Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Late Model Diesel Truck Comparison

Just stay with an 07 or earlier diesel. The emissions crap make owning a diesel not worth it IMO. The mileage sucks and you pay more for fuel. Its a joke.

I would look for an 03 or early 04 Dodge with a manual transmission. The cummins engines in those years had one less injection event and came from the factory with no catalytic converter or emissions junk

Yes, but, that tank is right up against the fuel tank and there is really no more room under there for more capacity. Fuel and DEF are both accessible through the fuel fill door. Big green cap for diesel, little blue cap for DEF.

FWIW, the long-box F250/350 has a 37.5 Gal fuel tank, that would be much better, especially if a guy is towing anything heavy, fast, or both.

If I had to drive a pickup as a daily driver and had a lot of in-town driving mixed in I don't believe I'd own any of the newer diesels. Start short-tripping them and/or not getting them up to proper operating temps and I think a guy starts to experience a myriad of nagging issues that stem from the choked down exhaust systems but blossom all over within the engine. When it's below freezing here letting the truck idle won't even move the temp gauge, gotta be driving it to bring it up to temp. With the truck outside overnight @ say 10F ambient, it takes 15-20 min of driving to bring the engine and trans up to normal operating temp. Park into a stiff wind @ that temp and idle and you can watch your engine temp gauge fall like a rock.

I really do like my pickup, but, the shortest run I make with mine regularly is to shoot skeet and that's ~15mi one way, more than enough time to get things up to temp, even enough to run through a DPF regen cycle. Other than that my trips are 50mi+ one way.

Maybe I'll stick with my '97 for hauling that 5th wheel and check into upgrading the cab.

DON'T BUY A DIESEL TRUCK FROM 08-10 FROM ANY OF THE MAKES, AND DON'T BUY A DODGE UNLESS ITS A 2013 THAT HAS THE SCR SYSTEM AKA DEF.

simply put thats as simply as I can state it. SCR/DEF system has meant the auto makers can greatly dial back the EGR and regeneration events. both ford and chevy have gained back all the fuel mileage they lost with the chocked 08-10 models. my 2011 ford gets some of the best fuel mileage of any diesel I have owned including mechanical injected cummins especially when you factor the weight of the truck. The 2011 fords have proven to be very problem free from my readings and based on my experience.

dodge didn't switch to DEF because they were too cheap to update to it until recently and as a result their trucks are about 20% less fuel mileage than a comparable ford or chevy. that is a huge number to pay extra in fuel. this didn't used to be the case before 08 dodges normally got as good or better fuel mileage than the other 2 makes.

If it were me I'd be getting an LLY or LBZ Duramax, '04.5-'07.5. Ride smoother and tow way better than your '97, no comparison.

Back in December of 2005 I bought a 2006 Cheverolet silverado 2500 HD with the Duramax LBZ with the Allison transmission. I bought the truck to tow campers and farm tractors. All I can say is that truck is a beast and will tow like a locomotive. It appears that I bought a diesel truck at the right time. No particle filter and no def fluid to fool with. My best fuel mileage was 22.8 mpg on flat land. Do your research, ford and dodge claim that they have more power and torque, but it counts where the rubber meets the road. The gm drivetrain puts the torque to use and in most cases will out perform the others. Also I must say that my Chevy 2500 HD has a smooth ride.

Oh yea I must mention that my truck only has 51,678 miles on it so its going to last me a while. No new trucks with DEF for me.

LLY and LBZ are new terms to me.

How do you rate the cab features in those year Chevys/GMCs?

The GM Duramax LBZ (engine code D) with the Allison 1000 transmission is the best of breed. That would be 2006 and early-2007 model years.

Earlier models sometimes have injector problems.

A buddy of mine just bought a new 2012, the one before the recent DEQ stuff. He loves it.

Do the research and enjoy.

Thanks, guys. I figured this would be a good place to start the research with input from those with experience.

Since my Dodge has always been so good to me, I haven't looked around at the alternatives in many years.

If you happen to be in an area with limited diesel emissions testing and can tolerate a little bit louder exhaust there is absolutly nothing wrong with the newer dodges as long as you stay 2010 and back. I drive a 2008 with all emissions junk "missing" and quite a few other mods, and while I still don't get quite the mileage of the older 5.9 cummins I manage 25-27 hwy hand calculated and 20-23 in town. Rides great and has no problems but if there was to be a problem Id feel a lot more confident under the hood of a cummins than the newer ps or dmax, not saying their not great trucks because ones just as good as the other these days but the simplicity of the cummins is still pretty close to what it has always been.

Justin.

[quote=USMCSS. I drive a 2008 with all emissions junk "missing" and quite a few other mods....... I manage 25-27 hwy hand calculated and 20-23 in town. [/quote]

Bullsh*t

My old Cummins never got that kind of fuel mileage. I see 15-18 around town. 8-12 pulling the heavy fifth wheel.

