of renting the same house I consider an investment.

Yeah, pretty silly. I have made a rather goodly sum on buying and selling houses in Vancouver, but I have never made money on a pick'em-up truck.

A truck is a depreciating asset while, in the long term, a house will appreciate for sure. One is much better off paying off a mortgage than a pick'em-up truck.

Come to think of it, quite a few of my renters have new pick'em-up trucks. In a way, they truck payments pay my finance costs on their dwellings (such that they are.)

So all cars are appreciating assets?? Only trucks depreciate??

Did I say that? About the only car that will ever appreciate is an exotic like a McLaren.

The five year cost of an F-150 Crew 4X4 is over $55,000. Buying it one year old would save $20,000 in depreciation.

[PJ]

^^^
You know, whenever I do business in Vancouver, the conversation inevitably gets to houses. It flabbergasts me what people spend on them. However, the people I deal with are quite proud of the large sum paid for their house and the large sums they put into them. The conversation always goes next to interest rates; the one with the biggest (and the highest debt) will always rail about "high interest." 

But houses go up in value and can last a lifetime.  Trucks don't.  I don't consider my mortgage to be debt. You have to live somewhere and the small amount I pay over the cost of renting the same house I consider an investment.

Yeah, pretty silly. I have made a rather goodly sum on buying and selling houses in Vancouver, but I have never made money on a pick'em-up truck.

A truck is a depreciating asset while, in the long term, a house will appreciate for sure. One is much better off paying off a mortgage than a pick'em-up truck.

Come to think of it, quite a few of my renters have new pick'em-up trucks. In a way, they truck payments pay my finance costs on their dwellings (such that they are.)

So all cars are appreciating assets?? Only trucks depreciate??

Of course. I hope to sell my 98 Taurus soon and retire.  Just waiting for that sweet spot in the baby blue Vulcan powered Taurus market. 

I wasn't referring to trucks in particular.  Just commenting that it was silly to compare spending a huge amount on a truck ( or car) and spending a huge amount on a house.