General Comments:
I am sixteen and this is my first automobile. I am very please overall with this vehicle. (I have the extended cab model, with the third door and short bed.)
Pros:
-Quick acceleration, for something this size it is very peppy. It is loads of fun on back roads and even city driving.
-The cab is very roomy with the extended cab I have the center console and it is simply wonderful, lots more extra storage. For a cellphone, maps, phone chargers, money. You name it. The back bench seat folds up to give you more room for the floor if you desire; then back down to seat three children/small adults. The front seats are power captain's chairs, very comfortable as comfortable as a couch!
-Can you say power? The 5.3L Vortec V8 really moves it. I have not yet had a chance to pull a trailer with it. So, I cannot comment on that, sorry. But, acceleration is very quick and smooth. Sometimes you have to be careful going up hills on the highway because you can speed easily without even noticing!
-Four Wheel Drive, fantastic. It will crawl you out of snow, mud, inclines, you name it it will take it.
-Features, I have the "SLE" model which is the mid-range in styling/options packaging. I personally have;
Dual front power seats captain's chairs, third door, automatic headlights, fog lights, push button four wheel drive, center console, three DC power outlets, AMFM/CD player and an auto diming rear view mirror with compass and tempature gauge, Z71 Off Road Package. To only name a few.
-Appearance, my truck is in charcoal with a gold/silver bottom two-tone paint. It is very stylish for a pickup truck. I also have the spray-in bed liner. Very durable. The tinted windows also adds a nice little look, but that maybe because I am young. However, in sunlight the tinting helps out quite a bit.
Cons;
-Gas Mileage, oh yes. It is a beast. I average anywhere from 15-18MPG. It does however, have the best fuel economy in its class for that year (and for the power you get).
-Space, While I have said the extended cab is great for children/SMALL adults do not expect to load this up with five of your 6'0" tall buddies. It will get a bit cramped. Also a little bit of a pain if you go grocery shopping and you do not wish to put all the groceries in the bed, in fear of them flying out.
-Parking, it takes a little while to get used to the length and the wide turning radius when parking. Once you get the hang of it no big deal. But it can be a bit intimidating at first.
-Steering, steering is a bit sluggish and a bit loose at slow-ish speeds. But, surprisingly at highway speeds it is actually very accurate. It also has a VERY WIDE turning radius, do not plan on making sharp turns. I would give handling a 7 (seven) out of 10 (ten).
All in all I love my truck, I will keep it until the day it dies. It runs perfectly, it looks fantastic. (I've noticed my paint job is quite rare) and it suits me perfectly.
6th Feb 2007, 19:25
I currently own a 2001 GM car and a 2003 GMC Envoy. Both are close to 60,000 miles and neither has ever had a single problem of any kind. My family members also own Ford Rangers and F-150's. None of them has ever had a single problem either. My last Ranger went well over 60,000 miles before I traded it, and it never had so much as a brake job. In fact, It had a TOTAL of ONE BATTERY and ONE SET OF TIRES replaced. That's it. On the other hand, our 2 imports were NOTHING but TROUBLE. They cost more in repairs than all 30 or so of our domestic vehicles COMBINED. I know current domestics are even more reliable than those built in earlier years. I'd think long and hard before buying a more poorly made import over a solid, well-built Ford, Chevy or Dodge truck.