Purchasing a new diesel

[samgreazy]

I have heard of a couple of buddies having problems with the wiring harness on those duramax. I have got a 96 f-350 drw crew cab with a banks turbo kit intake and intercoller and 3" exhaust. Thing is a beast i get 16 mpg normally, as for towing my boat.... Ha it's nothing for it can't even tell it's there. I would def go with a powerstroke.... Although that 6 cyl cummins motor is BA

[Eric2010MCX2]

My word of advice would be to stay away from any Ford diesel other than the older 7.3ltr that ceased production in 2002.

We just bought a new 2011 GMC sierra 2500 SLT crew cab 4x4 with the duramax/allison to tow our X2 and it does AWESOME. I get about 15mpg towing down the highway and about 13 towing in town.. however in town not towing i usually only get about 14 at best anyways. On the highway not towing, I can get 18-22 depending on the landscape (flat, vs lots of hills).

Bottom line, a tow beast is not made to get great mpg, its made to tow.

[bblomquist]

Diesels rule when towing.... Torque is off the charts.... Go DURAMAX! basically the same engines since the early days... Relatively minor changes to the actual block and head.... They are bullet proof.... Look for any truck 2001-2006 that has been really taken care of well.... Service records are important. Should be able to find one for between 10k- 20k pending year and mileage. I've owned two and will never own anything elso.... I've also owned ford diesels.... I like those also.... But they just don't compare! My humble opinion!

[Viktimize]

I was dead set on a Duramax, but the more I read about diesels, the more I sway to the Cummins. And after a few months now, I am SET on the Cummins. Chevy is really looking outdated in the styling department(personal preference I know). And the new Dodge interiors are awesome.

I am amazed at the amount of Ford love here. I might consider one if it was a brand new 2011, but I don't really want to be the test mule for that new engine. And older Fords are just awful to look at when you get inside. To each his own, but I don't think I could ever bring myself to own a Ford.

[03 35th Anniversary]

Almost 2 weeks ago I bought a new 2011 Ford CC 4x4 Dually Diesel.

This is what I'm getting for mileage so far. A lot in town and a little Highway.

[timvan]

Gas vs Diesel ....
Its like our boats,
Sure you can get a ride and pulled up by a I/O...but the inboard does it so much better

[ctjahn]

Originally Posted by Panda Cub

I know about the problems of 6.0l ford. Those were rectified I thought by 06? I'd like to get a LLY duramax. Are there any known problems with the 05 duramax? I have a hard time trusting the duramax message boards because they seem to be a little biased.....

I have a Ford 2005 F250 CC Lariat 8'box Diesel 6oh-no (LOADED). I bought it with 75k and took it right to the dealer (100,000 mile warranty). Had a lot of problems initally but I think I have them sorted. Head gaskets done right away (under warranty) Bought it for 14k when blue book was 27 (the 6.0 is problematic but if you take care of it and maintain it as specified it may be ok for you.)

Tows like nothing I have ever towed with before. When not boating I tow 10,000 pounds and it goes like crazy. Average 19.5 (just a pipe otherwise stock - no cat) - NO trailer. Light foot going the speed limit.

Blue book still looks pretty good on it with 99k and still pulling strong. For more information check out this site: http://www.thedieselstop.com/ - although if you read enough about any vehicle you will never buy it. As with anything people publiclly complain but are not so quick to complement....

Best wishes.
Cj

Cj

[FourFourty]

Originally Posted by Viktimize

I was dead set on a Duramax, but the more I read about diesels, the more I sway to the Cummins. And after a few months now, I am SET on the Cummins. Chevy is really looking outdated in the styling department(personal preference I know). And the new Dodge interiors are awesome.

I am amazed at the amount of Ford love here. I might consider one if it was a brand new 2011, but I don't really want to be the test mule for that new engine. And older Fords are just awful to look at when you get inside. To each his own, but I don't think I could ever bring myself to own a Ford.

There is no doubt that the cummins is probably the best of the three engines. However, The total package is not the best. Also want to mention that the new dodge interiors are very nice.

The problem with the Dodge is that the rest of the entire truck is not built as well as its competition. I am not saying that because I am biased either..... Chrysler holds the bottom spot for reliability and build quality in almost every test/survey/report that is conducted these days. And 99% of that is from the RAM and Grand Cherokee dragging their average down. The Ram also cost less than an equivilent Ford or GM...... And there is a reason for that....

That being said, I would still consider a Dodge, and I did consider one when I bought my Denali HD a few months ago. A Ram is still a viable option, and is still a pretty good pickup. Chrysler just needs to invest time into the reliablity factor...... And so does GM. GM is certainly not excelling that catagorie either.... I went with the GMC because I liked the Denali interior better than the Rams interior (Denali has different Dash and interior than the regular GMCs and Chevys)

The reason for so much Ford love is because they are the best trucks on the road today (overall). In fact, in the last few years, Ford vehicles (on average) have higher reliability ratings than almost every other auto manufacturer on the planet. IIRC, Ford is rated 3rd or 4th right now, GM is about 10th, and Chrysler is either last, or second to last. Somehow, Ford turned everything around. They are also the only profitable American car company in the last 5 years. They are very profitable in the last 2 years.... Which is very good for us, considering the other two companies cost every american a few hundred dollars in taxes just to stay afloat.

I wish I could say different, and I am sure I will get flamed for this post . As a GM owner, I hate to say Ford is the best. Unfortunately, The numbers dont lie, and I try to preach fact, instead of letting my Biased get in the way.

[SkiDog]

The ONLY problem I have had and will continue to have, is the price of diesel fuel! Thats bout the only thing that sucks about having a diesel. My 2008 GMC Duramax Crewcab longbed is an awesome truck!

[silverblueBP]

I have a 2000 F250 with the 7.3 PS and pull the boat, my 20' enclosed race trailer and sometimes a 20' enclosed trailer full of cabinets for work. The worst mileage so far was 12mpg when I was towing the trailer full of cabs into a 30+ headwind. It's hard to tell when the boat's back there!

I think the best mileage I've had is 18mpg, empty.