A search for the best source of reliability information, which should be spearheaded by a brand-agnostic statistician so we get fact-based data and not anecdotes.

The best source we have is consumer reports, which is a shame because their data is less consistent than ever (most of the time they can't even publish reliability data due to small sample sizes on HD trucks).

The PUTC tests are awesome and helpful for me (I'm buying an HD truck in the next year) from a performance perspective, but I really value reliability more than anything else.

Best deals on trucks and best times to buy a truck.

Used truck spotlight. An overview of a generation of trucks (for example (08-10 Super Duty, 94-02 Dodge Ram HD). Go over the yearly changes, tow/payload numbers, and most common repair issues/fixes available.

Most of this may never happen, but what I'd like:

Chevrolet: aluminum body that doesn't dent as easily as their current tinfoil body and to compete with ford. E-coat their frames so they don't rust so quickly. new 10 speed co-developed with ford available for all trims of the silverado. Round wheel wells. Better fuel economy. Find a way to lower the price of the colorado A LOT. Make it smaller.

Ram: an all-new truck. Make it reliable this time. Give us suspension that can handle a decent payload. Either go aluminum or a body that doesn't dent and rust so easily. Oh and seriously.....make it reliable this time.

Toyota: a different look for the tundra. I don't like the look of the current tundra. It looks like it was designed in china. New powertrains that have competitive MPG. Give us a tacoma that is CHEAP and SMALL. A regular cab 4x4 for less than $20,000 after rebates.

Nissan: I hope the new truck has something more to offer than just a diesel engine. Competitive fuel economy from a reliable gas engine and competitive prices, or a 1/2 ton that can do the work of a 3/4 ton but get significantly better fuel economy and better purchase price (this I think is actually possible).

Honda: give us a truck that can actually be used for work. Make it as durable as your atvs and priced competitively. We have enough full-size trucks. Give us a true compact that can take a beating and significantly smaller and less money than a mid-size.

Ford: give us the new sync system asap, offer really good rebates or otherwise lower prices on f-150, and give us the 10 speed. Aluminum body super duty with a smaller diesel engine or strong but efficient gas engine to compete with the new titan.

GMC: Offer us something significantly different from chevrolet.

Would like to see more testing of trucks that are NOT fully loaded , also some basic work type trucks . Don't forget the Frontier and Xterra when doing a review of this type of vehicle.

I hope that the new Nissan Titan with the Cummins will be a success so there will be more competition and also that Toyota will follow through and use the Cummins in the next generation Tundra!

MARK, first of all you do a great job. I couldn't imagine trying to think I know more about this than you. I would however love to see a HD 2500 DIESEL shootout. I feel like there are more F250's, and 2500's on the road than Duallies. All the shootouts are Half Tons or Duallies, when the meat and potatoes of America is a Crew Cab, 2500, Diesel weekend warrior.... Fuel economy, power, payload, trailer specs etc... just a thorough which 2500 diesel is kind of the hill.

Thank you,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your PUTC family!

Jeremiah Soltis

Beebe: PUTC doesn't make the trucks, they just review them.
I think you guys do a great job! Maybe do some durability tests, if there is such a thing, in the future,

I agree w/ Jerimiah. I would love to see all 3 2500 hd pickups go at it. I don't care about the body style as long as they are all the same( I prefer ext./quad cabs) w/ similar option pkgs. Would love to see gas vs diesel in a situation like this, all 6 trucks.This way you compare apples to apples.

I would also like to see the hemi get a small power boost, it has been at this level for a while now. I would love to see ram lose the rotary shifter I HATE it. The column shifter is out of the way and intuitive. Floor/console shifters just take up space and get in the way.

GM shoul roll out the 8 spd for all pick ups.

Ford should

OH yeah can you make the capcha a little easier, I have to scroll through them to find one I might be able to do.

Ford should upgrade from 6 speeds as well.

What I'm tired of is seeing tests done with less capable equipment. Stop testing the current Frontier with the 5-Auto when the 6-Man gives better acceleration and fuel economy. Heck, gather together all the row-your-owns left on the market and test them so that manual fanatics can know their options. As far as I know is it 4-cyl RWD Taco, 4-cyl RWD GM twins, lower end Ram 2500 Cummins, and 4-cyl and 6-cyl Frontier (RWD and FWD). Are the Cummins and 6-cyl Frontier the only row-your-own 4WD options?

