Ram quad cab 4x4 vs dakota quad cab 4x4

[jaymegriffiths]

LOL!

Apparantly you've not yet learned to take anything a Chevy owner tells you about his truck and multiply by 0.5 to get to the truth. (Dodge guys have a multiplication factor of 0.25 to 0.33 ) You'll learn eventually.

My dad had a company truck that was an '08 Z71 crew cab with a 5.3. Man let me tell you, did that thing get awesome mileage or what!
It did low double digits on gas and high single digits on E85. His company had several of them but the stupid things cost so much to drive that the company got rid of them and went back to vehicle allowances.

you are honestly the first person to complain about 5.3's milage to me.
i dont know about pre-07's but the flexfuel ones are very good.
and ur crazy if you think company vehichles are drivin in an effort to save gas... in what universe
and although chevy guys are 99% douchebags i wont discredit my friends words against a stranger on the internet.
nonetheless.
i cannot garuntee any milage numbers of the new chevs as i dont have one but i know they cant b that bad

 

[EERNGER]

i love that most of this argument is over towing capacity. go to youtube and look up 12 valve gets pulled by ranger. i'll give you a moment.

Ya gotta watch yourself with youtube, and pull videos for that matter. Case in point :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvWwJrvUki0&feature=PlayList&p=0E6A748BDDC7AFC9&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=47

Now do you think the escape can tow more than a semi? its obviously moving one. see what i mean? if we all took this video to heart you could assume there would be more Escapes pulling those trailers.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Yeah, 30 is a big stretch though it may be possible with a 4BT...
I can personally attest to my friends 92 Dodge CTD 2wd auto getting 24MPG once, I was in it fillup to fillup and calculated it myself. It typically gets 18-19 mixed and 20-21 freeway. It's got 300k miles on it and still going strong, original tranny too...


One reason I don't like HEUI injection...

Keep in mind you're talking about buying new, I can buy a 12 valve CTD for 6k, get 20+MPG, and tow a house. IMO buying new doesn't make sense for any vehicle when it comes to cost/benefit ratio. Same with all the tools spending 25K on a new Prius when they could spend a few grand on a used VW TDI, get equal/better mileage and not have huge car payments and an overly complicated POS.

The good ol' 12 valve is still the king. Best reliability, best mileage, easy to work on, great cold starting, easiest to "turn up", the list goes on.

Those milage #'s are pretty consistant with what I have heard, I was talking to a guy the other day with a '06 2500 with the Cummins. He was getting 22mpg when empty, he put some seafom in the tank and he was estatic to get 25. Wonder if it will stay there or go back? We also had recent major warmup in the weather that I can't help but think would make a difference too. He is also one of those guys that you kind of question what he says.

Dunno much about the Cummins reliablity, the only ones my brother sees are in schoolbuses... and they don't seem any more reliable than anything else. He has been working at Ford dealerships for three years and that was the only crate diesel he has seen put in. He doesn't do oil changes, so he only sees the bad ones. I highly doubt the dodge mechanics show up at work to just play cards all day...

are you crazy? i can count on one hand the number of guys i know who have bought diesel and regretted it as an investment.
and 30mpg is a stretch???
guy i know has a crew cab 4wd got a personal best of 36 with 33" TIRES and wwas dyno'ed before other mods at 450hp.
keep in mind these figures were calculated with canadian gallons, (4.5 liters) not us (3.78)
the difference can b substancial.
ie 22 mpg canadian is about 24-25mpg us.
so his average is about 26 highway us (im guessing) with 24v 4wd auto crewcab
and i dont need to bullshit its not my truck.
my truck gets horrible milage
lol
and there was a guy in diesel power a while back with an 1800 horse 3stage nitro twin turbo 12valve reg cab auto who said he's gotten 60mpg drivin like a grandpa but on average gets over 40 so i know its doable.

and the guy who dropped 13 k into a crate???
wtf is wrong with you!?!
13 k can build one heeeelllllof a 6.0 and fix all the problems that cause it to go poof in the first place. plus change left over to help that tranny (oi)
around here 6.0's are plentiful and cheap (running under 2500 bux )

Yeah, and a good friend of mine says his 198X one ton Chevy 4x4 with a 454 gets 35mpg...

The crate 6.0 was for a welldigging company, they were losing money every day it was down and needed it going. They didn't want to mess around with a JY engine, they wanted the Ford crate so they got it. Ironically, they used to run only Dodge's but got sick of the truck but loved the engine, so they have been cycling their fleet from Dodge to Ford.

BTW, $2500 would put a very big dent in a crate 5.4. So far the only time they have needed one of them is when someone gets the brainy idea of going the 20k mile oil change schedule.

You guys are about as pushy as a used car salesman trying to cram a 3/4 ton truck down this guys throat. I am not trying to turn this into a diesel vs gas debate, but just that I think that a 3/4 ton truck would be overkill for someone that really doesn't need it... and I still don't think he needs it.

 

[Hahnsb2]

Dunno much about the Cummins reliablity, the only ones my brother sees are in schoolbuses... and they don't seem any more reliable than anything else. He has been working at Ford dealerships for three years and that was the only crate diesel he has seen put in. He doesn't do oil changes, so he only sees the bad ones. I highly doubt the dodge mechanics show up at work to just play cards all day...
.

They're about the most reliable you can get. There are a number of 1 million mile CTDs.

