I need a new 1/2-ton or possibly 3/4-ton crew cab truck, and I'm starting to read about them. I use it primarily as a daily driver and on weekends for the 3-hour (1-way) drive to our lake house. Sometimes I need to trailer the boat (+/- 6,500 lbs) someplace.

To begin my research, the first resource I looked at was Consumer Reports. I don't know why, but their overall ratings for ALL 1/2-ton trucks were kind of low compared to quality cars. Consumer Report's 2024 1/2-ton truck rankings were:

Ram 1500: 71
Ford F-150: 64
Nissan Titan: 64
Chevy Silverado 1500: 56
GMC Sierra 1500: 56
Toyota Tundra: 54

Motor Trend and Edmunds also had more or less similar ratings with the Ram rated highest followed by the F-150.

I've owned Ford trucks for about 45 years. I tend to own them about 10 years, give or take, then get a new (or newer used) truck. Right or wrong, my perception of the Dodge Ram trucks has been that they were lower quality and required more maintenance than Toyota, Ford, and Chevy.

But with the ratings I'm seeing, maybe I should be looking closely at the Ram. As a bonus, Ram's 2500 Crew Cab with a short bed would fit in my garage, whereas the F-250 would be extremely tight or not possible.

My questions for you folks more knowledgeable than me are:

- Are the high ratings on the Rams legit?, and do they make sense to you?
- What do you think are the best trucks for the money?
- It looks like the manufacturers are moving away from V-8's towards smaller engines with turbo-chargers etc. Which trucks/engine combo's do you think are the most reliable?

Thank you for your advise.

modern half tons can handle your boat/6500 pounds easily. the turbo engines will make pulling it a breeze. 6500 pounds at 15% transfer to hitch would still net you probably 500 pounds of payload capacity on a mid to high grade trim assuming you don't have weight distributing hitch. but start adding weigh distributing hitch and people and cargo you will run out of payload quick but 6500 is nothing. 3/4 ton - none of that will matter. you will have room to spare on all of it.

best truck for the money is definitely the titan. good discounts, V8, just enough tech, drives like a truck, feels like a truck. back seat is shorter than the others which was a no for me since i put the dog and car seats back there. concur with above the Titan XD is a sweet spot. but they aren't making them anymore after 2024

https://www.nissanofcookeville.com/auto/new-2024-nissan-titan-pro4x-cookeville-tn/94529911/ (thats not an XD even though website say so) . but that dealer has had the cheapest titans in the country for as long as ive been following titans the past few years.

Ram - I'm in the same boat as you. i don't trust Ram quality but haven't heard anything bad from friends/family that own them. I've owned dodges in the past and just can't do it. I am partial to the landscape infotainment in the other brands versus the Ram portrait/vertical integration. i think the ratings seem consistent with what ive/seen read but i have concerns about longevity

GM - I like the styling of the GM products but i put GM products below Ram on my list. i will never own a GM product.

Tundra - too many engine issues with their switch to turbo engines. i hate the amount of creases and lines they have on their product.

Ford - I went with a 2023 F150. i enjoy it problem free at 36k miles in. checked all my boxes other than price. but that was before discounts started coming back around. Ecoboost has been around a long time and most of the bugs have been worked out.

ETA: 'm sure you can see the biases in my post. in my search i "looked" at them all but narrowed it down to Ram Rebel, F150 Tremor/Lariat, Titan Pro4x. Ford won for reasons already listed. best met my needs/wants. everyone else will lean slightly other ways.

They all have their own unique issues. Just pick what you like and be prepared for them.

You're going to get a myriad of opinions.

Between myself and my father, we've had at least 8 GM Trucks/SUVs that I can remember, without much issue (knock on wood). The biggest issue was a water pump replacement. Most of them have been the 5.3 (2WD and 4WD), and have had a lot of miles put on them.

I've owned two Ford SUVs, both had to have their transmission replaced before 40k miles. One wouldnt stop over-heating, and we could never figure out why.

I've owned four Toyota Trucks/SUVs. Hardly an issue with them that I can even recall.

