2005 1/2 Ton Pickups - Chevy, Dodge, or Ford ?

Of course my vote is for the Chevy. I owned a 00 extended cab and I loved it. I just traded it in for my 04 Avalanche a few months ago. I drove it for 4 years, put about 60K on it and the only thing it was EVER in the shop for was a new battery and tires.



You might also consider the Avalanche if he doesn't need the full length of the bed all the time. It has a number of advantages. You get a full sized back seat with 4 full doors. When you need a full 8' bed, you can lay down the back seat and you get > 8' of bed space that's fully covered. You can haul full sheets of drywall in the rain and they stay dry. You also have saddle compartments in both sides. The side compartments and the bed all lock up for secure storage.
 
Champagne is definitely the color to get if it will be dirty all the time. It looks much better than white when it's dirty. Believe me, I've owned both.
 
VictoryRed said:
Any grade 5 or grade 8 bolt will do that.
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Ahh, yes, but that's not what the commercial was about. It's showing that a single bolt that they are using can do that, yet they use x amount of them.



If I remember correctly, the new Ford F150 is rated as one of the safest trucks on the road, which can't be said for the older F150's unfortunately which were rated with the lowest. New and Improved baby! :xyxthumbs
 
Sean- Ford makes a really great work truck. Built to handle alot. If he decides to go with Ford He could always pick a truck of choice however order it with the heavy duty components that come on the 250's.(ie, Suspension, shocks, etc.) Unless he gets a F250.



Alot of people don't notice but there are alot of companies that have fleet vehicles(within the construction trade) and a majority of the companies go with Ford, because of the reputation of there work line. Just my .02
 
VictoryRed said:
Go to JD Power, select "I know what I want" enter the Ford ext. cab light duty, the dodge 4 door, the chevy ext. cab 1500, slide the bars all the way over to "very important" (don't just click on the end) and the chevy came out on top then the dodge, then ford. Then go here http://fordglobe.org/sites.html I tested all 3 back in sept. the ford seats feel like a wetsuite. when you think of the dodge think transmission. Don't get mad everybody has different tastes, respect that. Do your home work. Fords are made in mexco too.
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Actually you aren't getting an overall rating when you slide "all" the bars over at the same time. Underneath where it ranks them look at the priority it lists. When I slid all the bars over it showed the order you pointed out but, listed my top priority as "Fuel Economy". A better test is to individually slide the bars over one at a time and check the results for each priority. That is what I did and here is what I got.



Mechanical Quality

1. Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 4-door

2. Ford F-150 Light Duty ext. cab

3. Chevrolet Silverado 1500/2500 ext. cab



Performance

1. Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 4-door

2. Ford F-150 Light Duty ext. cab

3. Chevrolet Silverado 1500/2500 ext. cab



Style

1. Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 4-door

2. Ford F-150 Light Duty ext. cab

3. Chevrolet Silverado 1500/2500 ext. cab



Fuel Economy

1. Chevrolet Silverado 1500/2500 ext. cab

2. Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 4-door

3. Ford F-150 Light Duty ext. cab



Comfort

1. Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 4-door

2. Ford F-150 Light Duty ext. cab

3. Chevrolet Silverado 1500/2500 ext. cab



Long Term Dependability

1. Ford F-150 Light Duty ext. cab

2. Chevrolet Silverado 1500/2500 ext. cab

3. Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 4-door



PIN Retained Value

1. Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 4-door

2. Ford F-150 Light Duty ext. cab

3. Chevrolet Silverado 1500/2500 ext. cab



According to the results I got, the Chevrolet definitely does not lead the rest. It would seem to indicate the Dodge is the better vehicle (the durability ranking is a cause for concern) with the Ford coming in second and the Chevrolet last. In the end though I don't think you can really go wrong with any of these trucks. Take a good look at each one and pick the one you like the most as if you are like me you will have it for a long time. You might even see if you can get an overnight test drive on each one so you can get more than the usual drive around the block. My preference would be the F150 but, I am a confessed Ford guy. I am on my 4th Ford with the occaisional Chrysler product thrown in the mix every now and then.
 
Pondscum said:
Of course my vote is for the Chevy. I owned a 00 extended cab and I loved it. I just traded it in for my 04 Avalanche a few months ago. I drove it for 4 years, put about 60K on it and the only thing it was EVER in the shop for was a new battery and tires.



