Looking for a new truck

I'm cross-posting here to try to solicit your opinion's on the type of trucks you drive. I'm in the market to buy a new truck and am just now starting to compare my choices for the pro's and con's. I'm considering the Dodge Ram 2500, Ford F-250, and the Silverado 2500 (all 4 doors). I would like to hear from those that already own these models as to your likes and dislikes and also what you wish it had or didn't have as far as features and capabilities. Also, diesel vs. gasoline.

I'm hoping to make a purchase within the next 7 to 10 days.

I'm currently driving a 97 Suburban and will be trading it. May also consider buying a new 03 or 04 Suburban as well. Any drivers out there willing to add your two-cents worth on this one?

Thanks for your help and input.

Danny

Reply to
crash
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Reply to
jwlbal

Thanks for your replies. I'll take in advisement and continue doing my homework. I appreciate the url addresses.

considering

Reply to
crash

Look very carefully at the (very small) price difference between the F-250 and F-350. (I assume other brands also exhibit a similar structure.) I own an F-250 and will never buy another. The price to move up to an otherwide identical F-350 is less than $1,000 for an additional 1,100 pounds of GVW.

If you intend to haul or tow anything substantial, consider a diesel. If you intend to drive the new truck for quite a number of years, consider a diesel. My F-250 is equipped with the 7.3 liter diesel, and I love it. I intend to keep the vehicle for 10 years or more, i.e., 250,000 miles or more. (I keep a vehicle an average of 8 years, and the previous diesel I kept for 13 years and 210,000 miles.)

However, the early Ford 6.0 liter diesels had very serious, very expensive problems. The current production model seems better (redesigned injectors). The '04 version is expected to offer yet another improvement.

The GM Duramax is only a little older than the Ford 6.0 liter, i.e., a relatively new engine.

The Cummins in the Dodge is a well-proven engine, but of an eariler design generation. It isn't nearly as quiet as the Powerstroke or Duramax, and doesn't meet the same pollution requirements as the other two.

Bob

-- Bob Peterson BBS Dialup: 972 403 9406 to 53333 (V.34/X2/V.90) snipped-for-privacy@mail.zgnews.com BBS Telnet: bbs.zgnews.com Web:

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Reply to
Bob Peterson

I agree, I'm Ford through and through but that power joke has NOTHING on the 5.9 cummins. We have 4 of them at work and they will run circles around the fords when it comes to doing real work. Now looking pretty and going to the mall? Get the ford.

Reply to
Steve Barker

Excuse me? If it didn't meet the EPA requirements, then explain how come you can still get one?

Btw, an "older" design isn't automatically a worse design. The inline configuration provides a smoother running engine with less vibration, flatter torque curve and easier maintenance. "V" configurations tend to produce higher horsepower (not what you need to tow with unless you tow at full throttle/ max rpm) at the cost of vibration and rougher running.

Budd

Reply to
Budd Cochran

Should run a google search, opinions are posted in the groups everyday, everybody has one.

Blair

Reply to
Blair Baucom

With a large truck I would go diesel. If you decide on a Dodge, RUN away if they try to sell you an automatic. The cummins is a great engine but the Dodge automatic transmission is criminally unreliable.

Charles Perry P.E.

Reply to
Charles Perry

Have you heard the new Cummins Diesel?? I heard one Yesterday, Not a showroom model, but a contractor's truck. and wow! it puts the Duramax and new Powerstroker to shame.

(V.34/X2/V.90)

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Reply to
Trey

Trey: can you explain how the sound of one truck puts the other trucks to shame? Would that mean it is quieter? Or, does it mean that it sounds more like a truck? Or, what, exactly??

-- frosty

Trey wrote:

Reply to
frosty

The new Cummins Diesel is VERY quiet. At idle, its not much louder then the

5.7L HEMI. But then again, if you are going for "loud" then its not the winner. To each his own.

Reply to
Trey

I hav an F350 with the 7.3 diesel and am quite happy with it. I think the Dodges have the best looking rig - that front end is great! But I understand the Dodge doesn't hold up - brakewise, chassis-wise. A friend just bought a new 2500 with the Cummins and it is quiet! Standing a few feet away when it is idling and you can't tell it is a diesel. The Duramax is an Isuzu engine - they've been making diesels for about 100 years. And the Allison tranny is well respected. Spend the extra bucks for a 350 vs. the 250, if you go Ford. Much better resale. If I were bying new right now, I would llike to buy a Dodge that would match the F550 specs. Unfortunatley, only Ford is in that market.

