So now Dodge, Toyota and GM all @ 380 hp mark.... And Ford has? I've just read every possible posting/article I can read on the new F150 and not one possible word uttered about the 6.2L. I won't beleive it exsists until I drive it myself....
How can Ford do so much homework on everything else on thet truck and overlook the ENGINE.
Yep, I want to throw away reliability for piston slap.
Most people hate to admit it but the UAW is hugely responsible for killing the domestic automakers. When GM has to pay it's workers (I believe I read 90-95%) of their pay while layed off...that is gonna kill the company. I am sure Ford and Chrysler are near the same numbers.... The unions were very important back years ago but have grown too powerful and have led to the predicament the Big 3 are in today.
It's not just GM, it's all 3 of the domestics. I don't blame the unions, I blame the manufacturers for agreeing to many of the expensive benefits the union members have. They didn't stand their ground when things were rosy and they thought the gravy train would last forever.
The union leadership's job is to get the most they can for their members. If they ask and the manufacturers give under threat of a strike, the manufacturers apparently felt giving in was the cheapest route to take. They didn't think long range.
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2004 XLT Regular Cab, Short Bed, 4X4 with 5.4 and 3.73.
Most people hate to admit it but the UAW is hugely responsible for killing the domestic automakers. When GM has to pay it's workers (I believe I read 90-95%) of their pay while layed off...that is gonna kill the company. I am sure Ford and Chrysler are near the same numbers.... The unions were very important back years ago but have grown too powerful and have led to the predicament the Big 3 are in today.
I agree with you there...Nice post..
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00 F350 4x4 Power Stroke 6spd drw rack body 4.10
02 Explorer XLT 4X4 Red
03 Explorer XLT 4X4 Aspen Green
04 F250 4x4 5.4 6 spd pickup 3.73
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Since I am not going to read all 10+ pages of this post....
Here is my $.02. There is always something better, stronger, faster, more powerful. It's time we stopped letting numbers sell a truck. My truck has more __________ than yours. My _________ is better than your __________ . Hey I know it's the manly way to be, but it has to end somewhere? Soon an f-150 will have a GVWR of 10k? Then what? We can stick a bed on a 650, sell it as a 250 and say it has the most towing capacity in its class. So what???? What does it really mean? Lets just put a dana 80 in all the 250/350 and 19.5 inch wheels. It's a $50k truck, it should have it right????
I agree that you can't govern fuel economy or safety right??? If we raise gas prices to $4.50 or $5.00 gal will everyone then want a truck that gets 25mpg or better? The technology is there folks to do it, but right now it just doesn't sell. So it's up to the governt to make it look like they are doing something about it I suppose.
How bout a HP tax, or displacment tax like some of Europe has? Some states have weight based registration/taxes. Less may be and should be worth more in some instances. Yes, I have a diesel F250, but I don't drive it all the time. I have a smaller more efficient car I drive regularly. When I use my truck, I use it and expect it to do what I need. I just worry that these GVW, TQ, HP superiority races are going to hurt us all soon.
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Chris
ASE Certified Master Automotive Technician
Current Vehicles:
2002 F-250 7.3L PSD 4x4 XLT
2002 Sunset Orange Mettalic WS6 Trans Am Convertible
Personally, If I was towing much over 8000lbs, I'd wan't dual rear wheels anyway. Had a friend blow a tire in a curve with single rear wheel, it wasn't pretty. He has a F350 Dually 7.3L now for towing his enclosed trailer.
I tow about 7500lbs with my 01 F150. I wouldn't haul much more with any single wheel 1/2 ton truck.
I think these horsepower, size ,weight etc. wars have already begun to hurt us. Although I think 25mpg in a full size pick-up is far fetched today, we should start moving in this direction. Plus, in my experience, anyone who is planning on towing more than 9k lbs regularly gets a 250 or larger. So all we are getting from these wars is a truck that is better for stoplight racing. I just can not see a reason why the popular engine for a 1/2 ton truck needs to be larger than 5 liters.
Exactly, a catch 22. They are heavy so they can have the high(unneeded) towing capacity. they need the big motors to move that weight. Big motors and the high weight are killing fuel economy along with being harder on brakes and adding to the purchase price. So we have this very heavy, very powerful truck, that most people use to do the exact same things as the lighter trucks of the past.
This isn't just happening with trucks. Look at the honda civic and accord. The current civic is larger inside than the 80's accord. Honda at least released the Fit for those people would would like a car like the earlier hondas.
If my 01 had the 3V 5.4 with the variable cam timing and such, it would be fast and tow much better. It weighs about 5240lbs I believe. I'll have to look at my scale ticket that's out in the garage.
"How bout a HP tax, or displacment tax like some of Europe has?"
Howabout we let the market regulate prices?
If people don't wan't to buy economy cars then they must be rich enough to afford whatever they ARE buying. I object to a displacement tax because it imposes a FIXED, PUNITIVE cost on my paid-for, low miles-per-year older vehicles.
Fuel costs haven't stopped people caring about the truck horsepower race because people who can afford new trucks and the insurance and the sales tax don't need to care about fuel costs. (Selling to well-off people is always good practice since they have more disposable income.) Gas in the US is still cheaper in terms of wages than during the gas crisis, and anyone can buy as much as they want.
Anyone who wants an economical vehicle has choices out the proverbial wazoo, including older Civics and Accords (or VWs, I'm putting my Scirocco back on the road) or motorcycles .
I rather like the trend of heavy-duty consumer trucks. I'll have a nice choice of used ones in the coming recession.
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