[Skipponator]

Okay no smart ass or brand bashing here, looking for GOOD thoughts and logical/informed opinions here:

Okay in about 3 weeks I am bringing home a new (2007 or 2006) truck, kinda torn between a few things, looking for input:

First off here are my plans for it:
-Drive accross the US comfortably as well as daily driving, in large metropolitan areas, have possibilities of traffic jams and whatnot and long commuting.
-Pull snowmobiles
-Pull the GTP accross the US, as well as to a drag strip or two occasionally in the East Coast or wherever in the future.

So what I am debating is this:
-GM 2500 Crew Cab with a Duramax, which I like the idea of having either auto or true tapshift manual in one truck, the plushness and ride comfort as well as the many options featured in the top package. It's quite driving, and very nice, however the Duramaxes are pretty new still, and not as proven as lets say Cummins, I have heard they are medium duty trucks as well, and don't last as long as Cummins, like 300+k miles. Mileage is starting at 17hwy unloaded and eventually break in about 60k gets up to maybe 20 if lucky. The crew cabs are spacious and the truck isn't that long looking or feeling. Pricing is about $40-$41k with rebates on either 06-07 models. Warranties on 07s are 5yr/100k all around, 06s are 3yr/36k except engine which is 5/100. HP is 365, TQ is 650, they are V8s.

-I love the Dodge exteriors, the Cummins is proven, the interiors are firm, and not as plush or quality feeling, they also don't have all the option and readouts as GM does, even in their top package, the quadcab is tight in the back, but I am single, so not a bog deal, the MegaCabs are too damn long. Fuel mileage is 19mpg unloaded on up to 22 I hear, especially after break-in. HP is 325, TQ is 610. They are an inline 6. Pricing is about $34k after rebates, without leather and a couple extras, looking at some more #s tomorrow for the Laramie package. They have a 4speed auto.

-I found a Black Denali Sierra yesterday, tight as hell!, 1/2 ton, since they don't make them in anything larger, they come wully loaded obviously, which is what I want, and have a 6.0L stock, mileage is 14-17mpg, and from owning my current 2500 6.0L I KNOW it will pull toys all day long with ease. Price is down to $36k with rebates.




So I am trying to figure out what BEST suits my needs. I love having 3/4 tons and a dielel is amust in them, no more gas for me, but do I really need a diesel? The Denali is sweeet, and would be a great ride, but will it do what I want all the time, last a long time, etc...

What do you all think?

-Skip

 

[jeeper1]

That is a tough call to have to make. I would look at it this way:

Dodge:
+ Cummings motor
+ Solid front axle
+ Price
- 4 speed auto trans
- ride
- Interior
- power and torque

Chevy:
+ Crazy power in stock form
+ far far better transmission
+ Far nicer (opinion) interior
+ Ride
+ comfort
- IFS Front suspension
- Price (but there are some deals on the '07 Classics)

If it were me it would be the Chevy hands down. I have owned new Ford, Chevy and Dodge 3/4 Ton 4x4's and I have had far better luck and reliability with the Chevy.

 

[88400]

I agree with Jeeper1. I work for a Chevy dealership as a tech here in CT, so I'm a bit biased, but I would still choose the Chevy over the Dodge.

Although I don't have a lot of Dodge experience I have heard on the grapevine that the Cummins is a bit overrated, but have heard the Duramax is one of the best diesels out there today. I have personally seen and driven a Chevy 2005 2500 HD Quad Cab with the Duramax and the owner had put almost 200K on it in almost a year. I drove it in the shop and before I checked the mileage I noticed how nice and clean the truck was and how smooth it was running. I checked the DIC and also noticed that he was getting around 19 MPG and then I noticed the odometer. I was very surprised, the engine ran smooth and quiet and still had most if not all the punch it had since new.

I have seen many Duramax trucks come through and for the most part very little problems, even after 100-150K.

 

[Goater]

Its deals like this that kill me. I personally have seen quite a few chevy's gelled up on the road in colder weather and I feel they are a light duty truck. Not really your best towing vehicle EXCEPT for their trasnmissions I would trust an allison to go on your long hauls. But I am a Ford man and I love their trucks for comfort and body/frame durability, but what they lack is a more than 125000 mile durable motor. Dodge on the otherhand has the cummins motor which is garrenteed for like 300000 miles, but their trucks arent able to hold up to the years of abuse put on the bodies. They also need a better transmission. But on the good side I have seen a dodge 3500 dually with a cummins diesil get 30 mpg, With propane injection they were able to get a cleaner, more efficient burn. This truck is also equiped with a 5 in. straight exhaust with no restriction which also improves mileage some.

So for me this is a toss up. I personally would build your own truck. www.fordcummins.com has a conversion for fords and last I looked was working on a chevy conversion. They have many links on their website for different parts and information on all different brands and their problems.

Now it sounded like you were avoiding ford in your trucks to be looking at but I would at least consider them. They have quality equipment, but so do all the other companies. There isnt a perfect truck out there but these days you can get pretty darn close. So good luck and choose wisely.

