looking at trucks

aclay wrote:
I'd look at the recall history and do a lot of research on quality. I really like the style of the dodges and the specs are fantastic, but their recalls are scary, they were buying whole trucks back. I have a 2012 Chevy and have had zero problems with it. There's probably a reason why Ford sales are #1, they've done a lot of work on their diesel engines too.

Whichever brand, I love having a diesel. The exhaust brake is fantastic for going down grade, it's a huge difference from a gasser. Going up grade is great too, but I feel very in control going down grade and much more confident.

My 3500 SRW short box is still tough for parking in even suburban areas, so be really certain if you need a long bed or a dually.

Projected reliability is a critical consideration but there are different ways to approach it. Let me preface this comment by saying that I've never owned a Chrysler before and it took a bit of a leap of faith for me to bite the bullet.

I went with a Ram because I wanted to get a diesel and after a ton of research I concluded that the Cummins was the best bet for long term reliability. We've all read plenty of horror stories about the CP4 unit in the Duramax and Powerstroke. Thinking ahead to several years from now, even just the fear of that happening might have prompted me to get into a new truck before I otherwise wanted to make a switch. I like to keep my vehicles a long time because I think that's the best value proposition. I have had one reprogramming recall but that's the only issue I've had in the 8 months I've owned it. I wouldn't be surprised if I have a few more issues over the years with replacing front end components or water pumps or other fairly minor things, but my hope is those things will be outweighed by not having any major engine repairs to deal with. As with any vehicle, it's a bit of a leap of faith so you have to pick your priorities.

In terms of capability any of the current diesels are awesome trucks, so you can't go wrong from that standpoint.