Pro/Con 2018 newer, Ram vs Chev vs Ford diesel engines

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by kendall69

After all my research I tossed out Dodge as they are a FIAT company and that told me everything. Fiat makes the worst vehicles on the planet. Great engine but the truck will fall apart around you.

GM had too may transmission problems. I even ordered a GM gas 2019 but read about all the tranny issues and cancelled my order losing my $1,000 deposit. Best $1,000 I ever spent NOT buying a GM.

I went with the Ford F250 6.7 nearly 1,000 ft of torque. From the day I brought it home I hauled 40 loads of trash with a 16' dump trailer and she pulled like a freight train.

The ride is the best riding vehicle i have ever owned and that goes up against the 2018 GM Yumon I had.

I can even buy GM's at the FAmily price as my Dad retired from GM, and I still bought the Ford.

I'm not sure which GM truck you were looking at and left a deposit on, but if it was a 6.0 gas engine in 2019 it had the 6 speed 6L90 which is pretty bulletproof. Torque management is kinda sluggish when hitching up very heavy loads the first 10-20 miles but those aren't prone to problems. Even the 2020 6.6 GAS engines kept the same trans. for now.

[LCRV]

I bought a 2018 Ram SLT Crew Cab 4x4 with 6.7 Cummins to pull my 38' fifth wheel. Came from factory with 5th wheel & gooseneck towing prep group as well as many other comfort options. This truck is vastly superior to the 2008 Ford F250 with 6.4 Powerstroke that I owned a number of years ago. It's comfortable to drive, gets excellent mileage when not towing and gets relatively good mileage when towing. The Cummins motor is awesome under load and I love the exhaust brake. I think they're all pretty good these days but so far... am really happy with this one.

[mlpeloquin]

I purchased at 2013 a 2013 GMC Denali Dually. It has been a very good truck. That being said, after a lot of research the only diesel engine designed and produced by a diesel engine manufacture is the Dodge Cummings. The ASIN transmission is bullet proof and is every bit as good as the Allison is not better. Best by reputation by three diesel mechanics for engine and transmission is Dodge, then GMC, then Ford. The ASIN was not out when I purchased the GMC and the Dodge produced automatic was not good. The manual by Dodge was though, but my wife could not drive the manual.

[Rhagfo]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Driving a diesel truck is great for towing right up until the time something happens like a clogged EGR or SCR or check engine light.

Well gas engines get CEL also, got news gas engines are not without fault.

[Txbubba66]

Cummins
There is no other my friend
Only TRUE DIESEL no other Diesel has cast iron heads and block. Need I say more?

[Jshopes81]

Originally Posted by mlpeloquin

I purchased at 2013 a 2013 GMC Denali Dually. It has been a very good truck. That being said, after a lot of research the only diesel engine designed and produced by a diesel engine manufacture is the Dodge Cummings. The ASIN transmission is bullet proof and is every bit as good as the Allison is not better. Best by reputation by three diesel mechanics for engine and transmission is Dodge, then GMC, then Ford. The ASIN was not out when I purchased the GMC and the Dodge produced automatic was not good. The manual by Dodge was though, but my wife could not drive the manual.

Isuzu came up with the duramax and last i heard they were way bigger than cummins.

Alot of dodges are hotshot trucks because theyre cheap to buy.

[ArkansasRomr]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

Hi, Ken -

I earned my BBA in accounting in 1961, and later my MBA way back in 1968, and spent my career juggling numbers. And I've been a "car nut" since even before 1957 when I had a hot-rod 1951 Flat-head Ford that I won races with at Yellow Belly drag strip in Dallas. So I care about the automotive business as well as the automotive culture.

Back in the bad ole days of 2007-'08, GM and Chrysler went bankrupt. Ford management was a little smarter (along with a little better luck?) and avoided bankruptcy.

Chrysler (manufacturer of Dodge including RAM) ended up owned and controlled by F.I.A.T. (fix it again, Tony). GM sold out their loyal investors by making their GM stock and bonds virtually worthless, ruining the retirement plans of thousands of GM employees and retires and loyalists. Ford management motored on and didn't screw their employees and investors.

So today with roughly equal products from the "Big Three", I'll choose a Ford.

And I've had excellent service from my recent Ford pickups. 1999.5 F-250 diesel I owned for 10 years and 200,000 miles. 2012 F-150 3.5L EcoBoost I owned for 7 years and ~80,000 miles. I liked that pickup so much that I ordered the same drivetrain in the replacement 2019 in my sig. Before the 2008 fiasco, I owned several different Chrysler and GM products and had good service from them too.

Good information here.

However, during the auto industry troubles I was a financial analyst for a large firm. Ford had their troubles a year before GM and Chrysler. In fact they took over 9 billion from the government. Also, there shares became worthless as they restructured into a new ticker symbol. We had a slew of clients who lost tens of millions on their F stock.

So they escaped the negative publicity of the TARP funds simply because they got their funds earlier.

As for the thread question of which pickup is best I’d say after owning all 3 they all have very good Diesel engines. I wouldn’t be afraid to hitch up with any of the three. My decision would probably be based on the best deal and which I thought looked and drove the best.

[ArkansasRomr]

Originally Posted by kdauto

I'm not sure which GM truck you were looking at and left a deposit on, but if it was a 6.0 gas engine in 2019 it had the 6 speed 6L90 which is pretty bulletproof. Torque management is kinda sluggish when hitching up very heavy loads the first 10-20 miles but those aren't prone to problems. Even the 2020 6.6 GAS engines kept the same trans. for now.

