The midsize truck discussion thread

Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) said:

In reply to MINIzguy :

I worry about driving a Ridgeline on the beach. I see that some have a sand mode. If I could rent one and try it out, I'd feel better about it.

What is needed to drive on a beach? I always thought it was as simple as airing down and turning off TC. Ridgelines also have this "VTM-4 Lock" function which I think locks the rear diff for slippery terrain (I've never used it on my parents, just know the button was there)

Gladiator Sport with Max Tow package here. I went thru the mid-size truck debate about 14 months ago. Glad I went with what I did. First Jeep, so I don't beat the drum for them, but it's a DD that does truck stuff just fine.

I would search for some of the truck magazine articles from the time when the Ranger was introduced.  All of the major magazines panned the Ranger hard.  They didn't like it.  At the time, they were putting the Taco and the (at the time 8-year-old) Colorado/Canyon at the top and the Ranger dead last.

The V6 diesel in the Jeep (double check me here) is likely the VM Motori.  They have this feature that likes to umm... self-ventilate the block by opening a window.  The I4 VM is fantastic.  The V6, not so much.

Tacos from that era also had the frames that rusted so bad they had a recall.  If it doesn't have a replaced frame, it's likely wasted.  If it does have a replaced frame, you basically have a rebuilt vehicle minus the branded title.

If I were going this route, I would personally look hard at Canyon/Colorado and the Frontier.  The Frontier seems to rust everything BUT the frame - power steering lines, brake lines, radiator core support, exhaust... but at least those are relatively easy to replace.

The V6 diesel in the Gladiator is NOT the VM Motori one that likes to tell knock knock jokes. The Gladiators use the 3rd gen EcoDiesel which is much improved.

The one with hilariously bad reliability (and what I own now in my JGC, post I4 VM Motori in my Colorado) is the 2nd gen EcoDiesel made by VM Motori.

buzzboy said:

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) :

The old guys here have photos and love to talk about beach driving "back in the day." Plenty of photos of FWD Cadillacs and RWD Vans, and everything in between, out driving on the beach by Cape Point. They'd tell you it's not about the vehicle, but the driver and the tires. I've never been stuck *knock on wood* in a 4x4 but I sure have in a RWD car.

The beach always looks much smoother in those old photos, too. I think the quantity of the traffic has increased greatly, and the traffic is much more likely to rut things up badly. 

MINIzguy said:

Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) said:

In reply to MINIzguy :

I worry about driving a Ridgeline on the beach. I see that some have a sand mode. If I could rent one and try it out, I'd feel better about it.

What is needed to drive on a beach? I always thought it was as simple as airing down and turning off TC. Ridgelines also have this "VTM-4 Lock" function which I think locks the rear diff for slippery terrain (I've never used it on my parents, just know the button was there)

Ground clearance and skill. I've taken my Subaru on the Outer Banks, but getting stuck because you high center in a rut is a real possibility. 

I'm not saying a Ridgeline wouldn't work, I'm saying that I'd like to try it out before dropping $$$ on one.

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) :

Agreed on both points.  By the time August comes around, the beaches to Carova can get interesting.  Not impassibleby any means, but not glass smooth either. 

And on that beach, if you get properly stuck, there is a nice tow bill and a possible visit from the sheriff waiting for you.  

Puddy46 said:

And on that beach, if you get properly stuck, there is a nice tow bill and a possible visit from the sheriff waiting for you.  

Which is why I carry recovery gear with me.

I didn't want to start a new post.... so a year later where do we stand?

I ask because my dad is looking to get a new truck. He currently has an 2013 F150 with the 5.0 that needs replaced. Actually there probably isn't much wrong with the F150 but the interior is worn out, it's got some bumps, and his mobility is going downhill so he wants a smaller truck my mom can drive. He still wants a truck and 4wd. My mom currently has a 2010 Wrangler 6spd with little old lady low miles, that I think will become my son's next year. I initially avoided suggesting the Gladiator due to Jeep tax, but you guys seem to like them.  I'm a Jeep guy, but I like old old ones.  He will be buying new, but all the warranty info I can see have the same number of years or miles. 
 

Thanks 

In reply to octavious :

Honestly unless big towing or big off-road is in the needs I would start and stop that search at the Ridgeline.  Decreasing mobility really plays into the things the Ridgeline does best which is easiest to enter / most comfortable to be in because Unibody SUV, and easy to load due to the dual action tailgate.   If he can live with the smaller platform the Maverick is probably worth a look. 

That said if he needs 7000lbs towing or driving to Moab then they are not the droid.  

