O.K. gang, I drove it. My buddy came over and we took it out. Its a F250 4x4 6.0 with the 5R tranny, cloth seats, extended cab, long bed in "shadow gray", or as my buddy says "gun barrel gray".

First thing right off the bat I noticed that it is about 1/2 as loud as the 7.3 outside, and 75% quieter in the inside of the cab. Also, it rides much better than my F350 4x4 V10, probably due to the extra weight of the diesel and tranny. It also sits about 2 inches lower than mine in the front and 2" in the back (his is F250, so probably lower blocks in the rear). The steering feels about 25% heavier than mine.

Now for the good stuff. Power feels like my brother-in-laws Banks 7.3. Lots of nice linear power. It feels slightly faster than my V10, but hard to tell. (We couldn't race them due to it pouring rain, and too dangerous). The tranny is VERY smooth and the tow/haul mode is neat too. The turbo is neat sounding, and it's nice that you can hear it, unlike driving the 7.3.
He took off the junk General tires after he drove it home from the dealer (250 miles). He said they were like ice skates, so he put on some Wildcat (Les Schwaub) all terrains. They really hooked up well in the rain, much better than my Michelins do in similar situations.

Now, we'll crawl under it when it dries out and look for oil leaks

 

I like hearing from those without some kind of "vested" interest in the truck. Be sure to let us know how things look underneath.

 

I've had my 03 F-250 4X4 CrewCab Lariet 6.0 Diesel with all the fixin's for only a week and I love it. Engine noise is lowered greatly after it's warmed up, and the sound of the turbo is awesome. Overall a great truck. The price tag is hefty, but worth it considering the lifespan of the truck.

 

It is nice too hear some positive opinions on the 6.0. I believe in fords ability even though my wifes 2002 ford focus`s tranny went out in just under 4,000 miles and had a rattle that took 4 times to fix from our poor dealer that is not blue oval certified. Anyway I love my 7.3 and am sure i would love the 6.0 even more and believe ford trucks rule and that no vehicle manufacturer can produce all there vehicles with zero problems. I believe in ford and know that they over all produce the best quality products. Thanks Ford! Ihope this doesnt **** anyone off! just my 2 cents.

Lee

 

I plan to trade in my 2002 7.3L Excursion for a F350 Crew cab dually in a year or so , so i have been keeping a eye on all the posts about issues with the 6.0L motor...I wouldnt buy one now , maybe wait a year or two and see if Ford can get their act togther and stop all the leaks and other issues i keep hearing about...........