I love reading PUTC, you guys don't show favoritism on one brand of pickup truck like others do.
Nobody makes a perfect pickup, there are some flaws in every brand but I wish PUTC wouldn't hold back and address those flaws.
What we already know about what PUTC doesn't tell us makes you look bad and I don't want that to happen, that story about a week ago telling us about the issues with the Eco-Boost engine with the carbon deposits on the valves is an excellent story I wanted to see.
I would love to see stories about what brand of pickups have big issues of rejected warranty problems, (I know those stories are out there and I made some hints about it, you know and I know the reason why they reject warranty claims is so they look better in reliability ratings)
I would love PUTC to rate brands of tires and accessories for pickup trucks (everybody buys tires and we want to know the best).
I would also love to see some serious off-road courses with extreme mountains, rocks and driving over downed trees.
Also a story about the growing popularity of women driving pickup trucks,, its happening at least in my area, where the men are men and the women are men too! (sometimes its hard to tell them apart)

I agree with Ricky. A spotlight on previous truck generations would be helpful for those considering an older pickup, or cool for anyone interested in revisiting their favorite past pickups. Such articles would also provide perspective on the current trucks.

Overall, PUTC is a great 'site.

Regarding testing/reporting, is there any chance of more use of video ? Words are good, but video is better !

Testing; as other people have stated, test part loaded - how often does anyone fully load their truck ?

Ram; upgrade the 1500 R/T with a little more power, and bring out the SRT8/Hellcat version !

I read a article about 2016 GMC Canyon offering the 4.3 DI engine on a special model next year. I am hoping that for 2015 the 4.3 is also offered in the Chevy Colorado.

I'd like to see CEO's of Ford, GM and Ram come on and answer questions that we have sent you for the asking.....and respond to improvements that we would like to see... in there brands......

What I'd like to see from the manufacturers.....I want the Tundra 4.6 dropped into the 2016 Tacoma. it is a sweet engine that produces peak torque at 3400 rpm...AND all of the makes to offer a manually shifted transfer case in their base 4x4s.

What I'd like to see on PUTC..a comparison of F150, Silverado, RAM, Tundra, Titan and Colorado W/T 4x4 configurations. No Reg. Cabs need apply however.

Stop testing trucks on the Eisenhower pass and Davis Dam because its a stupid test if you're not going to drive it right. All the full size trucks can be manually down shifted into gear to maintain speed up the grade. The way you guys test it makes it look like one truck can pull it up the grade faster than the other when a simple select of the correct gear would've maintain the trucks speed all the way up whiteout droppping speed.

Enough with the ford propagandas. Topics about another brand dont need ford thrown in. If it's about ram, stay focused on ram, if its about gm, stay on gm. No need to mention ford in it. Ford already has enough topics about them. Your biase is too obvious. Otherwise, get a new writer/editor, whatever who isn't.

All comparison test or shootouts should be scored on factual data gathered, not subjective data.

Break out the categories of the sales figures by 1/2ton, 3/4ton, 1tons.

IRS and 460 lb/ft tune from the Navigator implemented in the new Raptor...

And the twin turbo ecoboost 5.0 Coyote in the Super Duty for 700 lb/ft of torque, 550 hp, and $5,000 cheaper than the scorpion diesel

You should work with intellichoice and motortrend and use their realmpg system on every truck you get. Make it an alliance and then you can actually have routine and reliable fuel economy data for every truck out there.

@Painful whale 360 Best deals on trucks and best times to buy a truck.

Answer: the best time to buy a truck is when they seller "wants it gone" really bad.

Answer: the best deal on the truck? Refer to answer number one.

Sorry, dude, but you were beggin' for it. Every other answer is wrong. New/used? Doesn't matter--same rule applies. Always and everywhere.

That is all.

Follow up testing of various brands to see how they have performed over time, they do it here. Other posters have been hinting at that this
Now the impossible , testing the new Navara, Hilux out in 2016, Mitsubishi,Amarok's, IsuzuDmax, against a U.S. 1/2 ton. Interesting to see the different emphasis's they have tested a Global Ranger against a Toyota Tundra here

I wish GM would offer a LOWRIDER truck straight from the factory,,something like this

http://youtu.be/KaxCSksLsYE

I just want to see Ram out sell Ford and Chevy & the Titan over take GMC in sales........ and the 5.0 Cummins as the base engine for the 2500.......and the 8 speed in the 2500, 3500, 4500 & 5500's.......... and for Chevy to design their next truck like my '02 Silverado....... that was the last good looking Chevy. LOL

But most of all, I would like to see truck manufactures lower the price of a truck $20,000 so I could afford one!! Haaahaaa

Happy New Years to all PUTC followers, may 2015 bring even more laughs from this forum!! :)

i am wishing for a 2015 toyota hilux,nissan navara and vw amarok coming to canada.