You might also consider the Avalanche if he doesn't need the full length of the bed all the time. It has a number of advantages. You get a full sized back seat with 4 full doors. When you need a full 8' bed, you can lay down the back seat and you get > 8' of bed space that's fully covered. You can haul full sheets of drywall in the rain and they stay dry. You also have saddle compartments in both sides. The side compartments and the bed all lock up for secure storage.
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He shouldn't have too much too much go wrong in 60,000 miles.
 
Wow!



Thank you for all of the help with this decision everyone :)



I figured the choices were gonna be tight. It might actually come down to which dealer offers my father a better deal. Furthermore, I'm with because I like how new and improved it is, my mom with Dodge for looks, and my Uncle with Chevy for reliability (he has a 00 with over 100k and no problems).



I will keep everyone posted with the decision made.



Oh, BTW, the Maserati for my pops...:rofl ...My mom said she'd divorce him if he showed up with one :) ...She's not quite as crazy as us about upgrading our toys ('01 Cobra). My dad wanted it pretty bad but my mom needs the work truck more. He said possibly this summer...we will see :)





Thanks again for the help!
 
GSRstilez said:
Wow!



Thank you for all of the help with this decision everyone :)



I figured the choices were gonna be tight. It might actually come down to which dealer offers my father a better deal. Furthermore, I'm with because I like how new and improved it is, my mom with Dodge for looks, and my Uncle with Chevy for reliability (he has a 00 with over 100k and no problems).



Thanks again for the help!
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I think it was on Autoweek or somewhere but, if it comes down to the deal you will probably do better with the Chevy as GM is trying to buy the number 1 spot away from Ford with lots and lots of incentives while Ford is trying to get away from incentives.



As to durability here is what I got from the JDPower site.



Long Term Dependability

1. Ford F-150 Light Duty ext. cab

2. Chevrolet Silverado 1500/2500 ext. cab

3. Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 4-door
 
OK, take this in fun, there are just as many chevy and dodge jokes. Have fun.



Want to laugh at Ford? Here are some Ford jokes, as if the car isn't a big enough joke in itself!!



Found On Rubbish Dump

Fix Or Repair Daily

Fails On Rainy Days

Fails On Race Day

Found On Roadside Dead

Failure Of Research & Development

Found On Road Deserted

Fast Only Running Downhill

Factory Ordered Road Disaster

Factory Ordered Rebuilt Datsun

Flip Over Read Directions

Four Old Rusted Doors

Ford Owner Really Dumb

For Only Retarded Drivers

Ford Owners Recommend Datsun (Dodge)

Flipped Over Russian Dunebuggy

For Off Road Death

Fords Only Run Downhill

Fat Old Rusted Dog

Freaking Old Rusted Dodge (Datsun)

Forget Out Running Datsuns

For Old Retarded Drivers

Found On Rangi's Drive

First On Recycle Day

Full Of Rusty Dents

Found Outside Reject Depot

Flies Off Road Deliberately

Fish Out River Daily

****er Only Runs Downhill



Q: What does a ford and a tampon have in common?

A: They both come with tow ropes.



Q: What does the GT stand for on a Ford?

A: Glued together!



Q: How come Ford makes tractors and Holden doesn't?

A: Holden can't get one to run that slow!



Q: How do you double the value of a Ford?

A: Put gas in it



Did you know that 98% of all Fords ever built are still on the road?

The other 2% made it home!!



Q: What do you call someone who buys a secondhand ford?

A: Scrap Dealer



Keep out motorways clear, beautiful and user friendly.

So leave your Ford at home



Ford...At least they circled the problem.



A man pulled up next to a little girl walking home from school and said "If you get in, I'll give you a lollypop." The girl kept walking. Following along slowly, the man said "Come on and get in the car with me and I'll give you two lolly pops." She kept her eyes on the sidewalk and continued on her way. The man said "Get in with me and I'll give you this whole bag of lollypops!" Finally, the girl turned and said "Look daddy, YOU bought the Ford, YOU ride in it!!"



Buy a Ford and you buy the 'best'. Drive a mile and walk the rest.
 
Being that I am a chevy enthusiast, I would vote chevy. Good dependable trucks with good looks, good price, and easy to maintain if you do preventative stuff regularly.
 
Don't forget the Nissan Titan. I was pretty much a diehard Chevy fan (had an '88 Silverado, '92 1500 Tahoe, '92 Camaro), but when it came down to buying a new one, the Titan beats the Dodge, Chevy and Ford in most cases. Check out www.titantalk.com for more info. It's pretty much a domestic truck. I love mine.



If that's out of the question, go Ford.
 
