Other than selling completely unregulated “Surrons” with pot-metal frames and fruit-fly life expectancy to welfare scammers in our country’s urbanized ZIP codes, the full-sized pickup business should be the easiest game in the wheeled-vehicle business.
For 2027 MY, thanks to Trump, you can now buy the 5.0 V8 with King Ranch & Platinum trim levels.
V8’s are back!!!
The 3.0 EcoBoost is now the standard engine. I like the 2.7 better, because the entire block is compacted graphite iron, as opposed to the 3.0 just using that material on the crank girdle.
Ford has just turned the corner on quality control. They should be good now.
I question the skill of most 18 year olds to manage today's full size trucks, based on my small sample anecdata. Maybe the kid is an exception, but Rangers, Tacos, Frontiers are the better choice.
I just downsized to a new Ranger this summer after having full sized trucks since early 2019. I absolutely love it aside from the ride being slightly worse/rougher.
Maverick is a great choice for a teenager. I know two good friends with hybrid XLTs and they can easily get 45-50mpg in warmer temps.
The only thing that has slowed my 2013 Ram 5.7 down is Minnesota rust. It’s just so good at being a truck. A larger rear sway bar and Sumo springs turned it into a great tow vehicle. Its had two unscheduled maintenance issues in 8 years and one of them was the oem battery. I don’t know if it was built on a good day or under a happy star sign, but it’s been tremendous. I can’t see myself buying any truck other than another Ram. This one is so good, though, that I’ll probably never have to.
I had a turbomaxx Sierra as a rental car last month. I would 100% roll the dice on any v8 rather than deal with the turbo 4. It barely got any better gas mileage in real world use than my 2015 6.2 yukon and was hateful to drive. Plus new means at least some warranty period.
The turbomax is acceptable in the mid sizers but I agree completely. Two of my coworkers have Colorado’s with it and I’ve driven one of theirs around (he wanted me to get one). My 26’ Ranger I just got with the 2.3 is much more refined and faster though engine wise which is odd since on paper the turbomax has way more HP/TQ
I’ve never seen a college kid with a gifted half ton truck end well. Tickets, body damage, too many kids in the cab and occasionally bed. I’m with Jack on not making him suffer the indignities of a beater, but do both of you a favor and get a gently used Ranger. They’ve been quite good anecdotally to the folks I know who got them and beat them.
Get a used manual trans Ranger (or similar). That way none of his derelict friends will be able to borrow the truck. If he can't drive a stick, then teach him.
And there is nothing wrong with a beater at college. Cripe.
Let’s define “beater”. To me a beater is a car that requires not- insignificant DIY labor on a regular basis to meet basic A to B transport. That’s waste of a kids time who is hopefully learning in a subject that will result in a lot of money. He should be studying and wrenching is a poor ROI on his time.
If he’s blue collar or studying something stupid that won’t make him money in 2026, yeah get a beater
But I do support getting a cherry old manual ranger with low miles well sorted etc that won’t have him under it all the time
A 3/4 ton gasser has a simpler and more durable engine, and isn’t *that* much bigger or harder to drive than a 1/2 ton crew cab. It will be slower though, which is probably good when buying for a young man. Personally I like Ford for the rustproof body, but I don’t think you can go too wrong with any of them.
I bought a 2008 F-150 Lariat for “the Patch” and it has served me well. It survived the rigs and long airport stays in North Dakota winters. I’m at 225000 miles with no issues and it still looks decent. Now that I have a Tesla M3 for commuting the truck is relegated to hay hauling duty and such. My vote is for an M3 if you want FSD. If not the Hyundai Elantra is a great value.
Goddamn. I really don’t want to buy a Ram I have no use for and will be a PITA to park in the garage at work, but I also really want a Ram. Do I need to get a DUI first?
A full sized pickup is going to be a pain in the ass to park and he's gonna be asked to help dozens of people move. Unless he has a job that involves truck stuff, buy him a Civic or something imo.
No surprise on the new GM engine. Not having a dipstick tells you everything you need to do. I’d hope they wouldn’t screw up the HD engine, but we all knew they will. It’s a shame because the L8T is great.
5.0 XLT is the move. I think you can spec FX4 with Max Tow. Everyone always looks for FX4 the way they do Z71 and it’s worth it for the skid plates. My recommendation is 40/20/40 over console so he can stick a girl in the center seat.
I can’t believe a mid-level truck like this is 65 grand before incentives. All of these things are built so horribly these days, I don’t see the value proposition.
