In a word - quality.
The customer's perception is that Ford is simply better, holds up longer, fewer problems.
Whether or not this is true is another thing..
IMO, Chrysler Corp. vehicles have always been cheap - to their detriment..I have owned a '40, a '61, and a '85.
Nice vehicles is some respects, but constructed of cheap materials and components..

All the new trucks are similar in quality. So it just comes down to what YOU like in the trucks. Styling, ride, mileage, ease of entry/exit, etc. Some sit a bit taller than others making entry fun.
The Ford people will shout their's are the best! Chevy peope will say the same thing. Dodge owners will shout "HEMI".
I have a 2000 Dodge Dakota with 115,000 miles on it and it's a great truck so I feel that Chrysler puts out a good product. I also have a 2003 Ford Expedition (that's really an F150) with 70,000 miles so I can say it too is a great truck. And 3 of my neighbors have Silverados, so they must be OK also.
Test them all. Look at the Nissan and Toyota as well as the new Honda too. Don't expect any discounts on them though.
Do you NEED 4WD? Are you looking for utility or kuxury? Look at the gas tank capacities. Yeah, a big tank will mean filling up less but when you do....!!
Buy what YOU want, not what some here tell you to.

I agree. They all have different strengths. For one thing, a crew cab truck is big and heavy, so I'd give the diesel strong consideration. You'll get 17-18 mpg with a diesel and still have superior pulling power and the best durability too. A gas engine full size crew cab pickup will probably get about 10 mpg -- if you're lucky and if you don't drive too hard. You'll have to get the 3/4 ton or 1 ton to have the diesel available, but if you do decide to look at diesels, the Cummins in the Dodge is an excellent choice. It would be my top choice among the diesels from the Big Three, hands down.

Ah, but the Duramax in the GM trucks is an Isuzu diesel and is QUIET. That particular diesel has been around in medium duty delivery box trucks for eons so it's a proven engine.
The downside to the Ford and Dodge diesels are that you can hear them a quarter mile away. Now if D/C would put the Damlier diesel in the Dodge like is in the Dodge Sprinter van they would have a home run!
Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE diesels! I wish all the states would allow them. Maybe with the new biodiesel they will. If the new Jeep Liberty diesel is a success maybe they'll put one in a Dakota. And I'll be first in line to buy one!

I agree with the sentiment that they're all pretty good. Spec them out and pick the one that will do what you need it to do taking into consideration how you like it to look and comfort. Sit in the back seats too if someone is going to ride back there. I've found them all to be comfortable up front, not so much in the back. Diesel engines in these big trucks is a $5000 option. Not to mention some if not all of them take two or three times as much oil every time you service them. I wouldn't want one unless I did a LOT of towing. The mpg gain alone doesn't justify the added expense if that's the only reason for getting it. jmo

But the true reason for the Diesel is economy - 20 to 30 % greater MPG

$5,000 extra is also for a true heavy duty truck engine.
But this high price should become more reasonable down the road...Volkswagen charges about $1,000 more - this pays off in 3 to 5 years - and is good for those who drive over 20,000 miles per year..

Gary, as far as the extra oil goes - 2 or 3 times is, IMO, an exaggeration..
20 to 40% more is closer..
2005 and still no "light duty" Diesel made in America - a disgrace !!

**Gary, as far as the extra oil goes - 2 or 3 times is, IMO, an exaggeration..
20 to 40% more is closer..**

Not an exageration. Typical gas v-8 takes 5 quarts to change. One of the guys at work told me one time how much it takes to fill his. I believe it was 12. Think he had a Dodge with the cummins. He's moved on to a different job and shift now so it's not handy for me to ask him now. There's another guy there now that has a new Ford. I'll try to remember to ask him what his takes.

The only reason for the $5000 diesel option in a full sized truck like the poster is considering is for pulling power. Diesel fuel in my area costs more than gasoline. Add that to the extra cost of the purchase price and you won't recover $5000 in 100 years. The guys I know that have these large trucks with the diesel engine have them to tow campers, trailers, and boats, and they use them a lot. Too much money for for a once a year 100 mile trip.

Yes, it's hard to justify $5,000 extra for a diesel if you're buying a truck new, but my point was that it might be possible to find one used. Jeterway said he/she is looking for a used truck, not a new one. So, if the Dodge trucks tend to have lower resale value, maybe you could get into a diesel for not much more than a gas engine Ford or Chevy. If so I think that'd be a great buy. That was my point.

ChristopherH, I like all the diesels. But you'd have to say that all three of them - the Ford Power Stroke, Dodge/Cummins, and GM Duramax - are very well proven engines. I like the Cummins because I think an inline diesel is inherently more reliable than a V. But you're right that the Duramax is quieter than the Ford or Dodge. Hey, I'd take any one of them in a heartbeat.

