Any thoughts, prefererences, personal experiences that can help me make my decision would be greatly appreciated.

Dodge is my personal preferance, but, both are well built trucks. To be honest, it's all personal choice.

the way this ecomeny is i would go with a nissan or toyota, gm is now goverment owned and i heard dodge is going out, i have a 08 gmc crew cab and iv had nothen but problems, with the tranny leaking, rear diff leaking and now its back in the shop cause the diff blew out going 70 down the highway, that was fun. and its only got 33k miles on it.

I would get the Toyota....

Between those two dodge actually has a crew cab you can fit in unlike the chevy. Plus it has a hemi for power and is safer. So I'd go dodge if it was me but they both are having financial problems and the dealers around here are closing down.

Ford

I switched to Dodge because it was cheaper than Ford or Chevy and learned my lesson the hard way. I'll never own another Dodge. I had a lot of electrical problems on both my '02 Ram and '05 Durango and the interior parts and materials are pure [censored]. My parents have a Durango and it's having electrical problems, too. Though I will say that my dad has a cummmins that he loves.

Not to mention, why would anybody buy from a company that has been threatening bankruptcy???? There is too much uncertainty for my peace of mind.

Ditto.

Only Dodge I would drive would be powered by Cummins. I don't understand why people think a Hemi is good for towing when a Hemi motor is designed to make max power at HIGH RPM's. How is that gonna get your boat out of the water with ease?

I have an 04 Z71 tahoe with over 300K on the odometer. Paid for and wouldn't trade for anything at this point. (except maybe a cummins of course)

I took another look at the F150, and it does seem to be better built than the Chevy Silverado I test drove. They defintely ride quieter, and the F150's interior quality is head and shoulders above the Chevy. Too bad, though, because I like the look of the Chevy better.

All the trucks have stepped it up. Dodge has the most to prove however with all the issues their trucks have had, especially in quality. The Cummins is pretty impressive though.

Stay away from Dodge. I just my 05 Dodge Ram blow up going down the freeway with on 78K on it. If you do get a Dodge get the Cummings engine and you won't have a problem. Don't buy anything powered by a Hemi!

A few years ago I would have said Ford hands down. Not any more though. I would go with Toyota if you can afford the up front price diff.. You will pay the diff. at some point anyway. The big 3 all have some major issues and after all the problems I have had with my 2001 I am done with Ford. The only good thing about it is the fact that it has not blown up or left me stranded. It sure has cost a whole lot more money than I expected to pay prior to even 100k miles. I am fortunate in that I can save a little by doing some work myself.

depends on weither you are diesel or gas man

i own a dodge diesel and they are great but they lack the luxery do i think that my next truck will be a duramax.

Buy a GM with the VortecMax 6.0L gas engine that will smoke both the Toyota and the Dodge.

Compare their speed and towing prowess here:

http://www.pickuptrucks.com/index.html

[quote=cklimpt]Only Dodge I would drive would be powered by Cummins. I don't understand why people think a Hemi is good for towing when a Hemi motor is designed to make max power at HIGH RPM's. How is that gonna get your boat out of the water with ease?


IT'S CALLED TORQUE!!!
Hemi has plenty!!

I bought a 2009 Chevy Crew Cab Z71 and have really enjoyed the truck a lot.

I was driving a 07 Ford F350 with the 6.0L Powerstroke, but just didnt need that much of a truck anymore.

I was somewhat disappointed when I first got my Chevy because I couldnt yank my boat around like I could with my Ford, but it was just a matter of time before it sunk in, that it wasnt a diesel.

The ride is incredible.

I bought mine at Moritz Chevrolet in Ft Worth, from Monte Coon, and if I buy another Chevy after this one, it will be from him.
He takes care of TFF members and makes damn sure you are satisfied after you purchase the truck.

I am getting just over 21 mpg with it, and it's nice considering I was lucky to get over 14 mpg in my 1 ton.

I get around 14 mpg pulling my boat, if I keep my foot out of it and dont drive it like I stole it.

I own a Dodge and Hemi and it pulls very very well. It has the 3.92 rear end. I really like the pop this truck has.

With that said Dodge is a POS. I don't see how anyone that has owned one would buy another one. I've got a pretty loaded Dodge and it is no where near as luxurious as Chevy. I haven't had any issues with it, but maybe its because there aint much technology in it.

IMO there is no comparison between Dodge vs Chevy/Ford.
You get what you pay for with these cheap Dodge pickups and I'm learning the hard way. Additionally these trucks depreciate alot more and faster than Chevy or Ford.
According to my buddy who was a Ford car salesman about 6 months ago at Blue Bonnet Ford, he said the car salesmen dodged the Dodge truck owners when they came in because he says that 75% of them would be upside down and they couldn't work deals with them if they tried to trade it in.

I'm currently looking at a new truck and it will be a Toyota or Ford.

What year Dodge out of curiosity?

I think Dodge doesn't exactly have the best quality, they are still working on that and but the new models will hopefully be a step in the right direction. It is a shame because they have some good powertrains, especially the cummins.

