Wow this thread is reasonable and respectful and mature. I am duly impressed.

The GM IFS rides better no doubt. I like Ford because it carries a plow so much better than my Chevy did. And I like manual lockout hubs over the silly GM front axle disconnect. The 2011 GM has an upgraded 6000lb IFS setup that's reputed to be much better even if you are heavy on the front end.

The 2011 dmax has great power. I've never driven a 2011 but when I was working on tcase development I drove a 2009 mule with a 2011 engine/trans and it went like stink. Good luck with it.

 

What was the matter with the 6.7 that it spent so much time in the shop for?

As for the HPOP and fuel system thing, time will tell. I doubt it's worth it to take a bath on a trade just for that.

 

Yes, I am very happy to be a member of this forum due to the majority of thoughtful members here. Most of us truly believe that ford makes the best truck available for things that trucks are necessary for.

Now, do I question the decision to go with a GM truck? Yes, based on experience I do think that they are not as durable but I and many others here don't get any satisfaction from tearing the guy apart. To each his/her own.

I know my post is largely unnecessary but I had three GM trucks from 1999-2007 and they were fine until I sat in an SD.

 

Thanks for all the goodwill and interest. That's really kind of you guys, class acts all the way.

I didn't think about the Ram as it's not aesthetically pleasing and I agreed with some who said it was a 500k mile engine in a 100k mile truck.

I only got 39k on trade. Sounds bad, but then last summer used 6.7's were selling in the low 40's...

The steering wheel of the Denali has less play, better weighting, feedback, and heat. The instrument cluster is pathetically dated but at least it's clean and legible. The chrome is too blingy. I would rather have the 6.7 if I was moving anything heavy. Small bumps are absorbed better but there is a lot of dive and squat. I wonder what the effect of some tongue weight would be. A friend said my new truck is a "Chippendale mover".

An acquaintance who does design work says black hides a structure, white highlights subtlety, while silver is the best color to appreciate pure shape. Shape is not the strong suite of GM--I got black!

My 6.7 was troubled with the NOx sensor, hard shifts, noisy 4WD, DEF level giving wildly inaccurate readings, local service troubles up in MI, the turbo hoot, a bad weather stripping spot, a bad windshield seal...not catastrophic but enough to shake my confidence in what should be a bullet proof chest puffing cowboy cadillac. The HPFP stuff was just disappointing and worrying.

I would go back to Ford in a second if they step it up in the future. Brand loyalty is unfortunately just not realistic for me. It's as if the companies don't care. So I paid for an enjoyable experiment.

I uploaded an album called Denali 6.6. No interior pics though.

 

Thanks for keeping us up to date with your truck. I too have zero brand loyalty when it comes to vehicles. I'll buy what I think is the best at the time of purchase. It makes no sense to me to pound "FORD" on my chest unless they were paying me.

I'm paying them. My rules.

Keep us updated about the truck.

 

Does the interior look okay or does it have a cheap look to it?
I know others who have owned GM trucks and they think the interior is a bit cheap looking but those were a few model years back and not the Denali model.
Of the two I would choose GM over the Chevy models, too.

 

I have a Ford, a Chevy and a Mopar. The only thing I can say, especially after buying GM stock when they were in trouble is- I'm still pissed they screwed the bond and stockholders.

Hats off to Ford for weathering the storm. I've had Ford trucks since 1982 and the most disappointing trucks I owned were my 2005 and 2010 Ford F250s.

 

The interior is OK. Not as good as ford visually. A proper comparison would be Denali and King Ranch, and I can't help with that.

For what it's worth I've been driving GM since 1988. High maint italian and German cars too. This was my first Ford.

 

I compaired and looked hard at the Denali vs Lariat before dropping the hammer. My descision was based on what i got for the price inside and out. Navigation is the only thing that stands out i didnt get in my truck as compaired equally. Both are very nice trucks and im happy with my descision. Ford killed the price by 7k even with the navigation. Rebates had a bit to do with it at the time.

I love my truck, drive it like you stole it!

 

That's a nice looking truck jwp. I understand what you had said about black vs silver vs white ... I have liked the GMCs in black (even though I hate cleaning it) and the Fords in white/silver. I guess that's why, I like the Ford's lines better.

One day it will either be a Ford 6.7 in my driveway or a GMC 6.6 ... I intend to go into the purchase eyes wide open so I appreciate your thoughts on the trucks.

As far as what people say about your decision, being able to sleep at night is something that's hard to put a price tag on. I recently unloaded a fifth wheel camper that I was concerned about ... all I can say is that I was happy to be done with it and now have one that I don't worry about. I'd have more money in the bank if I had kept it, or maybe not. Got out while I could.

 

Very nice looking truck JWP98.

While at the four wheel shop a while back I was checking out a 2010 GMC 2500HD DM that had a 6" lift with 20" wheels & 35"s that a dude had up there. It was black like yours and it was sweet. Those trucks look really good when lifted. The owner loved the DM with the allision combo.
All the best with her and give us a good report after you've put some miles on her.

 

good luck with your new truck, hope it treats you well.

 

I always said the best truck would be the following: ford Chassey, dodge motor, and chevy interior.... I had a 2005 chevy duramax, and loved it, I also love this ford....

 

I think you ment Cummins motor, not really sure Dodge has anything to offer.
I've never really felt all the fuzzy about the chevy interiors, always seemed cheap, and started rattling before hitting 50K miles.

 

I drive a Chevy Tahoe at work and to be quite honest, the interior is nice and accommodating. The truck is a 2007 & has 82000 and I havent had any problems with it whatsoever. I drive the truck hard and it's holding up fine. I dont think the interior is cheap and all and it's holding up very well.