Another Which Truck Thread

I've read all of the "Which Truck Should I Buy" that I can find here and got some good information. Unfortunately, my requirements differ somewhat and I'm hoping to get some opinions (no shortage of those around here...) on some used trucks.

I'm looking for an '05 or newer 2WD extended cab (absolutely not Crew Cab but maybe single cab) 3/4 ton truck with <150k on the clock for less than ten large in California. Gotta have cruise control. Those are the basic requirements. I'd really like power windows, locks and mirrors but I'm willing to retrofit the windows and locks. The mirrors are probably not retrofitable. Gas is fine but a Diesel would be fine too, the Diesel Tax though usually violates the price ceiling. No V6's 'cuz I'm planning on some towing.

I've found countless crew cab 4X4 trucks that would otherwise be fine. I'm looking for a truck not a car and I'm not likely to take a 6000 pound truck to Tahoe for skiing so 4WD is just stupid; I have Audis for that. What are all these rubes doing in the San Francisco Bay Area buying a 4WD truck? They aren't off roadin' them, especially the Crew Cab Long Beds...

Here are the questions:

1. Which one drives the best? Chevy/GMC. Ford. Dodge (Ram). Tundra.

2. I've found a coupla Ford F250's with the 6.2 V8. How are these things? Big gas mileage hit compared to the 5.4? Are they durable? I drove one and it certainly had some go.

3. How 'bout the 5.7 Hemi in the Ram trucks? Same questions as the 6.2 Ford. Is there a big performance jump over the little V8?

4. And how 'bout them Tundras? The 5.7 has big power but I'm hearing they love the gasoline. I've also heard the 4.6 isn't much better on gas either. Do they drive better than the Big Three? I don't have to worry much about rust out here so the failing chassis thing is pretty much a non-issue.

5. And while I said 2WD, is there big upside in handling over the 4WD versions? I've not driven any of these in 4WD.

Thank you all in advance for your help.

The thing with 4wd is that it is quite useful when you have to get the truck and trailer moving uphill on wet leaves.

Ive gotten two stuck doing that....

I really like the power of my 2015 Hemi Ram.  I pulled 4-5k with it a few times up tp 1,000 miles and it was easy.  It was sprung well, handled well and pulled the load easily.  You honestly could forget you had a tow if you weren't thoughtful.  It had pkenty of reserve power.  

I haven't towed with any of your other choices.  I did tow with an older year 2000 or so Powerstroke Ford....  I pulled about 8k with it no issues for 1k miles.

I always thought that the Dodge Ram (or, fine, just "Ram".  Whattheberkever.) trucks were the nicest ones to spend time in.  Fords have been better to me mechanically.  For some reason, I just don't like being the cockpit of the Chevy trucks at all.  No experience with the Toyota because it seems like everybody else likes them way too much, if the prices are any indication.

The Ford V10 is a really stout plant and it'll pass anything but a gas pump, so I wouldn't rule that out.  I don't think they ever got cam phasers so they never really had any of the "common" Triton problems that you might find in your year range.  All of your options are going to attack the fuel tank pretty voraciously, though, unless you look at diesel.

I've towed with 2WD before and it's not that big of a deal most of the time.  If you get into a wet grass/mud situation or if you're pulling a boat up a wet ramp, however, being able to put some power to the front wheels in a low gear can make your day a lot easier.  The transfer cases and associated parts will add about 500 lpoubnds to the truck - mostly over the front axles - and give you a little extra maintenance to do, though.  I like having the 4WD option because it lets me do stupid things like not pay attention to how soft the ground is when I'm parking the rig with a loaded trailer.   With a turn of a knob and an "I meant to do that", I can escape my own shortsightedness.

The recent series that GRM has been doing with their F250 V-10 might provide some inspiration for you!

Nissan Titan was only ever offered as extended cab or 4 door cab.  Also only offered with 5.6L V8 which has a surprisingly high tow rating of 9,300 lbs.  However, they return poor fuel economy as might be expected by the engine size.

I'm in Ohio (which is pretty "white bread" and "apple pie") and all this flag waving seems to leave the Nissans as less popular that the Big Three which seems to lead to lower prices.  Given the high tow capability the Nissans then deliver F-250/2500 type towing capability yet are priced more to compete with the F-150/1500's.

I have a '06 F-250 single cab but last year I really considered replacing it with a Titan extended cab.  

I don't see a reason to intentionally pass on a 4WD if the price is right. Think of 4WD as a tool more than a feature. You may not use it much but when you do, it's the right tool for the job.

My personal favorite is the Chevy or GMC preferably with the 6.0 or a newer version with the 6 speed auto trans. Not sure if the 6 speed trucks are in your budget yet. 
 

The Tundra is a good option as well but harder to DIY any repairs and maintenance. Personally I'd avoid the 4.whatever v8 because of the timing belt. The 5.7 will tow better and less maintenance. I think they have 5 speed transmissions which provides better gearing than the 4 speed GMs. 
 

I only have experience with the Fords up until 2007 or so. I'd avoid the Fords. The engines have odd annoying issues like the spark plug threads and timing chain issues. Plus the F250s drive like E36 M3 compared to the GM trucks. Which is too bad because the F250 with the v10 and 5 speed is an awesome drivetrain package. 

Thanks for the suggestions. I've got a line on four different trucks all in the 9-11k range. All of them are RWD. All of them are extended cabs. All of them have clean titles and CarFax:

1. 2009 Ram 5.7l Hemi. 127k miles. Short bed. New tires. Backup camera. Hitch. $11k

2. 2008 GMC Sierra 2500. 6.0l V8.  119k miles. Long bed. New tires. Hitch. $8.7k

3. 2008 Ford F150. 5.4l V8. 148k miles. Short bed. $9k

4. 2007 Tundra. 5.7 V8. 130k miles. Short bed. $8.6k

If you have any further guidance, it's appreciated. I'm going to drive at least a coupla these but narrowing it down with the help of the experts here would be good.

In reply to rdcyclist :

Off that list the GMC will be the best value for the money IMO. But I'm a GM truck guy so take that for what it's worth. Least miles, new tires and one of the most durable platforms there.