Tundra or Lightning?

Currently own a 24 Tundra CrewMax limited. Love the truck, but saw a lightning recently and it got me thinking about what it would be like to own.

I’ve had the tundra for a year. Bought for 58k plus tax and bought extended warranty with 17k down. It’s got 10k miles and the transferable warranty so thinking I can get about 53 for it. The truck is financed at 6.9% which is pretty high.

I would not buy a new lightning because there is no longer incentive (and also looking for a smaller payment overall) so I’m looking at the used models. I’m seeing 23s for like 35k with sub 20k miles which seems awesome. I realize it’s the XLT with not many features but I could live with it at 35k. I will also be buying the most comprehensive warranty.

95% of my truck usage is just commuting. Other 5% is Lowe’s trips, hauling three dogs and towing my mower/ATV when needed. I drive about 10-12k miles a year.

Does the lightning make sense in my situation? Should I just focus on paying more on the Tundra to reduce interest since I’ve already bought warranty, paid sales tax etc? I get a fuel discount from grocery store so I only pay 2.50 a gallon (sometimes less) and around 18mpg that’s really only 100-120mo for gas. It will take years to recoup just the sales tax not to mention depreciation.

Any thoughts?

Posted Nov 2, 2025, 5:58 PM UTC

446
Loading comments…