Here are some impressions of my 2007 5.9 CTD.This is my first Dodge ever.I always considered myself a tried and true Chevy guy.Test drove Duramax and wasn't impressed.It drove like Grandpa's Buick.You couldn't even hear the engine when standing right next to it.One day while working in a relative's front yard I heard a Cummins powered Dodge drive by and as he accelerated you could hear the turbo spooling up realy distinctly.From that moment I knew this was the truck I had to have.
Well I now have about 12000 miles on mine with exactly ZERO issues.Only went back to the dealership once to have the high idle enabled.
Impressions:
Quality:OK.No better than my Chevy but no worse either.
Fuel economy:About 18.5 average.(Pretty good IMO).
Ease of maintenance:SUPER,everything is right there!
Best of all I love driving this truck.It feels like a truck.Does everything I want it to and then some.
I'm hoping to keep this one quite a while since all the new trucks have too much emissions stuff that I don't want to deal with.

 

Mileage should get better w/ age. They did skimp on the interior a little.

 

Getting pretty good fuel mileage out of that with the 4.10s. I would assume Northern VT, you are a 4x4?

 

I too switched; to Dodge from Ford. I love driving my Dodge as well and am overall very happy. My first 1,000 miles have not been trouble free, but I think the dealer has it healthy now. The things I love about the Dodge are the ride and handling, the fuel economy, it is quite compared to my PSD, and the style. I think my Ford was a whole lot better made and sturdier truck though.

 

My only gripe - CHEAP interior with poor ergonomics. Love everything else....Well, they could have full rubber protecting the inside of the wheel wells for us rustbelt folks.

 

i always enjoy hearing those kind of stories. i towed with my old roomates 01 ctd, and KNEW i had to get one to tote around my trailer.

i wish the back seats were larger. but heck i never ride back there. in a couple years i will purchase a mega.

Max

 

Something wierd happened from the acceptable materials and fair quality of the 05 interior to the 06 model year....Almost seems like the bean counters in Duestchland at the time said....... "DECONTENT & MAKE CHEAPER".

 

I gotta check out out an '05 then. Every time I get to looking at the dash and other panels, I start thinking that there just may be more cheap plastic in my truck than at the AVN Awards.

Don't get me wrong, I love the truck. I just don't see how using quality materials can cost that much more in the overall scheme of things on trucks that cost this much. Mazdas use nice materials and they're pretty cheap cars.

OK, two other gripes but they apply to pretty much all trucks. Why aren't bedliners and at least a full-up factory installed electronics package for trailer hookup standard equipment? I find it laughable that they install door guards but no bedliner as standard equipment.

 

Good point about the Mazdas....

Ford does one thing right with their factory installed Brake Controller - I think all HD trucks should have that from factory.... they should also come with an EGT and Trans Temp gauge (if Auto)....

 

We should compile a wish list and hope someone important at Dodge sees it...EGT/trans temp/brake controller should be part of any heavy tow package.

If you go look on Ford forums, they love the brake controller and upfitter switches.

 

austin ... dodge offers those wheel well protectors as a MOPAR accessory you can pick up at the dealer. or at some place like dodgeparts.com

 

Yea, 2005 was my favorite dash... I don't care for my 06 with all that woodgrain crap, also hard to mod for switches...

 

I had an 07'. The interior was hard on the eyes for me....The black in the 05' seems like its made by a different company. Has that deep rich almost VW of Euro texture to it. Kinda suprised by the differences in material quality when I got rid of the 07' truck and bought this one....The 07' was a Hemi 1/2 ton or I would have kept it. Truck needs to earn its keep at my house. All play and no work makes for a long tough month of car paymenst!!





And the 09 1/2 tons will look like this??? Yikes! It looks like a Honda Civic SI inside. Suppose the 2010 2500/3500 will look like this as well???

 

I'm in the EXACT same situation as the OP. I was the Chevy guy tried out all three and went for the Dodge. I'm at the same mileage w/ ZERO issues. All I've done is install a Smarty jr setting on 40hp and it just seems to be PERFECT for DD duties. I've never seen an interior as cheap as this tho.

 

I think I'm in the minority here, but I actually like my 07's interior better than my 03's darker one.