I'd have him  check out a ridge line or a maverick.  I put my dad (75) in a maverick recently and he's in love. It does all the garden center and dump run stuff easy and has fantastic egress. 
 

Edited typo. 

Maverick or Ridgeline depending on desired size/price/fuel mileage. My dad drives a Ridgeline, my FIL drives a Maverick, my uncle drives a Maverick, and my FIL's old-man neighbor drives a Maverick. 

Haven't driven a Maverick as the size,ugly plastic interior and no awd hybrid just doesn't do it for me.

 If a basic fwd ute suits your needs its hard to beat on price etc,tart it up and that changes quickly although not as shocking as the new Tacoma does.

 The Ridgeline is a better fit for our needs,does most things better then the other options with Honda resale value as an added bonus.

I'm not sure the Ridgeline or Maverick are "truckish" enough for him. He's 74.5 and pretty set in his ways. 😂. He's pretty old school. He's also 6'4" and 275ish...

In reply to octavious :

The ridgeline has the widest interior of the midsize trucks ;)

If I'm buying the truck to buy the truck that I will be happiest with over the long run, I'm buying a Toyota. 
 

At this point I'm a fanboi. They just work exactly like they're supposed to. 
 

I regret that I wasn't in a position to buy my Dads first Tundra (2002?) when he sold it with 220k miles. If it wasn't for the bad white paint of Toyota in the early aughts and the worn drivers seat, you'd have thought the odometer was faulty and it really had 20k miles. 
 

Same story with my FIL's '04 4Runner that he sold with 215k miles. He replaced that with an identical '09 4Rumner 11 years ago; that now is getting sold with 220k miles and again, I regret that I am not in a position to buy it. He's replacing it with another 4Runner. He might get a new one, if so, it will likely be the last car he ever buys. 
 

When Dad needed another truck some years after he sold the first Tundra, he replaced it with another, an 06. My brother kind of absconded with that, so dad replaced it with a '98 Land Cruiser. 
 

My older brother had Mom's old 4Runner. He's now selling it at 275k miles, it was in an accident. He's replacing it with a Lexus GX. 
 

I would strongly consider a Ridgeline, because they're one of the better overall vehicles, but after driving 2 of my Mom's Passport (the current one, a slightly truncated Pilot), I'd go with the Toyota. 
 

If budget allowed I would consider the Ford Lightning and Rivian. 
 

After that, I'm buying on price and not really caring too much about the specifics. They're all "fine". 

In reply to mtn :

Have you priced a new Taco?

I traded a '22 Tundra limited in for the '24 ridgeline,the tundra did lots of things well and I liked it but it also had some misses.

 I stopped in at the honda dealer before going to the toyota dealer with a dash full of lights...didn't make it the 3 miles to toyota.

 Stuck in traffic with the trans jumping back and forth from park to reverse in rapid succession with lots of loud bangs.

 Moving the shifter did nothing,shut it off and refired with no lights and drove fine.....right back to the honda dealer where they tossed me the keys of a new crv to drive for a couple days while the PDI'd the ridgeline.

 Toyota said both headlights shorted causing the issue....if blown headlights causes transmission issues thats a new one.

My Son was in a spot recently and needed a truck. He looked at everything and bought a 2023 Tacoma because it wasn't a terrible deal, it would hold value, and it was a six speed manual. He was over the top about that part and absolutely thrilled.

It's been a couple of months now and he can't wait to get out of it. He absolutely hates the truck, and has a number of good reasons why, but  said yesterday, how can such a cool truck like this, with a six speed manual be so awful to drive?

He berkeleying hates it, and is truck shopping again.

As an update, I did *not* get a truck and kept my paid for 2003 V8 4Runner and 5x8 utility trailer. 

I was very close to getting a Colorado, but the financial aspect just didn't make sense. I thought the ride, ergonomics, price and features of a 2-3 year old Colorado were the best bang for the buck.

Now that the new turbo trucks are out, and the Toyota was redesigned not to be a torture chamber to sit in, I'd have to re-evaluate everything.

Peabody said:

My Son was in a spot recently and needed a truck. He looked at everything and bought a 2023 Tacoma because it wasn't a terrible deal, it would hold value, and it was a six speed manual. He was over the top about that part and absolutely thrilled.

It's been a couple of months now and he can't wait to get out of it. He absolutely hates the truck, and has a number of good reasons why, but  said yesterday, how can such a cool truck like this, with a six speed manual be so awful to drive?

He berkeleying hates it, and is truck shopping again.

It's funny you mention this, because I have a friend who has had the same experience! 

