Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

Safari Ary

NAXJA Forum User
Well I was convinced that I wanted a Diesel pickup for a new DD/tow-rig so I decided to go survey the market and go on a few test drives. '

First stop was the Dodge dealer to check out a Quad Cab short bed Cummins Turbo Diesel 2500 4x4. Overall impression of the truck was excellent. Well appointed interior with lots of well thought out appointments such as the front center console/middle seat that not only had storage room in the fold-down portion, but under the seat cushion as well. I was impressed by the sound system(infinity) and generally felt comfortable in the truck. When we got it out on the open road it was fairly peppy but had a quirky shifting pattern that I couldn't figure out in my 15 minute drive. Sometimes it would ease into gear, sometimes it would run through the gears real fast, and sometimes it would bang them out like you were powershifting or something(didn't seem to correlate with throttle input, but like I said, I only got to drive it for 15 mins). The truck was noisy as all diesels are, however in the cab it was quite subtle and could easily be gotten used to.

Next I went to the Chevy dealership and test drove an extended cab short box Duramax 2500HD 4x4. The interior was typical GM grade stuff with too many electronics cluttering the dash and not enough amenities for all the clutter(my dad drives a Yukon and I've become accustomed to living with the GM dashes, although I've never cared for them). The power was impressive and this truck was QUIET inside and not noticeably loud outside. The ride was a little firmer than the Dodge, but overall not awful. Where this truck really impressed me was with the shifting under WOT. It was seamless, the truck just pulled and pulled and pulled, you could hardly feel the shifts. I'm not crazy about the new exterior styling of the Chevy's and doubt that I would ever buy one because of it, but I wanted to get a true impression of all the trucks in the class so that's why I went on the test drive. I liked the Chevy's quietness and smooth shifting, but the harsher ride and displeasing styling were turnoffs for me.

Lastly I stopped in at the Ford dealership. Now before I started this little journey I was convinced I wanted an extended cab shortbed F-250 Powerstroke. I've always loved the current body style super duty's and a guy at work has one that is just beautiful. However when I got inside I was very dissappointed with a plain jane typical Ford dash with a very spartan work truck feel. Even though I was in an XLT with power everything, it still felt vare bare bones and utilitarian. The engine was also unbearably loud, inside and out. I felt like I was riding in a school bus with the loud sound of the diesel and the harsh ride. Needless to say I was very dissappointed in the Ford in all categories but exterior styling.

Overall I would most likely choose the Dodge for its power, comfort and best turning radius. The exterior styling is a little too aggressive for my tastes, but it's something I could get used to. I'm sure the tranny problem was just some quirk that was caused by my inexperience in driving the truck, or it was something faulty with that particular truck.

However, after all of these test drives, I've realized that I don't want a "heavy duty" truck, nor do I really want a lighter duty 1/2 ton. The HD models were just too much truck for what I need on a daily basis. So I'm at a loss now for what to get to replace the Jeep for DD duties. The reason I need/want to replace the Jeep as DD is because in the near future I will start working on several projects within a 250 mile radius that I will travel to on a weekly basis, and this is likely to continue for some years. The reason I was interested in the diesel was for towing reasons, but also for fuel economy reasons. I need something that gets at least 20mpg on the highway, and even the half-ton gassers are claiming only 18mpg on the highway. I'd really like something closer to 25mpg that can still tow the Jeep. Is there such an animal? or am I SOL?

Ary
 
Re: Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

I have been a GM man all of my life. That said, Go Power Stroke, or go home!
You know what they sat about driving a Dodge...
 
