sdaves

This might be alittle long, but please read and give whatever advice you can provide. I've narrowed down to Dodge and GM, and I am posting this at a couple of both Dodge and GM sites.

I'm looking to buy a 2006 3/4 ton four door, 4wd, diesel, automatic truck. I've narrowed down to Chevrolet 2500 4wd crew cab, Duramax/Allison or a Dodge 2500 quad cab, 4wd, Cummins/48RE. I'll be using it to tow a landscape trailer that weighs 3k, but looking to upgrade to larger enclosed and possible skid steer in the future. I WILL NOT be lifting, bombing, etc. Only thing is maybe changing muffler to something a little louder. I maintain my vehicles very well also. I'm going from a 2004 Toyota Tacoma, so it'll be a BIG change either way.

Dodge pros:
CUMMINS - speaks for itself
Solid front axle
nice styling
compact size
better mileage

Dodge Cons:
48re - 4 speed, but seems pretty reliable
small quad cab - I don't like the looks of the megacab
"rumors" of Dodge problems like trucks falling apart. I've never owned a Dodge, but put very little faith in this

Chevy Pros:
Allison
bigger cab
comfort

Chevy cons:
Duramax - 3 changes in 6 years, not a lot of history
IFS
same rumors as Dodge, depending on who you talk to.

I'm not looking for brand wars, just honest information. ANYTHING that you guys can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

JD Dearden

Well as far as auto's go they all suck period end of story. Other than that Chevy has really nice seats other than that I woulden't buy one. Dodge overall is the best product out there, in my opinion and I have 2 Fords 2 Dodges but o chevy's.

jrogers

I've had both and I have to tell you the Duramax/Allison is a good match and Chevy makes a nice truck....but what sold me in the end was the reliability issue.....The Cummins is the hands down best diesel ever made. I also thought about the bigger cab issue and for me it was easy....I don't plan on riding back there and I have my first baby on the way...so no need for the bigger cab...and the quad cab is not so bad I had 3 guys in the back going to the Chargers this past weekend game that where all 6' + and weighed 250 +...and they fit fine. Lastly the Dodge falling apart issue....Dodge has made leaps and bounds since Mercedes took over.....all trucks are going to have issues and forums like these exaggerate them sometimes....so read with a grain of salt. Long story short I think both trucks will do what you want them to do but you have to think do I want a motor that is still a baby or a tried and true beast like the Cummins......I will step down off the soap box now

packard8

I recently went from an ‘01 Ford F350 CC 4x4 to a new Ram 3500 4x4 QC. I looked at the GM, but I really prefer a stick and you can’t get one in a GM short of an act of congress. I also found the Dodge to be priced $4-5K less for a similarly equipped truck (maybe just this area??). If you plan on going off road much, the solid axle on the Ram is a better choice, although the GM has a really nice ride on pavement. Comparing the big 3, the Ford has the most CC cab room (short of the MegaCab, which I also find out of proportion with the short bed). I don’t have the stats in front of me, but as I recall, the GM is a narrower cab, and about the same inside as a Ram QC.

IMO, the trucks are pretty evenly matched, but the Cummins ISB engine has by far the most positive history (I didn’t even consider the Ford six-point-oh-no, tho I had real good service with my Ford 7.3 PSD). If you aren’t in a big hurry, Dodge will have a 6 speed auto out soon, might be worth waiting for.

Pooter

Cummins for stone cold reliability.
Duramax if you like frilly craaaap, in a cute package.

I use my truck, and want to know it will last me a long time.
Never liked the styling of the ford or chevy(in trucks), and IFS is retarded if you ever intend to go off road or use it like a truck, for real.


Dodge will hold on to its value much longer as well, as the miles go up. Look for yourself in classifieds for any of the top 3.

one54ton

Dodge - has a CUMMINS
Chevy - doesnt have a cummins

The allison is a better STOCK trans but but more power behind it and shes done for. The dodges look better, has a solid axle, will last much longer and not to mention are quite a bit cheaper. Its a no-brainer!

supersonictoys

I have heard that the allison isnt even built by allison and isnt near as heavy duty as chevy is claiming. I have had NO problems with my 48re what so ever. I have a friend who has 770,000 on his 94 dodge and has never done anything to the engine except change a tranny pilot bearing in the back of the crank. ever looked under the hood of the chevy? not near as user friendly. would sure hate to have to do even something minor to it like a water pump . oh , and by the way , is chevy offering 0% financing and employee pricing?