GSRstilez,

Ford offers special pricing called "X Plan", which is usually just under invoice. In order to qualify for X Plan pricing you have to either be a vendor, employee, associate, or family member of an employee and receive a PIN number from Ford. Basically, if you have a family member for friend that works for Ford, they can get you a PIN number. Once you have this PIN, you can go to any participating dealer and buy any Ford vehicle (minus SVT) at a predetermined price by Ford. This is the easiest, most hastle free way to buy a Ford so start looking and see if you can get someone to get your dad an Xplan PIN. Good luck! Actually, there is A Plan also, but you have to be a direct family member of an employee and employess usually don't like to give those up since they only get two or three per year to use.
 
Out of the three choices, I'd look at the F150 first and then the Chevy second. The third choice would be the Nissan Titan.
 
General Lee said:
He shouldn't have too much too much go wrong in 60,000 miles.
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What I meant was I didn't have ANYTHING go wrong. No annoying squeaks, no trips to the dealer for warranty work, no brakes replaced, none of the nitpicking crap that plagues even new vehicles. A guy I work with has a Dodge that squeaks like a damn pinto. My neighbor has a Ford that had its radio die. These are vehicles that are less than 1 yr old. These might be small problems, but you still have to take it back to the dealer to have resolved which is a PITA. Until I started buying chevy trucks, every truck I've owned had several problems which required work under warranty. Perhaps I'm just lucky, but I've had good luck with Chevrolet.
 
JDookie said:
GSRstilez,

Ford offers special pricing called "X Plan", which is usually just under invoice. In order to qualify for X Plan pricing you have to either be a vendor, employee, associate, or family member of an employee and receive a PIN number from Ford. Basically, if you have a family member for friend that works for Ford, they can get you a PIN number. Once you have this PIN, you can go to any participating dealer and buy any Ford vehicle (minus SVT) at a predetermined price by Ford. This is the easiest, most hastle free way to buy a Ford so start looking and see if you can get someone to get your dad an Xplan PIN. Good luck! Actually, there is A Plan also, but you have to be a direct family member of an employee and employess usually don't like to give those up since they only get two or three per year to use.
Click to expand...



GM has the exact same program. I've bought my last 4 vehicles under the family member plan. You are right, it's the most hassle free way to buy a vehicle. I found my present vehicle on the internet. I called up the dealer which was 180 miles away and told them I wanted it. The next day it was delivered on a trailer and unloaded in my driveway. My bank did an electronic transfer. It was almost as easy as ordering a CD from Amazon.
 
I would vote for the Ford...but get an F250!!



You can get an extended cab one with what you want....4x4, 8' bed, towing package, etc.....and just stay with the normal cloth interior stuff for around the 30k mark.



And..you will never have to upgrade from a Superduty...trust me! I LOVE mine......Of course...depending on your mom.....she might not like the size of the truck ..my crewcab shortbed is over 21' long



Just an idea!!
 
Nissan Titan .... Best in class- HP, torque, towing capacity, interior space, ground clearance and looks. Built by Americans in America (with Japanese dollars)
 
We bought a Dodge just over six years ago after comparing the Ford, Chevy and Dodge. Still have it - about 180 KM on it. We needed something realiable because we wilderness camp and sometimes 'help' can be a looong way away. We also wanted to keep the cost down because we knew we would be very hard on the vehicle because of the bush wacking we do. The only problem we've had is with the tranny and we can't say for sure it wasn't related to us sliding into the back of a logging truck. We don't have any squeeking issues and we drive the vehicle hard.



When we bought the truck and my car last year, we were able to find tons of sights that provided the maintenace history for all major manufacturers. It identified major issues that arose for different vehilce lines. It was very insightful and you'd be surprized at what you learn. I beleive I still have the sites book marked at work and will PM you with them Monday if I do. My vote is with do you homework as each manufacturer has had major maintenance issues at one time or another including the "higher end vehicles".
 
They are all great truck and with dodge redesigning the transmission the ram is now a treuck that will not keel over at 50,000 and need a new transmission, i loke the ford-150 too i almost bought one b 4 i got my car, but i have to say i think the chevy is the most reliable, my parents have always bought chevy/gmc trucks, never anything different! so i would say the chevy we have never once had a problem with one
 
I just ordered a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie quad cab with the Hemi and 20s. I like all three, but have never had a Dodge before and think they look the best. Plus to get the 345 horsepower the Hemi, a comparable GMC would be well north of 40K optioned with the 6.0L
 
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