Re: Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

Safari Ary said:
Well I was convinced that I wanted a Diesel pickup for a new DD/tow-rig so I decided to go survey the market and go on a few test drives. '

First stop was the Dodge dealer to check out a Quad Cab short bed Cummins Turbo Diesel 2500 4x4. Overall impression of the truck was excellent. Well appointed interior with lots of well thought out appointments such as the front center console/middle seat that not only had storage room in the fold-down portion, but under the seat cushion as well. I was impressed by the sound system(infinity) and generally felt comfortable in the truck. When we got it out on the open road it was fairly peppy but had a quirky shifting pattern that I couldn't figure out in my 15 minute drive. Sometimes it would ease into gear, sometimes it would run through the gears real fast, and sometimes it would bang them out like you were powershifting or something(didn't seem to correlate with throttle input, but like I said, I only got to drive it for 15 mins). The truck was noisy as all diesels are, however in the cab it was quite subtle and could easily be gotten used to.

Next I went to the Chevy dealership and test drove an extended cab short box Duramax 2500HD 4x4. The interior was typical GM grade stuff with too many electronics cluttering the dash and not enough amenities for all the clutter(my dad drives a Yukon and I've become accustomed to living with the GM dashes, although I've never cared for them). The power was impressive and this truck was QUIET inside and not noticeably loud outside. The ride was a little firmer than the Dodge, but overall not awful. Where this truck really impressed me was with the shifting under WOT. It was seamless, the truck just pulled and pulled and pulled, you could hardly feel the shifts. I'm not crazy about the new exterior styling of the Chevy's and doubt that I would ever buy one because of it, but I wanted to get a true impression of all the trucks in the class so that's why I went on the test drive. I liked the Chevy's quietness and smooth shifting, but the harsher ride and displeasing styling were turnoffs for me.

Lastly I stopped in at the Ford dealership. Now before I started this little journey I was convinced I wanted an extended cab shortbed F-250 Powerstroke. I've always loved the current body style super duty's and a guy at work has one that is just beautiful. However when I got inside I was very dissappointed with a plain jane typical Ford dash with a very spartan work truck feel. Even though I was in an XLT with power everything, it still felt vare bare bones and utilitarian. The engine was also unbearably loud, inside and out. I felt like I was riding in a school bus with the loud sound of the diesel and the harsh ride. Needless to say I was very dissappointed in the Ford in all categories but exterior styling.

Overall I would most likely choose the Dodge for its power, comfort and best turning radius. The exterior styling is a little too aggressive for my tastes, but it's something I could get used to. I'm sure the tranny problem was just some quirk that was caused by my inexperience in driving the truck, or it was something faulty with that particular truck.

However, after all of these test drives, I've realized that I don't want a "heavy duty" truck, nor do I really want a lighter duty 1/2 ton. The HD models were just too much truck for what I need on a daily basis. So I'm at a loss now for what to get to replace the Jeep for DD duties. The reason I need/want to replace the Jeep as DD is because in the near future I will start working on several projects within a 250 mile radius that I will travel to on a weekly basis, and this is likely to continue for some years. The reason I was interested in the diesel was for towing reasons, but also for fuel economy reasons. I need something that gets at least 20mpg on the highway, and even the half-ton gassers are claiming only 18mpg on the highway. I'd really like something closer to 25mpg that can still tow the Jeep. Is there such an animal? or am I SOL?

Ary

Dear Dad:

Offroad skills not up to snuff.
Stop.
Need tow rig.
Stop.
Send more money.
Stop.
:laugh2:
 
Re: Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

Like I said above, I don't really want any of the trucks, but I felt that the Dodge was the best of the 3. Will I buy one? Most likely not. Now I have to figure out what I want because I had been figuring on getting a Diesel pickup for a while. I just figured I'd post up my impressions for those who may be interested in a comparison of the big three trucks on the market.

Hey Scott, see the den for further comment.

Ary
 
Re: Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

bgcntry72 said:
Dear Dad:

Offroad skills not up to snuff.
Stop.
Need tow rig.
Stop.
Send more money.
Stop.
:laugh2:

If you build your rig to do some REAL wheeling, then a tow rig is a must.

The jeep now gets around 8 miles to the gallon.
Tow rig pulling trailer get around 11.
Ability to get back home with both if there is some major damage = priceless!
 
