re: New Toyota Tundras only have V6 engines now? Tacomas only have 4 cyclinders?

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That 2016 will go 300,000 miles

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They only want it to go about 120k.

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Not a Ford guy, but if I was buying a new half ton truck today it would be a Ford with the 5.0.

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There are a lot of good choices out there, but I'm a big fan of the 5.0L Ford. For the half ton, I'd get the V8 from Ford or GMC/Chevrolet. They've ironed out most of the issues with those, and by now the 10 speeds in the Fords are finally pretty solid. The 2.7L turbo F-150 is also a good choice if you don't tow very often. If you drive aggressively or if you tow a lot, you'll probably see better MPG with the V8. If you drive conservatively the 2.7L is worth a look. The Ecoboost engines from Ford have a wet oil pump belt but they haven't had any issues with them lately.

The 3.0L Duramax from GMC/Chevrolet is great if you have a lot of windshield time and need good MPG. The diesels have more maintenance costs, so I wouldn't bother with them unless you make a lot of longer trips and put a lot of miles on your vehicles. Like the Ecoboost motors, they've got a wet oil pump belt that I don't like but they haven't really had any issues with that.

The Toyota is probably starting to turn into a better choice right now, but that could just be because most of the 2025 models don't have enough mileage to have interior bits fall off or for the engine to seize. IMO it's a gamble. If I got one, I'd strongly consider an extended warranty especially if your local dealer is sketchy. I like the Tundra, but they have made some weird design decisions and they really screwed up with the turbo V6. It's upset a lot of the Toyota faithful, but the truck is still a successful model from a sales perspective. If the 2025 models are still screwed up, you won't be alone. They all have those engines and they are pretty popular.

For the Ram....I honestly don't know. I think the Hurricane is a great motor on paper, but they've had some teething issues in the Wagoneers. They might be a solid vehicle by now, but I'm not sure I'd take the gamble on it. Ram does have a very stout ZF transmission though. I guess it kind of depends on your local dealership and if you trust their service department.

The Titan was a good, discounted choice but there are almost none in stock anymore. They stopped production late last year back when Nissan's CEO was doing very stupid things. They are back tracking a little now and are trying to invest more into the Frontier, Armada, and even exploring a new Xterra SUV.

For the smaller pickups, I'd probably go with the Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Colorado, and the Nissan Frontier until Toyota works the kinks out of the Tacoma. I really don't think the Tacoma is anywhere near as risky as the Tundra or Ram. Honestly the only mid sized truck I'd avoid is the Jeep Gladiator.

The Ridgeline is perfectly fine if you don't tow anything heavy. In fact the Ridgeline is the most comfortable for long drives. It has a relatively low step in height so it's perfect for shorter, older drivers too. It can do anything that most half ton truck drivers need and it has a fantastic V6 engine (old school Honda VTEC). It does have cylinder deactivation and it can burn some oil....and it has a timing belt (not a chain), so expect some additional maintenance costs over some of the others. Still a great motor though. I think it has a ZF transmission too which is great.

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The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser has 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. MPG 22 city/25 hwy

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I am at almost 6k miles, ain't nobody getting 25 mpg in the mountains nor in the city. Really like the shift lever going down switchbacks, much better than having to burn up brakes. KO3's at 40 psi ride pretty damn stiff, will say it goes through snow/ice like a billy goat. I wish the front seats were a little larger but it is what it is. Realistically I get 19 - 21 mpg with premium fuel and the torque will put you back in your seat. My wife hates it, good for me as she doesn't ask to drive it.

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The problem is the reliability and heat related maintenance issues associated with the engines and turbos. These arent 300k set it and forget it engines anymore. They are also markedly more expensive than their naturally aspirated counterparts. It's a net loss, everywhere, except for mpg talking points.

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They are compliance engines. Toyota didn't build that because the customers demanded it. They built that because the government is forcing their hands.

If they were reliable it wouldn't be an issue. But they haven't been. And what we know about the engine is that it's very complex, difficult to work on, and features a lot of expensive components. They will be mechanically totaled a lot sooner than older Toyota trucks.

The bright side is that Toyota is using it in a lot of vehicles, and they seem to be trying to fix the problems - even covering vehicle owners that are out of warranty. It wasn't long ago that GM had lifter issues and Ford had timing/camshaft issues that required expensive repairs. They were not nearly as catastrophic or as instant as the Toyota crankshaft failures are, but GM and Ford owners are also kind of SOL if the trucks break out of warranty. Swapping out valve lifters or replacing a cam phaser doesn't require a complete engine rebuild - it's still damn expensive and time consuming. If you were out of warranty, you were screwed.

Toyota is at least taking care of their customers better than those two big domestic companies. There are examples of Tundras out there with 70,000 + miles that failed where the owner is getting a brand new engine with no real resistance from Toyota despite the engine warranty only being 60,000 miles.

Yes they sure are destroying their truck brand.

Seeing more 6 cylinder Frontiers on the road

Toyota made two bad decisions !!!

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Toyota is at least taking care of their customers better than those two big domestic companies. There are examples of Tundras out there with 70,000 + miles that failed where the owner is getting a brand new engine with no real resistance from Toyota despite the engine warranty only being 60,000 miles.

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Last week I saw a guy on a 22+ Tundra FB group complaining about his engine failure at... 75K miles. At 75K miles he's getting a brand new motor, no questions asked. Obviously it's an inconvenience, but there are worse things in the world than getting a new motor in your truck after 75K

If anything, the issues that they've had with the 22 and 23 models would make me feel more confidant in buying a Tundra in the future just based off how Toyota has fixed their mistake/taken care of the customer.