Truck Opinions

[EBBS_03_Cobra]

I'm looking to pick up a little truck sometime soon. I was going to wait for the end of the year, but I'm trying to decide if it's worth going with Ford's truck month offers, and trying to push the deals on other car manufactures. I'd appreciate any advice, opinions, or ideas on the trucks. Feel free to suggest another truck to look at. I don't want to look at trucks over $30,000.

Background: I'm 21, perfect credit (in the 700's). I have had a steady job for just about a year now, but I will be going to culinary school in January. While there, I'm planning to not have a job, so I already have punched the numbers, and figured out how much I have to have saved to be able to afford the truck I get (just about there). However, since I've planned to not have a job, if I can manage to get one during the hectic schedule, I will be ahead of the game. I plan to drag out the financing as long as I can, because there's no rush right now, so I want to keep the monthly payments low, and then hammer away after I graduate (about 1 year and 9 months, but 6 months is an externship where I will be paid). The school is in Hyde Park, NY, so I will need 4X4 for the snow, plus I want that anyway.

What I'm looking at so far:

2009 Ford Ranger - Truck month incentives are $1000 off, and 0.0% financing for 60 months, or 1.9% for 72 months. The dealer that has one near me also has a $250 coupon, not much, but it all adds up in the end. My one question here is, do they offer a Ford Loyalty discount anymore? I have my Mustang, and my mom recently purchased an Expedition not too long ago, and since we're in the same household, I was wondering if all that could add up to maybe another bit of money off?

2010 Toyota Tacoma - This truck is the highest priced of the 3 trucks I am looking at. I like Toyota's, personally. My mom had a Matrix for 5 years, and it never once gave a single problem. She just traded it in for a 2010 Corolla, and it's a great little car. I know that Toyota dealers really don't deal much on their prices. It was really hard to get them to budge on the price of the Corolla; eventually they did, but not much. Any opinions on these trucks? I love the backup camera idea, I know it's not needed, but it's a nice feature. I'm also wondering if there is a loyalty discount with them..?

2009 Nissan Frontier - This truck literally just popped up as a contestant tonight. Really, I'm not 100% sold on this truck, but it's completely loaded. I didn't know midsize trucks came with leather interiors! The truck was unlocked when I just looked after hours, and it was kinda nice. I don't typically think of Nissan when a truck comes to mind, so I was reluctant to look at one, but my mom spotted it, and felt I should give it a look. They went from $31000 something to $26000 something, and I would think there's still room to negotiate with. Opinions needed, please! I have no experience with Nissan.


Which ever I got with, I'd like to get it near Ford's 0.0% financing for 60 months, or 1.9% for 72 months.


Thanks (sorry for the long ass post :beer

 

[EBBS_03_Cobra]

Anyone?

 

[ModularFan]

Do you still pay for your mustang.

 

[EBBS_03_Cobra]

Nope. Already paid for.

 

[ModularFan]

Nope. Already paid for.

ok how much is your insurance on your cobra, the reason I ask this is because insurance is high until your at least 25, and then starts to decline after that. Because if your paying a substancial amount for the cobra just an insurance. then your gonna be tacking on another 3-400 Bucks depending on how much it is, for the truck payment.

 

[EBBS_03_Cobra]

Already figured that out. Like I said, I know how much money to have saved up to afford all the expenses of the truck. I just don't know what to think of each truck. Everyone always tells me how solid a truck the Ranger is, but I've never heard any opinions on the Tacoma or Frontier.

 

[EBBS_03_Cobra]

The Cobra will be on a storage plan for the next year, which saves roughly 70% on the insurance bill, and covers "acts of god." My insurance is high, but I am very responsible when it comes to paying bills. All my estimates have been done with the Cobra not on a storage plan, so that will also give me more money to use towards the truck. I plan for the worst, and hope for the best.

 

[shanezt]

had a 2006 frontier, it was a GREAT truck. i would trade mt explorer back for that anyday. plenty of towing power and still got 20mpg city.