He picked up a rare certified pre-owned TRD Pro Taco with a manual trans a few months back. He had to scour the entire country for the thing. At the time, he was over the moon with it. I saw him a few days back and now he's regretting his decision. 

On paper, the thing is cool. It looks amazing, has the Fox suspension, and OMG MANUAL TRANSMISSION!!!11!!@ But one of the fancy shocks already failed (under warranty) and it's not as fun to drive as he thought it would be.  The dealer he got it from also put highway tires on it instead of ATs, so it rides a little wonky until he can get proper tires on it. It was also VERY expensive, but it will hold its value. I think he's probably suffering from sticker shock and a little bit of initial disappointment based on the repairs needed, and will probably grow to like it. 

The new Tacos look like a major upgrade over the last gen trucks. With the hybrid powertrain and the new turbo engines, it should fix the power problem they had before and be a bit more efficient to boot. 

A few years ago now I bought a Nissan frontier because on paper it was everything I was looking for. I have no complaints so far other than the terrible fuel mileage but I work from home so not a huge deal. 
If I had to do it again I would pick a Ridgeline though. 

In reply to Tony Sestito :

I believe that's what my son's is too. 

I'm still waiting on Honda to do a hybrid Ridgeline 🤷‍♂️ 

Tony Sestito said:

Peabody said:

My Son was in a spot recently and needed a truck. He looked at everything and bought a 2023 Tacoma because it wasn't a terrible deal, it would hold value, and it was a six speed manual. He was over the top about that part and absolutely thrilled.

It's been a couple of months now and he can't wait to get out of it. He absolutely hates the truck, and has a number of good reasons why, but  said yesterday, how can such a cool truck like this, with a six speed manual be so awful to drive?

He berkeleying hates it, and is truck shopping again.

It's funny you mention this, because I have a friend who has had the same experience! 

He picked up a rare certified pre-owned TRD Pro Taco with a manual trans a few months back. He had to scour the entire country for the thing. At the time, he was over the moon with it. I saw him a few days back and now he's regretting his decision. 

On paper, the thing is cool. It looks amazing, has the Fox suspension, and OMG MANUAL TRANSMISSION!!!11!!@ But one of the fancy shocks already failed (under warranty) and it's not as fun to drive as he thought it would be.  The dealer he got it from also put highway tires on it instead of ATs, so it rides a little wonky until he can get proper tires on it. It was also VERY expensive, but it will hold its value. I think he's probably suffering from sticker shock and a little bit of initial disappointment based on the repairs needed, and will probably grow to like it. 

The new Tacos look like a major upgrade over the last gen trucks. With the hybrid powertrain and the new turbo engines, it should fix the power problem they had before and be a bit more efficient to boot. 

The thing you have to accept with the V6 Tacos is that the engine is essentially a car engine and then it also has this Atkinson cycle mode at lower rpm. This compounds the car-like effect, and you really need to drive it totally different than you're conditioned for a truck to be driven like. I've had mine almost a year now, and I no longer feel like it is disappointingly underpowered like I did early on. It pulls my track car (Elise, 1900lb) just fine on a steel open trailer (> 2,000lb), and it gets about 15/16 mpg when towing. It was pre-wired for trailer brakes, so that's been great. Fuel economy is massively a function of cruising speed, probably because it kicks out of the Atkinson cycle at higher speeds/loads. I'm extremely happy I went with the manual - I suspect it will hold value stronger than the auto as most vehicles have started to do in recent years - and the manual shift points are easily adjusted. Auto reviews tended to knock the shift points, but I never drove an auto to say for myself. 

That all being said, I am a huge cruise control user, and the '23 Taco has easily the worst calibrated cruise control of any vehicle I've ever driven. It does allow shifting which should help, but it still allows too much of a speed drop up hills, and then the controller winds up and overcompensates after the hill. You could easily get a ticket with this truck's cruise control which the opposite of why I want to try to use it. If you know controls theory, it is a classic case of integrator windup due to low P gain. The radar cruise control is also pretty aggressive, and you have to turn the aggression way down each drive. Dumb cruise control needs a 3-second button press which is annoying. The brake intervention has also slammed on the brakes more than once when going through a curvy intersection and expecting an orthogonal one. Basically, all the reasons a Luddite like me says "I want a manual, analog vehicle that only does what I tell it because I stay alert while driving", this truck is a testament to why modern systems can absolutely suck when they aren't done perfectly. 

In reply to Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :

Me too,but since they actually did a fair bit of interior upgrading with the '24 ridgeline and the passport got a new v6 without vtec last yr I don't see anything happening soon.