My 2004 GMC Sierra 3500 6.6 LLY is getting a little long in the tooth, even though it only has 42k miles on it. Starting to have random failures, like corroded brakes, failed hard brake lines, failed serpentine belt idlers. It is mainly used as a tow vehicle, thus the failures have been quite expensive and inconvenient.So, I'm back in the market for a new truck. While overall the 6.6 Duramax/Alison combo has worked ok towing my 16k lbs trailer, I'm not a diehard enthusiast of any current truck brand.I test drove some Chevy and Ford trucks, both 3/4 ton models with diesel engines, to get a feel for how they stacked up. I even checked out a new Dodge Ram, but the styling wasn't my cup of tea at all. The Chevy has the most interior appeal to me, it really is a nicely designed cabin, with sophisticated styling and quality materials, while the Ford felt a bit flimsier and the styling was less mature. I also felt that the Chevy rode a tad better than the Ford, with a less bouncy, jumpy ride.However, the Ford I drove was hands down more powerful than the first Chevy I drove. It was so much more powerful that I went to another dealership to drive another 2500 to make sure the first one I drove was not broken. It wasn't broken. I thought the 40+hp and 80+Tq might have been more marketing hype than reality, especially when coupled with such a heavy vehicle, but that does not seem to be the case, at least in the trucks I drove.So, I very much like the interior of the Chevy more than the Ford, but the extra pull of the Ford would be quite the bonus when pulling my heavy trailer.Anyone else find themselves in the same dilemma, and if so, what did you do?No brand wars please!

2015 Duramax 397hp/765tq2015 Powerstroke 440hp/860tqBig difference.Buy the one you like best, it's your money.

Well, this looks like a classic case of getting your priorities straight. Both trucks will pull your trailer to the top of the hill. One will do it faster than the other, but could you live with going just a little bit slower up the hill? Or taking just a little longer to climb that steep grade? Looking at all the latest videos from pickuptrucks.com, when loaded for bare, all the vehicles make it up the hill just fine. It just seems like some will take longer than the others (see the latest RAM vs. Ike and Chevy vs. Ike where they both double tow). Personally, if I found the Chevy more comfy than the RAM for driving and preferred the styling, then I would go with the Chevy because their performance aren't so far apart. When I bought my RAM, I bought it knowing that a Ford Superduty (which I cross shopped) would beat me in any drag race. but in the end, for my needs, it had the payload rating I needed, serviceability I wanted, and styling that my wife preferred and a great deal for my dollar. In my case, I can easily live with needing an extra minute or so to make it up a grade if I ever was tapped out on capacity (which I doubt I'll ever hit) as long as the ride is comfy and the vehicle is convenient for me to use on a daily basis.So in your case, what's your priority?>Need to be king of the hill? Fly up the mountain faster?>Which exhaust/grade braking feature do you prefer? Ford? or Chevy?>How about foundation brakes? Were you happy with both?>Is power more important than comfort? Interior usability? Intuitiveness of any systems you use (radio, 4x4, trailer brake setup, etc...).>Would both vehicles meet your needs?>Is serviceability a priority to you? Which one could you work on personally if it is? or at least do routine maintenance on easily?>Are the mechanical quirks of the Chevy something you can live with since its powertrain has been out for a while (haven't researched the quirks personally). >The Ford is a heavily revised powertrain for 2015, so no real history on that. Even the fuel system has improvements and it'll take a while to see if the pump is still as delicate. Are you fine with a powertrain that's kinda unknown? I wouldn't worry about it since the Scorpion seems to have only a few flaws that affect a small number of engines. >Which interior features suit you better, as it has to be ergonomic to your body. Gauges need to be pleasing to the eyes, touch screen and dash interfaces need to be intuitive to you, cup holder need to hold your cup-o-joe as well, whether it's your contigo thermost or the big bubba gulp. >Which vehicle could you live with on a daily basis since you're going to be putting quite a bit of money into this?>Which vehicle can you get the best deal for your dollar?So sort through those questions and hopefully you'll find your answer.

