I din't know where to post this thread maybe should have put it in the 2004 150 forum. But here goes. If you traded in your Chevy Silverado for a new 2004 F-150 I would like you to give a fair honest comparison between the two trucks. Likes,dislikes. Whats better on the ford than the chevy and vs. versa. This will be like trying both trucks out without having to visit a dealership. What i have read on the 2004 150 from former chevy owners so far most people are impressed. Its still early in the game for the new truck and time will tell. Hands on driving between the two trucks gives us good comparisons. Any replies would be appreciated. I might try to post this on the 2004 forum if not many replies. Thanks.

 

I own a 97 chevy, and have ridden in the 04 f150. The 04 had a 5.4 and my 97 2500 has a 5.7 vorcrap. That 5.4 would waste my 5.7 anyday of the week. Chevy keeps on putting these top end motors in the trucks, makes no sense to me. The 5.4's powerband starts a lot lower than chevies. Mine is a 3/4 ton, so naturally the powerband starts about 3500 RPM. Comparing motors, the ford blows chevy out of the water. Chevies also have cheap interiors, everything is cheap thin plastic.

 

Well, since I don't actually own an 04' 150, I felt somewhat obliged not to reply to this post as I'm sure 150Ford is looking for responses from people who have actually owned both trucks long enough to have a fairly good, (even if somewhat biased) opinion on both of them. But since were talking of test drives here, I guess that means I qualify.

I can't relate with your experiences with the GM 350 Fordman, I've always seen plenty of low end with the one I owned, but of course mine had a real truck transmission, (NV4500) and not some lazy mans fluid pumper. For some backward reason GM 3/4 ton automatic transmissions (4L80E) have a taller first gear ratio than the auto(4L60E) they use in their half tons - 2.48 1st gear compared to 3.01 or something like that. This could be why you feel no low end torque with your 350 motor. I owned a 94 F150 with the Mazda 5 speed and the 4.9L I6 motor - bought it brand new. I'd constantly have to slip the clutch in first gear to make it move from a stop on any hill - empty. This was because of the 2.73 rear axle it had, but to someone who would'int know better, (and I did not at the time) it would seem as if the engine had no low end. There is a good difference between a 2.48 first gear and a 3.01 first gear. Especially when you consider that the half ton weighs a good 6 - 800 pounds less. To emphasize this a bit, -my 98' F150 4.2L 5 speed / 3.55's has a WHOLE LOT more low end than my 94 could ever hope to have, but we all know the 4.2L does not make the torque the the 300 does, now don't we?

Also, why are you comparing a 97'? with a 2004? That new 3 valve 5.4L, is a huge step far and away from any 97' 5.4L specs.

GM engines have wide powerbands. They do make slightly less torque at low RPM than Ford engines do (how many times do you guys have to hear this to finally understand it?), and keep on making good torque into the higher RPM's once most Ford motors have fallen flat. Granted there may be very few times when this higher RPM is actually going to be needed, or will make any difference between the two, but if it is ever needed (like towing up in the mountains), at least it's there.

I've test driven both the Ford 5.4 super duty, and GM 6.0 2500HD with manuals, and there is no contest - the 6.0 had alot more power - right from idle all the way up to 3000RPM (which is where I shift gassers), the V10 super duty however is utterly different - it had MUCH more low end than both.

I test drove an F150, just to see what all the hype was about - the grinning salesman had know idea how I REALLY felt, it was too narrow, too slow, didint have enough glass area, and felt overly heavy.

Also, you'd be hard pressed to find any GM interior that has fallen apart as much as my F150's has, so I know that point is moot - they all do it.

In 3/4 ton trucks I'd take any of the big three - I might buy one over another for an intended use, but they all make sense to me.
In half tons....the Ford has no manual transmission, and has a retarded looking body. The GM has a retarded looking grill and sits way to low. Take your pick.

In half tons, mines DODGE. Biggest brakes, strongest frame, highest standard towing and payload, available manual transmission, 5.7L HEMI, and most importantly, it looks the part - it actually looks like a truck that could see some real work.

 

Well I have traded a 2000 Z71 excab for the 2004 f-150 FX4 scab,my perspective is this. Chevy now has a ugly truck,the interior in my ford was designed by lincoln,so that ought to tell you something,that there is no comparrisions,ford interior hand's down. Quiet cab,ford,Ride that feels like a truck should,not like a sponge,ford,Low end torque for pulling,and I have,ford. I know there are a few issue's on vibration but I think ford will handle the problem.There are also alot of issue's with chevy's also,so don't make a deciscion on the vib problem. Just drive both truck's and the choice will be made,FORD.

 

Alright I stay silent through most these posts and just watch people bite at each others heels but I feel I could lay my 2cents down here.

My friend's dad has a 2002 Chevy Extended Cab 4x4 5.3. My dad has a 2001 F-150 4x4 5.4. After 4 months my friend's dad put on dual exhast, better intakes and got a 6 inch lift with huge tires. Don't know the exact size of them. He always picks on me and my dad as we drive ford's, I myself have a 01 Ranger 4x4 4.0l. Compairing both Ford's to his Chevy was no contest. The ride in the ford's is a lot smoother before and after he had everything put on. Towing with the Chevy is also scary. Before and after he had all his stuff put on towing his huge boat (4.5k) feels like towing a bus. It stops extremely rough and seems to push it all over the place. Accelerating is also a pain because the engine revs up to about 3.5k before it starts to even really go. My dad's F-150 tows our boat 4k with ease. Never had troubles stopping or accelerating. Only has to rev around 2.5k before it moves pretty darn good. The new hype came out with the 04 F-150 and both my dad and my friend's dad went and test drove these trucks. He is VERY impressed and is most likely going to trade in his truck this fall for the 05 model (to avoid any little problems from first year production). My dad also is going to do the same thing. So there is a chevy owner (Silverado LS 1500 Extended 4x4 5.3) that will be trading his truck in for a new Ford. He was also able to try towing with it. My dad is pretty good friends with a dealer here and took the new F-150 to test its tow ratings. He took the Lariat Screw 4x4 5.4. He brought it over to my friend's dad to brag to him and then they took that boat out for a drive to see how it handled the load. It felt as if it wasn't even there. That extra weight helps a lot IMO for towing. Just my 2cents

 

"In half tons, mines DODGE. Biggest brakes, strongest frame, highest standard towing......."