Affordable compact pickups with long beds, 2WD and 4WD.

Test 3 pairs of trucks identical in every way except rear end ratios. Use the highest and lowest ratios. You will find the high number ratios beat the low ratio in city driving almost every time for MPG. People don't believe me, but I proved it from working in a auto plant for 35 years. A lot of times they will get identical MPG on the highway, but not always. I have proved that to a few people too. It's the load on the engine that determines MPG, not RPM. I hope you will take me up on this challenge.

I would like to see pickup announced that is the size of the current Frontier (smaller than new GM twins/Tacoma), price well-equipped at $25-$26K with a manual tranny. No bells and whistles, just quality basics.

Chevy/Gmc should go aluminum .and offer turbo gassers
loose the rear step bumber. bring back manual trans option
Colorado/Canyon should of been smaller like the old S-10
Ram,should go aluminum,loose rear coils ,offer 3L diesel in 3/4 ton trucks.offer manual trans. in half-ton
Ford should offer I-5 diesel in half-ton and 3/4 ton trucks
offer manual trans.in half and 3/4 ton
bring back the Raptor
Toyota should put there own in- house diesel in the tundra and make styling more like the Tacoma. make frames stronger and go aluminum body.

I'd like to see a REAL compact pickup with a small diesel engine and manual transmission with AWD, 4WD, or RWD. The 2016 Colorado and Canyon will offer a diesel engine but they're still big trucks. The Nissan Frontier Cummins diesel concept is smaller, which I like better, but it's still not a compact pickup. Something the the 2008 Toyota A-BAT or the Ford Falcon Ute with a diesel and manual transmission would be ideal.

I would also like to see the 2004 Ford Bronco concept be brought to market also with a small diesel engine and manual transmission.

Bring back the Ford Ranger. Simple, just make it look like a mini 2015 F150 with smaller displacement Ecoboost power trains.

Get rid of the ugly exterior door handles on all the new "extended cab" model trucks. If I wanted to look like I'm driving a soccer dad crew cab, I would've purchased a 4 door crew cab.

Ford and Toyota are the only ones with a non 4-door style design look on their "super cab/double cab" models. And, Ford is the only one that still retains the older suicide rear doors with no B-pillar. I hope Nissan does the same on the next gen Titan and doesn't make the current "king cab" model look like a shortened crew cab with a B-pillar for 2016.

They did this with cars years ago, eliminating all 2-door coupes except for sporty/specialty models, and now they're doing it with the trucks. Ugh!

Auto mfg seems to justify their increasing vehicle prices by using the crutches of inflation, added automotive features, and increased investments in R&D for fuel economy.

Why is it that I can buy a tablet that costs south of $600 and it is a decade ahead of my 2014 nav system? We pay more money for less metal, less rubber(larger rims), and more plastic.

What actually makes a 2015 pickup cost double what it did in 2000? Inflation? More tech? Why do we accept an up charge of $1500 for a nav system then another $2000 rear seat ent system, when 2 tablets that are far more advanced would be less than $1000 total?

I applaud the advancements in engine tech and power delivery, fuel economy, and reliability. I really appreciate that these are all being done simultaneously. Engine and powertrain advancements, along with safety features are where I see the best ROI, from years past.

I know that pickups are more luxurious than they were in 2000, there is no doubts there. I love the heated and cooled seats, the auto up and down windows, power fold mirrors, memory seats and settings, and the use of cameras. I don't mind paying for added features but it is getting hard to afford the top end models, especially if one buys regularly.

I own a 2014 2500 diesel and a 2013 SUV, that together stickers added are around $125K. New models of both of these would put the number closer to $135K were I to get new 2015s. Making payments like these are mortgage level payments. I am not forced to make these purchases, but like the convenience and prestige of them. Owning a business and using them within accumulates high miles. Trade in values make these seem more like disposable vehicles. Absolutely the worst investment one can make.

In short, I want auto mfg co's to actually increase their technology offerings in nav syst's and ent syst's, while improving overall fit and finish quality with higher quality materials, as well as std safety features(front impact monitoring and 360 cameras, lane departure warning). Continued engine and trans improvements are almost a given, considering he imposed requirements.