Spooler

Chevy's are O.K. Better than Ford. The issue is the price and all that extra crap you don't need on a truck that runs the price up. For the money the Dodge is the way to go with the Cummins. If you want a good looking work truck get the Dodge. If you want to look perty and pay way to much get the Chevy. When you come down to it all diesel trucks are expensive so make sure you do your research and get what YOU want. You have to make the payments not me. If you want an option, get it.

nriver

if you are keeping the truck stock and are worried about the tranny, get the extended warantee. that should take the fear out of the 48re. If you do make some changes for 3K you can have a built tranny.

I also think you can get a dodge allot cheaper than the chevy.

The last two dodges i bought I looked at the other options. The dodge with all the options came in at least 5K cheaper.

I guess I am saying get your best deal. That has been a dodge for me the last 8 years. when I finally steped up to a full size truck.

Chopper_Bob

Chevy VS Dodge. This is the same dilemna that I went through. I bought an '06 Dodge. In all honesty, You aren't going to go wrong with either ride. However, Dodge has the Cummins and if you ever have to work on the truck the Inline 6 looks way easier than the Duramax. Dodge seems to offer way better incentives. My truck stickered at $42K and I brought it home for $32K. GM doesn't seem to bargain with you like that. The D-Max will give you better fuel economy than the Cummins considering the upgrades that you have mentioned. I am getting 15-16mpg. I am hoping that it breaks in and improves. My friends that drive the D-Max are reporting 18-20mpg. I also feel that GM puts together the best interior compared to Dodge and Ford. With the GM everything is well thought out as far as reach, comfort, and convenience. The GM sits way lower than the Dodge. Also the Dodge looks better with the Quad Cab than the GM's look with the extended and crew cabs. I have had 4 people riding with me on several occasions and all said the back seat had plenty of room. With all of that being said....I love my Dodge. Sits higher, better price, I6 will be easier to work on, Looks Awesome!, hauls 4 to 5 comfortably, Great Power, etc. Drive both and see. The power of the D-Max is impressive.

topless

I drive the exact truck you are looking to buy. I have the Dodge for 2 reasons. 1, the Cummins. 2, the driving experience. The automatic has some unusual and sometimes annoying characteristics. But, you get used to them. I changed torque converters, because the stock one was too loose for my taste. However, the actual drive between a GM and the Dodge does not compare. The Dodge handles better, turns sharper and all around drives better. The difference is like driving a Chevy Caprice (I know they don't make them anymore) and a Mustang. The Chevy is softer ride and has body roll, decent power and smooth. The Dodge drives wrong for a big truck. It feels much smaller than it is, rides sportier and surprises people with it's handling.
My advice is to drive them. I'm not sure in 5 years, what the value will be on the GM, but the Dodge will still be worth something.

grantx5

Have to agree with JRogers, Cummins reliability. If you are going to trade it off in 2 or 3 years probably doesn't matter what you choose. But if you want a long lasting truck, pick the Cummins.

My buddy has a GM DMAX, nice truck, can't say anything bad about it. I like the ride of my Dodge better, tighter steering, Cummins low-end power. The 48re isn't a perfect tranny but has towed my 7200# Sunnybrook like a champ.

In the end I really felt the Cummins was what mattered. The DMAX just isn't going to last as long or provide as many trouble free miles.

...and the back seat, I felt the same way, kinda small maybe. Turns out to be no problem. Haul guys back and forth to lunch at work and they love it, family does too.

PanteraGSTK

GM makes good trucks. IFS sucks IMO. I don't like the interrior of one over the other. Duramax isn't as reliable but a close second. If you were buying a gas truck I'd say GM. This is a 4wd diesel. It should have solid axles. That leaves ford and dodge. Ford has engine problems. To me that leaves only one alternative, DODGE. You'll be happy if you get it.

68HemiFury

I can't speak for the Chevy other than what I've heard others say, but as for the Dodge you won't be sorry with that choice. Every brand is going to have it's problems once in awhile but man is this one awsome truck.

As I write this my truck is hooked up to my 18' construction trailer with a 8000 lb. Posi-Track loader on it. Pulls, handles and rides just fine. Maybe just a little push on the corners, but that is compared to the 7yd International that usually pulls it. Far more power than the IH and way better handling.

Now for my 2 cents of advice, ( I know some won't agree) but if you are considering hauling that much trailer on a regular basis, you might consider a 3500, maybe even dually and get the 6 speed. Search the forums but I think you'll find that those who haul a lot prefer a manual trans. Now if it was only an 8 speed.

Good luck!
Scott

Dodgezilla

So, were you born in 68????