Re: Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

Ary blew out a brake line in Tellico, i pucked my rearend in URE last weekend not even trying hard so a tow rig is a good thing, me i just call my little brother with his powerstroke and he comes and gets me.
 
Re: Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

My tow rig is a '90 Chevy ext. cab with the 4.3 v6 due to the fact that I drive about 2500 miles a month for work and this gets good mileage. That being said I will be going to a Dodge CTD in a few years. Towing is not the best by any means but once up to speed on the highway its smooth sailing.
DIG IT!
 
Re: Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

My tow rig is a 89 Long bed MJ
 
Re: Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

Safari Ary said:
However, after all of these test drives, I've realized that I don't want a "heavy duty" truck, nor do I really want a lighter duty 1/2 ton. The HD models were just too much truck for what I need on a daily basis. So I'm at a loss now for what to get to replace the Jeep for DD duties. The reason I need/want to replace the Jeep as DD is because in the near future I will start working on several projects within a 250 mile radius that I will travel to on a weekly basis, and this is likely to continue for some years. The reason I was interested in the diesel was for towing reasons, but also for fuel economy reasons. I need something that gets at least 20mpg on the highway, and even the half-ton gassers are claiming only 18mpg on the highway. I'd really like something closer to 25mpg that can still tow the Jeep. Is there such an animal? or am I SOL?

Ary

I don't think you can get something that will tow a jeep and still get 25mpg. I'd check the tow ratings of various SUV's and the rated gas mileage and see what you come up with. You can tow successfully with a surprisingly small motor if you don't have to run the speed limit up all the steepest hills, and aren't afraid of a little RPM in a lower gear. Just make sure the chassis is rated to tow the weight of your rig and trailer. I'd say at least a 6000lb tow rating, although a 5500 lb would probably do for very occasional towing if you take it easy and have good trailer brakes. Trailer brakes make a big difference, if you're going to flat tow or have a trailer with no brakes, you'll need a much heavier duty tow rig with big brakes. My trailer has brakes on both axles, and with the F250 it takes very little pedal pressure to stop, so there is plenty of reserve for emergencies.

These days, it seems most people want a ton of power to tow, but it's not really neccessary. Growing up, we towed a horse trailer with my Dad's F250 with a 6 cyl and 4 speed and thought nothing of it.....now days everyone wants to drive 65 up all the hills.

One of my friends tows his CJ with a Durango and it does fine, even good speed up the hills, but the 5.2L isn't going to get close to 25mpg. I know people who have towed jeeps with an F150 with the 4.6L and they thought the power was fine, and the tow rating is within the specs needed for a jeep on a trailer.

Oh, and BTW, a HD truck is supposed to be utilitarian and tough, with a suspension that will handle a load well.........which is why the Ford Super Duty far outsells both the Dodge and Chev HD's. :D
(OK, I sell Ford's) :)
 
Re: Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

Goatman said:
Oh, and BTW, a HD truck is supposed to be utilitarian and tough, with a suspension that will handle a load well.........which is why the Ford Super Duty far outsells both the Dodge and Chev HD's. :D
(OK, I sell Ford's) :)

I realize that a HD truck is a HD truck and should ride and handle like one. I would expect a stiff ride, especially from the rear, and non-sportscar like handling. However the interior of the Ford was just unacceptable for a truck that costs 43k dollars. The Dodge and Chevy interiors were much more plush, which helped to mask the stiff ride of the HD chassis' and their associated properties.

I have towed my jeep on a trailer with surge brakes behind a '99 Yukon and it sucked. Granted the only time I did it was during a torrential down pour and on I-95 trying to keep pace with the slow lane going 75mph, but it still sucked. I got to do a little twisties driving with it(it was dry by then) and it was scary even going 20mph. Lastly the brakes were scary until the surge brakes kicked in. That's my reason for wanting to stay away from a 1/2 ton chassis, even though the truck is rated to tow 6000#.

