Which Would You Choose?

[Bigshankhank]

I got a promotion at work, which comes along with a company truck. The company standard is "Chevy Silverado or similar". They won't buy F150's or Rams because they are not as competitively priced as the Chevys. Personally I have always liked the Tacoma, and running through the respective manufacturers websites I can get all the way up to a TRD crew cab long wheelbase Tacoma for the same money as an LT Silverado. While this will be a company provided truck, and I work in construction, this won't be used as a heavy haul vehicle like you see loaded down with tools and plywood every day. Rather it will be my daily commuter with the capability of running to a lumber yard from time to time. Company rules dictate it must be a truck. I've had several full sized trucks, and a personally they don't fit my needs, too large (for those who have met me, you know I am no Meanchuck) and frankly I just think the Tacoma is the best looking truck out there. I have never owned a Chevy truck, so I cannot attest to their quality, but I've had several Toyota autos and have never had a problem not related to lazy maintenance. I have confirmed with my upper management that the Tacoma as an alternate is on the table if their lease management group can find one.
Anyway, is there a virtue of the Silverado that I am missing? A flaw to the Tacoma that goes unreported?
Which would you choose, if you had the same money to spend?
Please vote in the poll, and share your thoughts here.

[Rench]

There's actually been quite a rundown on the awesomeness of Tacomas over in another thread ("it's time for a new" or something like that).

I'm just gonna give my typical "buy American" argument, so no reason to expound too much, it is what it is. Also, if the company is paying, might as well try something different for you. :shrug:

-Rench

[Bigshankhank]

Well I didn't want to derail that thread so I stated this one with a poll. Besides, I know which one I want, I am merely curious if anyone has a perspective I hadn't considered regarding the full size truck. Perhaps someone has gone from full to mid and regrets it for a specific reason? Who knows? Chime in.

[Jaeger]

Go Taco.

They're indestructible, reliable, and efficient (mine would get close to 30mpg).

In all fairness, American trucks are generally superior to American cars in terms of ruggedness and reliability. That said, they still don't hold a candle to the Toyotas -- my years in the courier business taught me that the real pros drive Hondas or Toyotas.

Barring those, if you must buy American... the guys I knew in Fords did pretty well; not so much the Chevys. Just sayin'.

--Jaeger

[Rench]

See, I was brought into the world of trucks by a buddy with an F250, International diesel motor and some super rare manual trans with a granny gear. Offline ootmik Hunter, actually. That thing is an unreal BEAST. He's good to it, and with the proper chain, it will pull down skyscrapers. He has literally used it to pull tree stumps. OUT OF A LAKE. PLURAL. BUT, I want to say it's a 2000 or maybe even late 90's.

Fast forward to MK3's F250 diesel (like a 2008 or so), and the thing is (sorry if you check in here dude) an incredibly badass looking jalopy. He can't drive it any distance without severe (mostly computer based) problems. A guy at work had a late model dually F450, same deal. I think Ford earned a helluva reputation, but they've been leaning on it for a decade or so instead of building on it.

My neighbor has a 12 year old Silverado and I'm fairly certain he's only changed brake pads and oil on it the entire time. Sits outside year round, and still looks incredibly clean. I'm a Mopar fan, and I've only had 2 Dodge trucks, both well used before I got them, and both bulletproof. The Dakota was 14 years old and ran like a champ. The Ram is only 4 years old now, so time will tell, but I bought it with near 60k on the motor, and it feels like it's barely broken in, both in power and handling.

But I don't know shit about Tacomas, except where the profit goes...

-Rench

[Mk3]

its an '07... BIG difference from 08 (different motor) but none the less, not the Texan's question.

I really really really want to say chevy, but if I were buying it for my fleet it'd be a taco mamma. They just give you more for it, especially if you're not hauling. Flip side, if it is a company vehicle and thereby a company problem, go chevy, support D-town, and let the boss pay to fix it.

[calamari kid]

Who's paying for gas?

[Bigshankhank]

Who's paying for gas?

Company for business, my for personal use.

[rolly]

The Toyota HiLux, as the Tacoma is known outside of North America, is the vehicle of choice of terrorists, freedom fighters and 'contractors'

[Pattio]

I have voted for the Silverado. This may seem strange as a taco fan, but I'm thinking with office politics in mind. If 'most folks' that get a truck get the Silverado, I would just go with that. Do you want to hear the gals in the Truck Reimbursment Office whispering 'oh here comes Mr Import Truck with his pants so fancy' when you are strolling the halls? It could be like when Homer had to go to work in a pink shirt. I think I might just go for the Silverado.

I bet the girls will turn the color of an avocado, when you roll down the street in your Silverado.

[DerGolgo]

So, Tacoma=Hilux, does it?

Well, Hiluxes, as it happens, are unkillable. This is not a claim or a reputation, but something that has been scientifically studied be the most eminent authorities in the cage field:

The old model:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnWKz7Cthkk[/media]
Part Two
Part Three

Newer models:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNkvASxfEWQ[/media]
Fun fact: that little race saw the first motor vehicle reach the magnetic North Pole, or at least it's 1996 position, in EVER.
It also does volcanoes.

[Bigshankhank]

I have voted for the Silverado. This may seem strange as a taco fan, but I'm thinking with office politics in mind. If 'most folks' that get a truck get the Silverado, I would just go with that. Do you want to hear the gals in the Truck Reimbursment Office whispering 'oh here comes Mr Import Truck with his pants so fancy' when you are strolling the halls? It could be like when Homer had to go to work in a pink shirt. I think I might just go for the Silverado.

I bet the girls will turn the color of an avocado, when you roll down the street in your Silverado.

