I really like the Fords. For towing, I like the ecoboost a lot.
However, my top favorite is one you didn’t list: The 5.7 Tundra with the 6 speed auto and 4x4. That is one badass truck. The engines are amazing.
I like the Titans as well. The 4x2 with the v8 is a pretty peppy little truck and hauls like 9500 or so, iirc.
No Chevies or Dodges for me. 
Luckily, I’m in a “low-salt zone”…
sigh
Here we go… Toyota USA has done an AMAZING job righting this wrong. They are paying 2.5 TIMES trade-in value if your frame is found to be unsafe, then the vehicle in question is crushed.
My best friend had one of those trucks. He bought it new, put 270K miles on it, then the engine seized after an oil change place didnt tighten the oil filter properly. When being looked at for an engine swap, the frame was found to be rotted. (Steve never had the truck looked at during the recall) Toyota USA sent a flatbed for the truck KNOWING the engine had seized and paid Steve almost 9K for his truck. They then got him a corporate discount and saved him another 1.8K on his new truck.
My partner at work had her truck frame replaced on Toyotas dime. They gave her a 2009 Camry to drive for 3 weeks. They even filled her trucks tank when she picked it up.
My truck was part of the recall too. No frame rot was found, so the frame was etched, sealed and I was given a 12 yr. (YES, 12 year) extension on the 2.5 times trade-in if my frame ever rots.
FWIW, it has been proven that the frames in question (rusted ones) were contracted out to a US company for rust preventative treatment. The ones handled by Toyota USA have no such issues.
Toyota is a class act, man. Same thing with my parents’ Camry from the runaway year. Nothing but good service.
All my family down in South GA drive nothing but Tundras and beat them to death. If they can survive that level of “hey y’all, watch this!” then I respect them.
Toyota is not an option for me. We operate a truck accessories business and our truck does double duty as a demo vehicle for many of the things we sell. Unfortunately, Toyota is not terribly cooperative with the aftermarket. While there are Ford, Ram, and GMC dealers in the area that are good customers of ours, none of the Toyota dealers work with us. So I have business reasons for my choice in addition to the towing requirements.
“I see”, said the blind man.
should have picked that up from the title. So sorry. 
I’d have to say Ford then. They make the most comfortable cab for me and my ergos (which are quite average.) And, the volume of trucks they sell leaves you in a much bigger client pool for accessories, if you decide to dude it up.
Hey ya just gotta Dude it up!! Lets design him a truck and he can go to the dealer and letem know just what he wants!!! Lets start with a F350 Crew Cab 4x4, If you look you just have to love the Ranch King. Lets see, ya gotta have duel air horns up on top! Running boards that are lighted! Eight foot bed is a must. Bed rails look good. Those tinted window visors all the way around. Maybe the extension out over the windshield! Big ole mudflaps. What else?
a horn that plays “la cucaracha!”
My ‘05 F150 screw has the 5.4 and trailer towing package (3.73 rear gears). It is marginal for towing an enclosed trailer with a Cougar in it. In cool weather, climbing moderate slopes it does fine but faced with 105 degree weather and having to climb 6% grades above 5000’ it just won’t cut it. It will not break, it just won’t go very fast, and it uses an amazing amount of gas. (6 mpg). I have been told by several people that for heavier towing the simple fix is a set of 4.10 rear gears. It is supposed to even fix the gas economy some.
They put a much better transmission in a few years ago and I am told it made a huge difference. Mine is just a 4 speed, in 2009 they went to a 6 speed and it is supposed to be a huge improvement. I would want to get the 6 speed as the minimum upgrade. The current F150 is a big truck. It is the absolute biggest truck that will fit in an average garage if that is important to you. I have had no issues with frame strength, brakes, or stability when towing heavy loads. I am sure the new trucks are even better. If I were buying now and money was not an object, I would buy a new F150 with the 6.2 gas V8.
C’mon really? So Toyota didn’t spend a year denying there was a problem and then when they did admit it try to blame it on floor mats? Was that a different Toyota?
Every brand has their problems. I’m not too happy with the fact that I had to put a transmission in two different Explorers. But don’t sit here and blow sunshine up my ass about Toyota being gods gift to auto manufacturing. They’re certainly no better than anyone else.
Find a Dodge dealer. Specify a Cummins diesel. Awesome reliability and superior fuel economy. My 2006 is approaching 90,000 trouble free miles.
