Sunday, December 8, 2013

2014 Truck Comparison: Truck Towing and Room

So now that we are sufficiently knowledgeable about how strong the 2014 full size trucks are, lets see  how much they can haul, both inside and behind it.  Even the strongest struck is not much good if it can't carry a load or if it is a pain to ride in due to lack of room.

Many of the gains in truck amenities over the past two decades has come in the addition of room and in the addition of towing capacity.  Trucks have become large family vehicles in many cases and can haul more weight than most people need.

So lets take a look at who has the most room inside and just how much they can haul and pull.  You will want to note, all towing capacities and hauling capacities depend on which package you buy, including cab size, engine size, 2WD/4WD, and more.  For the purposes of this comparison, we will be using the best numbers for each make reported from their own websites.

First, lets all agree that a "half ton truck" does not carry just a half ton.  With enhanced suspension and stronger frames, these trucks do much more.  Here are the maximum hauling capacities:

                 Ford                          3,120 lbs
                 Chevy                       2,101 lbs
                 Toyota                      2,040 lbs
                 Ram                          1,910 lbs

Notice that Ford is well beyond the other three.  Chevy, Toyota and Ram are all within a couple hundred pounds of each other, but Ford is a half ton more in capacity.  Impressive.

Next, the Towing Capacities:

                 Chevy                      12,000 lbs
                 Ford                         11,300 lbs
                 Toyota                     10,500 lbs
                 Ram                         10,450 lbs
                
These weights are fairly close, but one should note that with all of the changes and improvements made by Dodge over the past few years, their hauling and towing capacities have a bit further to go.  Although, their top fuel efficiencies would probably take a hit if they did so.

Another note for Ram buyers, the new Ram EcoDiesel V6 is not included in these two lists since Ram had not released their hauling and towing numbers at the time of this comparison.

Finally, the cab room comparison will look at the head room, hip room, and leg room of each of the main types of half ton truck packages: Single Cab, Extended Cab, and Crew Cab.

Single Cab Numbers:

                          Head Room     Hip Room     Leg Room
     Ford                    41"                 60.5"             41.4"
     Chevy                42.4"               60.7"             45.3"
     Ram                   39.9"               62.9"              41"
     Toyota               39.7"                 62"              42.5"

Extended Cab Numbers: (Front/Rear)

                          Head Room     Hip Room     Leg Room
     Ford               41"/39.6"       60.5"/65.4"   41.4"/33.3"
     Chevy           42.8"/38.6"     60.7"/60.2"   45.3"/34.6"
     Ram               41"/39.7"       63.2"/62.9"     41"/34.7"
     Toyota          39.7"/38.7"     62.6"/62.6"   42.5"/34.7"

Crew Cab Number:  (Front/Rear)

                           Head Room     Hip Room     Leg Room
     Ford                 41"/40.3"      60.5"/64.6"   41.4"/43.5"
     Chevy            42.8"/40.5"     60.7"/60.2"   45.3"/40.9"
     Ram                 41"/39.9"      63.2"/63.2"     41"/40.3"
     Toyota           39.7"/38.9"     62.6"/60.4"   42.5"/42.3"

I won't even attempt to break all of those numbers into a snippet of information, so you can just compare and get an idea of which trucks have the shape of cab best to fit you.    I will say, however, that it does look as though Chevy makes the better truck for those who have longer legs.

Be sure to check back next week to catch the full size comparison of amenities and price.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

2014 Full Size Truck Comparison: Truck Power

Are you looking to buy a new truck?  Well, you have plenty to choose from on the dealership lots.  The 2014 trucks are out and are ready to play!

Every year there are plenty of changes, upgrades, and additions to each of the big three's full size pickup trucks, and each year truck connoisseurs compare their strength, capacity, comfort, and price.  This year we will do the same, but will add a fourth truck, the Toyota Tundra, into the mix.

Now before you American Pickup purists leave this website vowing never to return since I have gone "Furrin", hear me out and lets truly see where the Tundra has strengths and where it has weaknesses.  For those of you who are screaming "What about the Nissan Titan or the Honda Ridgeline?", first, I can only handle so much import at a time, and second, the Ridgeline is not really a truck...

So, without further adieu, lets talk truck.

First on everyone's mind these days in truck comparisons is truck strength.  However, a change in the days of previous decades is that the consumer's desire for power is balanced by their need for fuel efficiency.  With that in mind, a current truck consumer has to step back and say "Wow, where did Ram come from?"  No, I am not inherently a Dodge fan, but with their recent changes one has to appreciate that they are now changing the industry.  This year Ram is premiering their half ton truck with a diesel engine, leap frogging the innovations Ford brought to the market a few years ago with the Ecoboost V6.