WRONG!! Ford has the strongest half-ton frame by far. Hydroformed, fully boxed.

Brakes- you are talking 13.0/13.7 for the Ford and 13.1/13.8 for the Dodge. Whoopiteedoooo!!!!

 

_________________

Hmmm?......

Ford?...Strongest half-ton frame?.... By far huh?

Says who? Ford? I don't think so..the only thing Ford claims with their new frame is "the strongest F150 frame ever" - says nothing about the competition's frames. Yeah, I saw the phoney torsion test with the big guy leaning his weight over the iron bar.
Did you get a good look at it? Did you notice how he quickly bumped himself off the F150 frame, while at the same time made sure he lifted himself clear off his feet to put some twist on the Dodge's frame? And it still did'int flex that much.

This issue is somewhat subjective, since none of the manufacturers actually comes right out and claims to have the "strongest frame" - at least not that I am aware of. But to me, all you need to do is get under and take a good look at them all to know the difference. I really don't care if being fully boxed gives the F150 frame "9 times" the torsional stiffness of it's predecessor. Stiffness can go both ways - like stress cracking with heavy loads and in off road applications.
Torsional stiffness does not necessarily equate into strength.
The depth of the frame rails themselves means alot. The Dodge rails are considerably larger -especially over the rear axle where all the paylod weight goes. Also being fully boxed, while making the F150 frame stiffer, also allows the use of thinner materials - much thinner than what the Dodge frame uses - heck for that matter car frames have always been stiffer than truck frames -corrugated reinforced, fully boxed, sheetmetal frames have been around for awhile now, and while I freely admit that they are stiffer than solid steel frames, there is certainly no comparision in strength.
Both frames are fully hydroformed. Is the new F150 frame torsionally stiffer? I'd say so - even inspite of the phoney test. Is it stronger? Not in my opinion it's not. As far as the brakes go, - it might not be much, but it certainly dosent hurt one bit. Bottom line is, the Dodge looks really good, while the F150 looks like an oversized Explorer pickup, whatever that thing is called, and in fact thats the market it's really made for - no manual transmission practically proves it....

 

There is a huge difference in stiffness created by a material change and stiffness created by a design change. Changing the design of the frame to increase torsional stiffness will not change the physical properties of the material that the frame is made of, i.e. it won't cause it to crack. It will simply make the frame stiffer and stronger overall.

 

I'm a chevy guy and before my I got the 3/4 ton Silverada I had a Silverado 1/2 ton that I liked a lot. Recently for ****s-and-grins I test drove the Ford 1/2 ton and liked it even more. It was a nice well made truck - hope Ford does something similiar to the SuperDuty line..

 

If Ford ever turns the Super Duty into a larger Explorer- I don't care if it does say Ford on it's logo- Dodge and GM will dust Ford.

 

I hear that, sinister!

Ford better keep it's sissy stick away from the SD's!

500 lbs of soundproofing has no right to be in a real working truck!

 

By the way, sinister73, what is the tow rating of the new HEMI and the tow rating of the 2004 5.4?
I believe the 5.4 has it beat by close to 1,000 pounds.
I believe that the new Ford's frame is stronger than the new Dodge. I also think that the 2004 F-150 looks way better than the new Dodge. I think the Dodge looks like absolute crap, and I think the 2004 F-150 is beautiful.
I bet that Chevrolet and Dodge both HATE getting outsold for 30 years by a truck that is made for the Explorer market. That has to be most unintelligent thing you have ever posted. Ford offers the best-looking, best selling, highest-towing 1/2 ton truck. Don't they have the highest safety rating, too? Oh, and the quietest in-cab volume level? What does Dodge have again? Oh yeah, a big grill, and a Hemi that isn't even a Hemi. And the lowest-selling of the big three, lowest repeat buyers, and a big UGLY front end. I guess the Hemi can out-tow the 4.2 V6 and the 4.6 V8, but that's all they have going for them. Don't give me anything about the Hemi being faster than the 5.4 3v, either, because if you wanted a truck to race, Ford makes those, too.

 

My dad bought a 98 dodge and later traded for a 00 dodge because he wanted a SCAB. Had been a ford guy, dont know why he changed. I bought a 99 Reg F150 in between.

The first time our truck were together with the quads in back we noticed that his squatted 2-3 more inches than mine. He eventually installed a helper spring.

His truck has had injectors replaced, a fuel pump replaced, rear wheel bearings, brakes, front rotors and a couple of other problem that I cant remember. His friends 00 Dodge during the first winter killed the battery once. Second/Third winter a couple times each. This past winter 6 times. He wont even take the truck to him camp for snowmobiling.

My F150 had 50K miles and had never been to the shop for anything.

Why would anyone want a Dodge?

 

"Best Looking"???

Looks are subjective. Some will say the F150 is ugly. Just as some say the Ram 1500 is ugly

 

Right, my thoughts exactly, but since we were throwing opinions around, I figured that I'd get mine in.