Keep or trade my 06??

[ilovetrains]

To each their own. It is interesting that in reading the reasons you selected the Chevy were the reasons I could not drive one. Honestly, it is good for people to have choices. If everyone believed that one product was superior, and bought that one product, there would be no incentive to improve.

 

[KBalzuweit]

Man you got me, please don't take this the wrong way, but... .

what is the big deal with having 6-speeds in a transmission? I have other toys, '94 SKY Supreme, x2 '05 Bomardier Waverunners, Quads, and a Miata I race Solo II in an SCCA club. My '05 Dodge Ram gets any of the aforementioned toys to their destination, I might add safely, comfortably, economically and as fast as I want to get them and the love ones and friends riding along. I still don't understand the magic behind the two extra cogs in the auto transmission? I think if Daimler Chrysler made one last year when I got the truck, heck that’s what I would have gotten and been no happier than I am today. I guess I'm just trying to say that as much as these things cost, when does it economically make sense to trade up for extra gears, or heated seats, a compass with two more unnececessary functions etc... .



I know it sounds silly but the way I have always looked at it is that, Folks that purchase the Superduty either had no choice and their company or contractor bought it for them to use, or they are everyday Yuppies, trendy and have to have the latest and most popular vehicle just for the sake of. Also I think the folks whom have to have as much chrome, clad, and do-dads added as aesthetic upgrades shop this route too.



GM seems to build the best truck for people that are the least of truck people. I mean the truck sits low to the ground in 4x4 trim, there are as many gimmicks and switches and gagetry as one might find in a Le Sabre. The designs are anonymous and bland. When GM adds or upgrades or redesign on a current or existing platform, they just tack it on, like the new mirrors.



Dodge seems to know what truck buyers want & don't want. They give US just that and not much more. I mean our trucks come with a real medium duty power plant. D/C knows the 48re is durable, adequate, reliable and gets the job done. If it ain’t broke, no need to redesign for marketing sake. Also the Frame is a fully boxed Hydro formed hunk of metal from end to end. The stock suspension is basic, but proven and again durable, and could even be said as "overbuilt" for most buyers. Yes the interior is Spartan, but very functional. I love the layout on the '05 no buzz & strictly business. Personally the size, shape and overall comfort of the back seat mean jack to me. I ain't ever gonna ride back there, and usually my riders are so stoked to be going boating or out on quads or whatever, they don't complain. I had a 2001 Toyota Tacoma Double cab before the Ram, and I can't tell you how many people would sit in the back and be impressed with a cab that has a lot less space, width & height than the Dodge Ram Quad, but those same folks will complain that the QuadCab Ram sucks because the Cab is Smaller than the GM or Ford.

Sorry for the long rant, but I love the Dodge & Cummins. I've also owned everything from BMW-Acura-Chevrolet-Toyota-Nissan-Jeep etc... and no matter how sporty or gizmo equipped, my CTD is my most favorite vehicle to drive evar! Bar none.



End of rant, and best of luck with GM





-Ryan

All I can say is find someone with an 06 dmax and tow with it. Then you will see. I towed with the new truck today and the 6 speed is smooth as can be. Power is awesome too. Also why settle for "its a truck", comfort and features are nice to have. Heck when spend the kind of money these trucks cost they should be comfortable and have all kinds of bells and whistles.

 

[KBalzuweit]

I have a pristine duramax 03, which has a hot juice and a bombed allison, rear DVD player, XM and a lot of goodies, and its a real nice truck. The interior is hands down superior to the dodge.



Both the dodge and the chevy have their good and bad points. I'm just glad I could afford both...

Lucky man!!

 

[hasselbach]

Lucky man!!

Hey I figure if my duramax does ever break down, I can watch a movie in the back until the tow arrives...

 

[SThorud]

All I can say is find someone with an 06 dmax and tow with it. Then you will see. I towed with the new truck today and the 6 speed is smooth as can be. Power is awesome too. Also why settle for "its a truck", comfort and features are nice to have. Heck when spend the kind of money these trucks cost they should be comfortable and have all kinds of bells and whistles.

I'm sorry I don't quite understand, but what "bells and whistles" does the GM product have the DC product doesn't? As far as fit and finish, the 06 and even 03-05 Dodge trucks are pretty good. The Chevy product has always bothered my with their non-tactile buttons and control knobs, the inner-door pull handle that is about 3x oversized and a center console that won't fit much more than a handgun, camera and flashlight.



As far as electronic features, about the only thing I see the Chevy offers is the DIC, which quite frankly I think I know when I need to change my oil and don't need a little screen to tell me when it "thinks" maintenance needs to be done.



Money might not be an object for some, but I've never been able to price a Chevy or Ford for that matter with similar options anywhere near the Dodge. The Chevy tends to be about 5K more with the Ford not far behind.

