Forum Discussion

turtypointbuck's avatar
Oct 19, 2014

Diesels...Ford vs GMC vs Dodge

Set your brand allegiance aside. Using real world experience and personal knowledge, what is the better SRW Diesel pick-up? When it is all said and done, they all probably perform acceptably. Take into consideration maintenance issues, ride, comfort, etc. The purpose of the truck will be to pull a FW and daily driver. I am considering new or most recent generation used trucks.
  • Check Out Diesel Power Magazine. They recently did a 3 brand comparison. I drove all three 10 years ago and went with the Cummins. The engine felt better to me. Now a days all three have the plusses and minuses I want a Ram Cummins with the Allison Tranny !!! too bad thats not an option !!! Have fun...
  • BB_TX wrote:
    Easy answer. They are all so close it is only personal preference.


    Yep, that's it. They are all good. Pick the one you like.
  • Ford's typically have taller cabs that allow you wear a hat without scraping the headliner. I think they may also have more shoulder room than the other cabs.

    GM seems to have the least configurable options requiring you to purchase packages to get get some items. Many Ford options are packaged or a la carte allowing for confusion or satisfaction for those into minutia. Ram has been adding options and seems to be more customizable than the GM's but not as much as Ford.

    Ride comfort, visibility, seating and control placement is very subjective - You really have to sit in each one for a while and take them for a drive to see for yourself. I am very comfortable in my cloth 40/20/40 seats with manual controls and never looked forward to having a truck with power seats or leather. Our VW has leather seats with heaters (I feel needed if you choose leather) but also manual controls. We would have chosen cloth, but the cloth seats did not have height adjustment and my head (without hat) would brush the ceiling unless I reclined the seat back to an unnatural position. I bring up our VW because choice in seating will make the same truck feel much different.

    If your commute is under 30 minutes, I would not suggest a diesel. You will be better off with a gasoline powered truck or a different vehicle for commuting. Short trips will not allow the diesel to get up to operating temperature and result in emission system issues. The fact mine has never been used as a short trip daily driver may be one of the reasons I have had a good experience with my 6.0 PSD.
  • Pick the one that has a true Medium duty transmission and engine. Also the one that has their claims backed up by SAE J2807.

    Then it's up to comfort and looks, you know the one I would pick!

    Of course all JMHO.
  • Easy answer. They are all so close it is only personal preference.
  • It's been 12 years and you guys haven't figured this out yet. LOL
  • Nice post, you've been here just long enough to know how to start something. You couldn't have made yourself a bigger troll.
  • Go drive them all and pick the one YOU like best. There all decent and all have their plusses and minuses. It is afterall your money,not ours.
  • No way am I going to climb into this popcorn machine....

    But, when you decide on one, make sure you order the one ton (350/3500) model.
  • They are all good. Pickuptrucks.com did a recent comparison if you want tech data and performance specs.