I know what u mean manual. my dad has a 4.7 with six speed rcsb trust me it's got ****. and the 08 has even more oomph than the 06 year which he has. It's a great truck. 12k on the ticker no problems he loves it. I'm sad because the number of vehicles that have a good engine + stick shift are dwindling in numbers. especially in pickup trucks. It's very sad. I'm just old school like that stick shift 4 life, and i'm only 18 so there are still young people out there who know the art.

I like the term slushbox I think i'll use that from now on. dont' get me wrong some trannies that are built up from people like ATS those I wouldn't mind having. but i'd rather just get a stick from the factory that I know is reliable and won't fail me.

 

You have pick the best of the worset, and hope for the best, in todays market, thier is not a perfect truck, brand loyality will kill you, I was along time Ford owner, not now, Dodge has a lot of things i don't like in the Ram, but to date it has been the best truck I have ever owned, The Ram quality of the paint on my Ram is = to a can of tremclad, butr all my issues or minor, my 2500 is worked day in and day out and has nor quit or broke on me, this impress's me more than paint quality, but you allways want the best possiable.

GM trucks don't have rear disk brakes, Dodge automatics still have a lousy repuatation, Fords, never again, the big three service departments are like walking into burger king and I'm not saying Gm Ford or dodge builds a bad product, you have to take the time to research said product, and spend as less as possible.

The best truck is the one that;s paid for, even if its broke in the drive way.

 

My last truck was a 2000 Sierra. Before the warranty was out it had the transmission replaced twice, both power windows, and the radio went out around 30k. After the warranty ran out, I had no issues with the truck until around 60k when the accelerator was sticking closed. After everytime I stopped I would have to give the gas pedal a good kick to knock it loose, that was fun if I had to haul something with the tailgate down. GM had a fix for it (Very Common Problem), cost me about $75. At 90k tranny had to be rebuilt. At 100k is when I noticed my gas needle just plain acting weird, would say I had an empty tank, hit a bump, I'd be full, hit another bump, I'm empty again... It periodically gave me an actual reading, and I never got it fixed. At 120k the A/C began to mess up. Would blow nice and cold, and then all of a sudden, full hot. I drove it without further problems until 180k then I got the Dodge. So far after 5k miles, she's been running like a dream. Now at 120k that might be a different story, I'll let you know in 3-4 years...

 

I'd have to agree with everyone, there is no perfect vehicle and the focus of auto-makers is to crank as much out as fast at they can and spin any issues. In terms of Dodge vehicles, my wife had a 2K Stratus (sporty 2 door model). She loved it, I hated it (because I had to deal with warped rotors, a leaking intake manifold, sticking rear caliper piston, etc..etc..). I had a 2K Dakota w/the 4.7. It was "fine"...but went through factory rotors, two batteries, a leaky trans, and some "bug" that made the engine die occasionaly. All were fixed under warranty (plus a few recalls they had on that model), most with only minor arguments with the service manager at the dealership. Mind you, the thing was a garage queen, I traded it in in 2005 and it only had 28K miles on it. As for my '05 2500, so far it's been the most problem free vehicle I've ever owned. No recalls, nothin' dead, no weird failures....knock on wood, but so far I wouldn't trade that truck for anything on the market...

 

yeah the trannies are definitely the weak link in dodge trucks right now. They have a new sequential? automatic in the works, or possibly finished but not released. It has two clutches, so it engages the next gear while disengaging the current one. It is similar to the current paddle shifted transmissions that have come out recently. The 79rem is supposed to be able to handle much larger torque though, and the dual clutch system will increase performance. I'm really hoping to see one by 2010 model year, but only the car version, 62tem, is planned for release thus far. Only problem I have had on my truck was a blown front shock, which was covered under warranty, and was probably the result of when I was tboned. All makers have their problems, my 95 gmc jimmy I traded in was actually costing me more in repairs, head gasket, oil cooler lines, ball joints, etc. than the lease payment I have now.

 

i was tryin to find a good off road tranny for my truck i want to get rid of the auto and put in a manual in my hemi but got a quote for it and it was EXPENSIVE..

 

I also have to agree with everyone. I've owned and driven 2 Dodge Darts, 3 Plymouth Dusters, 3 Dodge 4x4's, and our family overall has owned a combined 24 Chrysler products over the past 40 years, Slant sixes, small and big blocks. Every vehicle had there own unique idiosyncrasies and most of them went over 100,000 miles without a major problem save for a timing chain, brakes, shocks, ball joints etc., some even went 200,000 miles. A few of the quality issues were usually related to an inferior part installed on the assembly line. My mom's 2000 Durango has gone through most of it's power door lock switches, my brothers 90 Lebaron had some severe suspension/paint issues, any of my late fathers 80's era Chryslers and my 2 Dodge 4x4's, 87 & 88, had some clearcoat peeling issues, and aside from the questionable plastic interior assembly/quality in all of our Chrysler products, we still loved them, especially with overall mechanical reliability being steady.
All manufactures have something minor or major that fails. It is no excuse if it comes in spades though like with the LSD failures in the recent 1/2 ton Rams and the truck trannys taking a puke (I'll have to keep an eye on that!) but I love my Dodge unconditionally. The kid next door to me bought an 07 Impala earlier this year and he has had it back at the dealer about eight times so far, mostly mechanical issues. His mom has an 06 Mustang with zero problems. Of course I would still look around for alternative vehicles if mine were to turn out to be a lemon but I would still buy another Dodge - that's just me though.