In the engine capability realm, we must compare apples to apples as much as possible, so lets look at the power of each engine class.  In the V6 market, the Ford Ecoboost is still top dog. 
  1. Ford Ecoboost 3.5L V6:  HP - 365, Torque - 420 lbs
  2. Ram Pentastar 3.6L V6:  HP - 305, Torque - 269 lbs
  3. Chevy EcoTec3 4.3L V6: HP - 285, Torque - 305 lbs
  4. Ford 3.6L V6:                   HP - 302, Torque - 278 lbs
  5. Toyota 4.0L V6:               HP - 270, Torque - 278 lbs
In the mid range engines, Ford's 5.0L V8 just edges out Chevy's 5.3L V8 this year, though both have added strength in recent years.  Dodge is not listed in this area, as their mid range V8 is not currently available.
  1. Ford 5.0L V8:                   HP - 360, Torque - 380 lbs
  2. Chevy 5.3L EcoTec3 V8:  HP - 355, Torque - 383 lbs
  3. Toyota 4.6L V8:               HP - 305, Torque - 327 lbs
And in the large V8 area, Chevy's 6.2L V8 comes in at the top this year.
  1. Chevy 6.2L EcoTec3 V8: HP - 420, Torque - 460 lbs
  2. Ford 6.2L V8:                   HP - 411, Torque - 434 lbs
  3. Ram Hemi 5.7L V8:         HP - 395, Torque - 410 lbs
  4. Toyota 5.7L V8:               HP - 381, Torque - 401 lbs
You will notice that the one setup I did not include is the new Ram 6 cylinder diesel for their half ton trucks.  The 3.0L Ecodiesel is rated at 240 HP and can deliver a whopping 420 lbs of Torque.

As stated above, buyers also want efficiency.  So since these four makes have attempted to enhance their efficiency, here are the best at saving fuel:
  1. Ram 3.0L Ecodiesel:        30 MPG
  2. Ram 3.6L Pentastar V6:   25 MPG
  3. Chevy 4.3L EcoTec3 V6: 24 MPG
  4. Chevy 5.3L EcoTec3 V8: 23 MPG
  5. Ford 3.6L V6:                   23 MPG
  6. Ford 3.5L Ecoboost V6:   22 MPG
  7. Ram Hemi 5.7L V8:         22 MPG
  8. Ford 5.0L V8:                   21 MPG
  9. Chevy 6.2L V8:                21 MPG
  10. Toyota 4.0L V6:               20 MPG
  11. Toyota 4.6L V8:               19 MPG
  12. Toyota 5.7L V8:               18 MPG
  13. Ford 6.2L V8:                   18 MPG
Although one could argue over the newness of Ram's most efficient options and the balance needed between power and efficiency, nobody could argue that Toyota's efficiency is anywhere near that of the 3 "American" brands.

Check back next week for the next installment of the 2014 Full Size Truck Comparison: Towing and Room.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Install A Bug Shield For Your Truck In 5 Minutes!

In your effort to upgrade your truck and make it perfect for you, you will find that few truck accessories are as easy to install as a good bug shield.  After a simple, 5 minute installation, you truck can be free of bugs on the hood and windshield as well as protected from possible dents, scratches, or cracks.

Although many think of the old, straight, flat plastic bug guards of the early 1990's when they hear "bug shield", today, bug and stone deflectors are contoured to the shape of the vehicles hood, making them nearly seamless with the front of the truck.  The question is weather they still can keep the hood and windshield clean of bugs.

I installed a Best In Auto brand bug deflector on my 2007 Chevy Avalanche in 5 minutes and am currently very pleased with the amount of protection I am getting.  A simple 5 minute job and a small price tag made it an easy choice to install one and give it a try.  I have had bug shields before on previous trucks and SUV's, but few have actually worked and this one definitely does its job.


First, the package came with 4 Phillips head screws, 4 washers, and 4 anchors so all that was needed for installation was a Phillips head screw driver.  The 4 anchors stick into 4 factory cut holes, so no drilling is needed. 


After the anchors are in place, a careful hand is needed to slowly start the screws with the washers and get them far enough in to start spreading the anchors.  Once all 4 screws are about 3/4 of the way in, make sure the bug shield is centered properly. 


Finally, tighten all 4 screws  and enjoy.  Fast and easy.

 
 
One complaint I have had with other bug shields has been that they were so close to the front of the hood that you could not clean behind them.  This Best In Auto deflector is only tight right in the center of the hood, so cleaning behind it is pretty easy.  The shape matches the front pretty well, so from the front you can barely see it.
 
All in all, I highly recommend one.