Obviously this guy is just plain braindead, because anyone who would buy 3 problem cars right in a row, deserves it.

 

I use to be one of those loyal Ford guys. I bought a 2001 right out of high school. Great truck, but in cold weather the triton would knock like crazy. Then around 2006 the paint started to chip. But the truck ran great. So, in 2008, i sold it, and picked up a 06 4x4. In my opinion, the 2001 was a way better truck. Way more power and the 06 was so big. The 06 was way slow.

So i tried Dodge in 2010. My truck only has 3.21 gears and it is still way faster then that 06 Ford. I love this truck. Its quiet, small, good looking, and smooth. I have no idea why you would buy a Chevy or Ford. Now i dont know about Tundra, ive never drove one. Im going to 3.92 gears Tuesday and i think im going to really fall in love with my truck.

One of the things here in Kansas, is we use salt on the roads in the winter. You see alot of 90's Dodges with no paint. So everyone around here bashes them. But, i probably see more Dodges in Kansas then i do Chevys. Right behind those slow Fords.

 

I have a 2010 Vegas, its the limited edition bike that came with the 106 motor. Couldnt be happier that I decided to go with Victory over the other guys. The Jackpot was probably my first choice especially that Tequila Sunrise one but my wife was complaining that it was too much money!

 

I try really hard not to bash the others when I am on this forum, and this is JMHO. I don't want to offend anybody here.

I am a DODGE guy all the way. I have the Dodge emblem tattoo'ed on my left arm and it says DODGE under it. I am very proud of it.

I think they ALL used to make great trucks. I think the blatant Ford copy of the '94 Ram body style screams " I couldn't afford a Dodge, so I bought this cheap copy."
The v-10 engine they have is awesome from what I've seen in the rv industry. The rentals never have problems, they just go like hell.

The worst thing they did was get rid of the 7.3 diesel and replace it with the junk they've used since. As for the cars, the mustang looks good, thats about it, imo.

Chevy? As long as you get a tow strap, tool kit, and /or the tailgate warmers thrown in you should be ok.

 

I searched the web today and looked at other competitor models and window stickers. I am still baffled as to why Dodge still blows the pack away when it comed to value and options. I have a few people back a post and decided to do more online seaching. I was specifically took a 11' Express and compared the $29,000 sticker to other competitor trucks. The competition was not even close. Poor Ford, for $29,000 gave me a F-150 4x4 with a V-6 and a limited slip rear end. That was it!!!!!! Then Chevy and GMC at least offered me a 4.8 V-8, power options, so I give them a little credit for trying. The rest of the manufacturers I will not discuss because it is depressing. I am not bashing Ford, but can someone please tell me why people love Ford so much? Do Ford owners know they are being ripped off? If someone wants a nice 1500 4x4 check out the Express, I really never checked it out until today and what a NICE RIG FOR THE MONEY!!!!

 

I've owned the following vehicles:

1. 1992 Dodge Dakota LE Regular Cab 3.9L V6 2WD (No issues)

2. 1981 Ford Econoline E150 Conversion Van 5.8L 351W (Replaced Thermostat, Master Cylinder, Ignition Module, Starter Solenoid, etc... wrecked because brakes went out)

3. 1990 Chrysler Lebaron GT 3.0L V6 (No Issues)

4. 1995 Dodge Dakota SLT Ext. Cab 3.9L V6 2WD (Transmission cooler lines, Brake Calipers)

5. 2006 Dodge Dakota CC 3.7 V6 2WD (FCM replaced by Chrysler)

6. 1991 Dodge Daytona 2.5L 4 CYL (Connecting rod through the engine block)

7. 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 QC 5.7L Hemi 4x4 (No issues yet)

Always had pretty good luck with my Dodges and my Chryslers. The only one that failed me was the Daytona but I got that car for dirt cheap and it was just a point a to point b junker that paid for itself. My 2006 Dakota went on trips through Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming and the only issue I ever had was the FCM which seemed to be a freak deal. Chrysler paid for it out of warranty so I had no problem with it. My 2011 Ram has already been through Iowa, into Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, and Indiana. Couldn't be happier with the ride, handling, and fuel economy. Haven't had any issue with a single thing on the truck.

Every company has their issues. I prefer Dodge because I like the image. They are kind of the black sheep of the automotive industry. They are more unique. Fords the best selling pickup, yes, but I don't want to roll around in a vehicle that everyone else has. I have had bad experiences with the Ford I've owned, and Ford treated my parents like crap with their 2000 Windstar. So needless to say you won't see me buying a Ford anytime soon. I will also say I drove a Fusion rental car when my truck was getting hooked up with a linex job and a tonneau and I wasn't impressed with the interior fit and finish, power, or overall build quality of the car and the Fusion is supposed to be their competitor in the mid size sedan market. I was much more impressed with a 2010 Avenger Rental I drove than with the Fusion.

I do like GM Products. My parents have had good experiences with their 2009 Equinox and my fiancee's Dad loves his 2009 Impala. I've driven the Impala quite a bit and while the interior is a bit bland for a full size car it gets ridiculously good gas mileage and runs very smooth.

It's all a matter of opinion and preference in the end. I can't stand brand loyalists who form their opinions without experience owning products made by other companies. This kind of stupidity transfers over to the video game realm with the fanboys that proclaim that Xbox is better than Playstation and vice versa.

 

didn't read all the posts, but there was a time dodge was the worst of the worst. seemed like there trucks were an after thought with a limited budget for r&d. they put everything into the chargers road runners and challengers. and this was reflected in their resale value. dodge started coming into their own when they brought the 5.9 cummins to market and then set the pick up truck industry by storm with their redesign. now with the increased quality dodges have become the brand to compete with. many truck buyers still go by past reputation and it takes awhile for that to pass.