The Toyota's and Ford's are both sweet rides too!

i agree 100% with what you said. Hemi may be fast but you hook a trailer to one and you can $$$$ sure feel it.

i am not going to tell anyone what to get becasue it aint for me. i will say i have had experience pulling and just riding in a ford chevy and dodge.
Powerstroke can pull and has a nice body.
Chevy has the ride because of the independent suspension in the front. (dodge and ford have a straight axle on the 4x4) the Duramax is fast off the line.
Dodge (hemi cant pull like a Powerstroke but the Cummins pulls the best out of any of em).

Please check the re-sale value on all of them, you will figure out right away,.

Comparing any gas motor to a diesel, when it comes to pulling power, is not a fair battle. The Cummins has 2x the torque of the Hemi. Do you know why? because that's what it was built for. The Hemi will do a fine job of towing, but not compared to a diesel.

yes i know what you are telling me. i was really comparing the powerstroke to the cummins

I bought my Chevy Duramax mainly due to the allison tranny, Its been a great truck. With no big issues. I have had in three times since feb 04. Ac controls, instrument cluster and Fuel pressure regulator replacement. All under warranty.

I've got a 2003 Hemi Dodge and passed a 99 Ford Turbo diesel like he was sitting still going up Ranger mountain in west Texas. We were both pulling 25 ft. campers. Same load. (He's a friend) I've got 73k on the Dodge and never a prolem. I love it!

Here is something to think about. We the taxpayers bailed out GM with American money. Not long ago GM was given permission from a bankruptcy judge in NY that they could stop the contract they had with Stillwater Mining in MT to buy platinum, palladium and rhodium which are used in catalytic convertors. Now instead of buying in America they are looking to buy overseas.

http://www.billingsgazette.com/news/stat...1cc4c03286.html

Either is a good choice. All full size trucks have advantages that will appeal to one consumer and not another. On price it is hard to beat a Dodge. The Chevy tends to try and pack a ton of goodies in their trucks and as such they tend to be a bit pricier. Ford offers a good mix of equipment at a good price. I'm a Chevy guy but I think Ford allows customers a better choice at getting some of the goodies without forcing the whole 5K upgrade package on you.

There are a ton of 15+ year old Fords/Chevy's on the road still so either is a fine choice there. I won't comment much on the Toyota/Nissan offerings other than to say I believe one is high quality/priced and the other is (or was) trying to get Dodge to build their trucks (enough said). The fact that neither offers 2500/3500 series trucks is enough in itself for me to write them both off.

I know a lot of people are down on the so called "bail out" but when all is said and done we may find that the deal was a steal for the government/UAW. GM had sales in excess of 120 billion last year so the loans they received compared to the business and assets appears to be a government theft to me with the shareholders getting fleeced. The government will get the money back through loans being re payed and sale of the new shares however the old GM share holders and taxpayers won't likely see much of that. People fail to realize GM/Chrysler could not do what Ford had the foresight to do a few years ago (mortgage the assets to stockpile operating cash) due to the banking fiasco.

My rant for the day, I feel better now .

I have an 02 ram quad cab slt, 360 gas engine, 3.55 rear, 4X4 (and to the earlier poster the 1/2 tons are not solid axle), I bought used with 65,000 miles on it and have had it 4 1/2 yrs. with no problems at all.
This has been one of the best trucks I have ever owned and pulls my 18' champion like its not there.
I constantly pass chevy's and fords (gas or diesel) on hills and this is in overdrive towing.
I will buy another dodge and get the LIFETIME WARRANTY, which other company offers that kind of deal on the powertrain.

I always think of resale when I buy a truck.Dodge resale is horrible. The same truck in Chevy or Ford with same mileage(used)is roughly going to be the same price. Not Dodge. Dodge seems like is always 2k to 5k thousand cheaper. That is for a reason. I am talking loaded 3/4 ton or duallys. But half ton also dodge is by far the cheapest probably because it is a P.O.S. I am a Ford follower just because they simply last the longest hands down. Back in the 90's Chevy could was good but not now. There trucks drive like little lite cars I hate that. I need some resistance in my steering not a loosy goosy steering.

If you want a truck with power get a Dodge with the cummings in it, it is the best towing truck on the road.

i saw a dodge the other day it was a regular cab short bed 2500 with a cummings, i liked the way it looked. i knew that cummings wasent pulling any weight.

wow. put those same trucks with 10K pounds of steel on a gooseneck trailer and try it again....

By no means am I trying to call someone out but, I have owned a bunch of gas and diesel trucks and my experience is that gas powered trucks just don't do it. If they did, I would think they would put them in 18 wheelers. I have even tried building blueprinted, high lift short duration cammed motors to pull with and they still don't compare to diesels. Just my .02 cents worth

Gassers can better utilize gearing because they turn more rpms but who wants to pull anything in 2nd gear? Diesels pull a lot more weight in overdrive, don't downshift nearly as much and get better mileage while doing it.

Got 17,000 miles on a 09 Dodge, best truck ive owned so far. Thats 4 chevys and 1 ford and one dodge in the last 12 years.

