Editorial: The Great Debate For A Daily/Tow Vehicle
By Kevin Whipps
I recently sold one of my project trucks, and now I’m on the hunt for a daily driver that meets all these conditions:
- Truck
- Crew Cab
- Towing Package
- Under $25,000, tax and title included
Though a lot of people are running away from the fullsize truck market, because of gas prices, I need a tow vehicle pretty badly, to move my project cars around. But I need it to double as a daily driver. I’ve found a few different options, and you can check out my findings below.
1. The Chevy Silverado
Pros:
- Chevy brand = quality
- Reliable motor
- 5.3L engine with active fuel management, which means it shuts off four cylinders at highway speeds to save gas
Cons:
- Tiny crew cab (compared to Tundra, anyway)
- Limited availability — lots of dealers don’t have it in stock, thanks to the axle strike
- High price — and I’m not sure how much they’re willing to negotiate
2. The Toyota Tundra Crew Max
Pros:
- Mammoth back seat
- Towing capacity
- 381 HP
Cons:
- New bodystyle, lots of recalls
- High price — but I have a buddy at Toyota, so I may be able to get it cheaper
3. Dodge Ram SLT Crew Cab
Pros:
- Unlimited mileage engine warranty
- “$3/gal. gas for three years” promotion
- $8,000 in rebates, which gets me to my price without even haggling
Cons:
- It’s a Dodge — never owned one, not sure about reliability
- Super mini crew cab
- Last year of current bodystyle
Conclusion
Well, I’ve driven the Chevy and the Ram, and I really like the Ram. However, the Toyota really appeals to me because of the crew cab, the newness factor, and the beefy motor. But the Ram comes with so many incentives, it seems like the overall best deal.
I have until Monday to make a decision. Wish me luck.
May 10th, 2008 at 3:25 am
Dodges are pretty reliable. I don’t know what you’re towing needs are, but less than full size trucks are still pretty capable, it does get a bit harder to find one with four doors though. If it were me, I would go used, you could get a diesel in the used market for that kind of money. And it wouldn’t have to be more than two or three years old.
May 10th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
No brainer….go with the Ram. People can talk for hours on one brand’s reliability over another but when Dodge offer $5500 rebate with a lifetime warranty? That cost will more then make up for any reliability issues down the road. Besides, with the ‘09 coming, dealers are basically giving them away. Oh yeah, I’d take the cash over the $3 gas. Unless gas goes to $6 a gal. the full $5500 is a better deal.