What is the best available 4x4 pickup truck in HD - 2500? Maybe Ford, Chevy, Dodge, etc. your thoughts? Also, what kind of gas mileage should one expect, espcially with diesel. Regards, AIU

I have the old Dodge Cummins 1993 with 331K and never misses a beat. 20 MPG average, 16MPG towing. I had a horse transporter show up to my place with a similar truck in a 2WD dually towing a 9 horse trailer with 885K all towing miles!

If your looking on the used market, get a Ford with a 7.3. Stay away from a Ford with the 6.0!!! The older Cummins diesel is hard to beat and will get better mileage than the 7.3.

I get about 17 on the highway and 14 or so in town with my 7.3.

My 2005 Dodge Diesel gets about 21 on the highway.

If you're going to use the truck for real off road use, then don't get a diesel. The wt in the front makes then sink in. A good driver in mud will go farther in a 2WD than most diesels will. Do get a limited slip diff. in whatever you get, best few bucks you will ever spend.

That said, my 2006 Dodge 2500 4x4 Megacab (crew) with the 5.9 (supposedly better than the current engine) gets about 22 mpg on the highway running over 70-80, no load.

My son's 2010 F150 Quad Cab 4x4 with the smallest V8 gets about 21 mpg.

Best for money and use, probably a Ford. Best resale and, in general, slightly better amenities, get a Chev/GMC. Best for heavy duty hauling, prob. a Dodge. All my opinions, of course. Others will vehemently disagree. To me they are all just vehicles. I don't have any ego in a brand name, others apparently do.

That said, I haven't looked at the new Fords.....I've heard their cars are going to almost 100% touch type "buttons". I hate that, but I'm old fashioned. The more complicated, the more to break.

I love these threads. Mine is bigger than yours!

What is it's intended purpose?
What's your price range?
I have had a few trucks, and have some definate opinions, but what you plan to do with your truck has a huge impact on what I'd recomend.

I plan to use it to travel to the hunt site, which may be 1500 miles away, go off road, and sleep in it - that is, after it's set-up with a camper over the bed. Then, after getting my game, travel with the cleaned animal home.

I'm afraid with the currant prices of diesels and having to add the UREA to the tank and the price of fuel leaves little advantage to owning one. I have about 280,000 on my 2002 Duramax and it is the most trouble free vehicle that I have ever owned. It paid for itself before the fuel climbed above gas.
I heard from a Dodge dealer this week that Dodge will no longer offer the Cummings.
If I bought another diesel it would be a pre urea Duramax.

quote:

Originally posted by cjfoster:
If your looking on the used market, get a Ford with a 7.3. Stay away from a Ford with the 6.0!!! The older Cummins diesel is hard to beat and will get better mileage than the 7.3.

I get about 17 on the highway and 14 or so in town with my 7.3.

+ 1 on the Mighty 7.3 ChokeNstroke & 5.9 Cummins, especially the 12 valve.

My own 2001 7.3 gets about the same mileage as you posted, when I keep my foot out of it & that's hard to do.

Late models 2013/14...either 6.7L powerstroke or cummins if you tow, if you wanna haul ass...get the chevy duraslack. JMO

quote:

Originally posted by CamoManJ:

quote:

Originally posted by cjfoster:
If your looking on the used market, get a Ford with a 7.3. Stay away from a Ford with the 6.0!!! The older Cummins diesel is hard to beat and will get better mileage than the 7.3.

I get about 17 on the highway and 14 or so in town with my 7.3.

+ 1 on the Mighty 7.3 ChokeNstroke & 5.9 Cummins, especially the 12 valve.

My own 2001 7.3 gets about the same mileage as you posted, when I keep my foot out of it & that's hard to do.

Late models 2013/14...either 6.7L powerstroke or cummins if you tow, if you wanna haul ass...get the chevy duraslack. JMO

Good points. If you are basically unloaded it's hard to beat a Duramax fore "pep". If you need to haul something more then a couch or fridge, go with Ford or Dodge. If you want to "get up and go" with a load you would be best off with a Ford. Oh, for those "6.0" nay sayers, the last couple years production was just about buulet proof. 16 - 17 around town, 21ish on the freeway. Chevy couldn't keep up till after the 6.0 was out of production. Cummins on the other hand still isn't quite there. When Cummins starts making a V8 for small applications I'll be all over it (so long as it's not wrapped in a Dodge).

Ken....

Thanks for the replies. This helps. Regards, AIU

quote:

Originally posted by Ackley Improved User:
I plan to use it to travel to the hunt site, which may be 1500 miles away, go off road, and sleep in it - that is, after it's set-up with a camper over the bed. Then, after getting my game, travel with the cleaned animal home.

If that's all you plan to do, a 2500 might be considered overkill. You're paying a lot for capabilities you won't use. I've been getting by with half tons for the same purposes and not having to pay $.70 a gallon extra. If I pulled a heavy boat or tailer I'd feel a bit different.

I'm waiting to see how the Dodge Ram 1500 with the V6 turbo diesel works out. It's only a $2900 upgrade and may be the ticket for people like me that drive a lot every day but don't tow.

Even though my 2500HD Duramax is the most dependable vehicle that I've ever owned. I don't see another diesel in my future. The Dodge V6 mentioned above will fit the bill on power, but 22mpg empty in town driving and the 400 intervals on the DEF fluid. A 2.5 gal container is $18 and it is good for about 200miles. So if you have to put in $36 worth for every tank of Diesel, it will be very expensive to operate. I just called the dealer on this and this is where I got my info. They also said it was about a $4500 option, but even at $2900 and the added fuel conditioner, it don't make sense to me.

So the magazine I was reading was wrong on the price...imagine that! I do about 70,000 hwy miles a year and not much town driving so I don't know what my numbers would be. I have to finish off my 2011 Ford Taurus first, which will take a couple more years. Maybe the options and economics will improve by then.

I have a 2010 2WD Dodge Ram 5.7 gas V8. I love this truck. Huge power, Cadillac ride, quite, dependable, 21mpg highway.
Hijack off.

My 7.3 Ford is the best truck I have owned !

I'm going to do the body work and keep it ,
it's a 2000 with 139,000 mi on it ---just broke in . LOL

When it gets to the 290,000 mark like my Duramax, post again.

quote:

Originally posted by Bear Cat:
My 7.3 Ford is the best truck I have owned !

I'm going to do the body work and keep it ,
it's a 2000 with 139,000 mi on it ---just broke in . LOL

Yep, it's just broke in, smart move in keeping it & good luck with it.

My truck is also easily the best truck I've ever owned; I'm keeping it until the wheels fall off & then buying another one. (209,426mi)

quote:

Originally posted by Ackley Improved User:
What is the best available 4x4 pickup truck in HD - 2500? Maybe Ford, Chevy, Dodge, etc. your thoughts? Also, what kind of gas mileage should one expect, espcially with diesel. Regards, AIU

I am driving a 1993 Dodge with the 5.9 Cummins, so far 256,000 miles with relatively little trouble. I did get a new injector pump this year, the dealer said the old one was leaking (but it wasn't enough to keep it from getting 25 mpg at higher altitudes in Wyoming). It's mostly mechanical, not a lot of electronics involved. Oh yes, there is a pedal-position sensor on the injector pump that costs about $400 apiece these days and wears out about every 60,000 miles. When it does, the overdrive and cruise control won't work right. I keep my new one on the cable and an old one on the injector pump as a dust cover, only hook it up for a long trip when I want the cruise control.