It will pull my boat as good as a chiped diesel in any gear except 1st.

is it manual or auto tranny

Stephen Mills boat:

Auto

And the the post above, the Toyota will pull just as well as my dodge, i just found the dodge to be a lot nicer on the inside, it fit my eye better. Also, were talking about a 3,000# boat not a 7,500 horse trailer. Both gas trucks will flat out YANK a 21'boat, ive towed with many dodge and chevy chiped diesel's on the economy setting. As I said above they pull just as good in any gear but fist. The chiped diesel deffinatly is faster/stronger taking off from a dead stop than the dodge/toyota

"in any gear" simply isn't true. Your truck won't pull a 3000lb trailer in OD through the hill country without downshifting ofen. Won't happen. And a 3000lb pontoon is as hard to pull as a 7500lb horse trailer. It's like pulling a freakin parachute. Weight isn't the only consideration.

Yeah well my golf cart pulls a boat at 90 on the Highway my 5 hp motor is the best ever made. What do you have on that??

lol! Must be a Honda.

You are correct about the downshifting, I was refering to the acceleration ability in any gear. However my 5.3L chevrolet stayed in OD when towing, my dodge will only downshit on a steep grade hill when driving 75+ at 70mph it very rarely downshifts.

my 08 gmc 1500 with the tow haul mode ON down shifts to second when pulling up a hill, it pisses me off cuz its at 4000 rpms at 65mph. but after it gets up the hill it goes back to OD. to avoid that i just put it in 3rd with the tow mode off and away i go. in 3rd im about 2200 to 2500 at 65 to 70

Yeah and it leaps tall buildings in a single bound. I'd paint a yellow S on the hood.

I love it when guys on here result to posting like a 2 year old on the TFF. Ignorance isnt bliss, its apparently your way of life.

Thank you for your honesty. That pretty much sums up my experience with ever gasser I've towed with.

5.7 Hemi peak torque - 4000rpms 400ftlbs
Cummins peak torque - 1500 rpms 650ftlbs

This ain't rocket science.

You make stupid claims you get stupid responses.

What do you drive? A honda Civic? do you even own a bass boat?

Heres an idea, why dont you go test drive the new dodge or even toyota, then you wont have to run your mouth because you would know how much of a ignorant idiot you are being. Until then your just pissing in the wind. Cheers to you!

You've been watching too many Hemi commercials. The TVs fried your brain. That or you need a tac so you can tell what gear you're in.

Your so-called experience goes against everybody elses, friend. That 5.3L comment was damn funny btw.

No, the Toyota will pull better than the Dodge:

During our towing exercise, the 2008 Toyota Tundra showed a minor advantage. The 2009 Dodge Ram was equipped with the 5.7L Hemi and the Tundra had its 5.7L i-Force, and both trucks were hitched to a 7,000lb car trailer. The course began with a steep incline, where we were asked to reach and hold 50 mph. While the Tundra was able to complete the task, the Ram struggled. The transmission of the Ram kept the engine RPM at a point where it wasn't pulling strongly, and it wouldn't shift down to another gear, causing the truck to get stuck around 45mph. Once reaching the top of the hill, both trucks made short work of the course through a series of smaller hills as well as a variety of mild turns. Even though the Ram did a fine job through the rest of the course, the struggle up the first big hill gave the Toyota the advantage in the pulling exercise.

http://www.dodgeforum.com/articles/2009/01/the-2009-dodge-ram-1500-vs-the-2008-toyota-tundra.html

you guys just dont listen. Good thing im not towning 7,000 lbs. Im towning 3,000 lbs. and I have towed with the toyota and the dodge. They tow a 21' boat with ease equaly, the dodge has more HP and the toyota has 6 speed tranny. If the toyota would bring the inside of the truck up to the 21st century I would have bought a toyota. My 99 chevy had a nicer interior than the toyota. Im done here, enjoy your pointless arguement.

Actually he is correct. I hate Dodge, I think they are big pieces of caca, but mine pulls great and rarely down shifts. It pulls way better than my 02 Z71 and 5.3. I would never buy another Dodge, but it does pull good. I couldn't take my Chevy switching gears all the time, so I had to get rid of it. It was probably the best truck I have ever owned, but probably one of the worst I have owned as far as towing.
Now I'm trying to get rid of my POS Dodge. I just like the comfort features of Chevy and Ford too much.

Its all in how you drive..

Hemi sucks. I know a couple of guys who had there engine lock up on them while towing. Longevity counts. New trucks all pull good. I dont know how anyone could argue a gas vs diesel for towing. Diesels are made to tow.

When buying a Dodge do not automatically assume you have to get the hemi. Their 4.7 engine is a well made work horse, it came from the Mercedes division when they were teamed up.

I had a 2003 Dakota 4x4, and put 300,000 miles, pulling a ranger bass boat for about half of the miles. had NO problems at all with this truck, until my brother in law borrowed it and drove it in 4 wheel drive-low all weekend.

Bought an 08 1500 4x4 with the 4.7 engine, and its finish is very good and the overall performance has been great. I have 35,000 miles in 7 months and no problems.