 

Yeah i have a 99 YELLOW dakota, i LOVE the truck. my friends brother has had 3 fords and a gm that all have had major problems now he always bashes my YELLOW dakota because it's a dodge. now i have had little repairs on my truck due to a stupid owner trying new things (me) (not the trucks fault) yet he still bashes my truck becasue it's dodge even though his 4 other trucks are sitting in his yard not being fixed and rusting away!

 

Pure jealousy of how cool the new RAM looks and how to make theirs look as good then they would have to make it look like the RAM. I believe corporate spys are in these forums and I think Ford and Toyota are upset losing a bit of market share maybe, I don't know for sure but I do know here where I live it's mostly Dodges on the road.

 

I don't think anyone can generalize and put people into categories quite so easily. It's not true that all Toyota owners bash Dodge, and vice-versa. I have my own loyalties, and they are based on a combination of factors including my own ownership of said vehicle(s), family/friend experiences, online forums, etc.... My taste for a vehicle (or against it) comes from multiple factors not just one.

Having coming from, and still owning, several TOYOTA's, I've also owned two Dodges. My '98 Ram 5.9L was a turd. yes, I can go on and on about it's poor quality including rusty boxes/doors/frames, weak/sloppy steering, cracking dash boards, poor seat quality, intake manifold leaks, cylinder heads cracking, and so on. Toyota has issues as well, but in my own opinion, the issues have not been as numerous or absurd as some of the stuff I'm seeing with Dodge. My Dodge has rust perforation at only 7 years old on the box. It's a design flaw because Dodge was too cheap to install plastic wheel well liners, and instead added them as a $200 "option" (which nobody bought). So, all the salt and crap flies into 2 holes in the wheel well, gets trapped permanently, and the wheel wells rust out. Yes, Toyota has/had rusty frames, and much of that goes back to poor paint/prep work going back to a Dana plant in Indiana. And just my two cents, but Toyota's quality was best when they were all built in Japan. Things started sliding when they started building them over here. Toyota is replacing the frames on these trucks, and it's a $10,000 repair (for free). You have to "earn" the right to get a replacement frame, but how many other car manufacturers go out of their way to offer such a recall? There are TONS of complaints about Dodge with simple things such as crumbling dash boards and Dodge basically tells people "not our problem." From my perspective, Dodge does not stand behind their products like Toyota. That being said, I just bought my second Dodge (2005 quad cab hemi) a few days ago. I was thoroughly impressed by how much better it drove/felt/looked compared to my '98 Ram. After I had the '98 Ram, I didn't think I'd be owning another Dodge anytime soon, but this 2005 (and the help of a couple of other 3rd Gen trucks) changed my mind. However, it still appears that Dodge's customer service might be lacking, as I continue to see people on this very forum saying the dealer won't do XYZ even though a truck is only a few years old (e.g. rusty box, crumbling dash, ball joints, death wobble, etc....). Dodge has done so poorly over the years that they got themselves sold, and we now own Fiat Rams.

And as for Toyota's recent "recalls:" 1) at least Toyota is offering up free replacement of such things. Many manufacturers just stiff the customers (*cough* DODGE). And at least some of these recalls by Toyota, and news in the last couple of years, has been nothing more than media hype that has since gone away (particularly since Mr. Run-away-Prius in california was shown to be lying about his "experience."

I sound very Pro-Toyota after typing this, and I am, but I am only taking about a couple of brands for the purposes of this conversation. I have plenty to say on other vehicles too but am not going to go in to it at this point. Besides, it's only my opinion anyway. but much of what I think about brand XYZ is how the manufacturer handles things down the road, including well past warranties expiring (e.g. Toyota replacing Tacoma and Tundra frames on vehicles with 200k miles). It can certainly still be a struggle to get your Toyota frame replaced, as they don't just give them away to anyone walking in to the dealership, but at least Toyota IS offering to do something about it. Many of these recalls are for unlimited mileage/age.

Ultimately, you can ask 10 different people about brand XYZ vehicle and you will get 10 different answers of varying degree. I think I make educated decisions though, and my loyalties are with only some manufacturers. Toyota and Dodge are two of them and for different reasons. It's Toyota because of my experience with quality (meaning lack of problems) and how they take care of their customers compared to other manufacturers who their customers hang, and Dodge because of tons of power, excellent styling, more affordability. But you'll have a hard time convincing me Dodge will step up to replace gas pedals, floor mats, frames, etc.... or anything else for that matter that Toyota or these other companies have offered to replace under recall. I am just using Toyota's recalls as examples because I am more familiar with them.

P.S. I won't touch a F#rd. Dodge is the only domestic "big three" truck I will even consider. I won't go into detail at this point why I don't like Ford, but I don't need to own one to learn I don't like them. Close family/friends take care of that for me. I have a "loyal F#rd owner" in the family, and he's continually coming up with excuses as to why it's normal that his F#rds (as in multiple) are continually breaking down. He does not own a newer Ford yet, as in since the economic melt down and their refusal to take any government hand outs. From what I see, Ford's quality has improved since then. But I'm still annoyed with their TV commerials--they frequently say stupid things trying to compare them selves to none other than..... Toyota. My favorite "infamous" F#rd commercial is where a trailer opens up in a parking lot (gas station I think?) and a TV announcer breaks out saying how the new F#rd whatever-it-is, is PROJECTED to have a higher re-sale value in 4 years vs. the comparable Toyota model. Seriously? They make a whole commercial about a projected resale value? Do they have to try and promote the "Me Too" quality by actually having to state such a direct (projected) comparison?