Heavy Duty truck shoot out. Interesting.

[MegaTony06]

Heavy Duty truck Shootout.



NOTE: Not trying to start a urinating engagement.



How do the real world trucks compare to the numbers in the shootout? Like the mileage? Did you compare when you purchased your Dodge and what swayed you?

 

[rscurtis]

Interesting comments on how "gas is the future". Sounds like U-haul advertising now that they don't have any more diesel trucks. As I had expected, the 2011 GMC is the real deal.

 

[Simplysmn]

I think that is a bunch of Crap tow long run the dodge out pull's em all . or I should say typical hype cause ford n Chevy paid more for the testing so they got higher mark's

Just my 2 Cent's

 

[craiggo]

I read this very carefully and I tried not to read it with my RAM colored glasses on. I know earlier in the article they mentioned "We spent a full day racing the trucks with and without heavy trailers" and I think this is what this boiled down to, a race.

When you read the analysis of all the 3/4 ton diesels, the Ram was #1 or #2 in 61% of the categories. How realistic is a 7% and 16% grade towing? For me, 7% is 1/10 of 1% of my usage and 16% is never. However, ride & handling, braking, fit & finish, value and no Urea are 100% of the time, plus all this at $10,000 less.

I'm sorry folks I think the "true market value" of the Ram Cummins is grossly underrated. And this article does not take into account other real world issues such as the gambling on the new Ford or GM motor. I personally know how painful it was every month to take my Ford 6. 0 into the dealer where it would be for 1-2 weeks getting fixed. I'm not willing to "gamble on their new 6. 7. " People aren't putting PowerStrokes in Ram/GM trucks.

Maybe I can't evaluate this without my rose colored glasses but I'm much happier with my Ram than I ever was with my Ford (which I paid twice as much for), and that's what really matters.


"However, we can't forget to point out that the well-equipped Ram is almost $8,000 cheaper than the Ford and Chevy trucks. Certainly for that bargain price, and with its handsome interior and exterior styling, we could be persuaded to opt for the Ram. So what if you don't get to the top of the hill the quickest?"

 

[Simplysmn]

Well a good test would be to limit all the truck's just like the ram 3200 rpm's the other 2 wouldn't even be in the running I know the ford has a red line of like 4500 rpm's comeon there motor is a light duty Dodge has a medium duty Motor

 

[RonD]

I read it, and didn't get much out of it at all, all 3 trucks were very close in all the tests, I
have driven all 3 trucks over the last month, they all have one or two things you like, but overall the Cummins powered Ram is vastly superior, and far better looking.

 

[EGroeneveld]

I read the article. For me it proved that all three trucks are very close in all areas. Its just what do you prefer in say ride, tow ratings, front axle, looks, interior feel, etc... and what ratings you give to differnt things is what gives you the winner.



I like the 7% and 16% grade tests. That really tests what you can get moving for thing like merging. Try merging onto 2 lane HWY 97 in central Oregon with a camping trailer attached, traffic is moving at 65 and your going to be needing to floor it up hill.



When I bought my 2005 Ram 3500, I got the highest power available I could, I shopped around at all the brands looking for a good deal. I have loved my truck.



For all the 6. 0 bashing, my 2005 Ford Excursion with a 6. 0 Diesel has cost me LESS in repairs and maintence then my 2005 Dodge 3500. About the same miles.



A couple other points,



MSRP is meaningless when the Dodge dealer will not haggle, but the Ford and GM dealers are advertising 10-12,000 off MSRP.



Tow ratings are important for those of us towing and hauling.



Power ratings are important for those of us towing and hauling.



I am not going to just buy a new Ford or Chevy because it has a higher rating then the Ram 3500, but I am certainly going to go test drive them all and figure out what kind of deal I can get on each one before deciding.



For me (only my opinion) if Dodge/Ram keeps coming in third on to many of these tests and last place on power, towing, and hauling ratings they are going to keep shooting themselves in the foot. Als the better Ford and GM get the better Dodge/Ram needs to be. Compition is good for us consumers.

 

[Newt]

Dodge/Cummins has had over 3 years to sort out their new engine. Ford & GM has just started.

Newt

PS: Be interesting to see if Dodge/Cummins bring out a few more HP for the 2011 model.

 

[RonD]

I think the power is fine, what I would like to see is another 1, or 2 mpg when towing

 

[Tryingit]

I did my research and did get a chance to overnight test a 2011 Ford Lariat diesel that had a sticker price of almost 61K. I liked it up until I hit some uneven pavement. I made my mind up in that moment. The Dodge Larime was more refined and car like, not to mention about 6K less than the Ford. So while my truck might not be the fastest or the most powerful of the three. It was much cheaper and has way more power than I'll ever need for my 11K trailer. Besides I think it is the best looking to boot. :-laf

 

[HBarlow]

I wouldn't waste my time reading such drivel. The writers and editors of those magazines are journalists. Few if any of them know or understand the first thing about what trucks like our Rams do. The corporate officers of those magazines are driven by advertising dollars, nothing else.