Well it has been my burden to forge new paths within this company. Twelve years ago I was the first engineer with a college degree to choose a career path as a field superintendent, before me it was all guys who came up through the ranks of the carpenters union. Now they hire people for that path straight out of college. I am about to start studying for my MBA so I can be the first with an advanced degree. I must keep raising the bar.
As to what the girls in the typing pool with whisper, well not to brag but back in the day I gave quite a few of them something to talk about relative to my pants, so it wouldn't bother me to drum up a little chatter again.
Ultimately, I cannot take the truck allowance and get what I want (the taco) so I'm going to try and get it as a company truck instead. If I end up with the Chevy, no big loss because I still get a brand new truck. I have learned that in any negotiation, you only get to ask for what you want in the beginning, after that it is what you will accept.

[AZRider]

I have a 2003 Nissan Frontier King Cab 4cyl 5spd 2wd, which I bought in November to replace my rusted-to-nothing 1999 Frontier, same spec. I bought the 2003 because the 05 and newer is bigger, taller, less efficient, and has a dinky bed. Spent 4 months looking for a clean 03-04 with low miles, finally found this one.

19 days after I bought the 03, we had a light snow, and some guy skidded into me, nearly totalling the truck (I am fine). I made his insurance rent me a truck because I need a truck for work. So, for a month I have wound up driving a brand-new Frontier crew cab short bed 6cyl auto 4wd after all.

My observations: I basically despise this truck.
The 5ft bed is damn near worthless. An original 1972 Bonneville barely fits with its rear axle above the tailgate, anything longer would be dangling on the slope of the rear tire. 8ft lumber is too close to its tipping point to even cross a parking lot without strapping it, and you have to put a sheet of plywood under any 2x lumber to create a "floor" for the sticks. Plus that the 16 inch wheels and big tires and offroad suspension raise the bed up to the height of my waist and the tailgate top is near my armpits, which doubles the labor of loading anything and means that my very nice aluminum bike ramp is too short.
The V6 engine has a lot more power than my 4cyl, but sucks down a gallon every 16 miles, which is a third less mileage than my 4cyl, raising my fuel budget by 50%. I've carried 1000 pounds of river rock in my old 4cyl, so I don't need the extra power. The automatic transmission is also THE WORST auto I have ever driven, but that's irrelevant to your Tacoma vs Chevy decision. My main point is that for 16 to the gallon, you could have a Chevy v8 and an eight-foot bed that's wide enough for plywood between the wheel wells.
Turning radius and blind spots are AWFUL for a small truck. Much worse blind spots than my King Cab, especially the "A" pillars around the windshield when approaching intersections.
The 4-door seems nice, but I don't often have even a second person in the truck with me. My King Cab has a jump seat in back that's acceptable for non-obese-or-elderly people for up to 30 minutes. I wouldn't want a standard cab because where do you put groceries on a rainy day without space behind the seat?

I really don't think the current Frontier 4-door is any improvement over a full-size truck, and gives up a lot of usefulness. I'd worry that a 4-door Taco would be just as bad. Maybe the long wheelbase would give a usable bed, but it only comes in PreRunner and TRD which sucks because of the height. If you're thinking Tacoma Access Cab 4cyl long bed, you'll get a useful truck that's still smaller and more efficient than the Silverado, if you're looking at the 4-door Tacomas, you might as well get the Silverado.

[Bigshankhank]

Heh heh heh, Tacos rule!

[DerGolgo]

^^
Is that one yours?

[Bigshankhank]

^^
Is that one yours?

Just picked it up last night from the dealership. Man I haven't put my ass in a vehicle with only 88 miles on the clock in almost 15 years, rental cars included!
I honestly cannot believe my company came through for me like this, and what's more they bought an upgraded model for me rather than a stripped down economy truck (which I would have been more than thrilled with). Just goes to show, when someone asks you "What would you want?", tell them what the fuck you want! Anything less is what you will accept.

[DerGolgo]

So, technically, it's a company car?

You should go and put one of those black-and-yellow stripey things on the tailgate, some company sticker and something that looks like a fleet-inventory-number.
Why?
I hear cops and parking wardens or what you call 'em are less likely to give parking tickets to vehicles such adorned.

Not that I condone wild, inconsiderate parking. But if it's say a "1 hour parking" thing, they might give ya another 15 minutes, which is only naughty, not mean.

[Bigshankhank]

It's mine for the next three years or until they fire me. But yes the company will tote the note so to speak.

Not looking to adorn it with much of anything cosmetic. I am afraid at some point they will make me take it in to get a company logo/brand tacked onto the door. I will drag my feet on that request as long as possible.

[12ci]

have the logo put onto a magnetic sign. deploy or conceal at will.

[AZRider]

If you were up here, you could use the Parkway excuse: All of the Parkways in NY, NJ and CT are closed to commercial vehicles. So people use magnetic signs they can throw inside before taking a parkway.

If they give a fuck. Most cops will only use the law if you are driving like an ass, or if you get stopped for something else they get to add on an extra violation and $200 fine. In an accident, the other party's attorney will always argue that the accident would be the commercial vehicle's fault because it should not have been on that roadway at all.

[Bigshankhank]

If you were up here, you could use the Parkway excuse: All of the Parkways in NY, NJ and CT are closed to commercial vehicles. So people use magnetic signs they can throw inside before taking a parkway.

If they give a fuck. Most cops will only use the law if you are driving like an ass, or if you get stopped for something else they get to add on an extra violation and $200 fine. In an accident, the other party's attorney will always argue that the accident would be the commercial vehicle's fault because it should not have been on that roadway at all.

Shit, remind me not to go there.