lariat vs sierra 2500

[boingram]

Hi all....i hesitate to open this can of worms but i need some hard info...

...gonna buy either a 250 lariat or gmc denali 2500...diesels...

...egos and brand loyalty aside. ..how about some observations from anyone with these tvs...tt in 10000 pound range and a bed full of toys and stuff....thx...bo

[chevor]

GM has the longest unchanged engine/transmission combination. The Duramax Allison has proven itself reliable.

[ken_burke]

TXiceman wrote:
I drove all 3 of the big 3 for a 1 ton dually. The GM diesel had the worst ride and the cheapest looking interior. Dodge was second and Ford was first.

But drive them and decide what suit your requirements.

Ken

Yep. That happened to me. I really set out to buy the Chevy, but after driving all 3, I chose the Ford.
I think that it is really important to get a good, compendent, reasonable dealer. He has to be your friend for years to come.
ken

[lazydays]

stickdog wrote:
Word, take the wife out for test drives of both then let her decide.

We have a winner!!! I made that mistake only once. The last time I drove a Dodge and Chevy. She liked the Chevy. That is the one I bought.

[RollingRockTX]

ib516 wrote:
Buy the one you like best. There isn't a bad choice these days.

^^^^^^^ Agreed.

[ib516]

Buy the one you like best. There isn't a bad choice these days.

[Winged_One]

Why not pay the 1.5% more and get a 350/3500, and have more capacity?

[Hybridhunter]

Ford has better transmission controls with true manual shifting in addition to the "range select" function which compares to GM's "manual shift" function, which isn't really manual.
Having driven both 1 tons, the GM's trans is smoother but slushier. The cruise control on the Ford is more intuitive, and the GM's have less dampening from their shocks, I find the GM smoother but less stable, and the Ford a bit harsher, but better controlled.

[MFL]

APT wrote:
I highly recommend spending the extra $500 on a SRW 1-ton. You are looking at more heavily optioned diesels that will have 2000-2400 pounds of payload. A 10k loaded TT east up 1300 pounds of that, then people and bed full of toys/gear/firewood too? Do it right.

No reason not to consider any of the 3 brands. Drive them all and pick what your butt likes the most.

I totally agree with this. Big trailer, lots of stuff in the bed, heavy diesel engine, you need a 1-ton, to have enough payload.

Jerry

[APT]

I highly recommend spending the extra $500 on a SRW 1-ton. You are looking at more heavily optioned diesels that will have 2000-2400 pounds of payload. A 10k loaded TT east up 1300 pounds of that, then people and bed full of toys/gear/firewood too? Do it right.

No reason not to consider any of the 3 brands. Drive them all and pick what your butt likes the most.

[stickdog]

Word, take the wife out for test drives of both then let her decide.

[wintersun]

It depends a lot on the year. If it is a 2015 then there is little difference other than the Sierra 2500 has an independent front suspension and a smoother ride and shorter turning radius.

The Sierra (starting in 2011) has a much stiffer frame and is more on par with the Ram 2500 trucks from 2014 to 2015. That is most noticeable with the DRW trucks where the wheels are further out from the frame and exert more leverage and twist the frame more as a result.

Ford has more options available which is both good and bad. Good in terms of options but bad in that it can be very confusing as to what you get exactly with each one and this is where I would not for a second trust the opinion of the dealer. For example there is a heavy load package that increases payload capacity and a towing upgrade and it is not clear which one provides what and with a 5th wheel will one want to have both.

I would compare fuel tank capacity and the availability of a Titan tank for both trucks. Great to have an extra 20 gallons and 20 miles more range when towing.

As mentioned the comfort of the ride and the handling is also a consideration.

As for towing there are useful articles with actual towing tests done by etrailer.com and Car and Driver of the different 1-tons and the results are very much applicable to the 2500 trucks with the diesel engine. This is where the ability to pull up a grade or accelerate to freeway speed with a heavy trailer is more likely to be noticeable as is the grade control and exhaust brake function with the different trucks.

With the 2015 I would be looking at Ram as well. Ram sells more 1-ton trucks than either Ford or GM, has the strongest frame, Cummins engine which uses some parts in common with heavy duty truck engines, and has an excellent exhaust brake.

I have a 2011 GM Duramax and I was surprised at how perfectly the grade control feature works with the tow/haul mode and with or without the exhaust brake engaged (which can be engaged or disengaged at any time with the push of a button on the dash). I have come down 8% grades with a heavy load in tow and never had to touch the brakes and the truck stayed at 35 MPH. A tap on the brakes and the truck would automatically downshift and maintain a 25 MPH speed to get through a section with tighter curves. The downhill control is where I most appreciate having the very expensive diesel engine under the hood.

[texasclarks]

Buy the one that is most comfortable...for you and DW! I think any of the big 3 are good and they all have a loyal owners as well as naysayers!

[1oldtruck]

I have never owned a Ford but plenty of friends do and they don't complain about having problems. I have ridden in them and they are comfortable,

My previous truck had the Denali package and was a nice truck. It didn't have any options that couldn't be purchased on a Silverado LTZ or Sierra SLT aside from a few appearance items. This is also the reason I ended up with the Silverado this time as it was a few thousand cheaper than a similarly equipped Denali.

I don't think you can go wrong with either truck. If money isn't a concern pick out the 2015 you like best and enjoy.

[downtheroad]

buy whatever I have...because it's the best one.
I have a Ford. No, wait, I have a GM...buy one of those.

Or, you could look in a can of worms for the answer.