 

[04Prox2]

I'd go for the Denali. Why do you need a 3/4 ton diesel, most of the people that own them don't even need them. The Denali looks awesome and is wicked nice inside, that would be the truck I'd buy. Plus it's cheaper than the 3/4 ton chev.

 

[Pance]

See now i disagree with jeeper and 88400. I personally would go with the cummins, but i would try and find one with the 6 speed. My dad goes to all the cattle sales, and most the guys there have diesel pickups. he has a friend who has an 03 duramax with about 60k miles on it, so far the fuel injectors have been replaced, the turbo failed once, and during the winter he has to put some diesel booster to keep it from gelling up.

We have had 4 cummins, first one went over 400k miles, second one is at 315k miles right now and we still use it everyday, the third one was at 225k miles when we sold it, and now we have the 06 with 60k miles. In the winter we just plug them in and they fire up every morning without fail.

Our neighbor has an 03 cummins with the 6 spd and he gets anywhere from 20-22 mpg and he once got close to 24. This is with a crew cab long box 4wd pickup.


On the other hand, if you don't use a diesel to its full potential then why have one?

My brother-in-laws dad has a 98 chevy 3500 with the 6.5 it has 40k miles on it. All he uses it for is pulling the camper, one time we borrowed it, and it took an hour to get started. It just doesn't get worked enough to be worth having.

 

[halVORTEX]

My Dad owns a 03 2500 Dodge crew cab long bed with the cummins and it is a very nice truck. It is loaded with all the options heated seats, leather, infinity audio system etc. I have also driven a loaded Duramax crew cab 2500 with a long bed. The interior on both are really nice so thats just a personal preference to whatever style you prefer. As far as the actual driving went. Well I found out that the GM was kind of a pig in my opinion. Normal corners that I took in ease with the Dodge I had to stop and reverse to get a different angle with the GM. It seemed like it didn't turn nearly as sharp. Personally that was a huge downside with me because we do a lot of driving in tight spaces on backroads and sometimes the ideal turnaround spots arent available.

 

[Skipponator]

Thanks for the input thus far! On another note, Ford is not an option for me, I can't do it, because my ex-wife worked at a Ford dealership the past 3 years, and I cannot drive something that will remind me of her every day, it's an emotional thing for me, I don't know if I will ever be able to not dis-associate Ford from my past.

In the long haul, how about expenses for maintenance and what not?

 

[Pance]

Expense and maintenance?

Our old green truck once went 22000 miles without an oil change. LOL. lets just say it looked black as coal and came out like mud. LMAO.

 

[halVORTEX]

45,000 Miles on our Dodge so far and not a single problem...

 

[05XCSP]

From working as a mechanice for nearly 4 years, I have worked on both the Cummings and Duramax. They both have been proven to hold strong. What I dislike about the Cummings motor is that its obnoxiously loud and feels like a rod-knocker. Yes, it's a diesel, but there's no comparison to the Duramax with loudness and in-cab vibration. Ride Quality is a must, especially when that's what you'll be driving day-in and day-out.
My uncle owns a 2004 3500 Duramax fully loaded(charcoal leather, 6-CD Bose sound system, DVD, heated seats, power everything) with about 150,000 last I knew and has nothing gone wrong. The only thing that we had to do thus far was to replace the tailgate straps that were a recall any hoot. With normal preventative measures and changing of the fluids, we've had nothing to complain about. He's tows his 36 ft 5th wheel camper with ease in the summer and the Duramax definitely has the pickup and go attitude with no lag in the acceleration. In the winter, he tow's his four-place enclosed trailer loaded to the max with again, no complaints. The Allison transmission has had plenty of years to evaluate and make their transmissions what they are known for.
On the other hand, I have replaced 3 fuel rails on the Cummings and put 2 fuel pumps on as well. It seems that the Cummings puke nothing but black exhaust with eye burning raw fumes. The last I knew, Dodge 2500 and 3500 came with clutch fan and not the electric fan, so their known for clutch fans if towing. We've put front coils and bushing on the Cummings 2500 at 175,000. So, in the long run, there's plenty to look at.
I know you can't pin point faults on the whole stock for a selected few but I'm just giving you the rundown on what I have experienced. With the comment on gelling up, that's why the diesels come with the 12 v accessory plug behind the grill to plug in at night to warm the heater coils so they don't gel.
I love Ford, but I have to admit that I would go for the Chevy before I would venture to the land of Dodge. There's too much offered in the Chevy that Dodge lacks. But the chose is your's.

 

[Bulldog]

Scott,

Watch out for the new 07 diesels. They have a higher clean fuel requirement .

Most folks are trying to get all 06 models if they can.

They even require new cleaner oil.[attachment=49877]

Bulldog

 

[Blackcat]

Considering the driving you are going to do I would go with a diesal. You may not "need" it persay, but they last longer and get better mileage.

You are also going to find the Duramax to ride way better then the cummins, and the noise from the Duramax will be alot quieter. These are major things to consider when driving alot. I haven't sat in a new Cummins yet, but I would be quite amazed if it is more comfortable then a Duramax. Chevy seems to have that edge on everybody.

