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Sierra 1500 or Ford F-150

T

Tony1320

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Minuteman
Feb 13, 2017
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Looking at buying a truck been looking for a while now I was interested in a Tundra but after taking one for a drive and seeing the terrible fuel mileage I changed my mind

Looking at a Sierra 1500 or Ford F-150 those who have hands on experience what would you buy? My friends have one or the other so I've taken them for a drive and I like both
 
DarnYankeeUSMC said:
If you are worried about fuel mileage what do you need the truck for?
Towing, hauling, driving to work or ?
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Fuel mileage isn't a top priority I realize I'm not buying a fuel economy car but the Tundra was just bad and had a small tank

I'll be using it to drive to work and weekly range trips during the summer. My A4 just isn't practical anymore for room or range roads.

No towing in the foreseeable future
 
If you like the Tundra for comfort and features over the Ford then you need to ask if you can get it with a different gear ratio. It will give you better mileage and you don't need to torque of the lower ratio for pulling and hauling.
 
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DarnYankeeUSMC said:
If you like the Tundra for comfort and features over the Ford then you need to ask if you can get it with a different gear ratio. It will give you better mileage and you don't need to torque of the lower ratio for pulling and hauling.
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I didn't like the Tundra at all it's not an option anymore
 
Oops. I guess I need a reading comprehension course.
Tony1320 said:
I didn't like the Tundra at all it's not an option anymore
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A friend of mine has the 19 GMC 1500 and we used it for hunting trips last year. He has a four door and it's comfortable on long trips and has plenty of room. It took a while to get used to the engine shutting down at stops but it's a good running truck.
 
I bought a 2014 Sierra brand new. After 5.5 years and 120k, I love it. I haven’t had any issues. It gets 21-23mpg hwy all day long. I think the GMC looks way better than the Fords or Chevys.

I’m thinking about a new truck possibly, but might go F-250. I want bigger and the GMC HD’s are stupid money. Especially the well-appointed ones.
 
If you plan to keep the GM in a garage then you should be OK. If you will park in the elements look elsewhere.

Do a search on "GM truck rust problems".

I have both a Tundra and a silverado. Neither are kept in a garage. The difference in aging on the 2 is frankly incredible.
 
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Tony1320 said:
Looking at buying a truck been looking for a while now I was interested in a Tundra but after taking one for a drive and seeing the terrible fuel mileage I changed my mind

Looking at a Sierra 1500 or Ford F-150 those who have hands on experience what would you buy? My friends have one or the other so I've taken them for a drive and I like both
Click to expand...
I will agree that ALL Toyota Trucks and SUVS (no, a highlander is not an SUV) get p!ss poor gas mileage. That's something that bothers me on my Sequoia. 13 in city, maybe 15 on highway. I have this same argument with a friend of mine who always counters...well, how many miles does your Sequoia have? (Granted, he has a Land Cruiser with 330K on it!!!) How many rattles? Was it even properly maintained before you bought it?

Answer: No it wasn't properly maintained. 178k on it and the only rattle is what the dealer put in when they fixed something on my back lid (pretty sure they left a light bulb floating around). Do that with a Ford or Chevy or Dodge? Not saying it's not possible, but not probable - especially in the rattle department.

That said, if you are seriously only choosing between Ford and Chevy - I'd go Ford. I think for the most part Ford has their act together.

If you're that worried about gas mileage get a Ridgeline. I'd bet they'll last a long time too and they are AWD. Most people I know have gotten 200k without much service work. One guy down street didn't change his timing belt for 160K (WTF?) with no problems and didn't even use any oil at 160k. Since you're not going to be towing and this is more like what I use my SUV for (throwing range stuff in and hauling it to range), that really wouldn't be a bad choice.

Granted the small V-8's in the Ford get about the same mileage as a Ridgeline.
 
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I have an 18 GMC 1500, my dad has a 19 F150, and my in-laws have two 19 GMCs. All have worked great. Everyone has problems with something, no one has made a perfect truck yet. Drive em all and see what looks and feels good for you.
 
