Posts: 717
Location: Grand Rapids, MI | I'll give you my opinions about Ford/Chevy/Dodge. I work in the concrete construction industry, and have used and abused all of these trucks. Here's my take.
The boss' truck is a Chevy with the 5.3l. 260,000 miles. Hard miles. Towing up to 12,000 lbs. The only work he has put into it so far (besides scheduled maintenance) is... well... nothing. Just recently, his heater core started going out. Other than than, tranny has been great, motor is still strong. My personal truck was a Chevy with the 5.3. Loved it. Stock, I was getting 22 mpg on the highway. Very comfortable ride.
The everyday use work trucks we have are Ford F-350's. I'm so peeed at that stupid 6.4l diesel. Started out as a great motor, but the biggest complaint I had is the mileage. 8-9 mph empty. No trailer, mostly highway driving under 70 mph. Other than a few little gliches here and there, (EGR valve, EGR cooler) all of our newer Fords have been pretty good. That being said, our next truck for out on the jobsite will be another Ford.
Dodge: The cummins is AWESOME. Loud, but unstoppable. Over 400,000 miles on one, and it will still roast the tires. Sure, it's on its 2nd transmission, but not bad for 400k. If you're looking for a gas job, this is not the truck I would recommend. The ride is stiff, even in a 1/2 ton. My F-350's ride better than the 1500 Rams. And I personally have 1 friend who was on his 3rd tranny in under 13,000 miles. He finally claimed the "lemon law" on it, and went with a different truck.
So, all things aside, I've always been a Chevy guy for personal use. They are the best riding trucks IMO. But, Ford HAS come a long ways. And they didn't take the government buyout.... If I was going to buy a new truck right now, I would honestly say I don't know which one I'd choose between Chevy and Ford. I just know it wouldn't be a Dodge. |