IMO, the smart money is paying a premium for a low mileage 6.2 Ford or K2XX, but I understand the desire to minimize shop time. My fear is that the new trucks are so bad that it’s bound to spend more time in a service bay than even a decent older truck. The benefit of the older truck is that most shops are equipped to work on.
“First things first: props for being a great dad. In 2026 we can forget about all that “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” and “work for your vehicle” crap that (some of ) Gen X went through. It doesn’t build character to drive a piece of junk; it only makes it harder to compete against the kids who don’t”
In 2026 and honestly for much of the last decade no truer words have ever been spoken. I’ve long said if you think your kid is smart and a hard worker than it’s well worth giving them every advantage you can afford up to and including a nice car and a place in nice area where there is an abundance of opportunity both professionally and socially. You don’t want to waste the best years of your youth struggling to pay for repairs on an beater car while your contemporaries are enjoying the legion of spoils exclusively and readily available for those young people who aren’t riding the struggle bus.
Now, is this dude sure he wants a full size truck? They’re cool but also a hassle to park and they don’t always drive well. I’d recommend a Chevy Colorado, Frontier or a Tacoma. I think he’d appreciate the versatility.
Alright, this is my type of question. I am 2 years into owning a Tundra and I'm tapped out. I literally just finished stripping all my aftermarket accessories from it and would have already traded it on a RAM had the Toyota dealer not taken 1.5 days to clear 3 recalls (Not the engine one...yet). So on Tuesday, it's going away for good. Maybe. Tundra ownership has caused me to become bipolar. I read today that the cupholders aren't waterproof. Someone posted that they spilled part of a drink in the cupholder and it caused $9000 dollars in damage to the transmission! I haven't really had any major issues. The Tundra drivetrain is wonderful. Engine, transmission, and suspension, all work together to provide an excellent, refined drive and ride quality. But why does the interior have to be such a negative. At 50mph It sounds like I'm standing in a windstorm but I'm actually in an enclosed cockpit. Passengers are dumbstruck by the wind noise. Every drive they check the window switch. They feel the door seal. I check the window switch. "Is there a hole in this thing?" Anyways, I'm done. I'll lose more money now but I've never bought extended warranty and I'm not buying it. I bought a Toyota for a reason dammit. Yesterday Toyota announced a 10 year Customer Care Program for V35A turbos with wastegate actuator issues. Remanufactured turbos. They should a few extra kicking around.
So here's my shortlist in no particular order. I mostly agree with Jack.
Ram 1500 3.0 Hurricane Big Horn - I'm not sure how these are optioned in the USA but in Canada we get a Sport model that dumps the chrome for body color trim with heated seats, heated wheel, and 360 cam standard. The Laramie loses the camera and is only part of a $2300 option that no dealers order. Level 2, LSD or E-locker, no sunroof. I'll pass on the "upcharge" hemi. Find a leftover 2026 model and get 10 year 100k mile warranty. I've done two test drives and even my wife noticed from the passenger seat how planted the suspension felt.
Silverado 1500 5.3 LT - The 5.3 wont quit right? The ten speeds are better now too right? I haven't driven a 2.7 but it makes me think I'd prefer a Sienna. I like the bench seat with a shifter on the steering column. 2024 to 2026. I like the direction of the 27s are headed but it's too early yet.
F150 Lariat - Probably the safest bet but I'm not a Ford guy. Any engine. Is it that easy? After 2024 they started losing content. Fog lights are uglier, no leather. I was just in a 25 Lariat 502A and I could warm up to it. The interior seemed well laid out and the seat was very comfortable.
We also own a GX550. Beautiful car. Wouldn't trade it for anything. I don't care about engine issues like I do the Tundra. It holds value. It has a longer standard warranty. Like Jack, I'd recommend a Land Cruiser above all. I've contemplated it for myself. Blacked out matching GX550 and Land Cruiser in the driveway? Can I live without a truck bed? Probably not. I don't know if I can live with just a short truck bed.
For 2027 MY, thanks to Trump, you can now buy the 5.0 V8 with King Ranch & Platinum trim levels.
V8’s are back!!!
The 3.0 EcoBoost is now the standard engine. I like the 2.7 better, because the entire block is compacted graphite iron, as opposed to the 3.0 just using that material on the crank girdle.
Ford has just turned the corner on quality control. They should be good now.
Back when I was looking it seemed to 5.0 was special order only
Not today.
I am a Ford guy, and I want to talk about what Ford is doing right, instead of crapping on other companies.
BUT, this is the best explanation of why GM is EVIL.
https://youtu.be/n-lVNS2j0qc?is=I66oGSyfDw786faa
They REMOVED the coatings from the main bearings of their crank shafts.
