Well I am sort of just enjoying the show on this one. There are similar threads to this one on several Powerstroke related sites and they are all entertaining. No matter how the test was conducted, somebody was going to get their feelings hurt. It's just my opinion, but I'm betting that the GM engineers found something in their own private testing about the 6.7 at high altitudes. Why else would you take 2 trucks from Detroit all the way to Colorado for something like this?

Realistically I would like to see a Chevy owner and a Ford owner bring their similarly equipped trucks to a test like this and do the actual driving themselves. I don't have a problem believing that the Chevy is pulling just a little better than the Ford, but I am a little confused at the large margin that would seem to indicated a 75-100 hp difference. My stock 6.0 pulled 8-9% grades for more than a mile with a 17,000+ lb gooseneck trailer and could maintain at least 45 mph. I find it hard to believe that an additional 230 lb/ft of torque plus better gearing in the transmission couldn't do any better.

Like I started out saying, it leads to interesting conversation if nothing else. Hell I bought Ford in 2006 when they were the weakest, most unreliable engine in their class, so this really isn't going to bother me. After all the towing I did with the 6.0, I'm just glad to have an engine that will make it to the top of every hill at WOT without needing to stop to top the coolant off or just to cool down! LOL

 

to bad them gms dont come with a solid front axle. if they had that i might be looking at one.

 

The only thing that disgusts me about this test is the resulting marketing vomit GM will spew.

 

Put the test down at sea level and see how they do. Sounds like ford has some altitude issues to work out.

 

If one reads the article closely the F350 was NOT a truck with the recalibration. The article states they could not find a comparable truck ( gearing . weight etc.) with the new calibration...so they used what they could find. The trucks were left to shift with the factory calibration. So what good does it do to test a truck that is not calibrated as most that are being sold?The Ford never really got into the power range running 4th at 43-44 mph.so it needed more gear. The recalibration does give a good boost to the midrange torque. So what will any of this mean.I f you have a 6.7 get the recalibration!

 

Whats wrong with IFS?

 

Im pretty dissapointed with the results Ford didnt really do too well at this compared to GM it wasnt really that close. They got work to do on this engine at high altitude.

But I will never consider a GM truck

 

That comment in the article was referring to the previous roadtest with the Job 1 truck- Here it is stated they are using the newer 400/800 calibration for this roadtest:

We agreed with a few conditions: Chevrolet had to use test trucks purchased off the lot from Chevy and Ford dealers and the Super Duty had to have the 400/800 power ratings.

IMO Competition is good- Obviously the trucks keep getting better every year. When I bought my Tow Boss in 2006 there wasn't a Duramax rated to pull heavy for another 4 1/2 years. Talk about being late to the party Although they certainly have brought a strong contender and Dodge seems to be the real loser in this competition

 

Agreed, good post.

 

I'd like to know what the compressor wheel speed of the Dmax was at 11k feet. Unless it has titanium blades, it won't last long at that altitude.

Besides, who cares how fast you can climb a hill as long as you get to the top? The engine braking does concern me though.

 

Here is what i just posted in another area of this great forum. Fine Chevy won a bu**sh** contest but it is still a butt ugly looking truck. I owned a 2002 Silverado SRW that I loved but upgraded to a 2005 Ford F-350 DRW in 2004. I had nothing but problems with my 6.0 Ford and swore this past summer I would never buy another Ford again. When I saw all those Chevy commercials about the new fully boxed frame on TV, and the truck looked great, I was convinced I was going back to Chevy. That was until I went for a test drive of the 2011 Chevy 3500 DRW. First impression was they did a nice job with the front grille and hood beefing it up but didn't continue to the rest of the truck. The square wheel wells we horrible. The interior of the truck was the same old boring Chevy interior. I could not see myself driving a truck that I visually hated so I went to check out Dodge. I don't need to say anymore about that experience. My friend was looking to trade in his 2008 F-450 so I took a ride with him and it was love at first sight. Not with my friend but the new 2011 F-350 that was on the lot. It was visually the nicest looking truck I had seen in years. Loved the new rounded look around the wheel wells, the interior was amazing and had to go for a test drive. After the test drive I was sold. I went back and told the DW of the amazing experience that I just had and she told me "go get us a new Ford. I knew you would never like anything but a Ford" So in short Chevy can win all the head to head competitions it wants. "Just because you put lipstick on a pig doesn't make her pretty. Its still a pig". From my wifes mouth to your ears. Ford, drive one and you will never drive anything else.

 

I would like to see these same 2 trucks test in a bunch of different real world test. As stated so many times Chevy found a possible weak spot for the Ford. So IF this was an unbiased test do more testing with these same 2 truck that seem to be as equal as you can get.

Now to be honest I dont care if the Ford loses every test I still would not own a GM. But this would provide a well rounded test. Just my .02

Tim

 

Mike I thought it was a great comparison, and very true competition is a good thing. A little off subject here but any "Rumble in the Rockies" in the works pitting the new ecoboost half ton against it's half ton competitors? I've been eyeing that myself and it seems impressive thus far, one hell of a torque curve on it!

 

Ok I've got to say something about this "smell" everyone is talking about...I unfortunately have not pulled anything with my truck yet because my truck pulls boats and slide in campers and that time was over for me here in Colorado a few months ago...back to the point..I have climbed pikes peak and that same stretch of I70 through the eisehower tunnel along with the trail ridge road...and I have noticed that on the climb and decent I noticed the same smell...and it cannot be related to brakes because on the climb no brakes were involved and I boiled the smell down to the urea fluid being used in the exhaust and yes I know what hot brakes smell like and when we first got the truck my wife said whats the smell and at first its smelled like a brand new gasoline engine that is breaking in but the smell continued and all I can think of it being is the urea fluid....what are yalls input on this?


BTW it is killing me that Chevy is beating us in all these tests...I drove all three before I bought another SD just becuase it is a 60k investment and I wanna know whats out there....even though I bleed blue. None the less Im just glad dodge is finally out of our way for now.

Oh and IFS sucks is wanna have real weight in the back of the truck!

Oh one more thing...nobody is EVER gonna be happy with any tests that any organization put on...the real happiness is word of mouth and people who actually own them.

 

It doesn't matter how fast the Chevy gets up the hill, Ford is the better truck. Chevy does not even offer a truck for the towing industry anymore, unless you only tow cars then maybe a 3500 cab chassis will do. They only offer up to 12,000 GVW, and an empty tow truck of that size weighs about 10K with the bed. What can it tow? Not much.