The Rams have a reputation, but the newer ones seems to have good scores, and I haven't heard much bad about them. I test drove one and the ride was soooo smooth.


All that to day, I'm not really brand loyal. I think it's a total crap shoot. Doesnt matter what brand you go with these days. Sometimes you get a good one, sometimes a bad one.

Had a friend get a F250 Tremor to pull his boat. Loved it on the highway, hated it as a DD. They're overkill for the stated purpose.

Neighbor across the street just got a Titan and he loves it. I drive a '19 Tundra. Both have big V8's, and could easily pull what you are stating. Neither are fancy, but bulletproof and should last for years and years.

I was a Ford guy also. Kept them for about a decade. Only one that didn't make it that long was my '13 Ecoboost. Sh*t the bed around 140K miles. Tons of issues kept popping up....which is why I made the switch to ultra-reliability and it just sounds better.

Thank all of you for your insight… I'll also look at the Titan.

Picard, one of the reasons I'm asking for opinions here is I don't know where to get good info, lol. I figured there would be a wide range of opinions here, but most folks on here are honest in their beliefs and a lot more knowledgeable than me…

And, yes I know a 1/2-ton will pull my boat… my 2009 F-150 does it ok, but for some reason I've always wanted a 3/4-ton truck, lol. Not really a need though, it'd be more practical to get a 1/2- ton…

Thanks again everyone.

What kind of price range are you shooting for? A Titan is the best bang for your buck in a mid price range and has by far the best factory warranty (5 years/100k miles). However, if you are looking to spend $75k+ there are nicer options from Ford, GMC and Ram.

If you are looking to spend less than $50k, you can get a great deal on a used, low mileage Titan and save $10k or more. The certified preowned Titans get the warranty extended out to 7 years. I learned about that AFTER buying a new one!

Whaler said:

---

Thank all of you for your insight… I'll also look at the Titan.

Picard, one of the reasons I'm asking for opinions here is I don't know where to get good info, lol. I figured there would be a wide range of opinions here, but most folks on here are honest in their beliefs and a lot more knowledgeable than me…

And, yes I know a 1/2-ton will pull my boat… my 2009 F-150 does it ok, but for some reason I've always wanted a 3/4-ton truck, lol. Not really a need though, it'd be more practical to get a 1/2- ton…

Thanks again everyone.

---

Sounds like a 3/4 gasser fits. That's what I want

In that case if you do get a 1/2 ton, try and get something with a 6.5' bed

Picard said:

---

You lost me at "Consumer Reports"

---

I'm not sure why. It isn't a bad source. One good thing is they organize each truck model by year, so you can see the complaints in whatever era you want.

I'm not sure why they're knocking Nissan down right now. Toyota is obviously taking a bath due to recent issues with their turbo engines and a few other things. I own a Ford but was looking for a Tundra and just couldn't find one I liked. I think I lucked out, but I wouldn't push it further.

I don't see how anyone would even remotely consider a GM product. Ram is sort of in the same ballpark but I think they've gotten into a better position than GM. Keep in mind that while CRs ratings on HALF ton trucks show reliability issues, the domestic HD/SD trucks generally rate pretty favorably. I think one reason for that is because the OEMs don't manufacture some of those engines/transmissions -- at least the diesel ones. The ones they do build are the larger V8s that Detroit has had a great deal of success with for decades. I'd still stay away from GM due to the other stuff on those vehicles.

I recommend not just doing a test drive but renting one of whatever you're interested in. Drive it for a weekend and put a few hundred miles on it.

This is how I learned that I would never buy a RAM 1500 due to one particular feature, the rotating shifter knob.

I'm sure somebody could eventually become proficient with it but I've rented a few of them and not being able to quickly shift between Drive and Reverse when trying to park is annoying. Also the times where you think you're trying to shift and wind up cranking up the fan instead. It's just a really poor design in my opinion.

Picard said:

---

You lost me at "Consumer Reports"

---

Consumer Reports is a pay to play advertising service. Anything else they claim is a lie.

