Hello, first time poster to this forum so please excuse me if I've violated some unwritten no- no, but here goes. At the risk of igniting a full-scale flame war about brand loyalty, I'd like input from folks that have owned the different brands and have first hand experience.

I'm looking to buy a used diesel 4x4, crew cab, short bed, automatic. I'm working with a budget of about $25-30k. I've owned a '98 Dodge/Cummins so I know how those rode (like a steel-wheeled chuckwagon) and I'm replacing a 4.6l Ford Expedition that doesn't have the umph to pull our new 6000lb camp trailer on weekends. Babyseat goes in the back, so its gotta have four doors. Emphasis is on stock reliability, ride comfort, utility, and economy. Thanks for any help.

Here you'll get GMC/Chevy for an answer...

go to a Ford site and you'll get....Ford

Go to a Dodge site and you'll get...Dodge


GMC has my vote. I love mine!


Ox

for comfort and cab space on used, stay with GM. each one of the manufacturers have had issues with their trucks, and some have not. on these forums, you'll mostly read of issues.

as far as crew cab size and comfort, GM has it all the way, especially in the used department. i would say, if you can get a used 03 or 04 LB7 motor GM truck, you'll be happy with fuel economy and comfort. i love my 04.5 LLY motor in mine, but the LB7, earlier version dmax, gets better mileage.

Ford was having issues early on with the 6.0. If you could find a 7.3 you'lll be happy. but i don't know how happy you'll be with the ride quality.

Dodge has alot going for them. the cummins is a strong 6 cyl and has great fuel economy. just missing some top end in my opinion.

My only suggestion is, drive to each dealer and test drive the trucks that meet your needs. Start with Dodge, then Ford and lastly GM (whether GMC or Chevy). Mind you that GMC does seem to look better than the Chevy.

You'll see after driving them, in my honest opinion, I saved the best for last.

After you are test driving at each dealer, tell them you are still looking and want to see how the others are. Once you get through all 3 of them, then they will know that you have made a educated decision and will gladly have your business. knowing that you looked at other trucks, they don't know what deal the other might be making. so therefor, you may gain some negotiating power and may have to fib a little to get the deal of the century for yourself.

Good luck and we'll see you when you return with your new truck of your choice.

You will have trouble finding a used 3rd gen Dodge (2003OR NEWER)but if you do you will like the ride much better then the 2nd gens. Remember they are all good trucks and much depends on your personal preference. Do as the previous poster suggests try them all but keep your eyes open.Good luck whatever your decision.

If you are wanting an automatic, I would go GM. I was always a manual transmission guy, but due to having a wife wanting to drive the truck, I decided to get an automatic.. While some may say the ford torqueshift is as good as the Allison, I would still stick with the Allison. It has a proven track record . Can't speak for the Dodge, but I do know most dodge diesels I have seen are manual.

This is a very commen question.
For an all around truck that will do any thing out there I would say, you guessed it GM.
For a work truck like plowing I would go with a Ford. They seem to have a strong frame and drive train for this kind of work. Some here are using the Allison with their plows and they seem to like it but when I back up for a long distance I find that it is a geared a little to slow for my tastes. The Dodge frame and auto tranny is in my opiintion junk compared to what is out there.
For trailer towing long distances on highways I would go with the Dodge w/ a manual tranny. The D/A (GM) is an excelent combo for this also. It has built in protection to keep the tranny alive for a long time and is also stout enough to handle a large haul. The Fords ('99 - '03) are not bad but I have personaly had some issues with the trannies and the engines on a 2000 Ford. That was the deciding factor for me chosing the GMC. And I have not looked back.
I personlay have not driven a Dodge Cummins truck. I did test drive a 2001 Dodge V-10 auto when brand new and The power did not seem to be there.
I do drive both the GM and Fords all of the time GM for personal use and Ford for work.

There are those who believe '02 was best year for 2500HD Dmax with Allison. Sure like mine!