Dodge Ford Chevy Comparison Shopping

[Dl5treez]

Well I don't know about any truck being better then any other truck with respects to handicap folks. With full running boards, my Dodge is easy to get in and out of.

God forbid you ever become a 81 year old paraplegic, but if you do please get back to me on how easy that Ram is to get in and out of.



Seriously though, I really like the powertrain of the Dodge trucks, but..... the powertrain of the GMC is pretty nice, too.



Plus, I prefer the interior set up of the GMC, and the exterior look over the Dodge. Not the Chevy, though... those ugly grilles and headlights make me want to puke.



To each their own, but the GMC is a great pickup. My '99 Dodge was, too.

 

[Giachino]

I vote for the test drive of all 3 makes... . well, skip the ford and try the GMC/Dodge. If it were me, based upon what I read and what I use my truck for, i'd give a serious look at the GMC (if you're buying soon)... . if you can wait i'd look at the 07 (07. 5?) dodges are supposed to have the 6sp auto... and a 6. 7l i6... . should be a good combo!

 

[JoshPeters]

if you do a search, last year Duluth Diesel and I did an all 3 comparison.



Josh

 

[RVTRKN]

My butthole... err I mean opinion:



If I was crazy enough to buy a brand new pickup truck today (done it before, not for me) it would be a Duramax/Allison GMC.

Why? Do you want to find out what the latest recall will be. For those who know me you will notice the work truck (LLY Allison) missing from my signature. What a POS that was. It was getting only 10 MPG, check engine lite would come on every 200 miles and when I quit the company and they turned it in for service, they found a recall on it. The power they claim it has is in there heads, just try to accelerate at 65 MPH you will know then it is a guttless wonder.

 

[Grizzly]

God forbid you ever become a 81 year old paraplegic, but if you do please get back to me on how easy that Ram is to get in and out of.



Seriously though, I really like the powertrain of the Dodge trucks, but..... the powertrain of the GMC is pretty nice, too.



Plus, I prefer the interior set up of the GMC, and the exterior look over the Dodge. Not the Chevy, though... those ugly grilles and headlights make me want to puke.



To each their own, but the GMC is a great pickup. My '99 Dodge was, too.

You are absolutely right, to each his own. It is however a no brainier to know which truck is superior with respect to maintenance and reliability and I would also say looks, however that doesn't mean much. You may be correct on the handicap issue, but for now I won't be too concerned with that. Some day may be a different story, but today I'll keep climbing onto my Dodge. The most important thing to me is the reliability of the truck and the engine. You can't beat Dodge/Cummins, that is if it's Mexican built.

 

[J Shocik]

Todd, if you're considering an '06, look at the 3rd gen. engine & trans. site here. This will give you some idea of what to expect from a new CTD. I don't know if there are similar sites for Brand F & C, but if there are, I'll bet you'll hear about the bad with the good.

My wife just gave me the green light to get a new truck if I want. After some serious looking, I think I'll keep my '97 for now & hope the new ULSD fuel won't be a problem.

 

[Jbittn2]

Hi, I work on many diesels, from benz to tractors and the big three. Each have their own acceptance to what is put into them. with such a huge debate on opinions. The reserch is within ourselves. I have Ford's with 760 plus I and running as strong as I bought them new. Same with german diesels. The jap line in duramax is tough too! Faster and can haul more off in magazine talk. Just like cummins. I even have a ford f700 with a cummins. Hands down get what ya want and study it. I personally tested a lot of my own rugs and inknow which ones can hammer down and such can take a beating. There is know rite answer. ....lol. any who. Just my exp. There is no perfect and it best for truck/rig/ auto unless one chooses it to be. If tou know how to treat any of them they will treat ya good back . If ya had bad time. Then Theo it in the lake and be happy with the next tilln it suits individual needs. PROUD FLEET OF ALL MAKES AND MODELS AND HOW TO BEAT THE **** OUT OF THEM. PROST!!

 

[petersonj]

If you are considering a Dodge just be aware that automatic transmissions from 1994 to 2007 with 5.9 liter Cummins engines have only four forward gears. Manual transmissions have five or six forward gears (1999 to 2002) and six forward gears from 2003 to 2007.

I mention this because assuming that both the manual and automatic transmissions are reliable (which they are), the automatic transmission only offers four gears to use for all driving conditions. The six speed manual transmission is a better match behind a high torque / low rpm Cummins engine as it gives a you a proper gear for any driving situation, including excellent engine braking with the addition of an exhaust brake.

If you are looking at Dodge trucks 2007.5 and newer, then the rules change, as six speed automatic transmissions are the norm and the 6.7 liter engine has a built-in exhaust brake (the variable geometry turbocharger).

This is just my personal opinion, but I have never believed that having fours gears behind a Cummins engine was ever a good design. I chose the manual six speed transmission because it easily handles the engine torque, it is driver friendly, and the maintenance is simple and low cost.

- John

 

[DonFitzwater]

You two realize this thread is long ago dead at 12 years old?

 

[petersonj]

You two realize this thread is long ago dead at 12 years old?

Thankfully you posted here - we could have gone on for days...

- John