I guess it's back to the drawing board. Maybe I'll just buy a trailer and a nice car and when I need to tow the Jeep offer to trade my car for one of my buddies' 3/4 ton trucks for the weekend or what have you. Hmmm, now there's an idea :D

Ary
 
How it tows at 75 MPH should not even be a consideration, because you have no business going that fast with a trailer in tow. Yeah, I know people do it, but it's a case of getting away with it until it catches up.

Last summer ago, when I was delivering the "Montana-mobile" XJ to Montana, I was passed on I-80 by a crew cab Dakota towing a moderately sized camp trailer. Not a pop-top, this was about a 24 to 26 footer, I would guess. I was going about the speed limit, which was 65, and this guy blew by me.

About an hour on down the road I rounded a sweeping curve to see a wall of flashing lights. The entire left and center lanes were shut down, and the granny lane was half onto the right shoulder. There was a tremendous trail of debris along the left side of the road and in the median, then finally a pair of axles and wheels -- and a couple of hundred yards beyond the axles, our friend's Dakota. Apparently, the tow vehicle got into a dispute with the trailer, and the trailer "won."

That's one way to ruin a vacation.
 
Re: Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

My thinking is that most of us don't tow that much. Pick up an older/cheaper rig just as a tow vehicle and then pick up a vehicle that will give you mileage as a DD. You can probably get both for less than a HD truck and the associated mileage and insurance.
 
Re: Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

old_man said:
My thinking is that most of us don't tow that much. Pick up an older/cheaper rig just as a tow vehicle and then pick up a vehicle that will give you mileage as a DD. You can probably get both for less than a HD truck and the associated mileage and insurance.

Tom's idea is probably the best one. I paid less than $6000 for my '95 F250 with 112k miles, and it runs like new and easily handles my cabover camper and jeep/trailer. It's not a DD so it will get few miles on it.

You could spend less than $10k for a truck and then buy a used high gas mileage car and still come in way less than what you'd spend on a new diesel pickup. Insurance could be a little more on both, but the overall payments will be less, and you have vehicles that will do both jobs well.
 
Re: Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

seanR said:
I have been a GM man all of my life. That said, Go Power Stroke, or go home!
You know what they sat about driving a Dodge...

Ummmm no, I don't know "what they sat about driving a Dodge..." I guess it's true what they say about people who drive Chevys though.

:laugh:

I'd go with the Dodge. You've got to put a 4" lift on the Chevy just to bring it up to stock Ram height. My neighbor has a nice big Chevy 2500 that my XJ had to rescue. You'll be pulling that truck around with your Jeep if you opt for the General. :roflmao:
 
Re: Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

That new Duramax diesel/Allison transmission combo on the GM HD trucks is sweet. I'll admit that I'm a GM man at heart, but you have to admit that the Duramax is great motor and you just can't kill those Allison transmissions. I used to work for a major beer company's distributorship and all of our newer trucks had allison automatic transmissions and we abused them and never tore one of them up.
 
Re: Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

I have both the Dodge Cummins, and the Powerstroke. My foreman has a Chevy with the Duramax. ALL good trucks. They all have their strong and weak points. If you want raw pulling power the Cummins 600 is the way to go. If you want milage and a good strong puller go with the Ford. For comfort the Chevy takes it hands down.

That being said, I'm sellin the Dodge, and getting another Ford for a crew truck. 350,000 miles with no problems, how can ya go wrong. :D
 
Re: Just drove a Dodge CTD, Chevy Duramax, and a Ford Powerstroke......impressions.....

Hawaiian Style said:
Ummmm no, I don't know "what they sat about driving a Dodge..." I guess it's true what they say about people who drive Chevys though.


What I ment was I Have driven GMs all my life, I was never very impressed with their diesels, in fact they sucked for 20 years.

My new work truck is a Ford PSD, I love that truck, almost as much as I love my Jeep. (But don't tell my jeep that)

It gets almost 20 mpg and will pull a 10,500# wagon 70 mph down the inserstate and never leave overdrive!

I ask myself, "Self, What took you so long to buy a real truck instead of these Monte Carlos with a box!"
 
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