Well, that's kind of tricky for me to answer. Would I buy a Ford? Probably not. Nothing really stands out to me about the Fords, either good or bad.
By way of full disclosure, I am a mopar guy. I was born and bred on ChryCo products. I am a fan of the design philophy they (used to) use. The Cummins engine is the most "mopar-like" engine they have offered in a long time-- very strong, overbuilt, and overperform.
That said, Mopar, I mean DC has made a lot of improvement in overall quality. Let's face it, almost anything they made from 1978-1995 or so was a joke as far as quality goes. Chrysler has a LONG history of WONDERFUL design hampered by ridiculous execution. IOW-- great on paper, not so good in real life.
Honestly, the Cummins is what gets me excited, and I like the looks of the Dodge enough. The Ford might be better looking truck. No doubt the new Chev front end is hideous. If I went GM, it would HAVE to be a GMC.
My main exposure to Fords was logging a 3K, one-week trip in my mom's truck: '02 PSD (7. 3), F-350 CCw/ 8ft bed! It was huge and had a lot of space. The supposed top-of-the-line seats (w/ heat and leather, etc) were NOT comfortable on that long trip. You NEEDED the heat to relieve the pain of the sucky seats. The Ford interior is a study in ugly, and hasn't improved in a long time.
The ride in the Ford was supposed to be SO much better than my Dodge. On the Interstate, there was almost no difference-- maybe a little softer in the Ford. Around town, the Ford rode MUCH better, especially over big bumps and rr tracks. Passing power wasnon-existent (maybe I was just used to my CTD?). The 20mpg was respectable enough for an automatic, but I can get that in my truck with way more power.
I actually recommended the PSD to my Mom over my Dodge. For her use, it was better. Easier to get in and out of, softer ride, etc. They don't need a whole lotta power, so their PSD will be fine for them. The PSD seems to be more of a play/show horse. The Dodge seems to be more of a work truck, designed to be beat upon. My StepDad is a Ford-loving redneck, so that pretty much was going to seal the deal. The only thing that made the Dodge a possibility was that he is an OTR driver, and KNOWS what Cummins engines can do.
As for the GMs, I don't have any firsthand experience with their newer stuff, at least w/ the Dmax. My general impression is that it's the best hwy cruiser of the three-- VERy comfortable seats, and a decent (if cheap-looking dash) interior. Reliability is probably as good as the Ford, maybe a little better. GM seems to have a little better engineering than Ford does: the Ford crew always seems to come up with the wierd, overcomplicated solution. Yet they also seems to be able to avoid great advances in technology- amazing. The GM seats are MARVELOUS. Supportive AND comfortable. The GM trucks are the most capable CARS around
I don't really trust ANY of the big three to look out for me. Cummins has a reputation they care about, it seems. I bought an '02 Dodge because I figured they had all the kinks worked out by then-- they had been making it a while.
I feel the Dodge is a decent enough truck, and can certainly hold its own against the others, even without the Cummins. It's just not the best fit for everyone.
BUT, since you CAN get the Cummins in a Dodge, there's simply no comparison.
Justin