Here are the facts..now which truck??
Ok, so I need a truck but how do I chose?? Here's
what I want - an extended cab, 4x4, standard
transmission, no frills work truck. I'm a
landscape designer and will be hauling trees and
shrubs in the bed, but no trailer (well, maybe
every once in a great while). What else do you
need to know? I live in New England so it's got to
do well in snow. I plan on driving this truck
forever - or at least the next ten years. This is
my first truck after ten years of a heap of Jeep,
so I'm a bit scared of quality issues. Ok, enough
said - now, what are your recommendations on m
what I want - an extended cab, 4x4, standard
transmission, no frills work truck. I'm a
landscape designer and will be hauling trees and
shrubs in the bed, but no trailer (well, maybe
every once in a great while). What else do you
need to know? I live in New England so it's got to
do well in snow. I plan on driving this truck
forever - or at least the next ten years. This is
my first truck after ten years of a heap of Jeep,
so I'm a bit scared of quality issues. Ok, enough
said - now, what are your recommendations on m
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Chevy or GMC
Also - Stanford: That price on the F250 superduty sounds excellent - what area of the country are you shopping? Am going to go drive one this week.
Ladyblue:
Of course, ABS only slows you down on dry pavement :-)
ABS is superior on any surface. i've played with ABS off road, and this past week, needed it in snow and ice. the 4 wheel ABS on the surburban worked great. the suburban was trying to skid even at low speeds, it you could feel each wheel want to slip, then suddenly grip and pull to a stop. one of the greatest safety inventions we have, it stops you better than if you were w/o, no doubt.
He is correct for certain types of abs, the old style, which had such a poor design that a well balanced conventional brake system worked better in the dry when the driver had an educated foot.
Boy that was poorly written, yes, I was sleeping in HS composition class.........
I think all the F150's and 250LD's are coming with 4 disc brakes now, if you order ABS. All SD's are disc all around.
Have decided to go up to a 3/4 ton - everyone in the business is saying stay away from the 1/2 ton. Have now driven a F250 superduty - that's alot of truck, but it drove well. However am hearing I'll have to wait 4-8 months to get it! What the...?? Drove a Chevy 2500, but not a 4x4 supercap, and thought it drove a bit more comfortably. Still wonder about "build quality"? Any thoughts??
I needed a 3/4 so checked out dodge, the F250SD, and the new Chev. I was most impressed wiht the SD and Chevy Silverado. I really like what was done with the Chev. ext. cab and back seat, although I thought the lack of the 4 doors was a major gaff. I might have gotten the SD had the engine size fit me better. I just wanted a bit more power than the 5.3, but not a big V10.
The wait was big a factor too. In Oct. I was told 6 - 8 mos. for the SD, now it sounds like I could have gotten it quicker. I was told 3 mos. for my Silverado and it will be so in a week.
If I bought based on looks, I sure liked the SD, but I'm more practical than that. Lastly the SD was really almost too darn big - it's a beastly truck and I can see how that thing appeals to the folks that like 'em big.
Hope I'm not dissapointed with the 6.0L Silverado. BTW, I need to use it for a pop-up slide-in camper for some serious traveling. Good luck on your decision - drive them all (they all have the're good points), do a pro's and con's list and jump.
I hope this helps.
The new chevy engines may produce alot of power, but a good chunk of that power gets lost in the drivtrain, so I am now almost positive that the 5.9l magnum will outpull a vortec 6000. So THERE!
These are the real facts, go read the magazine your self dave40.
But for now Dodge beats Chevy, buy the facts and tests.
P.s to chevy getting motortrend honurs. The only reason it got it was becasue of it's new style. If it gets it next year, then it will be worth mentioning. REmember the dodge won it back to back in 94,95. Plus the new chevy did not win any other houners form the other major magazines, I wonder Why? HE hehe.
Their usually in the shop
Engine
Drive-line
Handling
Ride
Driver Comfort
Ergonomics
Cargo Utility
Features & Amenities
Fit and Finish
Value
Styling
&
Yee-ha Quotient
I'd say they covered about everything one would want in the luxury model trucks tested.
Again, GMC 88, Ford 84 and Dodge 81 (and that's giving the Dodge the highest rating in the Yee-ha).
Interestingly, GMC won on engine, driveline, handling, ride, driver comfort, and feature & amenities. They gave 3 points to Dodge and Ford in styling and still won hands down where it counts.
"P.s to chevy getting motortrend honurs. The only reason it got it was becasue of it's new style... Plus the new chevy did not win any other houners form the other major magazines, I wonder Why? HE hehe."
Well, other magazines have given Chevy/GMC high marks as I cited and none of them gave Chevy/GMC style points compared to Ford and Dodge. So, I judge Dodgeram had it halfack basswords.
As for "car like", I would venture the majority of half-ton pickups are bought for that convenience be it commuting, camping, travel, or work. Most pickups used in construction are parked all day and are used for commuting and hauling light tools. The bosses use them as traveling offices where convenience is important.
I use mine as my everyday transportation. I have an acre and half woods requiring maintenance. I have this need to buy and haul (such as a wood chipper, a new tree, load of 2x4s, trash to dump, etc. I'll occassionally camp. I don't tow but I did put the tow package on just in case because I do have a pontoon boat and may want to some day. I have a steep driveway only 4x4 will ascend on snowy days. I tend to go with vanity so I bought EXACTLY what you see in those Chevy "The Truck" commercials. Why not? We're mortal. Don't want to waste what time we have.
Ah heck, if you must know, I'm imprinted to Chevy. I worked in the Chevrolet Truck Manufacturing Plant in Indianapolis during my student days. My dad was night superintendent in that plant and he would roll over in his grave if I ever bought Ford or Dodge.
Car and driver didn't give and awards to GM, it was just a comparision test. It didn't even make to ten list. Only one gm product did and that was the corvette, two dodges, and rest forgin.
Please, lets have some substance to the argument. I, myself, pay no attention to posts like #41. Tell me something like the Chevy highcentered, or the Dodge had more traction, limited slip on the ford did or didnt' work. I don't care otherwise. My dad can beat your dad, anyway...
I hear your cry and I feel your pain!!
Sheesh, guys.
I am a tow truck driver and recently purchased a new truck. Did test drive what the major 3 had to offer and from the test drive and what I see day in day out the following conclusion is drawn:
1. For my personal use I got a Chevy because it is the most comfertable and still can tow a camper and handle a load once in a while.
2. For a work truck I would go with a Ford SD(we have 2 of them along with International and Peterbiuld)
3. If I want to spend a lot of time at the dealers repair shop I would get a Dodge.
There FASTER ! Did you notice the front Grill opening is Larger on the GMC Letting more air into the engine which helps performance !
Anyway, that supplies air for the radiators, not fresh air for the engine. That 6.0l you're so fond of probably needs ~650 cfm to run flat out. That's not a whole heckuva lot of air, and there's certainly no problem pulling it into the engine compartment.