The ONLY automotive journalist I will read besides our editorial staff on the TDR magazine is Greg Whale who also writes for TDR. Greg understands what diesel powered trucks do and actually owns one.

I have purchased three Cummins-powered Dodge Rams because they are the only light truck with a medium duty, high torque, low rpm, long service life real truck engine. I don't need the opinion of some silly journalist who drives a BMW or Prius to tell me what the factory ratings of the big three trucks are or which one will accelerate up a hill fastest. I KNOW which one will pull a heavy trailer up a hill at 1600 to 2400 rpm without downshifting. I KNOW which one will run 1,000,000 miles without an overhaul. If I wanted a truck that would accelerate quickly I would buy a crappy little 1/2 ton with a short stoke V8.

No thanks. There will never be a Furd or Nobama Motors V8 diesel in my barn.

 

[robertyoke]

I read the article. For me it proved that all three trucks are very close in all areas. Its just what do you prefer in say ride, tow ratings, front axle, looks, interior feel, etc... and what ratings you give to differnt things is what gives you the winner.



I like the 7% and 16% grade tests. That really tests what you can get moving for thing like merging. Try merging onto 2 lane HWY 97 in central Oregon with a camping trailer attached, traffic is moving at 65 and your going to be needing to floor it up hill.



When I bought my 2005 Ram 3500, I got the highest power available I could, I shopped around at all the brands looking for a good deal. I have loved my truck.



For all the 6. 0 bashing, my 2005 Ford Excursion with a 6. 0 Diesel has cost me LESS in repairs and maintence then my 2005 Dodge 3500. About the same miles.



A couple other points,



MSRP is meaningless when the Dodge dealer will not haggle, but the Ford and GM dealers are advertising 10-12,000 off MSRP.



Tow ratings are important for those of us towing and hauling.



Power ratings are important for those of us towing and hauling.



I am not going to just buy a new Ford or Chevy because it has a higher rating then the Ram 3500, but I am certainly going to go test drive them all and figure out what kind of deal I can get on each one before deciding.



For me (only my opinion) if Dodge/Ram keeps coming in third on to many of these tests and last place on power, towing, and hauling ratings they are going to keep shooting themselves in the foot. Als the better Ford and GM get the better Dodge/Ram needs to be. Compition is good for us consumers.

couple months ago when i bought my '10 mega, i drove an '11 ford and the dealer wouldnt budge much on the price... . till the '10 fords were gone!

they sure would not go 10 to 12k of the sticker.



also do you tow as heavy with the 6. 0 ford as the dodge? i had very few problems with my 03 and not to many problems with my 04 and they got worked!

 

[Duncan]

Well I don. t know about the goverment motors diesel but did try a 450 ford 11 model. The dealer was bragging about how much better fuel mileage it got. We delivered the truck to have a flat bed installed. going by the fuel meter we drove 78 miles, with about 65 interstate and stayed with in the speed limit. Bare chassis it got 12. 5mpg. anf the departments o9 6. 4 gets 12. 5 with a flat bed on it. These fluid suckers may be the best thin since sliced bred but I still have to see it. But out of the box I,m not impressed so I bought 10 2500 6. 7 auto. This is my fourth diesel all dodgesOo.

 

[AfterBurner]

Interesting article, and in my opinion it shows that all the trucks are on a level playing field and it really comes down to what you want to live with.



I test drove a $60K 2011 ford crew cab dually last week and was impressed with the ride quality and the responsiveness of the engine... first time I was impressed by a ford (test drove 6. 4 and 6. 0 in the past). I also liked the up to minute vehicle dynamics screen, but found it unnecessary and even dangerous as I wanted to stare at it while cornering and braking :-laf. I liked the truck right up to the end when I had to turn it around on the lot to park it, and realized that it still has the turning radius of a Ford... they don't put a big circle around their name for nothin! I like my tight turn radius when I'm trying to slip my truck into a compact parking spot or get my 25' gooseneck wedged in between other rigs at a rodeo. I also want to row my own gears, though the wife swears the next one will be an auto .



Another big kicker for Dodge is their cab/chassis option. Ford and Chevy don't change anything except delete the bed, while Dodge provides a bigger fuel tank, stiffer springs and a medium grade (aisin) transmission (but a chevy guy would argue the allison is medium grade). Then there's the price of the truck and the peace of mind knowing that I've got a Cummins engine on the other side of the firewall.



