OK guys, I need some assistance. I'm sure several of you bleed Ford blue and haven't had this dilemma but I'm sure some of you have considered it. I drove a 2012 F-250 Powerstroke Crew Cab Lariat yesterday and a loaded up GMC Sierra 2500HD with Duramax. The Ford seems more like a truck than the GMC but suprisingly enough the GMC was quieter and rode more smoothly than the Ford. I had a 1995 F-350 Powerstroke that I loved and should have never parted with and I currently have a 2004 F-350 with 6.0L Powerstroke and I shouldn't have to say more. Hence my dilemma. I've read a lot of great things on here about the new Powerstroke but I'm not finding much negative about the Duramax. I have a buddy that works on fleet vehicles for a local utility company and he said they have had no issues with the Duramax's but they don't have any of the new Powerstrokes either. The 6.0L and the 6.4L Powerstrokes they have are constant problems for them. So honest opinions here. If you had two equivalently loaded trucks, one Ford PS and one GMC DM would you still choose your Ford if the GMC was 5K less expensive? If I sell my current truck and get a GMC this will be the first time I've not had a Ford in the driveway for 25 years.

 

Cant say that i have any experience with owning a chevy or a duramax but I did not buy a chevy for the simple fact the interior is an absolute joke. Drab. Not comfortable spending 60k on a truck and really not comfortable spending that much on one with that bad of an interior. I could handle it on a base line but not on a fully loaded model.

Im not 100% loyal to any car company so was shopping around. Im coming off of owning two tundra's and loved those. Got the 07 when i first came out and then a 10 with the update. Zero problems with either. Believe it or not the crew cab tundra has a good bit more interior room than the 250. I upgraded to the 250 for capacity reasons only. Have had 3 f150 in the past and really liked those so that plus the interior put me in a ford.

I can say that if I could change one thing about the 250 is that it rides like a brick. Looking into dropping 3-4k on an aftermarket setup.... so its bad enough to think about forking out that kind of cheddar.

Recent car and driver picked the chevy. Take a look... I read this before buying. Seems they think the ford shifts smoother than the others. Go figure.


2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 LTZ 4WD Crew Cab vs. 2012 Ford F-250 Super Duty King Ranch 4x4 Crew Cab, 2012 Ram 2500 Laramie Longhorn 4x4 Mega Cab - Comparison Tests - Car and Driver



Looks like you only have two options anyhow... Ford or the Chevy/GMC. Id choose the Ford as I did. Think the new Chevy 2500 is due soon so you might want to wait if you are thinking that direction? Also I like the GMC front much better... Each his own. I guess.

One last thought. You mentioned the trucks being set up equal... As far as im concerned that's not possible. The Ford has A LOT of tech packed into it and seem way MORE luxurious. It is newer to the market so is fresh and up to date in both looks and tech.

 

Thanks for the article. That confirms what I've been thinking especially about the RAM. I agree with the interior comments and have always given Ford the Kudos on their interior. I don't know if its 5K more interior and maybe I just need to do a little more shopping to see if I can get the price delta closer. I am tall and actually had more leg room and head room in the GMC. The new Ford to me wasn't as comfortable as my 2004 but my truck is a Harley Davidson Edition and has very nice seats. I absolutely love my current truck SANS the engine. Too bad I can't drop a new 6.7L in it...

 

GM with the torsens will ride better but less durable. Also keep in mind the location of all of your controls and mirrors and how they operate.

When you load the Ford down it will drive smooth.

 

I would definitely wait for the introduction if the new GM twin's new, larger and supposedly more luxurious HD trucks....I believe the introduction date is mid-December. You will have a truck with the proven DuraMax/Allison power train combo and a warranty...Yes...GM uses the same fragile Bosch CP4 HPFP but they will at least warranty theirs if it fails...I have not seen one instance reported anywhere of a 2011-2012 DuraMax with the CP4 being refused warranty...neither has GM fan Huntindog who also hangs out here...

The 2013 Ram HD pickups are coming soon...deliveries in late Winter. They have upped the weight ratings, power ratings and finally went to DEF injection. Mileage and clean power...and no Bosch CP4 pump. They have industry leading interiors and as much interior space as the Ford...the MegaCab has even more room...The final spec's and options will be released at the Detroit Auto Show in early January...I will be there...

All three brand trucks do the job..but one has a very weak warranty...

Regards

 

http://www.chevrolet.com/content/dam...hev_lim_wm.pdf PAGE 11 In particular

 