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Reply to
pdb

what specs are you looking at? they make a 3500 without the dual tires now. I think the coil spring Dodge truck would give a smoother ride then the leaf spring Ford. Honestly, I would prefer the Dodge with the Cummins, then the Chevy with the Duramax, then the Ford with the Power stroke. I will use the truck for offroad driving a lot, and I have taken the Ford F-250 diesel 4x4 off road, and WOW! talk about a harsh ride! I had to go to the cyropractor after that trip. but Then when I took a Chevy 2500 4x4 with the diesel, it was a whole world of difference! I can manage that no problem. then there is Dodge, it has a live axle like the ford, but it has the coil springs instead of the leaf springs, which I have been told is much better.

considering

Reply to
Trey

Nice to see someone else talk about Dodge automatic transmissions not making the grade over the long haul. That's the one reason I would steer away from the Dodge. I've had several transmission mechanics tell me the same thing.

I find it interesting that this is a Chevy truck group, but more people seem to favor Dodge and Ford over Chevy. Maybe just on this particular question.

For what it's worth, I'm driving a '78 Chevy Big 10 that I bought new. It's got a 350-4 barrel with an automatic transmission. It's pulled horse and stock trailers, travel trailers, and hauled an overhead and motorcycle trailer behind. It isn't worth squat in snow because it's a

2-wheel drive. But, it's got 320,000 miles on the original engine and transmission. The body is shot from rust. The cruise quit working and I got tired of throwing cables into it only to have them break. The air conditioning has a leak and since it's the old refrigerant, would cost too much to redo. I'm tired of the truck, but it still runs. It's done its work and now I'm ready for a new one.

I'll probably buy a 4-wheel drive GMC Sierra 4-door with all the trimmings. Or, if I come to my senses and decide that no truck is worth $40,000, I might take a look at the Canyon or Colorado when they come out. I know they aren't "real" trucks, but may take one for a drive anyway.

Charles Perry P.E.

Reply to
Ann Meffert

we (my employer) have a '98 Ram 2500 w/ the Cummins and the auto, it's got

134k on it and the tranny's been rebuilt twice...(along with the entire front end) I absolutely hate driving the thing, the guy who drives it regularly loves it, but he's a mopar guy through and through, he's so bad that if you took a pile of cowshit and stuck a dodge symbol on it, he'd claim it was the best thing since sliced bread.

actually it's crossposted to alt.autos.dodge.trucks, alt.trucks.chevy and alt.trucks.ford. the only diesel I have much experience with (aside from our caterpillar) is the Dodge. I MUCH prefer driving our '98 GMC C2500 w/ a Vortec 350, it just doesn't have the "school bus-ness" that the dodge does, plus it can legally carry and tow a hell of alot more weight than the Dodge (our dodge can legally only haul 1600lbs (the truck weighs 7200lbs w/ a 8800 GVWR) while the GMC can haul 3200lbs (weighs 5400lbs w/ a 8600 GVWR). being commercially registered vehicles, we're screwed if we're caught hauling heavy. we also have a '90 F-250 that can haul just as much as the dodge, but with a 6600lbs GVWR. My favorite is by far the GMC.

-Bret

Reply to
Bret Chase

Heres one more url-----

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Click the Cummins powerstroke rod comparison link. You'll see the beefy difference.

AW

Reply to
Hattmakr

Where did I say current pollution requirements? In particular, I did not say the Cummins fails to meet current EPA pollution requirements. My comment refers to my understanding that both the Powerstroke and Duramax meet future EPA requirements.

Bob

-- Bob Peterson BBS Dialup: 972 403 9406 to 53333 (V.34/X2/V.90) snipped-for-privacy@mail.zgnews.com BBS Telnet: bbs.zgnews.com Web:

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Reply to
Bob Peterson

That was just Budd being Budd. He reads what he wants to into a post then swears up and down that it is what you said. He's old, he's feable, he needs a life, and this is all he's got.

beekeep

Reply to
beekeep

So, how was anyone that doesn't cling to every word scrawled in crayon by the EPA to know this if you didn't explain it?

But thank you for explaining. I'm sure the Cummins will meet the requirements when needed, until then, it will remain the best of the three.

Budd

Bob Peters>

Reply to
Budd Cochran

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