Agree with you Beast. For once.

I would like to see more comparisons between the cab & chassis class 4 & 5 trucks. A comparison between a Ford F550 and a Ram 5500 would be especially cool to see and informative for those of us that need the larger trucks.

I would love to see a comparison between a 10yo 2500 and a modern half ton to test if both have similar tow ratings which one tows better

I would like to see a break down of sales by brand for the different regions of the country ! Example Maine apears to be a gm truck state by a long shot . It would be cool to see wich states buy what !

I'd like to see manufacturers offer a clear difference between midsize and full-size both in price, size, capability, and efficiency. What is the incentive to buy an almost-fullsize for the same price (or MORE!) with less payload, less room inside, less horsepower, and the same or worse fuel economy? It wouldn't be as much of an issue if trucks were priced reasonably, instead of $30,000 for a stripped down box with no options.

Also not everybody tows. In fact I'd say most truck owners tow rarely if at all. Sure I'd like the capability to be able to, but payload is far more important to me. I haul up to 2,000lbs of tools and materials every day in my truck. Maybe towing numbers are a better selling point, I understand that, but priorities can't be ignored. Similarly the switch from leaf to coil springs and the drop in payload capacity is the reason I wouldn't consider a new Ram 1500 unless the numbers changed. Sorry Ram but you gave away commercial sales to GM/Ford in exchange for a smoother ride for personal buyers who don't research before they buy and let the salesmen tell them all the numbers.

Prices really are insane for new trucks. I understand supply and demand but it seems like a race to see who has the most expensive truck. Like someone else mentioned the add-ons are expensive for what you get, like stickers and shocks for thousands more. It's silly except now you can't buy a new truck without thousands in extras that come standard or have to buy options you don't want to get options you do. Suddenly that $25k basic truck the manufacturer offers is $30k with not a lot more to show for it.

Bring back manuals. I'm serious. People want them and are willing too pay EXTRA for them and I don't believe "market research" led to automatics becoming standard so much as the "you'll buy what we sell" mentality did. Again, more things we don't need but have to buy to get a new vehicle.

I'm going to agree with Beebe; more articles about smaller trucks! We all know that the majority of commenters are are fans of the Road Whales currently on our roads, but there is still a significant number even here of people who want to know more about sub-mid-sized trucks that are truly capable, even if not AS capable as their larger brethren.

I would bet that only 25% of commenters here have even towed more than 5,000 pounds in their lifetime--and I'm one of them. I would bet that only 40% of the commenters here have ever carried more than 1,500 pounds in the bed of their truck at any one time and I'll admit to being one that hasn't. For all the times I've driven a fully-loaded (by volume) pickup truck, it has never been by weight and the one time that I helped load a truck to its limits, it was grossly overloaded with office furniture which is typically heavier for its size than conventional furniture. So again I have to ask why so many people feel they need the biggest and the brawniest when they'll likely never, EVER, use that capability for what it was designed.

Rumors have abounded that in one way or another that compact pickups will return to the US. Isn't it time we started learning about what is currently available and let the "big 5" know there's a real interest?

This is to Bob ----- Bob all you have to do price a Chevy Colorado L1 work truck with just back to basic equipment , that comes standard with a lot more than you realize . Do not price the very basic model . You can get a truck between $25000- $27000 .

I'd like to see more aftermarket add on's. Use the products on trucks you have and report on them. Do a ecoboost challenge pulling with a tuner kit vrs a standard truck. A fiat and gm tuner challenge as well.

Do air inductions mods vrs factory to see the advantages if any .

Do a hill climb with standard 4 by 4 trucks all on the same tires of choice.No special off rd trucks allowed.

do a over loaded segment.Over load all the 1/2 tons trucks by 1000 pds [no rd tests of course ] and do it in a closed course setting of course to show the effects of improper loading and over loading .

From PUTC: It would be cool to see a mid-size comparison, which is probably already in the plans. 4-cyl vs 4-cyl and V6 vs V6.
From Chevy: I think it is cool how Ram offers Hemi power on lower trim levels. 395hp/407lb-ft of torque is impressive to have without having to buy one of the top-of-the-line trims. I think the 6.2 should be available on the the lower trim levels of the Silverado and Sierra. The 5.3 is good and all, but when it is in the same price category or more expensive than more powerful engines, is fuel economy enough to sell them? ALSO, when the 2014 Silverado came out with the new 4.3 V6 that was touted as a 'truck' engine, it was disappointing to see the Colorado get the 3.6 V6. Was that to make the more expensive diesel look more desirable? From a pickup fan's perspective the 4.3's torque and fuel economy seemed like an obvious choice...
From Ford: A new Ranger.
From Mazda: A new Ranger ;)

I'm with Paul. Would like to see what overloading does to the trucks. I saw a guy the other day get 2 yards of fill dirt the other day. He put it in an 8 ft. bed early 90's Chevy 1500. I believe that is 4,400 lbs. The bumper was almost dragging the ground. Guy at landscape business tried to talk him out of it, but he said he did it all the time. Accident waiting to happen.