I was on the other side...... my Darkside was actually a Ford. I got my first diesel in 2003. The truck was a 2000 F-250 CC/SB/4x4 Lariat and it was a great truck. The original owner installed a 75hp chip and a K&N air filter. The truck sounded like a school bus but was awesome. I do a lot of highway driving and 20mpg at 74mph was not uncommon. At the time diesel fuel was also $0.30-$0.40 per gallon cheaper which was nice. In 2005 I decided to get a new Ram 3500srw. All in all the Ram was a decent truck but the quad cab back seat was just too small for my needs. A year after I bought it I decided to trade it in on a 2006 Chevy. Then I bought a new 2007.5 Chevy to get the new bodystyle. After 65K miles I traded it on a 2009 Chevy (all Chevys were CC/SB/4x4/Duramax equipped). In 2010 I fell in love with a new King Ranch 250 with every option. The seats were amazing and it felt like a real truck. I knew going in the 6.4L didn't have the best record, but I loved the truck too much to care. At first the Ford was getting 15-17mpg which I was totally fine with. At 40,000 miles the dealer did a reflash and it was going into regen every 110-125 miles along with shuddering/smoking when attempting to pass cars. This took my mileage down considerably (3 regens per tank at 8mpg for a combined 60 miles). I took it to two different Ford dealers for a total of 5 visits and they both said "no code=no problems" and "100-600 miles per regen is normal". It got to the point where it was costing me personal money to do work driving and I ended up trading it in on a new 2011 Chevy CC/SB/4x4 LTZ last December. I will admit the Chevy interior is not as fancy as the Ford, but it certainly is not terrible. I do a lot of driving on country two-lane roads and 20mpg+ is not uncommon on the Duramax. A buddy with a 2011 6.7L claims 18ish doing the same thing which is not bad. I now have 60,000 miles on my 2011 and am considering another new truck. I have considered the new Fords, but I am still disappointed with how my 2010 issues were handled by the dealer and Ford. I sent a letter to Ford explaining my issues and never got a response, and the dealers did not seem to care. Part of the fun of getting a new truck is to get something different, but at this point I am only looking at GM. The GM feels like a diesel-powered sports car compared to the handling of a Ford. I know I will get bashed for saying this on here, but I really think you would like the GM. Good luck!!!!

 

Ford claims to have a warranty too but I know better...but in the interest of being fair, show me one instance out of the hundreds of CP4 HPFP's where GM did not warranty the repair...if you find a 2011-2012 DuraMax with a HPFP failure not covered by warranty, you will be the first...I have not even seen a discussion regarding GM HPFP failure where it was verified and told to the customer that the HPFP was the actual problem...I am sure there is someone out there somewhere but GM fixes the truck and the customer leaves satisfied...I am sure there is a message there someplace...Ford does not have that reputation...

..and spare the group the commentary about the rusty part you like to bring up based on a couple of paragraphs on a Ford Tech web board...the area with rust on this part does not see fuel flow...never did...never will...

Regards

 

I'm working a deal on a Black 2012 2500HD Denali Z71. The local Ford dealer has thoroughly pissed me off with their pathetic trade offer. I did remember when I had to take my Ford in for service under warranty it was like pulling teeth and they always made me feel like I did something wrong. I bought my wife's GMC Acadia two years ago and the GMC dealership has been a pleasure to work with. We actually haven't had a warranty claim. I'm sure it won't fall apart until the warranty runs out..

 

Sounds like a sweet truck! I really wanted a Denali, but I was buying as the 2011's were getting to be hard to find. My requirements were 20" wheels, towing mirrors and a sunroof and there were none left with those options.

It sounds like you are in the same situation that I was in terms of dealer relations. The local Ford service manager was clueless and did not seem to care at all. I have had great luck with the local Chevy dealer and that makes a big difference! Hopefully the deal works out for you

 

Respectfully, while your post is great, it has nothing to do with choosing the best pickup for ones needs. It does however point folks to a poorly managed ford dealer.

I had an '05 duramax 3500. It was nice for 35,000 miles. Then it was a never ending suspension and tire eating hunk. Front end wore out very quickly. (Tie rod ends, ball joints, alignment components)

Folks can criticize the ford engines all they want. It's hands down the best chassis for now.

 

We're still haggling...it has tan interior and I wanted one with Black but the 2012's are getting harder to come by. Closest one with black was 300 miles away.
They want to move this 12 so I'm trying to get them to throw in a DVD Player for the kids.

 

True...I'm disappointed that I couldn't get the deal I wanted on a Ford. I tried several dealers not just the local one. My Dad had the same issue you're describing with his 1995 F-350 and I've had to do ball joints and bearings on my 2004 F-350. I just can't see paying $5K more for the Ford plus them wanting to give me salvage value for my beautiful Harley Davidson Edition F-350 even with the 6.0L in it.

 

I've owned both over the years. I had a few problems with the GM's that I owned and thats why I', driving Ford now.

But if you can get a comparable GM for $5k less, I'd consider the GM. Especially the new models coming. I'm sure the new models will catch up or maybe even one up the Fords for short time. Thats the beauty of competition, is that we all benefit as each company strives to make a better product.

Personally when I was buying my 2011, The GM trucks were more money. I couldn't find any deals that made them cheaper. So if you are finding them $5,000 cheaper, Definitely something to consider. But your problem sounds more like a dealer problem. Playing their trade in game and beat the customer up. If you really want a Ford , try a different dealer.

My 6.0L were not bad trucks, Yes they had more warranty work than some others. But they never left me stranded and for the most part ran pretty good. But my 6.7 has been a great truck. With 75,000 miles and most of those working hard towing something, It has been great. No regrets!

I have a good friend that has had several of the GMs Duallies over the past 10 years. He bought a F350KR a year ago, and just loves his truck. There area lots of folks trying other brands.

Pick one you like and go work a great deal and be happy with the truck.

 

Amen...I am 5K apart with another dealer also and its a truck without Navigation and DVD for the kids. I hope I'm making a good decision. I appreciate all on ford-trucks.com....I've learned a lot here over the years. You guys Rock..