Those duramax's have definetely proven themselves, IMO. They have alot of power and don't seem to have alot of problems. I have a buddy who pulled a backhoe without a problem, over the rated limit by the way.

However, if you were thinking of power upgrades, the cummins would be the way to go. They can get massive amounts of horsepower and torque out of them. Although with all of the power, you lose alot of reliability.

I'm a ford guy, and I wouldn't recommend a 6.0 even if you were interested in getting one. Chevy is usually towards the bottom of my list, but considering your needs I say the Duramax best fits.

 

[Pance]

Also, IF you are going to be using it to plow. stay away from the duramax, the IFS will NOT hold up for plowing.


Or if you were to wait until after the first of the year you could get the new 6.7l with the 6 spd (350 hp and 650 ft lb torque).

 

[Skipponator]

Originally posted by Bulldog
[br]Scott,

Watch out for the new 07 diesels. They have a higher clean fuel requirement .

Most folks are trying to get all 06 models if they can.

They even require new cleaner oil.[attachment=49877]

Bulldog

Yes I am aware of the changes on the 07 new style models, the Classic models will not have these changes.

 

[Goater]

Sorry about bringing the ford thing up. I would say go for the dodge in that case. The cummins will outlive the chevy in most aspects. I would go for a 2004-2005 though. Just find one that is in exellent condition. The most expensive parts to replace, if they do go bad on the cummins, would be anything to do with the turbo. They arent cheap to fix or replace and you kinda need them. On the rest of the truck depending on how big a trailer you are pulling, You may need to think about transmissions. But even 4 place enclosed snowmobile trailers shouldn't cause problems (Of the few I've seen that dropped a tranny one was pulling a horse trailer too big for the truck and another got shifted into reverse doing around 45mph and the lockout failed(dont do that it hurts in many ways)).You can get some nice transmissions to replace them if they do go bad that are built for pulling but with what you are planning on doing you shouldnt even have to think about it.

Good Luck with it.

 

[XCRacer440]

Originally posted by 05XCSP
[br] It seems that the Cummings puke nothing but black exhaust with eye burning raw fumes.

What kind of diesel doesn't make black eye burning fumes?

 

[Quinlan]

Originally posted by Blackcat
[br]Those duramax's have definetely proven themselves, IMO. They have alot of power and don't seem to have alot of problems. I have a buddy who pulled a backhoe without a problem, over the rated limit by the way.

The backhoe didn't weigh as much as previously expected, so it may not have been as overweighted as one may perceive. He hauled a high-lift forklift with the gooseneck for us this summer. Supposedly it weighed in at around 24,000lbs, his trailer was rated for 25,000, and the pickup wasn't rated near that high. Surprisingly, it pulled it quite well.

Of course, this is presuming we speak of the same guy. [:I]

I'd definatly go with the Duramax if you go the diesel route. My buddy can pull 20mpg with his if he drives nice. Rides exceptionally well also...and it'll pull a loaded trailer all day at that!

 

[bigrok]

Yeah, any truck can pull a 4-place. We've got a 2001 3500 Ram with the cummins 6-speed. I would almost gaurantee you that it'll out pull any stock duramax. But for us the choice was easy. Cummins. We pull 15,000-20,000+ regularily. It pulls 70+ mph any day of the week. It's got 120,000 miles on it and all we've done to it is put an injector pump in it. And that's cuz the diesel in MN sucks. The diesel here has soooo much sh*t in it, it plugs up pumps and filters so fast it takes out pumps. Several mechanics have told us that. Yeah, the older cummins are loud, but the new ones aren't very much louder than the duramax. The cummins is also one of the most proven diesels out there. To me, that's BIG in my desicion in buying a new truck.

I've never driven a duramax, but i've head lots of stories about them. There are many guys around here that pull 10,000+ pounds that are not happy with all the hype with the dirtymax. My brother in law had an 2004 2500 chevy and i helped him put a gooseneck plate in it and i was bending the frame rail with a half inch ratchet. I know i'm strong but that's rediculous.

If i were you, the choice would be simple. I'd get a 2007 Ram with the 5.9L 6-speed. It would last you for the rest of your life.

Sure it's not a "city man's" truck with all the bells and whistles. But in my opinion, all those bells and whistles will all bring you problems down the road.

The choice is yours, and i'm sure you will get the best truck for your application. Best of luck with the buying a new truck you lucky ba$tard. [][]

 

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by Quinlan
[br]
The backhoe didn't weigh as much as previously expected, so it may not have been as overweighted as one may perceive. He hauled a high-lift forklift with the gooseneck for us this summer. Supposedly it weighed in at around 24,000lbs, his trailer was rated for 25,000, and the pickup wasn't rated near that high. Surprisingly, it pulled it quite well.

Of course, this is presuming we speak of the same guy. [:I]

Can't say I know anyone else with a Duramax, so yep same guy. Well, my point was shot to hell...owell at least you replaced it with another. []