tomanycars

I asked this question on the ford site and i figured i'd ask it here to avoid making a mistake based on bias.</P>
<DIV>i'm in college and i have a 91 <FONT color=#000000>explorer</FONT> right now, it's been in the shop or my garage over 25% of the time iv'e owned it and the tranny is gonna go. so i'm gettin rid of it. It only got 15 mpg so a truck won't cost much more to run right? i know i want a manual, autos are to complicated and expensive. i'm debating between theford v-10, 7.3, and the chevy 6.5. the biggest thing for me is i want regular payments and mantainance not unpredictable break downs. please don't say i shold buy a focus, i've heard it way to much. the fact is a cheep car isn't gonna take me sking and camping and it sure as hell isn't gonna tow my sisters 3 horse trailer. any advice is apreciated.</DIV>

bocajeff

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I have 9,000 miles on my2005 2500HD Duramax now. NO PROBLEMS! I LOVE MY TRUCK!!! I looked hard at Fords too. Just look at the interior a little closer on the Ford's. Cheap! Grab the front door handle of a new Ford truck and pull it while it's locked. The whole assembly pulls away from the door....easy access for thieves. The headlinerhas anunfinished edge at the back of the roof begging to separate in hot weather. The interior door panels are flimsy. I like the Grills and side view mirrors of the Ford better though. I made my front end sharper by adding a billet insert and replacing the gold colored chevy logo with a billet aluminum insert. Chevy quality is awesome. My last truck (c1500 V6 Vortec)is still running with 297K and has never been rebuilt.

tomanycars

i was lookin at the diesel before the duramax like the late 90s how do those run? <edited><editID>tomanycars</editID><editDate>38687.1978009259</editDate></edited>

Silveradotowpro

Between the two choices you gave, I too would pick the diesel. The maintenance on the diesel if different of course from a gas engine. Your mileage will be better than a V-10. Engine life is longer with the diesel. Do you plan on towing a lot or driving long distances? I was curious why you were looking at the V-10 to begin with.

tomanycars

i plan on towing a little but the trailerswill most likley be over 6000lb because the only stuff i,ve needed to tow are cars and horse trailers. i'll do quite a bit of highway driving so it'll probably be an even split. i expect my parents to use it for horse things when they want 4wd. i'm looking at the v10 because it has alot of power and i've heard only good things about it. i figure if i get the bigger engines it will be stronger trany and axles and everything so i won't strain it as much and it will last longer. is that logical or should i consider smaller engines?

Silveradotowpro

Considering the towing you speak of..I personally would go with the diesel. Don't let the 6.5 number fool you. The diesel with almost always out work a gas engine when it comes to pulling loads. The diesel engine is designed to pull heavy loads and remain cooler, hense why they last so much longer, and why you only see diesel in larger trucks. Hope this helps...

tomanycars

those were my reasons for chosing the diesel. how are the 6.5 in reliability? like i said i'm lookin at the v10 because it's reliable but i've heard differently about the 6.5 (detroit right?). my freinds 94 lasted till 350000 but all those have too many miles and 3 people have told me that the ones in the 96 till the duramax really suck and are teribly built. have you heard of problems in them or seen any long lasting ones. i'm trying to get as many opinions as i can because i always have such a wide variety of answers. also if you have any experiance with the power stroke i'd like to hear about it. the best way to find flaws is ask some one who doesn't like it. once agian thanks for all the input, i really don't want to buy a car with half confidence like my last one. which by the way i just rolled on an icey road last weekend.

Silveradotowpro

Let me start at the end and work my way back. In order of relaibility, the powerstroke diesel is the best. However, I have heard and seen a lot of problems with the transmissions. Cummings, in the Dodge, is the second in reliability. However, the safety ratings on the Dodge is not acceptable. Next you have the duramax. Prior to 2000 there have been power issues on the top end. Not in the torque area, just in the top end. Remember too that the diesel engine is made up differently than the gasoline engine. IE: Glow plugs vs. spark plugs. Diesel also burns at a far lower temp than gasoline. So when you are looking at milage between the two. If your gasoline engine has 150,000 on it...That's getting up there in reliable service life. Compared to 200,000 on a diesel, you are about the half life of reliable service. You will also find that most people that have had diesel problems have been with smaller trucks. Most of the time it has not been the engine anyhow, it's been the transmission. Follow regular maintenance and you should get reliable service for years to come. I would also want to see any service records of a used vehicle I purchased. Someone telling me," I do all my own service.", won't cut it in my book.

boosted5.3

go with a desiel the v-10 is not all that good. my friend has one in his work van i think its a e350 we had about the same load and i left him at a stop light i have a 2004 silverado 4x4 with the 5.3 as my name hints at a turbo my truck is all stock i just wish it was turbo charged</P>




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Mjd

My first piece of advice...................don't listen to a word that silveradotowpro said!!!! Seriously!!! Diesels do NOT use glow plugs for fuelignition(it is ingited by compression pressure), and most larger diesel engines do not even have glow plugs. They are used for heating the air in the engine so it will start more easily in cold weather. The Cummins (not CumminGs!!!) in the Dodge pickups has been overall the most reliable, long-lasting engine ever used in a pickup, with the only real rival maybe being the D-max(hasn't been around long enough to make a fair comparison). The 7.3 Powerstroke is a pretty good engine. The 6.5 Chevy is something to stay away from. If you are in college and you want something reliable, the 6.5 is NOT the ticket. Glow plugs are a problem, which makes it a pain in cold weather. Also, the newer engines have an electronic injector pump, which has been very problematic. Finally, the engines are not heavily built, and usually last no longer than their 350 or 454 gasser counterparts when used for heavy towing. If I were you, I would look for a Dodge with the 12 valve diesel, a 7.3 Powerstroke, or a D-max if you can afford it. Also, a Chevy with a 6.0 or 350 would be something to look at.

Wow, I didn't realize how old this post is. I hope someone can use this information!!!