Crew cab f150 with 3.5 EcoBoost will get you in the 20's. My 18 4dr 5.0, driven in sport driving mode, heavy footed, gets 17 around town, 19-20 highway. Haven't found a Silverado 1500 I couldn't walk away from. GM uses cheap plastic and is made in Mexico. MEXICO, I said! I rest my case
 
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GMC with 5.3. Turn off dod and you'll be good to go. Reliable engines, and transmissions and should either decide to take a shit they're relativity inexpensive to repair or replace.
 
We had five 2013 Chevrolet 1500 4x4 work trucks. We had no rust issues like a few guys have stated. That must be where the roads get salted I’m guessing. The Chevrolet transmission in the half ton trucks are terribly unreliable. Out of the 5 trucks we had we replaced four transmissions at 100,000 miles. We do not tow, but we do haul weight in the bed. If Chevrolet didn’t change out the transmissions in the newer trucks, I would give them a hard pass.

The 5.3L along with the 4x4 in those trucks sucked down the gas. We averaged about 12-13 mpg. I don’t mind low mileage if there is a return in power and acceleration like the dodge with the hemi and the Toyota tundras. These trucks get poor mileage as well but at least they have performance. The Chevy with the 5.3 are dogs. If you want the worst mileage and poor performance, get the 2500 ford with their big gas engine (6.4L?) 10mpg average and slow as molasses. Terrible performance.

We switched to RAM 2500 4x4 diesels and have been very pleased so far with a couple owned far too long for company trucks at over 200,000 miles. Front end work is about the only problems we are seeing which is typical for any HD work truck that gets beat up going down gravel lease roads.

I was always a die hard Chevy man but they aren’t the same quality as they were in the early 2000’s and before. Dodge is much better quality than they were in the early 2000’s. Fords are nice especially the F150 like you are looking at. I have no trust in their Diesel engines though. I know far too many people that have had far too many problems. Most stem from Fords emission systems which is on the trucks because of the government and not Ford’s own choice but they executed it poorly. If you own a ford diesel, you will be on the side of the road eventually. Guaranteed.
 
I hate my Silverado (2018 with the 5.3l) and wish I'd bought a Ford. I had the transfer case fail (replaced under warranty but still) and the higher optioned loaner truck I had for awhile had electrical issues. I may have just had bad luck with GM products but I also would have gotten a lot more for my money had I bought a similar trim level Ford instead.
 
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There's a saying and funny or not it could be ---- On a quite night you can hear a Chevy rust -- I like their looks but prefer Fords, not the eco boost. Turbos last for about 150,000 or a little longer but will go at some point. just my .02
 
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I was close to buying a Sierra 1500 Denali but like you mentioned it was rusty a few of them I looked at were like that.

Sounds like the F-150 is going to be a good fit. Any known issues with them?

Since someone mentioned a Dodge how has the experience been with them? I know about the front end problem

I dont think a diesel is in the cards for me right now

Roads here are salted
 
Having good service from a 2015 Ram 1500 Hemi 4x4 Laramie
 
We’ve had good results with the Fords, Ranger to F550. Most of the kinks were worked out when the 5.4 went away. It was a good engine but the ignition systems weren’t great and we spent most of our major maintenance money there. I think of 45 trucks the only time we lost a whole engine was a 6.7L at 208,000.
 
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the ram 1500 diesel. I have a 2015 that has been very reliable and gets great fuel economy. I also have a 2018 f150 with the 2.7 eco boost. The ford drives better around town but the ram is smooth as silk on the highway.
 
Wade7472 said:
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the ram 1500 diesel. I have a 2015 that has been very reliable and gets great fuel economy. I also have a 2018 f150 with the 2.7 eco boost. The ford drives better around town but the ram is smooth as silk on the highway.
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The eco diesel is great, but it wasn’t offered this year when I was looking. They also have major electrical gremlins in the infotainment center.
 