Royce, our installer at the store drives a 2006 Ram 2500 with the Cummins diesel and he loves it. The problem for me is that our truck spends too much of it’s life going from the back of the store to the front of the store for a diesel to stay healthy. That’s why I want to switch back to a gas model. Then it won’t be such a problem to be used the way we use it and I can still get good towing perfomance on those 2 or 3 times a year that I trailer the Cougar.
But I do like that Dodge diesel…
My neighbors 2009 laramie cummins is on its second turbo and at the dealership getting fixed as much as it’s in his driveway… Maybe 35k miles on it, tops.
HIstory does prove that the dodge with cummins is a safe bet, but it’s a dodge.
I’d buy a FORD, but that’s just me. My F250 powerstroke is getting 16 mpg and that’s an average of every mile on the truck, mostly in town. I have a pretty loaded truck(FX4, two tone paint, leather heated, and paid le$$, but that is due to my timing and buying a new 2008 leftover model in March of 2009.
I hear the ecoboost is NOT getting the advertised milage but still does great, straight 6 and burns cheap gas.
Is the cummins cheaper? Will the ecoboost have the durability? I don’t know answers but the cost new and operating costs would be a factor if I were in the market. Not dealing with deisel costs is very appealing.
I am biased. Ford is the only real car/truck company USA has. I say support them.
I don’t care what you believe or don’t. We’re trying to have a civil conversation. So, either go find your manners and come on back and be civil, or shut your pie hole.
Sorry if you find it impolite for me to take issue with your love of Toyota. I personally find it offensive for you to make a statement holding them in such high regard while ignoring the truth about their actions. It’s an insult to the intelligence of anyone reading this thread. It’s not a matter of my beliefs, their attempt to shun responsibility was well documented. If I recall Andy, you at least at one time were a journalist. I always had the impression that journalists were supposed to be objective. You always seem to be a well spoken individual. I expected more from you. Now for the sake of the OP and anyone else reading this thread I will shut my pie hole as you so eloquently put it.
Trouble was that Toyota couldn’t believe they had a problem - unlike most other manufacturers who practice recalls regularly because of poor design and manufacturing quality
I don’t think he’s trying to blow sunshine up anyone’s ass, he’s just relating experiences he’s had, or relatives have had. Sure, every manufacturer has issues, and everyone with those issues has a different experience resolving them. Next week, he could be cussing Toyota because of XYZ…:shrug:
I buy American when at all possible. Any foreign manufacturer that builds here is still a foreign car/truck, and the profits head overseas.
Ford 7.3 diesel if you can find a good used one. Ecoboost seems like it will do the trick but I hate the big ugly grill, it would have to be the first thing I replace.
The new 6.7L Diesel in the '11-12 Super Duty is supposedly a much better engine than the old 6.0 or 6.? that replaced the good old 7.3TD. The mechanics at the local Ford dealership swore at the 6.xL diesels, but love the new one.
Me? I still have my old ‘97 F-250HD with the last of the 460s… With the E4OD and 4L11 rear, it gets 11.5mpg - no matter what - towing, empty, city or highway - still 11.5mpg. Sit it now is just about to turn over 100k miles and the rust is just starting on the body, it will probably get replaced in a few years with a ‘11-later SuperDuty 6.7 Diesel dually… Why? I want to get either a 28’ tag or a 36’ gooseneck trailer for the race car. The current truck is only used for towing the 16’ open car trailer and 4000-pound car (total of 5800 lbs). Once I get an enclosed trailer, I’ll be taking the golf cart, more tools, fridge, generator, microwave, TV, computer, … The current truck could handle the tag, but a gooseneck would be better with a dually…
Ok I will blame all yall. I wasn’t in the market for a new truck but after reading so much on here spent the better part of last night on the computer going over new Ford Trucks. Don’t have any idea what they would give me for my 97 4x4 with the 7.3 diesel but OUCH!! The prices on new 1 tons is better than double what I paid! Somewhere in the neighborhood of 950 a month for 72 months! But boy those KingRanch 1 ton 4x4’s with the eight foot bed do make me drool. Bad thing is if I spend that kind of money on a truck I wouldn’t want to use it like a truck! I can’t see spending 64 thousand before interest on a truck and putting a load of rock in the back. Nor can I really see spending that kind of money for a daily transportation vehicle! I am still going to take a drive over to the dealership though and look a little closer.