At 7 years old (back in 2011) you should have purged all the old brake fluid out. If not, then the brake problems are not mileage related, but more that you allowed the moisture laden brake fluid to stay in the lines and rot out things. The first time I heard a F-350 tow truck with a 6.7L engine in it, I was impressed with how quiet it was. I am surprised that you are looking at 3/4 ton trucks. Well at least you test drove those. The 1 ton trucks might have lower rear axle ratio, and that will make seat of the pants take off from a red light much faster with a 4.10 rear axle than a 3.73:1 rear axle or 3.52:1. While engine noise will be less at 65 MPH with the 3.52:1 rear axle ratio, and it's much slower engine RPM's, that also provide higher MPG's. Make sure that you are checking the towing capacity, It sounds like your 16,000 pound trailer might have a 3,000 pound weight rating, thus need a 1 ton SRW at least.Good luck in your shopping. I probably can not help much. I would select a Ford diesel if I wanted a new one. Yours should still have a big trade in value, as many are looking for the slightly older low mileage trucks without DEF fluid requirements. Fred.

Have you been happy with the "performance" of your current GMC? From what I found, you have 310hp/520tq, so if it's yes you should be happy with either new tow beast!The times we have truck shopped we felt the Fords just didn't seem to ride as well or have the comfort of the GM trucks. We made our choice more so based on the comfort than the motor.Good luck deciding!

Out of those two I would say Chevy because it seems more reliable. In my opinion, I know you don't like the styling, nobody beats the Cummins motor in the diesel world. Fast is one thing but reliability and quality is another and I think Cummins wins that battle hands down. Buy what you like. I don't think you can lose.

2015 Chevy 3500 vs Ford 350 diesels | Good Sam Community

72 Replies

jus2shy
Explorer
Jul 04, 2014
Well, this looks like a classic case of getting your priorities straight. Both trucks will pull your trailer to the top of the hill. One will do it faster than the other, but could you live with going just a little bit slower up the hill? Or taking just a little longer to climb that steep grade? Looking at all the latest videos from pickuptrucks.com, when loaded for bare, all the vehicles make it up the hill just fine. It just seems like some will take longer than the others (see the latest RAM vs. Ike and Chevy vs. Ike where they both double tow). Personally, if I found the Chevy more comfy than the RAM for driving and preferred the styling, then I would go with the Chevy because their performance aren't so far apart. When I bought my RAM, I bought it knowing that a Ford Superduty (which I cross shopped) would beat me in any drag race. but in the end, for my needs, it had the payload rating I needed, serviceability I wanted, and styling that my wife preferred and a great deal for my dollar. In my case, I can easily live with needing an extra minute or so to make it up a grade if I ever was tapped out on capacity (which I doubt I'll ever hit) as long as the ride is comfy and the vehicle is convenient for me to use on a daily basis.

So in your case, what's your priority?
>Need to be king of the hill? Fly up the mountain faster?
>Which exhaust/grade braking feature do you prefer? Ford? or Chevy?
>How about foundation brakes? Were you happy with both?
>Is power more important than comfort? Interior usability? Intuitiveness of any systems you use (radio, 4x4, trailer brake setup, etc...).
>Would both vehicles meet your needs?
>Is serviceability a priority to you? Which one could you work on personally if it is? or at least do routine maintenance on easily?
>Are the mechanical quirks of the Chevy something you can live with since its powertrain has been out for a while (haven't researched the quirks personally).
>The Ford is a heavily revised powertrain for 2015, so no real history on that. Even the fuel system has improvements and it'll take a while to see if the pump is still as delicate. Are you fine with a powertrain that's kinda unknown? I wouldn't worry about it since the Scorpion seems to have only a few flaws that affect a small number of engines.
>Which interior features suit you better, as it has to be ergonomic to your body. Gauges need to be pleasing to the eyes, touch screen and dash interfaces need to be intuitive to you, cup holder need to hold your cup-o-joe as well, whether it's your contigo thermost or the big bubba gulp.
>Which vehicle could you live with on a daily basis since you're going to be putting quite a bit of money into this?
>Which vehicle can you get the best deal for your dollar?

So sort through those questions and hopefully you'll find your answer.
ib516
Explorer II
Jul 04, 2014
2015 Duramax 397hp/765tq
2015 Powerstroke 440hp/860tq

Big difference.

Buy the one you like best, it's your money.

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2015 Chevy 3500 vs Ford 350 diesels

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