This is one reason why their 6.2 V8’s are grenading.
Buyer beware.
THIS is the result of chasing fractions regarding fuel economy. Shaving a hundredth of an ounce in 1,600 places to save a pound is plain idiotic.
I'd go with a Maverick. I don't think anyone needs a full sizer to go to college.
XLT Mav is the sweet spot.
no one needs a new vehicle or full size truck to go to college.
I question the skill of most 18 year olds to manage today's full size trucks, based on my small sample anecdata. Maybe the kid is an exception, but Rangers, Tacos, Frontiers are the better choice.
I just downsized to a new Ranger this summer after having full sized trucks since early 2019. I absolutely love it aside from the ride being slightly worse/rougher.
Maverick is a great choice for a teenager. I know two good friends with hybrid XLTs and they can easily get 45-50mpg in warmer temps.
The only thing that has slowed my 2013 Ram 5.7 down is Minnesota rust. It’s just so good at being a truck. A larger rear sway bar and Sumo springs turned it into a great tow vehicle. Its had two unscheduled maintenance issues in 8 years and one of them was the oem battery. I don’t know if it was built on a good day or under a happy star sign, but it’s been tremendous. I can’t see myself buying any truck other than another Ram. This one is so good, though, that I’ll probably never have to.
I had a turbomaxx Sierra as a rental car last month. I would 100% roll the dice on any v8 rather than deal with the turbo 4. It barely got any better gas mileage in real world use than my 2015 6.2 yukon and was hateful to drive. Plus new means at least some warranty period.
The turbomax is acceptable in the mid sizers but I agree completely. Two of my coworkers have Colorado’s with it and I’ve driven one of theirs around (he wanted me to get one). My 26’ Ranger I just got with the 2.3 is much more refined and faster though engine wise which is odd since on paper the turbomax has way more HP/TQ
I’ve never seen a college kid with a gifted half ton truck end well. Tickets, body damage, too many kids in the cab and occasionally bed. I’m with Jack on not making him suffer the indignities of a beater, but do both of you a favor and get a gently used Ranger. They’ve been quite good anecdotally to the folks I know who got them and beat them.
Get a used manual trans Ranger (or similar). That way none of his derelict friends will be able to borrow the truck. If he can't drive a stick, then teach him.
And there is nothing wrong with a beater at college. Cripe.
Let’s define “beater”. To me a beater is a car that requires not- insignificant DIY labor on a regular basis to meet basic A to B transport. That’s waste of a kids time who is hopefully learning in a subject that will result in a lot of money. He should be studying and wrenching is a poor ROI on his time.
If he’s blue collar or studying something stupid that won’t make him money in 2026, yeah get a beater
But I do support getting a cherry old manual ranger with low miles well sorted etc that won’t have him under it all the time
A 3/4 ton gasser has a simpler and more durable engine, and isn’t *that* much bigger or harder to drive than a 1/2 ton crew cab. It will be slower though, which is probably good when buying for a young man. Personally I like Ford for the rustproof body, but I don’t think you can go too wrong with any of them.
I bought a 2008 F-150 Lariat for “the Patch” and it has served me well. It survived the rigs and long airport stays in North Dakota winters. I’m at 225000 miles with no issues and it still looks decent. Now that I have a Tesla M3 for commuting the truck is relegated to hay hauling duty and such. My vote is for an M3 if you want FSD. If not the Hyundai Elantra is a great value.
Goddamn. I really don’t want to buy a Ram I have no use for and will be a PITA to park in the garage at work, but I also really want a Ram. Do I need to get a DUI first?
DUI or some other embarrassing misdemeanor like public exposure or DV against a hooker.
Ding your credit score somehow so the salesman knows you’re serious.
A full sized pickup is going to be a pain in the ass to park and he's gonna be asked to help dozens of people move. Unless he has a job that involves truck stuff, buy him a Civic or something imo.
Missed that he already had a 21 hrv. Why buy a new vehicle at all?
The moving requests alone is enough not to buy a pickup.
Insane. Buying a $60k+ new full size truck for an 18 year old going to college. Just insane.
Golf GTI or GR86/BRZ. Be the young, single guy in a sports car, not some dumpy truck.
not sure about insurance, but we're in the zone of Ranger Raptor msrp
No surprise on the new GM engine. Not having a dipstick tells you everything you need to do. I’d hope they wouldn’t screw up the HD engine, but we all knew they will. It’s a shame because the L8T is great.