For 2025 the RAM killed the HEMI. The hurricane I6 has been out a couple years in the Wagoneer but I still wouldn't be the guy to buy it yet. Plus I'm one of those V8 truck guys. I had a 2020 RAM and I loved the hell out of it, but when I was truck shopping a few weeks ago I went with a Silverado because of the V8. I've had a lot of 5.3s in my life and I've never had an AFM/DFM related failure. My expedition I traded was constantly having transmission and sync issues. If RAM still made the HEMI it's very possible I'd be in one of those .... but they don't so I bought a Chevy. Everyone has their favorite and reasons. Realistically, they're all pretty good and all have their own unique issues. Go drive some and see what gives you the fizz.

Exactly. Plus they offer a real bed on their crew cab.

I really like the 2024 Titan XD Pro 4x and Platinum Reserve recommendations. I want to go look at them and go on a test drive. I wish there were more in inventory. I'm a little late to the game.

It kind of reminds me of a 1999? F-250 I had that wasn't a full-size F-250.... it was a betweener between the F-150 and the full size F-250. Had a nice V8... was a good truck.

Well, reading more about the Nissan Titan XD crew cab 4wd, despite being Nissan's heavy duty model, it actually has lower towing and payload capacities than the Ford F-150 crew cab 4wd… so, I may be right back to the F-150s..

"I need a new 1/2-ton or possibly 3/4-ton crew cab truck, and I'm starting to read about them. I use it primarily as a daily driver and on weekends for the 3-hour (1-way) drive to our lake house. Sometimes I need to trailer the boat (+/- 6,500 lbs) someplace."

Based on your criteria, the Silverado 1/2 ton, with the 3.0 would fit your needs. The payload is approximately. 1930# and towing is 9000/13000#, depending on configuration. The one question would be your daily driving habits around town.

Any modern half ton will meet your specs pretty comfortably. I'd just pick based on comfort, reliability, preferred looks, etc.

This guy seems to have a large audience and thinks Ford in particular is going to have some 'screaming' deals on their pickups now/moving forward.



Take it or leave it, I think a lot of 2024's are sitting around, not just Fords.

FightinTAC08 said:

---

5 years / 100k warranty
simple but well equipped truck
consistent/bulletproof engine
V8
Price

---

You can also buy a Ford or GM factory warranty reasonably if you shop it. I paid 2,200 for a ford premium care extended warranty when I purchased a 23 f150. 4 years/ 125k warranty.
Too many electronics and new technology not to buy an extended warranty imo. I'll sell it before the warranty expires.

If rumble and sound are your priority then id have gone with the 6.2. The 5.3 is red headed stepchild at this time.

nortex97 said:

---

This guy seems to have a large audience and thinks Ford in particular is going to have some 'screaming' deals on their pickups now/moving forward.



Take it or leave it, I think a lot of 2024's are sitting around, not just Fords.

---

go to YouTube and search "Car Manu X IS DONE" and 100's of videos will pop up showing lots full of cars that 'aren't sold'.....just like before 2020, inventory is now back to where it was.

They're click bait channels looking for ad revenue.

I really like my Ram 2500. It pulls my travel trailer great and I use it as my daily driver. Would recommend. A friend of my owns the dealership here in Marshall if you want me to see if he can hook you up.

HollywoodBQ said:

---

I recommend not just doing a test drive but renting one of whatever you're interested in. Drive it for a weekend and put a few hundred miles on it.

This is how I learned that I would never buy a RAM 1500 due to one particular feature, the rotating shifter knob.

I'm sure somebody could eventually become proficient with it but I've rented a few of them and not being able to quickly shift between Drive and Reverse when trying to park is annoying. Also the times where you think you're trying to shift and wind up cranking up the fan instead. It's just a really poor design in my opinion.

---

We were out of town last weekend and used a new app called Turo. Like VRBO for cars. Wife drives a pallisade, so we found someone on the app with a 2024 pallisade. It was waiting for us at the airport. Lockbox on the window. No waiting. No fuss. Can pick out whatever vehicle you like.