I am a consultant for fleets on vehicles. Just looked at all the half tons for total Cost of Ownership and right now the Silverado 1500 beats Ford and Ram hands down.
 
Wade7472 said:
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the ram 1500 diesel. I have a 2015 that has been very reliable and gets great fuel economy. I also have a 2018 f150 with the 2.7 eco boost. The ford drives better around town but the ram is smooth as silk on the highway.
Click to expand...

Check out the new Chevy Duramax 3.0L straight six. The cost is the same as the V8 ($1285) instead of near $8000 like everyone else. Way quicker ROI if doing highway miles.
 
I’m really biased, only driven Ford trucks since age 5 Lol

The new F 150s are a great package. Power, mileage, cargo, all best in class. I have a 3.5HO Raptor and my FIL has 5.0, both 2018. Mine hauls ass, his can haul a pop up FWC camper no airbags and pull a boat at 80mph all day long. We both put around 25k miles per year and no issues. He drove a ‘13 with the 3.5 until it was stolen with around 130k no issues except for the stolen part.

Dodge has a nice interior finally, but back seat is small and engines and Powertrain are kinda out dated. They have to offer lifetime warranty here to get anyone to look at them, and I think you’re gonna need it.

No one I know drives a Chevy or GMC half ton. F 150 pretty much rules the road until you step up to 3/4 ton+. Then it’s Ford or Dodge flip a coin. Most drillers and contractors run Fords and they beat the snot out of them. Chevy is a very distant 3rd. Toyota is milking a terribly outdated design and are known for high prices and poor mileage.
 
I had always been a Chevy guy, but my last GM pickup was a total POS.

Bought a 2013 Raptor new and put 105,000 miles on it in 5 years. It was flawless. Not one trip to the shop in all the time I had it.

Wife and I now have 2018 Raptors. Had them about a year and a half. They both have close to 30,000 miles on them and have so far been similarly reliable.

Cant see ever buying a GM product ever again.
 
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for a half ton truck the Chevy is way more comfortable and gets better mileage. I've heard really good things about the Ecoboost motors as well. If you spend a lot of time in the cab the Chevy is just more of a Cadillac compared to others. Every brand has their fans so like everything else on this site, pick your favorite color and go from there.
 
If you want a 4 door, the Ford has a LOT of room in the rear seat area. Everyone is surprised when they get in the back seat. Ford has a much lower repair cost per mile within our company. We run 2012-2015 Fords and 2016 to 2019 Chevys (over 100 pickups in our fleet). Even though the Fords are on average 4 years older and have many more miles on them (like 75-100,000 more miles each) , they are costing us less than half of what the Chevy's are for out of warranty repairs (based on the cost per mile traveled). Of course, sh*t happens, my first 2018 Lariat went back under the lemon law for transmission issues. The replacement (also a 2018) has been good.
 
Scrap the new and go old school.
You can't go wrong with a Dodge or a Ford from the turn of the century. No need to think about a Chevy from the era they are already recycled.
Rebuild the front end on the Dodge or the Ford and run the piss out of it.
 
I'm currently in a 2016 F150, 3.5L Eco. I opted for the extended mileage fuel tank. I get over 600 miles on a tank, fill up twice a month. Filled up in Fort Worth, TX and drove to St. Louis, MO on one tank...

I get 21mpg at 70mph on the highway commuting to and from work. 17-19 running errands with the family on the weekends.

No complaints after the first 50k miles.
 
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I drive 40,000 miles a year. The last 4 years have all been in 3.5L Ecoboost F150s. Every single one (had 3 so far) has had an injector issue and a front end hub issue. They are nice pickups though, very roomy and nice to drive. I think it's hard to go wrong with any of em these days. I drove a big ol 3/4 dodge with a Cummins the other day and was really impressed with it. Rode very nice and had tons of power.
 