1) I would love to see the 4.5 Duramax in 1/2 t GM's 2) I would love to see a bigger diesel in the Ram 1/2t with greater payload, and Hemi with DI and greater payload. 3) The eco-boost in a reg cab short bed for under 30K! and to top it all off 8 spds in all makes!

For me personally, I'm a RAM guy..........

For 2015, I'm hoping to see a concept at the Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS) for the next generation RAM 1500 truck (due as a 2017 model). I'm looking for:

- Bold new exterior styling (the current interior is awesome, but the exterior needs something new, as it hasn't really changed since the 2009 model.

- Nine-speed transmission (paired with the Hemi and V6 Pentastar

- Next generation Hemi engine

- Cab mounted camera to view my load in the back (like the 3/4 and 1 tons offer)

- Mega Cab version in the 1/2 ton (Heavy Half)

- True off-road version (do away with the Outdoorsman name).

- Ford Raptor competitor version of the RAM 1500

- Lastly, because I have kids - give me the option of integrated child booster seats in the back seat of the Quad, Crew and Mega Cab, just like the Town & Country and Journey's used to have. FCA should make this an option on all of their vehicles!

How about a scoop!

Become the first to drive the Titan Cummins diesel.

I am going to stick to what PUTC can actually influence in this post. I have a lot of ideas but I'll try to be brief or do two posts. PUTC does the best truck tests bar none but I think there are ways to make the tests appeal to more folks, here goes:

1. Long term tests! 12 months is what the car mags do maybe PUTC can do that too with weekly updates (I'd have a preference of buying versus having the manufacturer send you a press vehicle so you could be more unbiased)

2. tiered tests like the recent heavy duty shootout (meaning mid tier 3/4 tons, heavy 3/4 tons and 1 tons). This could be done with base model 1/2 tons, mid level and top towing specs.

3. Compare used trucks for those on a more realistic budget (set goals of say no more than $20k and test 3-4 models to see what you can get from each and how they perform) Maybe even cap the year/miles so we are getting more current trucks but with a budget of $25k

4. Do some cold weather testing. It seems a lot of us live in Canada or at least in the north half of the US. Test towing and everyday use when it is below 32 F or 0 C so we can see if anyone is safer or more comfortable in those conditions (I volunteer Idaho for this and Beebe and I will gladly help:) )

5. Many truck owners buy diesel and then hit the aftermarket to boost performance, towing, mpg; buy some various "tuners" and see which work the best or if advertised (Banks, Bully Dog, etc.)

6. Do some regular testing of the new work-grade vans like the ProMaster, Transit, NV etc. I know they aren't "trucks" but you do report on them and some solid testing seems in order. Many of us own businesses so knowing which are most durable, best at traversing the city, best mpg's, etc really do matter. The initial drives are nice but a deep test seems to be in order.

7. Do an award for "truck of the year" or maybe best new feature...something now that PUTC has an established reputation

8. Inform us of various rebates/kickbacks/incentives so we can be informed buyers when it comes to actual dollars. Granted there are a lot of websites out there but a one-stop shop would be greatly appreciated.

9. Have an employee moderate the comments. There has been lip service done twice under the Mark Williams era and at least once or twice in the Mike Levine era but nothing permanent. I don't want to lose the comments or have to get routed to some new forum area but it really wouldn't take more than 1 hour a day to weed out the bulk of the spam posts, defamatory posts and other nuisance posts left here by likely only a handful of people. I want PUTC to continue to grow and to have our honest opinions be measured by the various OEM's but I feel that the comment section is a deterrent to the OEM's right now.

How about a weekly article covering a classic truck. Also how about a junk yard section with pictures covering different years and brands of trucks that are at their final resting place before being recycled.

How about a weekly column with pictures covering classic pickups of all kinds. Also how about a junkyard section with pictures covering various types of trucks in their final resting place before meeting the big crusher.