Hello All,

I / my family have traditionally been Ford owners. Currently I have a Ford F-350 with the 7.3L Diesel 2WD. I like it but it has the very high torque gearing in the back and I think it is a little slow and cumbersome. I had a 2001 F-150 before and I really liked the way that handled and cornered but the 4.7L gas was way underpowered. At this point I'm pretty much set on a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck and I'm basically set on 4WD. I am kind of on the fence between gas and diesel and the bigger problem between Ford or dodge. The general layout I'm looking for is a 4 door short bed. If were talking Dodge I like the mega cabs over the 4 door.

I don't do alot of towing and the biggest thing I would ever tow would be a few tons, like a midsize tractor. My needs really dont justify a 3/4 or greater ton truck but I think in general they are built heavier and that appeals to me.

With that said there is the gas or diesel. My needs by no means justify a diesel but I feel as though its just a beefy er setup. Also I think that if you buy a more powerful setup it uses less of its potential on a daily basis and in turn lasts longer. I have heard in the Dodges the tranny they put in the diesels cant handle the engine and the tranny goes quick?

If any of you are knowledgeable about mega cabs if you could throw in your 2 cents comparing mega cab to quad cab in dodge and either of those to crew cab in Ford.

I / my family have had nothing but trouble with anything GM so totally not interested in that route. I any of you could throw in thoughts about the ford dodge comparison that would be great.

Thanks! Sorry for throwing alot out there at once.

 

Here are my thoughts.

The Dodge transmission is sorted now. The transmission issues are old news and the 6 speed auto in the Diesel's was developed with Allison. No issues there.

The Cummins engine is thoroughly sorted as well. I don't believe there is a more reliable diesel right now. The Ford engine seems like a good engine, but it's still in it's first year. I'm an old school never buy anything until year 3 sort of person-but that's just me. Not really a Ford bash, but I've always been concerned about their diesels because they change them completely every 4 or 5 years, or so it seems. I really don't have anything against Ford though.

As far as the megacab goes, you just need to sit in one to see. It's huge inside. There is as much legroom in back as there is in front plus space behind the seat to boot. Really you just need to sit in the two to determine if you need that space or not. It's bigger than the Ford crew cab in a very noticeable way. That may or may not make a difference to you.

Personally I have the gas engine, but everyone else in my family has the Dodge Diesel and they just keep going and going.

 

Just to clarify this is the 6.7L cummins were talking about? With the auto tranny that comes with it?

 

yes. The 6 speed on the 6.7.

 

remember that mega cabs (even the 1500) are really on a 2500 frame. SFA and all of that. And new 1500s have a crew cab that is almost as big as the mega cab. The 5.7 hemi is a great engine, and depending on the year it can get pretty good mileage. The 6.7 cummins has had some problems and is power restricted but a bit of that can be fixed. The 5.9 was generally regarded as a better CTD. The transmission issue has been solved with dodge. The HD tranny is solid now.

I loved my ford. The new 150 looks great and the full 4 door is huge. The 250 is the best looking truck on the market IMO but also is super expensive. Their new diesel has had problems and my buddy (who works for an oil company) just got his 3rd powerstroke in the same truck. Their whole line is built to tow and although they are not super fast, they can haul a house. They have new engines coming out with some that seem to be innovative. But dont forget, its NEW.

You need to go drive them, and then weigh cost vs options. Every truck has their problems, and I doubt one brand really has many less than the other. My dodge has had a ton of problems, but my ford started crapping out at 60k

 

I used to be a Furd guy. First one was an F150 with the 4.9 I6 I bought new in '84. Great truck. Second one was a used 7.3 diesel that I used for about four years trailering a bass boat all over the southeast fishing tournaments. Lot of small issues, but never powertrain related.
Next was a new 1997 F150 5.4L that was a nightmare. I'm not going to go into specifics because I've posted about the issues and how the Furd dealer and Furd tried to get out of repairing a major engine failure with only 14k on it.

In my opinion, you have the last good engine Furd has produced, at least up until this year. The new truck powerplants look good to me, I especially am intrigued by the eco-boost, but it'll take time to see if they stand up or if they blow spark plugs thru the hood (hello, 5.4) or blow the head at the drop of a hat (hello PowerJoke 6.0).

The Hemi is a very good engine, although to use it as a tow vehicle I think it needs some modification. It makes too much of it's power too high in the RPM band (can you say "sports car engine"?) but there are some mods that bring that torque curve down that make it stand up to ANY gasser short of a V10.

The 545rfe is light years ahead of previous Chrysler transmissions (basically designed by Mercedes) and is not near as problematic as previous trannies that earned Chrysler the reputation as having the best truck engines on the planet mated to the worst transmissions.

The 5.9 CTD is arguably the best light truck diesel ever produced, period. But yes, the auto tranny used with it is a bit suspect, especially when modding that engine for higher HP and Torque. If I was looking at a used 5.9 CTD, I'd be looking for a manual tranny model, myself.

The 6.7, like ALL new diesels had growing pains related to govt. mandated emissions crap. But seems to have things straightened out. The 6 speed Aisin that was a joint venture with Allison is probably the best new transmission on the market right now.

If looking at a MegaCab, I wouldn't look at anything else other than a CTD...

 

Yea the only thing I dislike about the ford trucks now seems to be the price. Although I love my truck very much and have only had a few minor issues... I still am going to look at an Ecoboost F150 when they start showing up in my area.

I've never been a brand loyal person. I always felt that most manufacturers do a good job of making vehicles but unfortunately buying a car is like playing russian roulette.. 9/10 times you get a great vehicle.. but sadly... sometimes you get a total POS

 

I am a die hard Ford lover...with a Dodge Ram.

The only reason I am in a Dodge instead of a Ford is because of the Dodge Ram Power Wagon model. My wife and I were looking into a new truck back in 2004. I really wanted a Ford F-250 4X4 FX4 crew cab long bed or Excursion 4X4, with the Power Stroke diesel. While I was doing my research, I started seeing information coming out about the 2005 Dodge Ram Power Wagon. Well, because I off road a lot, more than I tow or haul anything, I went with the best off road truck...Dodge Ram Power Wagon.

I love my Power Wagon. I have no complaints except for the poorly geared automatic transmission. It does not allow the 5.7L HEMI to reach it's full potential. I would much rather have an 8.0L V10.

I really like the Dodge Ram Mega Cab. Great cabin room. If I needed a lot of cabin room, for the family, I would certainly be in a Mega Cab.

For me Ford makes a better, get down to business work truck. Dodge makes better specialty trucks, not counting the F-150 S.V.T. Raptor, like the Power Wagon and Mega Cab.

You can not go wrong with either the Dodge or the Ford. Both are excellent choices. Good luck!