 

[Vudumedman]

The only people who want more gears in the 48re are people who haven't used them to their max! IT WORKS GREAT! Yeah, if I want to run 90mph at 1700rpm I need another gear, but I don't so it works great for me. Allison may be good in a tank, but that's not what I am driving.

 

[hasselbach]

The only people who want more gears in the 48re are people who haven't used them to their max! IT WORKS GREAT! Yeah, if I want to run 90mph at 1700rpm I need another gear, but I don't so it works great for me. Allison may be good in a tank, but that's not what I am driving.

MOre gears are always better, You are blind if you think 4 gears are better than 6...

 

[BHolm]

It seems the 4 speed lets the motor rev too high for too long before it shifts, especially when empty. DCX is currently tooling up to build the 68RFE transmission, which I assume is for the Cummins. A 5 speed prol would have been good enough (figure its a 7 speed if you count the lockups), though a six speed auto will be nice. Put two more gears in there, one being a higher overdrive and tighten up the converter and it'll be just right.



KBalzuweit good luck with the truck, if you can overlook GM's styling, it is a decent truck.

Explain this one to me please????? My engine only revs in the range on the tach, never too high for too long. What is too long anyway? Too long for the Isuzu to hold together? My '03 Cummins dually ran balls out in third for 1400 miles over two days towing over 20k lbs across the plains and through the mountains. That was two years and 50k miles ago, not a single problem since.



As far as six gears being "better" than four, or five or three for that matter, that is debatable. My wifes Porsche Cayenne has a six speed auto that it doesn't really need either. Too much shifting, not enough time just putting the power down. That was exactly how I felt about my five speed allisons in the two Chevy's I owned as well. My '71 Buick is by far the quickest car I own and it has a three speed auto. It is all a bunch of marketing hype these days. Toyota is now developing an 8 speed auto to trump Mercedes new 7 speed auto. Where does the madness end? Screw it man, I want an Eaton 13 speed, I'll show all you guys :-laf



As for luxuries, my '06 Mega has everything GM offers and does it in a more attractive design IMO. I would definately agree that the GM's are trucks for people who don't really want trucks. And it isn't having to settle for anything, I WANT it to drive like a truck, I LIKE it that way. I have cars and towing 15k lbs with them would scare me, just like my Chevy trucks did. So are the injectors fixed on the Isuzu? Last I checked it was still a 20% failure rate. I'm sorry but buying a truck with an engine with that kind of major fault just doesn't strike me as very intelligent. But people STILL buy Fords and GM's. I'm just scratching my head trying to figure out why you would set yourself up for a headache like that... and PAY for the privilage

 

[TowPro]

Is that the DSG trans? We got one in the 05. 5 Jetta, man that is the best auto I have ever driven! (That's because it don't have a torque convertor)

My wifes Porsche Cayenne has a six speed auto that it doesn't really need either. Too much shifting, not enough time just putting the power down.

 

[brods]

My '03 Cummins dually ran balls out in third for 1400 miles over two days towing over 20k lbs across the plains and through the mountains. That was two years and 50k miles ago, not a single problem since.

So what was the mpg penalty you paid for doing that? If you could have had a gear between third and fourth wouldn't that have been better? There are lots of things that can be done. Just cause it "can" be done does not mean its better.



Maybe every year is different. On my 05 you can feel the truck run out of the powerband and the acceleration rate drops off. When it finally shifts it pulls hard again. I'd also like a higher OD to bring the rpms down while cruising at 75 mph (which is the average speed around here). IMHO the six speed should allow one to get the 4. 10 gears for towing without sacrificing highway mpg, the best of both worlds.

 

[hasselbach]

Holmes



Yeah, the 71 Buick turning 3800 rpm at 65 mph is a real efficient combination. I'm sure dodge and cummins missed that option to improve their trucks. . heck, if 3 gears are better than 4, maybe they should put powerglides in the 07's?



Maybe your Porsche is hunting for a gear, not because of the transmissions fault, but maybe its the fact the motor is a 98 lbs weakling. . :-laf

 

[KBalzuweit]

New ride headed to work for the first time.

 

[BHolm]

Holmes



Yeah, the 71 Buick turning 3800 rpm at 65 mph is a real efficient combination. I'm sure dodge and cummins missed that option to improve their trucks. . heck, if 3 gears are better than 4, maybe they should put powerglides in the 07's?



Maybe your Porsche is hunting for a gear, not because of the transmissions fault, but maybe its the fact the motor is a 98 lbs weakling. . :-laf

Actually Buicks, unlike Chevys, have torque I can run a much taller gear in the rear and still have a streetable car. Mine turns under 3000 at 65 Oh, and it breaks into the 11's with no supercharger, no nitrous, no slicks. Then I drive it home with the AC on.



As for the Porsche having a weak engine... . lets see, 340 hp from 4. 5L of displacement. By what standard is that weak?

 

[BHolm]

So what was the mpg penalty you paid for doing that? If you could have had a gear between third and fourth wouldn't that have been better? There are lots of things that can be done. Just cause it "can" be done does not mean its better.