Once again, I know the majors all have the power I need. Really looking for advice regarding the cab creature comforts. The wife and I have lots of cruising planned and need something that is quiet and very comfortable on the highway. A 10 minute test drive cannot provide that information.

Thanks.

Do some research Ackman. I've done mine and I've done a lot more driving. Jump in a 6.7 with the deletes and do your own calculations. These trucks do amazing things when their not choking from emissions, hell bring your happy ass down here from utah and I'd be glad to hand you the keys.

08 ram 2500 2wd 6.7 cummins + ALL DELETES + smarty on sw7 + 5 INCH STRAIGHT PIPE= 25-27 hwy and a lot of pissed off powerstroke and duramax owners, which I assume is the catagory Ackman falls into.

Spoken like a true Cummins owner....

Last thing my happy ass would be doing is go 2,000 miles to friggin No. Carolina and drive your truck a tankful of fuel. See I also know a bunch of guys with Dodges. Some with 5.9's, some have 6.7's - my neighbor has 5 of them. Some guys with 6.7's get terrible mileage and don't like having less power, wish they'd kept the 5.9's. Guys with deletes and tune - smarty's too - don't get anywhere near 25-27 on the highway. That's bs. In their dreams maybe. I know guys who work on diesels all day long. Say you have a smarty (BFD) and 5" and get that kind of mileage - they'll laugh and roll their eyes, say "yeah right." Being pissed isn't a factor. Mine is a Dmax and I wouldn't trade it for any dodge. It's about bullsh*t.

Haha. Go [bleep] yourself... Packman and while your at it maybe you should try driving on something other than utah hills all the time and do a real calculation. Its a proven fact, and I'm sure if your neighbor had 5 cummins (bullshit) than he would tell you the same thing. Sounds to me like a typical Dmax owner (see above post.), pissed off about their broken tie rods and blown head gaskets, but hey were all cozy in our car like interior. Get a life dipshit, I came on here to make an obseration and make my opinion but your hillbilly ass decided you know everything about every diesel ever made and apparently know every diesel driver and mechanic too. Call me a lier on a public forum, ive got news for you, my life doesnt consist of getting on a forum and making up some b.s about my magic cummins. If it wasnt fact i wouldnt say it. i made an observation and anyone could agree or disagree but calling me a lier was just uncalled for.Keep your piece of mexican [bleep] chevy and call me or one of your buddies (who hate cummins so bad they happen to own 5 of them) when your bowtie is smoking blue.

1) Aww.......

2) Maybe you should try driving some mountains. Or across western Utah which is flat. Or Nevada which is flat. Maybe you should learn how to do math. Or stop deluding yourself.

3) You think smarty and a 5"pipe is some kina hot-sh*t? It's proven fact the smarty isn't hot-sh*t. And proven fact you won't get anywhere near what you're saying. Every diesel owner would love that but it ain't gonna happen. Neighbor has 8 trucks......5 Dodge, 3 Ford.

4) "Pissed off?" Dumbazz ought not be ass-uming. The "typical" Dmax owner never does to theirs what I've done to mine. And you think Dodge/Cummins don't have suspension problems? Or blow headgaskets or crack pistons? Or have at least as many problems as other trucks? Wake up.

5) I know what these things will do and won't do. Most people who've been around diesels for at least awhile know. There's no secret about this. Your magic Dodge......bullsh*t. Someone in north carolina calling anyone hillbilly is funny.

6) You used the word liar, I didn't. You can't even spell it. I called bullsh*t on your bullsh*t. Don't like that, too bad.

7) Mexican Chevy? Yeah right. Ignorant fool. Wait by the phone and hold your breath.

Such an angry little man, I've driven those mountains, I've hiked them and I chose not to live anywhere around there because of all of the [bleep]*ing idiots like you around there. I don't think a smarty and a 5 inch are hot [bleep] but I can assure an 11.21 second quarter in a "piece of [bleep] cummins" is "hot [bleep]" and mine does it quite regularly after pulling a friends 12 second mexican max to and from the track because he can't keep it running. Go to the dealership and look at american parts content on the window sticker...40% american, that's right and I'm the ignorant one? Where do you think the rest is made? Oh yea Mexico and China. Sorry to hurt your feelings but your pretty much driving and advertisment for egg roles and tacos.

* ill give it to ya, at least you got one thing right. I misspelled a word. Oops your argument was so valid that was all you had to give your 7 paragraphs some substance.

Just face it I win you lose, I'm driving american, and your driving fried kitty. Good day to you sir... and as alway GFY

You went from saying one truck is as good as the other these days, to bashing what Ackman has cause he called you out. Nice. mtmuley