The heavy duty truck wars are heating up

[C-grunt]

Gm announced the power figures on their next gen 6.6 Duramax this week. If you haven't been following the heavy duty cold war going on, that now puts the big three 2017 models at:

GM: 445 Horsepower 910 Torque

Ford: 440 Horsepower 925 Torque

Ram: 385 Horsepower 900 Torque*

*Ram actually has three levels of the 6.7 Cummins available in their production non commercial vehicles. This is the most powerful.


I known we have some very fierce brand loyalty in this group but we can all agree this is getting awesome!


Chevy's announcement.
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2016/09/...que-announced/

[TacticalSledgehammer]

You gotta have a minimum of about $50k to start playing. I bought a new Dodge Ram 2500 diesel back in 2006 for $33k. You can't touch one for anywhere close to that nowadays. Im not sure what my next one will be. Currently I drive a 2013 f-250 with a 6.2l gas motor.

[C-grunt]

You can get one in the low to mid 40s if you are okay with a fairly basic truck. Less if you wait for one of the sales.

[C-grunt]

Just priced out some trucks on USAA website, which just uses TrueCar, and here is what I got.

F250 crew cab 4x4 Powerstroke FX4 just under 45k

Ram 2500 crew cab 4x4 Cummins SLT just over 42k..... The Tradesman trim level was like 4k less.

Chevy 2500 crew cab 4x4 Duramax WT just over 45k..... Chevy had to drop down to the work truck trim level to get under 50k. Stepping up to the LT package brought it up to 54k.

[Averageman]

The Company I work for buys Dodge for the most part.
I have now driven both the 2500 and the 3500 for almost six years. If there is a less comfortable Truck to use as a daily driver I would imagine it is driven by oxen and the Marquises de Sade has designed the interior.
Between having the turning radius of a Destroyer, a total inability to find a parking space anywhere but in the next County, requiring DEF and the most unwieldy seats and cabin design, I envy those I work with who are driving Fords and Chevy's.
My "new" 2500 has the little dial shifter and push button 4 wheel drive select, I have contemplated a hammer to fix this at times.

[BuzzinSATX]

My daily drive is a Duramax diesel 2011 Chevy 2500 crewcab 4X4 with 8 ft bed. Bone stock, bought it new in Dec 2011. I have the LT trim package, so no leather, but I have a nice stereo, with built in navigation, so I'm good. Mine came with 397 HP and 750ish ft lbs torque. Bought it to pull a fifth wheel camper that never materialized, but I do love the truck, so it's staying. Sure I'd love leather and heated/cooled seats (especially cooled) here in south central TX, but I can deal with it. I have two friends who recently bought 1500 LTZ's and they are crazy nice interiors.

I'm not against Dodge or Ford, but I do like the ride and trim out of Chevy trucks, and they would be my first choice at this point. And I'm getting 15.9 MPG combined per the onboard computer....

Guess my biggest issue is the DEF fill spout, which is in a stupid location under the hood against the firewall.

Otherwise, I'm happy with it.

[jpmuscle]

And yet none of those come with handshakers any more.. Total travesty IMO.

That and a the emissions crap. .. But impressive numbers considering.

[brickboy240]

I had a 2500 GMC with the 6.6 Duramax. Never gave me a lick of trouble and pulled like a beast. Got around 21mpg on the highway too.

Loved the truck but since I don't haul anything heavy anymore, I went back to a 1/2 ton Sierra.

If I had to buy another diesel again...I would have no problems buying another Duramax.

[nova3930]

I'm interested in the Allison changes those GM numbers required. Torque capacity of the Allison has been what's been holding the Duramax back compared to the Powerstroke and Cummins.

You gotta have a minimum of about $50k to start playing. I bought a new Dodge Ram 2500 diesel back in 2006 for $33k. You can't touch one for anywhere close to that nowadays. Im not sure what my next one will be. Currently I drive a 2013 f-250 with a 6.2l gas motor.

I got my Ram for right at $43k out the door. It's not fancy but it gets the job done. Tradesman with chrome group, comfort group (cloth seats) and UConnect 5.0....

[cbx]

Yeah, the no manual transmissions anymore genuinely saddens me also.

Its to the point that they have to have automatics and tractiom control though. Most people can't actually handle those type of power levels and not get them self killed.