Yep,

The GM pickups have the toughest trannies out there....... an Allison. The same manufacturer who supplies pretty much all of the DP Motorhomes. I had a 2011 Chevy that never left the house without pulling something. At 433k miles later I sold her. Never had an issue besides regular maintenance.

[Scoobert]

GM..... I'll pass on the isuzu engine, allison is ok
Dodge would be ok now that they no longer make the engine or the tranny. But did they ever do anything about having the weakest front end ever in a diesel?
Ford the 6.7 has turned out to be really good with a very good trans. I would take it just because its the only one that has an aluminum box/cab and thats only because I live in the rust belt where a truck will rust apart before it dies from an engine trans.

I would take any of the 3 for free but if given the choice of the 3 for free I would take the F450.

But since I would have to pay for it I will stick with my 20 year old 7.3.

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by Scoobert

GM..... I'll pass on the isuzu engine, allison is ok
Dodge would be ok now that they no longer make the engine or the tranny. But did they ever do anything about having the weakest front end ever in a diesel?
Ford the 6.7 has turned out to be really good with a very good trans. I would take it just because its the only one that has an aluminum box/cab and thats only because I live in the rust belt where a truck will rust apart before it dies from an engine trans.

I would take any of the 3 for free but if given the choice of the 3 for free I would take the F450.

But since I would have to pay for it I will stick with my 20 year old 7.3.

I suspect all aluminium panels will corrode away as they always have. I doubt ''military grade" aluminium has a much different metal composition, not that military grade exists in the real world anyway.

I recall old tractor trailer aluminium bodies rotting away in 10 years, they'd turn to powder with the de-icing compounds we see on the roads. I remember GM aluminium hoods bubbling and turning to powder too as little as 15 years ago. GM aluminium panels will suffer the same fate I am sure.

Isuzu Duramax is a pretty tough engine. It's had its share of little bugs like all diesels in the past 20 years, but most of it was the fuel system from what I have seen. I'm keeping a close eye on the latest generation.

[Zoomschwortz]

Originally Posted by kdauto

I suspect all aluminium panels will corrode away as they always have. I doubt ''military grade" aluminium has a much different metal composition, not that military grade exists in the real world anyway.

I recall old tractor trailer aluminium bodies rotting away in 10 years, they'd turn to powder with the de-icing compounds we see on the roads. I remember GM aluminium hoods bubbling and turning to powder too as little as 15 years ago. GM aluminium panels will suffer the same fate I am sure.

Isuzu Duramax is a pretty tough engine. It's had its share of little bugs like all diesels in the past 20 years, but most of it was the fuel system from what I have seen. I'm keeping a close eye on the latest generation.

I have wondered what effect, if any, there will be from electrolysis when steel parts and aluminum parts are used together.

[Zoomschwortz]

Originally Posted by geotexZ71

Brand wars = comical. If you want REAL statistics, the vast majority have no access to them. JD Power aren't them. If you passed a college Statistics class, you know why. Consumer Reports? In the 1980s, it was unbiased , bit we are at 2020... I'm an OEM supplier, and have seen the manufacturers' statistics, and those are the REAL statistics when you can look at total production produced and metrics on total warranty claims, total buybacks, or sort by problem. However, I'm not going to get into it. I transitioned my career after 25 years of design to the last 10 in product manufacturing and raw material supply.

What I will say, buy your diesel at reputable, mainstream stations, change your engine oil and filter and your fuel filters on schedule, buy fresh DEF and don't run the tank out, follow guidelines for cold weather use, and, most importantly, use the diesel truck! This will serve you well, especially when you ignore the complaints on internet forums and "the I heard that this guy" nonsense because I can guarantee you can take the ENTIRE membership of any internet truck forum, compare it to units sold, and you'll find it is not a statistically representative sample set!

One thing I had never considered was buying fresh DEF. How old would be considered too old?

When you say “use the diesel truck” do you mean to drive it regularly or do you mean something along the lines of work the truck with a heavy load as many have recommended?

I have 2 friends that have used their Diesel Ram Trucks as their daily drivers for years without experiencing problems that are different from gasser trucks and cars I have owned.

Concerning my 2 friends using their trucks as daily drivers, I don’t know if it would be considered apple’s to apples when compared to the new Ram Trucks. One friend has a 2012 HO that he bought used and the other has a late 90’s that he bought new and still uses it as his daily driver with over 200k miles.

Would a new 2019 Ram be more susceptible to problems if used as a daily driver, occasional hauler than a 2012 and older Diesel Ram?

I understand that it would be hard on a Diesel Truck if it never has time to fully warm up, this is hard on gas vehicles as well, but for me, 10 miles at 55 mph - 60 mph would be considered a short drive, would this cause problems with a new diesel truck?

Thanks
Ken

[Zoomschwortz]

I am not a Fiat fan and wouldn’t consider buying a Fiat car, but, does anyone know, specifically, what, if anything changed on the Ram Trucks when Chrysler and Fiat merged?

Thanks
Ken

[laj]

comparing non def, egr, dpf to ones with is like comparing potatoes to apples. you need to fully understand the difference before dropping that kind of cabbage. also the difference between each yr. no matter which brand if buying used. there’s a reason why thousands of people delete