Got an '07 Tundra 4x4 210K miles. Only problem was an evaporator coil on the A/C went out at about 180K miles Had to take out the entire dash, console and front seats to replace. Cost about $2,300 at the dealer. Started at 13.5 mpg and hasn't changed. No other problems. Its my third Toyota truck with no problems on the other older ones. Still looks and rides like new.
 
I've got a 2011 F150, 5.0, 223,000 miles on it and besides a blower motor, it's been regular maintenance.

Rented a 2019 Lariat for a Vacation to Colorado last summer.......almost 1200 miles. interstate and mountains, and I didn't baby it, 20 MPG for the trip......Ecoboost, don't know what size,
really nice truck, but it is also a $60,000 truck.
 
We have a slew of Ferds at work, mostly F250s. The F150s I ordered with the 5.0L and would do again. My main work truck is a '09 F150 with the 5.4L.

I'm a GM guy, drive a '06 1500 Silverado. Brother has a '17 and dad has a '15. The '06 and '15 are tuned, the '15 responded very well in regards to the trans shifts, fun truck to drive. If you happen to get a '07+, get a dyno tune and have them turn the dod(displacement on demand)off while in there.

As to which one I'd get, it would have to be the Silverado. The Ferds at work have been ok, no major issues with the F150s. I've been a service tech for GM and Nissan, own older Honda cars and Nissan trucks also.
 
I’ll post my work 17’ f-150 5.0, It’s averaging 18.3 mpg or so over many fuel tanks. I don’t baby it. We also have a 2.7 turbo same size and it does 15. I love both motors.
But f-150 all day long.
 
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Ugh, fords suck, gm sucks, ram sucks, nissan sucks. Toyotas are great, but if a tundra isn’t your game, try a tacoma, if thst doesn’t work then don’t complain when whatever else you buy breaks down and has gremlins. If i HAD to pick one besides a toyota, it’d be a gm with a bumper to bumper warranty for as long as i plan on keeping it. The gadgets are what fail on gm. Ac controls, window and door locks, ignition cylinders, electrical gismos. But drivetrain is gtg and gets the best mileage. Some trucks seem to be dogs, get a real custom tune, black bear, or local guy. Makes a mile of a difference.
 
I also have a 2011 F150 5.0. routine maintenance only, plus electronic steering module. 228k. Still runs like a raped ape. Got a cold air intake system, makes a difference. Still get honest highway/town ave 17.6 mpg. At 65 to 70 mph does 19 mpg. Was going to replace it last year. Bet I have a few more good years.
 
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Between the Ford and the GMC it’s a tough call. I would go drive the Ram with the Hemi just to be sure, then I’d go buy the Ford with the 5.0 or the 3.5 ecoboost. The techs I know recommend against the 2.7 ecoboost due to durability issues and say the 5.0 is the most solid engine choice. In the Sierra I like the new inline 6 diesel, and the 6.2 is well liked by many. My buddy has a 2016 Chevy 1500 with the 5.3, he seems pleased with it. With the new 10 speed trans even the 5.3 should have plenty of power.

I own a 2006 Dodge 2500 Cummins, it’s been the best truck I’ve ever owned. I had a 2018 Ram 1500 for a rental recently. There was plenty of power with the hemi and it was comfortable, the only thing I hated was the rotary shift knob. The interior on the 2019+ Ram is much better than the old models.

The Honda Ridgeline is the truck that most people really need, and that bed trunk is a great place to store guns out of site.
 
I will add that the 2018+ F150 5.0L have 12:1 compression, depending on the fuel quality in your area, may need 91+ octane to avoid spark knock. Its a noisy engine at idle, some say its from the direct injection but our '15 Silverado 5.3L doesn't sound like a typewriter, lol.
 
Do you say that because you’re aware of multiple knock sensors failing simultaneously or because in your youth 12:1 was a lot of compression and you think it ought to knock?
 
Ram makes the better truck right now. Interior is better, power train is proven, more technology
 
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