My father works at a bus company as shop foreman/mechanic, everything from small buses to tour buses. They used to have a bunch of 6bt and Ford 7.3 buses, most of the 7.3s had to be rebuilt around 350k, many of the 6BTs were up in the 600Ks and the 6BTs were in bigger buses... He absolutely hates that 7.3. IMO there's no need for a V8 diesel in this application, the HEUI injection is stupid complicated, the 7.3 in general is a pain to work on, pretty much needs glowplugs to start when cold and they are notorious for killing glowplugs, ect. The 6bt uses a grid heater which it still doesn't really need unless around 0*F, the injection system is a much simpler design, it has 30% less parts overall, easier to work on, usually gets better mileage, IMO the 6bt just makes sense. And they sound just awesome of course.

The company ended up getting rid of all the 6bt and 7.3 buses, the smallest thing they have now are 8.3 Cummins. Most of the big buses have Detroit series 60s and those things are super reliable, a few with over 1 million miles.

If I ever have a rig that is no longer street legal I plan on ending up with a Dodge 12v and a 5 speed to pull it with.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

They're about the most reliable you can get. There are a number of 1 million mile CTDs.

My father works at a bus company as shop foreman/mechanic, everything from small buses to tour buses. They used to have a bunch of 6bt and Ford 7.3 buses, most of the 7.3s had to be rebuilt around 350k, many of the 6BTs were up in the 600Ks and the 6BTs were in bigger buses... He absolutely hates that 7.3. IMO there's no need for a V8 diesel in this application, the HEUI injection is stupid complicated, the 7.3 in general is a pain to work on, pretty much needs glowplugs to start when cold and they are notorious for killing glowplugs, ect. The 6bt uses a grid heater which it still doesn't really need unless around 0*F, the injection system is a much simpler design, it has 30% less parts overall, easier to work on, usually gets better mileage, IMO the 6bt just makes sense. And they sound just awesome of course.

The company ended up getting rid of all the 6bt and 7.3 buses, the smallest thing they have now are 8.3 Cummins. Most of the big buses have Detroit series 60s and those things are super reliable, a few with over 1 million miles..

And you don't think there are any million mile Power Stroke's or Duramax's?

They don't keep the school buses near that long around here because in their words "they get too maintanence intensive" (I suppose mainly the transmixer), and a truck won't last that long reliably either. Generally by 300k if something else hasn't killed the truck rust is about to around here. Like I mentioned before dad's '80 F-350 is closing in on 300k, the rust was fixed once right after he got it 18 years ago and it needs it again... the tired 400 he pulled out of POS '82 F-350 he put it right about the same time is still ticking pretty good too considering it is in a 30 year old service truck that is beat like a borrowed mule by most that drive it.

If anything happens to my F-150 I would probably get a newer Mustang for a DD and a 80-82/3 SRW F-350 4x4 with a 400 to park behind the shed for when I need a tow pig or a winter warrier. The Mustang would more than make up the fuel difference and would be funner to drive, and the big gas burner would start easier in the winter... clearly shown this past winter when winter came sooner and harder than expected and left many diesels helplessly gelled with tanks full of summer fuel. But until then I love my F-150, it takes me darn near a month to go thru a tank of gas the way it is, when it was -20 it turned cranked over slower but never missed a beat otherwise... and wasn't plugged in.

 

[jaymegriffiths]

And you don't think there are any million mile Power Stroke's or Duramax's?

They don't keep the school buses near that long around here because in their words "they get too maintanence intensive" (I suppose mainly the transmixer), and a truck won't last that long reliably either. Generally by 300k if something else hasn't killed the truck rust is about to around here. Like I mentioned before dad's '80 F-350 is closing in on 300k, the rust was fixed once right after he got it 18 years ago and it needs it again... the tired 400 he pulled out of POS '82 F-350 he put it right about the same time is still ticking pretty good too considering it is in a 30 year old service truck that is beat like a borrowed mule by most that drive it.

If anything happens to my F-150 I would probably get a newer Mustang for a DD and a 80-82/3 SRW F-350 4x4 with a 400 to park behind the shed for when I need a tow pig or a winter warrier. The Mustang would more than make up the fuel difference and would be funner to drive, and the big gas burner would start easier in the winter... clearly shown this past winter when winter came sooner and harder than expected and left many diesels helplessly gelled with tanks full of summer fuel. But until then I love my F-150, it takes me darn near a month to go thru a tank of gas the way it is, when it was -20 it turned cranked over slower but never missed a beat otherwise... and wasn't plugged in.

this arguement is really goin haywire we are now comparing cars to trucks.
the reason we get different milage numbers is im using the canadian gallon (4.5 liters) and you are converting at 3.78
so your 25 mpg buddy take that and devide by 3.78 and times by 4.5...
29.76 by my calculations. sooo....
we're really not that far off. and im not trying to cram a 3/4 ton down the guys throat but if you have the money it doesn't make sense to buy anything less than 3/4 ton and diesel.
if they made a 1/2 ton or 1/4 ton diesel i'd be rooting for that instead.
and as far as million mile durms and powerstrokes?
not saying there isn't any but garuntee there isn't as many.
our 7.3 work truck has 616,000 and counting. and starts in - 10 not plugged in.
however milage isn't great.
but its all about budget. if your budget is 15 grand and you never tow a 4.7 dakota is fine. if you dont carry more than one passenger at a time, a ranger would be better (purely personal choice)
and if you need a fullsize for room and towing skip the half ton go diesel. if your set on half ton buy a ford.
chevys are gay and dodge cant make a truck
end of story
ps your 454 buddy needs a kick in the scrotum for b/sing a friend

 

[TheOne]

for wat its worth i had an 04 dak with the 3.7L v6 auto... (it was the red head child of a 03 and 05..) i LOVED IT. economy is there was good, automatic tranny felt very nice. i loved the truck. it was only an extended cab but it would be perfect for kids. it does have the child restraints for the car seats.

with the ext cab the box is more the ample. made for a hell of a truck