What Would You Pick?

[masoncgy]

I am in the process of replacing my Avalanche, stepping up to a 3/4 ton pick up, and looking for feedback on a few choices I have.

Here are the choices (all 2007 models):
- Ford F-250 Super Duty 5.4L
- Chev Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500 6.0L
- Dodge Ram 2500 5.7L Hemi

My towing needs are moderate. I can handle my current travel trailer with the Avalanche, but the wife & I want to move up to a 5th wheel, thus requiring a proper pick-up truck box. A 3/4 ton gives us the best flexibility as we will not be moving into a trailer requiring a diesel engine, nor do we camp enough to warrant purchasing the diesel at extra cost.

My take:
Ford: I like the exterior styling of both the super cab & the crew cab. The interior is pretty standard. The 5.4L engine only seems to have marginal reviews from other owners, so that is questionable for me.

GM: I find these two trucks to have nicer styling in and out over the Ford & Dodge offerings, but the examples I have test driven all had the 6.0L Vortec and all of them had that mysterious engine tick on start up, something common and that has plagued the 5.3L like in my Avalanche. The 6.0L does pick up and move nicely though.

Dodge: My main attraction to the Dodge Ram 2500 is the 5.7L MDS Hemi... 345 hp and gets decent gas mileage. However, I am not sure if the Dodge line of trucks are overly reliable. Styling is decent in and out...

Your thoughts?

[corsvette]

I have had experience with all of the trucks you are looking at,here is my opinion.
Ford,a solid well built truck,if you do alot of gravel/off highway you cant beat the solid front axle.The 5.4 in the superduty's are very underpowered and suck alot of fuel.

Gm Truck,i have had very good luck with these trucks,the "ticky:6.0l is very common and they seem to run forever anyway,my 05 had a constant knock and is still going at 230k.I had very minor troubles with mine (guage cluster,inside door handle's)lots of jam and nice trucks to drive.

Dodge,my last dodge was a 03 with the 4.7 V8,i look after one for my wifes uncle,he has the 5.7 hemi with the mds,(he had a 05 he sold when the engine blew up at 170,000kms)a nice engine but the rest of the truck has given lots of trouble,front hubs,transmission leaks,a/c,and front end troubles,he does do alot of towing and gravel roads though.
I would go for the GM truck,they are durable and in the end have the best resale value.

[SKR]

I've got a 5.4 in my work truck (08 F-250 4x4 crew cab). It wouldn't pull a drunk whore off a bar stool. I wouldn't spend any of my own money on one, especially if I was going to be pulling anything with it.

Do you need a brand new truck? Affordable used diesels aren't that hard to find, and I think you'd like pulling with a diesel more than a gas job. Just sayin'.

[J NRG]

.

[Sugarphreak]

Dodge is my vote

[anothers10]

I have a Silverado with a 6.0L, have put 50,000km on it in the last year and Its been great. Towed a 20ft inclosed car trailer from Calgary to halifax last year with no issues.

[jonnycat]

Don't forget about the Titan. There is a guy who pulls 7800 dry weight 5th wheel with no problems. He's definitley over weight but has pulled it from the southern states to Calgary

http://www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-towing-hauling/83299-5th-wheel-towing-report.html

My Titan tows my 5830# Dry weight travel trailer (6700# loaded) without issue. I put 5150kms on last month going from Lethbridge to Northern BC, down to Washington and back home with no issues.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by masoncgy

- Chev Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500 6.0L


This is the only one I have experience with, it's our work truck. It's also a piece of junk IMO.

On both our 2500 Van, and 2500 Truck...

- both instrument clusters have failed, several times
- the fuel gauges go random. You'll think you're empty, only to have the tank "filled" with $10.
- the steering has a clunking in it, that more than one dealership says is "normal"
- The tires wear unevenly, even though both vehicles alignment's are in spec
- the door hinges have gotten all buggered, and they are "welded" on, not bolted. After replacement, the doors don't close the same again.
- on the van, the entire front suspension had to be replaced "due to wear, with heavy loads". I think the most amount of weight ever put in it, including passengers is about 1500 lbs.

Both are 2007's, so it isn't like they are that old, they aren't abused, and only see pavement.

[tarrantas]

My cousin has a Dodge Ram 2500 and has had nothing bad to say about it, and personally I've always liked their diesels. :thumbsup:

[Diocletian]

I have no problem with the cummins engine it's self but the rest of the Ram is subpar - particularly in previous generations.

[J NRG]

,

[ExtraSlow]

The Gm and Chev have a good ride, I've been pretty impressed with the last couple I've driven.
I like the Ford best of all, but I'd highly recommend you buy the V10 not the 5.4 V8. It's only $1100 bucks to upgrade,you'll get the same fuel economy in real world situations, and you'll have the power you need when you need it.
I agree that you probably don't need the extra expense of a diesel. Don't forget, it's not just more to buy up front, but it's more expensive to service as well.

[Diocletian]

Both the ford and the GM are decent choices and should fill what you need quite nicely. The GM definitely has the better powerplant choices and it doesn't sound like you intend to do too much offroading so I'd be inclined to lean towards it.

[Diocletian]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
The Gm and Chev have a good ride, I've been pretty impressed with the last couple I've driven.
I like the Ford best of all, but I'd highly recommend you buy the V10 not the 5.4 V8. It's only $1100 bucks to upgrade,you'll get the same fuel economy in real world situations, and you'll have the power you need when you need it.
I agree that you probably don't need the extra expense of a diesel. Don't forget, it's not just more to buy up front, but it's more expensive to service as well.

