95 & 99 & 03 Conparison

[radar doctor]

To day I drove a 03 4X2 and a 03 4X4. They both were automatic's and had short Beds. . The 4X2 Ride was rougher. than the 4X4. The Steering of the heaver 4X4 was more positive. Both handled well especially on the Gravel Roads. Maybe if i had a long bed Both may have Rode better. The 95 Long Bed rode about the same as the 03's ,but the 99 long bed rode better than all of them. And the 99 Steering is as good as the 03's. . Both 03's stop better than the 95 or the 99. . I like the instrument cluster much better on the 03's. The seats in my 99 are much better than the 03's but the 03's were cloth. The 4x4 was a HO Diesel 305 HP and it did run good. The 4X2 had the 250 HP engine and really was about all I wanted in a Truck, If i wanted more i guess i could add a EZ or something . . My 2 Cents worth... ... . Oo. Oo. Oo.

 

[Task125]

I had a 96 std. cab,98. 5 Qcab,and now 03 Qcab all were 4x4 Laramie long beds loaded,the 03 to me is the best one yet. the only thing I see is that the body is thinner or cheaper and there are a lot more electronics. which can be scary.

 

[Dean Upson]

I had a '94 3500 dually 4x4 reg cab auto, a 98. 5 3500 QC dually 4x4 5sp and my present truck (see signature). They were all loaded as much as possible for the year. They were all great trucks. The '03 has the honor of being the best, hands down.



Dean

 

[$BANKS$rupted]

Originally posted by radar doctor

The 95 Long Bed rode about the same as the 03's ,but the 99 long bed rode better than all of them. And the 99 Steering is as good as the 03's. .

Radar, PUT DOWN THE CRACK PIPE and step away from the computer

 

[Steve M]

My '95 reg cab long bed 2500 auto/3. 54 rode pretty good and was fairly quiet for a Cummins. My '98 12v 5spd/4. 10 2500 club cab short bed rode like it had square wheels and was unusually noisy from idle to redline. My '01. 5 auto/3. 54 club cab long bed 2500 was once again fairly quiet inside and rode pretty good empty for a truck that didn't need any help carrying 2300 lbs in the bed. My new truck (signature) is very quiet ( I like to hear the sound of the turbo in the exhaust note while driving next to a concrete barrier and I can hear the turbo wind down in the air box when I come to a stop!) but it rides a bit stiffer than the '01. 5 after I put some air in the tires. It also needs no help carrying 2300 lbs in the bed. Overall, I like the '03 better than the previous three. The '01. 5 is a very close contender.

Have you noticed you can roll the windows up and down with the key in the accesories position? My previous trucks had to be in the run position.

 

[Dean Upson]

Have you noticed you can roll the windows up and down with the key in the accesories position? My previous trucks had to be in the run position.

Yes, and the auto down feature on the driver's window is also a plus.



Dean

 

[Prairie Dog]

I liked the bucket seats better in my 93 but the ride part I can't understand , this is by far the best riding heavy duty truck I've ever been in (IMHO). And the handling is second to none!

 

[D808]

My 2003 4X4 HO Dually rides much better than my previous 1996 4X4 HO Dually did. This isn't my imagination talking either, it's the longer rear main spring leaves in the 2003! The steering is superior too. Very precise. It seems like all I need to do is point in the direction I want to go, and "Big Red the Second" takes it from there! The brakes are much better too. That's a no brainer!



When leaving a stop sign or light, I know the 2003 gets away quicker. When hitting 55 m. p. h. , I look in the rear view mirror and the stop sign or light is a lot closer than when I reached 55 in the '96. It takes a while to go through the gears, but when I get into fifth and sixth, "WE GONE!!" I can really feel the 305 horses when running in overdrive at 65 m. p. h. , and then laying the pedal to the metal. Although I haven't pulled any heavy loads yet, other posts have contained testimony from the heavy haulers. I've sure not seen any complaints from those guys!



Also, the frame is stronger, the axles are of higher capacity, the anti-spin rear axle actually works (as compared to the previous Dana limited-slip), the transfer case is heavier, there is more room in the Quad Cab, there are side-curtain air bags, etc-etc-etc. Hey, it looks good too!!!! Ford will probably try to copy it like they did the 1994 Dodge model.



In summation Brothers and Sisters, if there is a better truck than the 2003 Dodge CTD, I know it's being driven on streets paved with GOLD!!!!

 

[Elk]

I loved my 91 auto 4x4, of course I was coming from a 1990 ford f250 with a 305 can you say 6 miles to the gallon with a camper on. Well then the family started growing and bought a 1993 club cab 4x4, this was my least favorite, rode rough, the shifter always buzzed and drove terrible ( I had very large tires on it. ) . Then came the 97 club cab 4x4 which I loved so much it is still in the drive way. Wow then came the 03 4x4 quad cab and it is the nicest truck I have ever driven bar none, I can hardly wait to hook it up to the new 33 foot toyhauler 5er.