RE: Ford vs Dodge full size pickups
Posted by: earthworm (My Page) on Mon, May 30, 05 at 12:29

""" But the true reason for the Diesel is economy - 20 to 30 % greater MPG"""
$5,000 extra is also for a true heavy duty truck engine.
But this high price should become more reasonable down the road...Volkswagen charges about $1,000 more - this pays off in 3 to 5 years - and is good for those who drive over 20,000 miles per year..

Gary, as far as the extra oil goes - 2 or 3 times is, IMO, an exaggeration..
20 to 40% more is closer..
2005 and still no "light duty" Diesel made in America - a disgrace !!

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Another EARTHWORM-ISM !

The main reason for buying a Diesel is "FUEL ECONOMY" ?? Most people I know,myself included, Bought thier trucks with the Diesel option for PULLING POWER,ie TOWING. Fuel economy was even a consideration. And as far as the amount of oil, Gary is pretty close to right on. He IS NOT referring to a V.W. , as you always do, or a Slaab, oops I mean Saab.

People I know who tow big boats and 5th wheel trailers think of both power and economy, especially if they cover a lot of miles.

On the Ford Super Duty trucks, you can pull almost as much with the 6.8 liter V10 as you can with the 6.0 Power Stroke diesel. GCWR with the gas is 23,000, and 23,500 with the diesel. But the difference is that the diesel will get better economy while doing it.

But I agree that you can't buy a new heavy duty diesel truck on the basis of economy alone. If a person does not need the ability to tow or do heavy hauling, a 1/2 ton truck with a small V8 or 6-cylinder gas engine would get about the same mileage as a heavy duty model with the diesel. The Chevy Silverados with the 4.3 V6 can get over 20 mpg on the highway. They won't tow much, but for someone who's just going to haul moderate weight stuff in the bed, they're fine.

Yup, the reason we bought our diesel was torque (to pull our trailer) and durability. And we got both...156,000 miles and still runs like a top!

But it is logical and conceivable that a gasoline engine can equal the torque of a Diesel -but, the durability - impossible.
And, in order to do this, the engine would have to be larger and have even worse economy.
It is the big -rig drivers who are interest in economy , not the man driving a luxury vehicle, but it is far better to average 17 than it is 12 mpg in any case.

And I was wrong with the 20 to 30% increase of the MPG, it is closer to 25 to 50% greater..

The M-88 originally used a Chrysler engine (in the 50s, 60s) horrendous MPG !( 0.1 mpg- thereabouts)
In the 90s, these were converted to Continental air cooled V12's - improved range from the much greater economy AND probably even more powerful..

Love the Diesel !

Talked to another guy at work today that has a full size dodge truck with the cummins diesel. He says it takes 11 quarts of oil. Says it gets 17 mpg tops empty. Gets 14-15 with his camper on. Got 240k miles on it now, had 130k when he purchased it. Loves it, had no problems besides the tranny shifting funny for a while which a transmission service took care of.

Every modern car is considered relaible and good.Youll need to find which one you like and choose. I would go with the cheapest truck though.

Ok, so back to the main qustion, Ford or Dodge? I am gonna be pulling a small boat and a semi heavy utilty trailor 400 miles about twice a month. I am currently looking at a 2007 Ford F-150 with the small 4.6L V-8. Or a 2005 Dodge ram 1500 with THE 5.7 v-8. I had forgotten about diesel, i really like the idea of biodiesel but you cant find it anywhere. What do you think?

For a family vehicle, it's hard to beat the Chevy Avalanche. It's really under-appreciated. A friend bought one new in 2004 and has always raved about it's versatility. We got ours, a leftover 2008 a few months ago and are absolutely thrilled with it. Nothing comes close to the ability to blend passenger and cargo capacity. They no longer make a 3/4 ton but for most people, the 1/2 ton is plenty of truck. Ours pulls our 25' travel trailer very well with the 5.3 V8. We get 16 in town, 20 hiway, and 10 pulling the trailer. Chevy's standard Onstar Nav is the best! A real live person to help or you can set up a complicated Mapquest route on your home computer and upload it straight to your vehicle. Radio mutes during directions and route instructions display on dash (no map display but you don't need it).

Posted by earthworm (My Page) on Mon, May 30, 05 at 12:29
" Gary, as far as the extra oil goes - 2 or 3 times is, IMO, an exaggeration..
20 to 40% more is closer..
2005 and still no "light duty" Diesel made in America - a disgrace !! "

Mr. Earthworm, YOU ARE WRONG and Gary is CORRECT. You've OBVIOUSLY never changed the oil in a full sized P/U with a Diesel Engine. Learn before we speak.