I wouldn't. The v10 doesn't provide enough extra power over the 4.6 and 5.4 to justify.

[ExtraSlow]

Well, since he's talking about an F250, no need to bring up the 4.6, since it's not offered.
Also, I totally think the V10 is a worthwhile upgrade. It'll give you about 100 ft-lbs more torque at 1000 rpm, and all the way through the power range.
Virtually no penalty in fuel economy too. Only about 1 mpg when empty, and less than that when loaded or towing.
Best eleven hundred bucks a guy can spend.

[Diocletian]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
Well, since he's talking about an F250, no need to bring up the 4.6, since it's not offered.
Also, I totally think the V10 is a worthwhile upgrade. It'll give you about 100 ft-lbs more torque at 1000 rpm, and all the way through the power range.
Virtually no penalty in fuel economy too. Only about 1 mpg when empty, and less than that when loaded or towing.
Best eleven hundred bucks a guy can spend.


LOL no penalty in fuel economy hey? Care to back that up with a source?

[ExtraSlow]

the boys over at ford-trucks DOT com report about the V10 is 1 mpg worse then the 5.4 V8 when unloaded, and the same or better when towing or hauling.
That's not exactly a scientific sample, i realize. Since the govt doesn't really do fuel economy ratings on heavier trucks, it's a bit tough to find objective examples.

That being said, I'll use the 4.6 and 5.4 that you were talking about.
if you take those two engines in the F150 4x4 and compare them on EPA fuel economy comparison (http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/sbs.htm) then you'll see that the 4.6 is reported at 16 combined MPG, and the 5.4 is 15. Those numbers are for a dead empty truck with only the driver. Throw in the weight of some tools, and a couple fat girlfriends and it'll be even closer.
In my mind, 1 mpg isn't worth sweating, and your personal driving style will have more effect then the motor you choose for these rigs.

[masoncgy]

Great feedback here guys, thanks!

I am still on the fence as to what I should purchase.

I had a chance to test drive a few examples from the three makers, here's what I found:

Dodge Ram 2500: Stiff ride, but hella comfortable seats. I like the interior layout & design better than the Ford. The Hemi has great punch, plenty of power out of that engine. The passenger space in the rear of the crew cab was lacking a bit. I like the rugged look the Dodge has. I am concerned however, about future transmission & front end issues, as these items are the common complaint.

GMC Sierra 2500: Fairly smooth ride, not quite as stiff as the Dodge. Performance matched the Dodge almost exactly. I found the GM automatic to be smoother shifting under hard acceleration with no hesitation. However, the 6.0L examples I drove all had that irritating engine ticking on start up and through warm up, which is something I dislike about my 5.3L Avalanche. Interior was identical to my Avalanche, so no real comment there.

Ford F-250: The 5.4L is a slug. I wasn't impressed with it's performance at all. I understand the Ford F-Series is a durable/reliable line of trucks, but I just wasn't inspired by the performance or the interior, so not too sure if I will go in this direction.

I'm going to try out a few more examples before I can make a firm decision. Thanks again for the feedback here, and feel free to add more! :)

[AtkinsApproved]

Does it have to be a 2007? You should take a drive in an 08 and up Super Duty, the Interior is completely different than the 07 and prior trucks... much nicer. The 5.4 is sluggish in a 1/2 ton, so in a 3/4 or 1 ton its even worse. If you really want to stay with a gas, the 6.8 V10 has LOTS of power for pulling.
Im not a fan of the chevs mainly because of the IFS... but it is a more comfortable ride. The chevs all seem to have some piston slap on startup too.
Dont know much about the dodges other than they have transmission issues.
The auto "torqshift" in the Ford is a great trans, i would doubt that you EVER have any issues with it.

[Diocletian]

Originally posted by AtkinsApproved
Does it have to be a 2007? You should take a drive in an 08 and up Super Duty, the Interior is completely different than the 07 and prior trucks... much nicer. The 5.4 is sluggish in a 1/2 ton, so in a 3/4 or 1 ton its even worse. If you really want to stay with a gas, the 6.8 V10 has LOTS of power for pulling.
Im not a fan of the chevs mainly because of the IFS... but it is a more comfortable ride. The chevs all seem to have some piston slap on startup too.
Dont know much about the dodges other than they have transmission issues.
The auto "torqshift" in the Ford is a great trans, i would doubt that you EVER have any issues with it.

Well if you really don't intend to be during hard offroading IFS probably will be a better choice for you due to the improved ride and handling.

[AtkinsApproved]

Originally posted by Diocletian


Well if you really don't intend to be during hard offroading IFS probably will be a better choice for you due to the improved ride and handling.

Exactly, although the solid front axle doesnt ride all that bad.... chev is still a much nicer ride on-road.

[Diocletian]

Originally posted by AtkinsApproved


Exactly, although the solid front axle doesnt ride all that bad.... chev is still a much nicer ride on-road.

Definitely the current solid front axle trucks ride considerably better than their older counterparts.

[300zx_007]

i would go with chev. i love the feel and drive of one of those and they can pretty much do anything ur looking for.

the dodge i havent really drove

the ford is just a ford in the end..