Forrest

 

[EGroeneveld]

couple months ago when i bought my '10 mega, i drove an '11 ford and the dealer wouldnt budge much on the price... . till the '10 fords were gone!

they sure would not go 10 to 12k of the sticker.



also do you tow as heavy with the 6. 0 ford as the dodge? i had very few problems with my 03 and not to many problems with my 04 and they got worked!

The Dodge pickup is almost 90% towing from Enclosed trailers, dump trailer, camping trailer and a 14k gooseneck trailer. The Excursion is my daily driver for work but still tows the same trailers except the gooseneck of course, about 40% of the miles are towing.

 

[MegaTony06]

I think it would be a mistake for Cummins or Dodge to start chasing horsepower and torque numbers. The latest numbers for the 6. 7L are more than enough and if an individual needs more they should get a bigger rig or start modifying... this is for people that actually work their truck. For those that like to magazine race while dropping multiples of thousands into a dyno queen... that is fine, but they shouldn't confuse it with a solid, reliable performing unit that is used to actually work.



Fuel economy and costs should factor in the Urea or DEF that GM and Ford now have. The attached shoot out tried that but really downplayed it. For the filling stations that provide it at the pump it was $2. 99 per gallon or nearly $5. 00 per jug in the store.



With that said, I am seriously daydreaming about a GMT900 3/4 Ton AWD GMC Denali (Yukon) XL with a Duramax (LMM or LBZ)/Allison combo. With a programmer, I know I could stretch the mileage per gallon to the mid to high 20s. If there was a way to make the computers talk between the Cummins and GM... it would be a Cummins/Allison combo... . that is just too complicated a Frankenstein for me, however.



In the meantime, the 5. 9L Cummins Mega will probably stay in my driveway for quite sometime. At least until the Dodge parts start wearing out around the Cummins.



My Cummins/Ram colored glasses are forcing me to comment the following: Tortoise versus the Hare, one may race up a hill fast but can it reliably keep doing it for 250,000 miles across the board for the average working truck owner(?). Or more miles due to the Saturn V rocket rise in truck purchase price (new) over the last 10 years.

 

[rscurtis]

I think you are correct about Ram staying out of the HP race. There is no valid reason to have 400 HP in a pickup. AAMOF, I think Ford, in addition to offering the 400HP reflash, should have offered let's say a 300 HP/600 torque reflash to those who were more interested in fuel economy. Perhaps some of the manufacturers will offer this when the next fuel crisis hits.

 

[Alan Reagan]

The Urea was the one of the big drawbacks. Cost was another.



I drove all three and like the Dodge over the other two. Everyone has there preferences and maybe I'm just used to the Rams.



My biggest complaint is fuel mileage. I think all three suffer from that.

 

[hwebster]

I had a chance to drive the 2011 Ford in Calgary. My impressions were - 1 Nice Interior, Rather Square Looking and it felt heavier than my 3500. Took it out on the road (it was an automatic) and it was comfortable on a good highway. However, when I tried the giddy-yap I was left disappointed. It seems sluggish vs my truck. The over head fuel consumption showed about 16L/100K 2/13/MPG.

Once I open the hood I had to shudder. I think Ford has a great business model going for it. Changing a fan belt will probably take 2 hours just to get to the belt. With my mitts, I doubt I could get to an specific component requiring service from the top.

For the suggested price ($75k) I expected more, not just glitzy interior and techy toys.

I did REALLY like the step down window format of the door. I leave my left arm on the window most of the time... Very Comfortable...

 

[meanmatt]

I love reading these articles. None are ever objective. Seems who ever test track is used seems to have the advantage. so Ford will always win on it home ground, and Chevy will will win on it's. So when dodge does it's next big change I'm sure they will have all to magazines over to there test track . We aren't racing trucks anymore ,we are racing the test track.

I have now taken all 3 on test drive for myself . Empty acceleration all feels the same ,only thing I saw different was the shift points . I'm not talking full throttle . I'm talking average from a stop light or long freeway on ramp . Dodge was 1800-2000rpm . Both Ford and GMC where at 2500.

Insides where all nice and quite, all had there electronic goodies. So thats all a wash in my book .

I think the exhaust brake on the Dodge is the easiest to use and most obvious when it is working . The Chevy took several tries playing with different modes for me and the sales person to figure out . The Ford We tried many mode and never could tell if it even turned on .

I did like that Ford already has the 5th wheel and goose neck options in the frame already . This takes the out allot of error made by the rv dealers and trailer hitch shops. I've seen allot of scarry installs over the years.

The hp and tq , numbers race is just getting ridiculous. Last thing weel need is a f250 towing a 16,000lbs toyhauler doing 100mph . This is just begging the government to stick their heads in more places they don't belong.

All that said I'm keeping my almost paid off 2006 . I see no advantages of the new trucks over the one I have.