Flame away, but I'm considering a new truck for the job. I drive a lot of bad country (county) roads in rural Arkansas in the Fayettville shale gas play area and need something smaller than the old Dodge 3500.

Seriously considering a reg cab Silverado, 4x4 auto. At 21 mpg, and a not bad ride, I'm thinking of trying one.

If I had the time, I'd build a Dodge 1500 reg cab, 4x4, 4bt.

Buy a parts 2nd gen Cummins, then a 4bt, a clean low mileage (bad engine prehaps) 2000 or so 1500 and start swapping parts. But alas, no time.

Anyway, can anyone comment on the Chev.

Thanks,

RJR

 

They dont seem like to bad of a truck, a little metro for me, not rugged enough, but hey thats the way everything is going these days. Have you thought about a Toyota Tacoma? If i did not like the cummins so darn much, thats what i would be driving.

 

That is what I did! I bought a Tacoma Double Cab and have not regretted it yet! I dont have anything to pull now so it just made sense. The Dodge was getting the same mileage but was allot more on the wallet and harder to get into tight places. I beleive that this is the same problem you are having. My 6spd Taco goes anywhere I need it to and the wife can actually drive it. JB

 

my brother in law has one, low miles still but a SWEET truck. if u have to, id get one

 

I'm pretty skeptical on the 21mpg part, I drove pre-production models, and while we were flogging them pretty good, they were lucky to get 16mpg's. The VortecMAXX got 9.8 throughout our testing, and people say the HEMI is bad...pffff

Get one, let us know how it works out, or wait and buy an 09 1500 Ram with a Cummins from the factory, getting 26mpg highway with 460 lb-ft of tq.

 

I don't doubt that claim of 21 mpg since the old ones without displacment on demand are getting near that already...

Get the GM truck or hold out till 09 for a 1500 cummins.

My brother bought a Tacoma earlier this year, he had to get a vehicle at that time and the new GM trucks had just came out so they weren't dealing on them with only a few on the lots, also the 07 Tundra wasn't out yet either.. He is now wishing he would have found a way to wait and get the Chevy since it is so much more truck for only a little more and gets the same MPG with the 5.3L.

 

I had an '01 2 wheel drive with the 4.8 auto and it did get 21 hwy...and it pulled my 30'TT all over the SE USA and did fine. I sold it with 111,000 miles and never had to do one thing to it besides scheduled maintenance. I wouldn't hesitate.

 

Need95, I'd love to wait on the 09 Cummins 1/2 ton, however how many times have manufactures made us lick our lips in anticipation and left us hanging.

I can wait if I knew for sure the 1500 diesel was coming in the next year or so. So, do you know something from the inside?

 

I had a 2000 GMC 1500 4x4 with the 5.3 and it would regularly get 18-20 mpg on the open road. I bought it with 8000 miles the day before I got married and we took it on our honeymoon 800 miles one way. With the cruise set at 85 it got rite around 16 mpg. With the cruse set around 75 on the way home it got rite around 18. At 60-65 it was 19+. IF and thats a BIG IF I ever go back to a gasser its gona be a GM. Personaly I am not in love with the Dodge part of this truck enough to even consider one without the Cummins.

 

Moparguy, I no longer work for a tier 1 supplier, but while I did I got my fair share of sneak peaks.

I'd wait a year, it may take a little longer but from what I drove it will be worth the wait.

 

The mileage on the GM's are more like 18-19. My wife just traded off her 2000 Tahoe with the 5.3 and consistenly got 18-19 with it on the highway. Around town it was 15+. Personally I think the new body style is hideous. I have always been a GM guy until I bought the CTD. I cant say enough about the Cummins, even tho I'm looking for a new vp44 at this time.

 

They upped the rating on the new ones to 21-22 hwy... I *think the old ones were rated at 19...

 

There have been quite a few articles where it's stated a V8 cummins will be put in the 1500 series trucks. I've heard a few people saying the rest of the big 3 are to follow suit with diesel powered 1/2 tons. With the gas scares and recent rise in diesel popularity it will happen, soon, they need to capitalize on this while they still can. I'd wait, if it's not something that is a pressing issue it's always better to wait.

If you decide you can't wait, tacoma's are awesome trucks, if I wasn't planning on doing a lot of towing it would be on the top of my list of trucks to own for sure.