Trucks

[dom w. forte]

I understand with the demand for better fuel economy going to an aluminum truck , but what is the advantage for GM to advertise that they are building there trucks with military grade steel, are they saying there old trucks were built with poor quality steel before and this is a big improvement??????????

[Ewok]

Nope, just marketing, trying to play on people's basic knowledge that steel is stronger than Al. Like the bear cage commercial. I think ford should do a shark cage commercial and have a steel cage sink to the bottom and drown the occupants.

It's all BS marketing. All they really should do is hook up a load and have a drag race up a hill.

[jmhatchett]

Agreed with Ewok, my brother has a new F150 (aluminum) and we have had steel trucks forever. I am also an insurance agent so I see plenty of wrecks and stuff. The aluminum is a super sturdy truck. In a high speed, hard collision it is going to do similar to the steel and break and what not but the only difference really is weight and the minor repairs (steel is easier to make minor repairs on IMO). These are all just marketing gimmicks from each company to try to push their brand ahead of everyone else. Every truck has its pros and cons.

[skinut11]

"military grade steel" is just the same stuff everyone else uses, ( probably just A36) except with a whole lot more paperwork to track it. i.e. chemical composition, mechanical tests, ETC.

[Thegerman618]

The ONLY downside, to the AL. F150 is that any frame damage has to go to a special body shop to get fixed vs. steel frames can be fixed at most body shops or dealers. I have 13' F150 last year of the steel frame and I love it, its a towing machine never had an issue. The AL. frame with the Ecoboost is the future of trucks IMHO opinion, there are pros and cons to every truck Ford included, but when you put them down all down Ford, GM, Dodge I still think overall Ford comes out on top.

[Ewok]

The ONLY downside, to the AL. F150 is that any frame damage has to go to a special body shop to get fixed vs. steel frames can be fixed at most body shops or dealers. I have 13' F150 last year of the steel frame and I love it, its a towing machine never had an issue. The AL. frame with the Ecoboost is the future of trucks IMHO opinion, there are pros and cons to every truck Ford included, but when you put them down all down Ford, GM, Dodge I still think overall Ford comes out on top.

Hey, don't forget about Toyota, it can tow the space shuttle!

[dilpickle]

The ONLY downside, to the AL. F150 is that any frame damage has to go to a special body shop to get fixed vs. steel frames can be fixed at most body shops or dealers. I have 13' F150 last year of the steel frame and I love it, its a towing machine never had an issue. The AL. frame with the Ecoboost is the future of trucks IMHO opinion, there are pros and cons to every truck Ford included, but when you put them down all down Ford, GM, Dodge I still think overall Ford comes out on top.

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...omparison-test

This is a very good review of the latest offerings from the "Big 4". I'd agree that they are all very close, but managing a fleet of around 400 pickups I'd tilt the level the other way-the GM's cost less to keep up & hold their value better when sold. One of the things that gave me a chuckle from that article is the fact that the Ford now weighs (only) 81 lbs less than the Chevy.

Full disclosure-wife has a '15 Chevy with the 6.2 DI & have a buddy with the '15 Ecoboost-they are both nice trucks, but the Ford uses (needs?) all that technology to get less power & the same economy as a 2 valve, pushrod engine. I'd happily drive either, but would spend my money on the Chevy.

[Bad05]

x2 on the Chevy/GMC!

We started getting fleet Ford F150s and immediately changed back to Chevys. One thing I've noticed on a side-by-side of the 13 F150, 16 F150 and 16 Chevy 1500 is the quality of ride. The older Ford feels like a sturdy truck where the new ones seem cheap and light, like a Toyota! Kidding Ewok, well kind of....you couldn't get me in a Toyota and my brother has one, so yes I've spent plenty of time in one!

I have a 15 GMC 2500HD w/Duramax for "full disclosure!" HA!

[chpthril]

mechanical engineering 101 will tell you that an aluminum structure can be as strong as steel, but that doesnt mean its going to make a better truck chassis. I have not driven one yet.

[Timmy!]

I'm just glad that someone is finally using all of those Mountain Dew and Beer cans that I have been recycling for all of these years.

[trace]

Uh fellas, the F150 frame is high strength steel, only the body panels/bed are aluminum.

Lot's of owner's goggles comments in this thread. The reality is, you would be hard pressed to buy a bad truck right now from any manufacturer.

Full disclosure: I put a 155000 trouble free miles on a Tundra Crewmax in 6 years with lots of towing every year. My dad is a Chevy guy, he bought a new Silverado CrewCab last year, I've driven it a bunch. I just bought a 2015 F150 SuperCrew with the 3.5EB.

None of the 1/2 ton trucks will compare well to a 3/4 ton diesel, no way no how. The new F150 does feel lighter, but I wouldn't call it cheap feeling. The one thing nobody seems to comment on when comparing HP/TQ numbers is how they are delivered in the powerband. I drove a new chevy, a new dodge, a new tundra, other than being different trucks the power delivery feels the same (different levels, but characteristically the same). I drove a new F150, the power delivery feels closer to diesel behavior than NA gas, it hits low in the RPM band and just pulls and pulls. The tundra I had hated towing with cruise control set, typical dshift dshift scream ushift lug dshift scream ushift. Same stretch of road this F150 just pulls and pulls when it does shift it's usually one and done and just keeps pulling.

[Bobert]

Ecoboost, diesel, or bust. I tried down sizing from my powerstroke... couldn't do it, but cam close with the 3.5EB and 2.7EB but in the end... the powerstroke is paid for and rips hard as the day I bought it.

2006 6.0 CC Lariat with FX4

[BCRider]

I know a few others have them on here but I got a new 14 F150 EB in February and I can't believe how well it pulls even over the steep mountain grades we have up here in BC. Unless you are putting a camper on the back of your truck and pulling your boat there is absolutely no need for a diesel to pull a tournament boat. The amount of torque is just awesome.

[JohnnieMo]

I'm the oddball on here. I tow with a supercharged Chevy Avalanche. It gets me about the same power as the new 6.2L, but with a nicer torque curve.

I was towing home through the Rockies last week and was following a newer F-150 EB with a Malibu. I tried for a while and struggled to keep up with him. Those EB's can sure pull.... granted it all comes down to how much fuel you want to burn.

[wired1236]

All - remember, the F150 has a steel frame and a aluminum body. Why does everyone seem to get these two things confused? I've even seen Youtube videos raging about the F150 Aluminum frame...it's STEEL!