Maybe every year is different. On my 05 you can feel the truck run out of the powerband and the acceleration rate drops off. When it finally shifts it pulls hard again. I'd also like a higher OD to bring the rpms down while cruising at 75 mph (which is the average speed around here). IMHO the six speed should allow one to get the 4. 10 gears for towing without sacrificing highway mpg, the best of both worlds.

Well, it wasn't as big a penatly as the one I paid with the 2001 Isuzu-max I had. I hauled my Unimog from Atlanta to Minnestoa on my gooseneck with the Chevy. It wouldn't pull the load in fifth, so it ran in fourth, louder than heck and sucked fule at a 5mpg rate. That combined with the 25gal tank in the shortbox meant fuel stops every 100 or so miles. The Cummins runs much more quietly at high rpm for one, and it was still getting 8-9 mpg.



I also notice defenders of the Isuzu still failing to acknowledge that it is an injector eating pig.

 

[hasselbach]

Actually Buicks, unlike Chevys, have torque I can run a much taller gear in the rear and still have a streetable car. Mine turns under 3000 at 65 Oh, and it breaks into the 11's with no supercharger, no nitrous, no slicks. Then I drive it home with the AC on.



As for the Porsche having a weak engine... . lets see, 340 hp from 4. 5L of displacement. By what standard is that weak?

Having street and NHRA raced for about 30 years (and yes, I have seen some fast Buicks in the past), I seriouslly doubt you are breaking into the 11's with "street" tires (not M&H or other so called wrinkle walled dot's). The fastest 70 and 71's will do in the mid 12's on actual street tires.



An oval port headed chevy will out run a Buick anytime on Torque. The Buick heads sign off at about 4500 rpm (extremely restrictive intake runner design).



As far at the porsche, HP means nothing. We've built some small 302 chevies in the past that made over 800 hp naturally aspirated, yet was all in the 8000 rpm plus range, with absolutely no torque down low. That's why your porsche is shifting so much, as the power is all upstairs not down low. Ive riden in the porsche SUV and was not impressed at all. Very soft in the lower end of the rpm range, yet it all comes in upstairs. Not what you really want in a heavy soccer mom vehicle.

 

[hasselbach]

Well, it wasn't as big a penatly as the one I paid with the 2001 Isuzu-max I had. I hauled my Unimog from Atlanta to Minnestoa on my gooseneck with the Chevy. It wouldn't pull the load in fifth, so it ran in fourth, louder than heck and sucked fule at a 5mpg rate. That combined with the 25gal tank in the shortbox meant fuel stops every 100 or so miles. The Cummins runs much more quietly at high rpm for one, and it was still getting 8-9 mpg.



I also notice defenders of the Isuzu still failing to acknowledge that it is an injector eating pig.

Hmmm, my 03 dmax has over 95,000 miles on it, and the injectors are working just fine. My brothers 02 has about 150,000 and it too is on the original injectors. Odd some have the failures and others don't.

 

[KBalzuweit]

Well, it wasn't as big a penatly as the one I paid with the 2001 Isuzu-max I had. I hauled my Unimog from Atlanta to Minnestoa on my gooseneck with the Chevy. It wouldn't pull the load in fifth, so it ran in fourth, louder than heck and sucked fule at a 5mpg rate. That combined with the 25gal tank in the shortbox meant fuel stops every 100 or so miles. The Cummins runs much more quietly at high rpm for one, and it was still getting 8-9 mpg.



I also notice defenders of the Isuzu still failing to acknowledge that it is an injector eating pig.

Well I guess since you now own a Dodge everything else is junk. Do a search for lift pump, injector pump, hmmm what do you find a TON of mad people because there DODGE failed. Every brand has a flaw or a problem. Dodge had lift pumps and vp44's, oh also I gues the injectors that fail on 3rd gen are ok??

 

[Ken55]

The verdict is... ... a new lbz duramax crew cab dually 2 wheel drive is in my drive. Karl

Hey Karl, just wondering if you considered the 4500 or 5500 series chev or gmc. I saw some deep discounts on them, some w/ sleepers. Hope Dodge comes up with a 4500 & or 5500 next year! Anyway congrats on the new ride.

Ken

 

[KBalzuweit]

Thanks Ken, I did consider a 4500. The problem is that would put me into the land of the CDL. In IL its a real pain to get a cdl now so I decided to stay away. I did go and drive one and they are cool. Its just unreal how tight they turn and how much room they have. Really liked the fold into a bed back seat. Well maybe next time. So far I love the new truck!!

 

[Huskerman]

I tell you this, if I ever decide I want a dually, it won't be that atrocity Mega-Cab dually that Dodge recently unveiled. That thing is a crime against humanity in my humble opinion.



If I ever go DRW, I want the darn thing to have hips, not fender flares that look like an after-thought.



Huskerman