 

[ModularFan]

Already figured that out. Like I said, I know how much money to have saved up to afford all the expenses of the truck. I just don't know what to think of each truck. Everyone always tells me how solid a truck the Ranger is, but I've never heard any opinions on the Tacoma or Frontier.

I understand that! But If you dont have a job and no money coming in eventually your gonna run out of money and how are you gonna pay for it . If I were you Id find a cheap ranger and throw liability on it.

 

[EBBS_03_Cobra]

Dude, no offense, but I wasn't born yesterday; I can do math, and figure out expenses. I'm not one of these people that just jumps into debt without looking at all the things that go along with it. If that were the case, I would have bought a truck months ago, when I first started looking and trying to figure out what I could afford. I have a lot of money saved up, will be selling various things to have quite a bit more. At the very worst, I will have enough money to pay for the truck. At the very best, I will have more than enough.

 

[jliddle]

I myself own a Toyota. Its an older one.. but still a Toyota. IMO.. Nothing comes close to it. Nissans are great vehicles.. But you would have to pry the keys to my Toyota out of my hands!

Buy which ever you like best. Test drive em.. Talk to some friends who own them. That sorta thing

 

[Mike K]

I really don't think you can go wrong with either one. We had new Rangers (they were diesel) and Toyota trucks in Iraq and both were great. No experience with the Nissan. If it was me, I would get the Ranger because 1) it is a Ford (sorry, i really do like Ford products) and 2) lower initial cost 3) lower overall cost (you can't beat 0% interest).

 

[ninety8 GT]

I got a 2007 Taco and i love it. So i can imagine the 2010 only being better

 

[nckissfan]

all the Ford Rangers I have had in the past were very good, reliable trucks. I vote for the Ranger.

 

[Matts00GT]

Id look at resale as well, which the Tacomas going to dominate in.

I'd go Taco followed by Frontier.

 

[EBBS_03_Cobra]

Holy crap! Test drove all three today, and by far the Tacoma wins! The Ranger is a POS compared to the others. Everything on it felt super cheap, like it was about to break when you would open or close something. The Frontier is nice, but they really don't want to deal on it. The Toyota we're still talking numbers, but I just found a dealer in NY that has some pretty sweet deals posted online.

 

[ON D BIT]

i have a ranger fx4 4.0 5 sp man with the torsen diff and love it! i have had 4 rangers, and they have always treated me great!

 

[Camaro_94]

I'd go with the Ranger

 

[NXSVTCOBRA]

at that price for the frontier you could probably get a brand new titan 4x4 for a little more if not the same. Titan and Armada sales are hurting, a few months ago Nissan of America made ALL the dealerships take their vehicles out of Canton, MS where they build them. It got the point where the dealers were only asking for the Quest and Altima's and letting the trucks stockpile. Long story short start searching for them at various Nissan dealerships across the country, I'm sure you could get a good deal on one.

 

[EBBS_03_Cobra]

The Nissan dealer, though part of the same company, does not want to deal. The only one willing to go lower is the Toyota dealer. In that case, there is no incentive for me to rush buying a truck. Ford and Nissan both have specials ending at the end of the month, so if I am liking the Toyota the most, and am being offered the best deal for the Toyota, then I may as well just wait. Another two months of waiting, shopping around, and interest on the money in my bank won't hurt me. I can even see about getting even more money in the account.

I have to give credit to the salesman at the Toyota dealer. He's busting his ass to get me a good deal. He's probably the busiest salesman at the dealer, as I saw him help out about 3 other people today upon the many visits I made to the dealer. The Ford dealer made me feel like I was wasting their time. They had no problem sticking me in a corner cubicle to wait for some numbers. Even after I got up to leave, I had to poke my head into the sales managers office to remind them I was still waiting for my numbers (needed them to do a full comparison, and be able to bargain). Salesman also had little to no personality on the test ride. He also tried telling me that I was riding with the high beams on, and I had to tell him the difference between the light on the dash for fog lights and high beams (and this salesman was in his 20's, so not like he was an old guy). Not knowing your product really bothers the shit out of me.