5.0 XLT is the move. I think you can spec FX4 with Max Tow. Everyone always looks for FX4 the way they do Z71 and it’s worth it for the skid plates. My recommendation is 40/20/40 over console so he can stick a girl in the center seat.
I can’t believe a mid-level truck like this is 65 grand before incentives. All of these things are built so horribly these days, I don’t see the value proposition.
IMO, the smart money is paying a premium for a low mileage 6.2 Ford or K2XX, but I understand the desire to minimize shop time. My fear is that the new trucks are so bad that it’s bound to spend more time in a service bay than even a decent older truck. The benefit of the older truck is that most shops are equipped to work on.
“First things first: props for being a great dad. In 2026 we can forget about all that “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” and “work for your vehicle” crap that (some of ) Gen X went through. It doesn’t build character to drive a piece of junk; it only makes it harder to compete against the kids who don’t”
In 2026 and honestly for much of the last decade no truer words have ever been spoken. I’ve long said if you think your kid is smart and a hard worker than it’s well worth giving them every advantage you can afford up to and including a nice car and a place in nice area where there is an abundance of opportunity both professionally and socially. You don’t want to waste the best years of your youth struggling to pay for repairs on an beater car while your contemporaries are enjoying the legion of spoils exclusively and readily available for those young people who aren’t riding the struggle bus.
Now, is this dude sure he wants a full size truck? They’re cool but also a hassle to park and they don’t always drive well. I’d recommend a Chevy Colorado, Frontier or a Tacoma. I think he’d appreciate the versatility.
.
Alright, this is my type of question. I am 2 years into owning a Tundra and I'm tapped out. I literally just finished stripping all my aftermarket accessories from it and would have already traded it on a RAM had the Toyota dealer not taken 1.5 days to clear 3 recalls (Not the engine one...yet). So on Tuesday, it's going away for good. Maybe. Tundra ownership has caused me to become bipolar. I read today that the cupholders aren't waterproof. Someone posted that they spilled part of a drink in the cupholder and it caused $9000 dollars in damage to the transmission! I haven't really had any major issues. The Tundra drivetrain is wonderful. Engine, transmission, and suspension, all work together to provide an excellent, refined drive and ride quality. But why does the interior have to be such a negative. At 50mph It sounds like I'm standing in a windstorm but I'm actually in an enclosed cockpit. Passengers are dumbstruck by the wind noise. Every drive they check the window switch. They feel the door seal. I check the window switch. "Is there a hole in this thing?" Anyways, I'm done. I'll lose more money now but I've never bought extended warranty and I'm not buying it. I bought a Toyota for a reason dammit. Yesterday Toyota announced a 10 year Customer Care Program for V35A turbos with wastegate actuator issues. Remanufactured turbos. They should a few extra kicking around.
So here's my shortlist in no particular order. I mostly agree with Jack.
Ram 1500 3.0 Hurricane Big Horn - I'm not sure how these are optioned in the USA but in Canada we get a Sport model that dumps the chrome for body color trim with heated seats, heated wheel, and 360 cam standard. The Laramie loses the camera and is only part of a $2300 option that no dealers order. Level 2, LSD or E-locker, no sunroof. I'll pass on the "upcharge" hemi. Find a leftover 2026 model and get 10 year 100k mile warranty. I've done two test drives and even my wife noticed from the passenger seat how planted the suspension felt.
Silverado 1500 5.3 LT - The 5.3 wont quit right? The ten speeds are better now too right? I haven't driven a 2.7 but it makes me think I'd prefer a Sienna. I like the bench seat with a shifter on the steering column. 2024 to 2026. I like the direction of the 27s are headed but it's too early yet.
F150 Lariat - Probably the safest bet but I'm not a Ford guy. Any engine. Is it that easy? After 2024 they started losing content. Fog lights are uglier, no leather. I was just in a 25 Lariat 502A and I could warm up to it. The interior seemed well laid out and the seat was very comfortable.
We also own a GX550. Beautiful car. Wouldn't trade it for anything. I don't care about engine issues like I do the Tundra. It holds value. It has a longer standard warranty. Like Jack, I'd recommend a Land Cruiser above all. I've contemplated it for myself. Blacked out matching GX550 and Land Cruiser in the driveway? Can I live without a truck bed? Probably not. I don't know if I can live with just a short truck bed.
Ext cab 5.0 or single cab hemi 5.7 express.
Plenty of room to bone.
Also: my attempts to convince the wife to get a 5.0 failed!
So now whenever I hear or read talk of truck purchases, I become the father in the (original) Red Dawn: “AVENGE ME, BOYS!!”