Safari Ary
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Virginia Beach, VA
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
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