Yea, I am going to have to agree, Despite I love being out under my truck, and playing, fixxing, and altering, as i get older, and there is more to do with less time, I actually prefer just getting in and driving.

It would be great to have an old 7.3, or even a 6.0L but now i have the issues of an older truck, no warrenty, which isn't so much the paying to fix it, its the three days down time that i don't have my truck, and have to part hunt, and when ever that happens it's the middle of january.

After talking to my wife, she said if im going to be getting something that i plan on keeping for 10 years, get it new, get what i want, and make sure im happy with it. because the extra 20 grand over 5 years is doable esp when I never have to worry about anything, after that warrently gets close, then it will be time to play.

As for what to get, I have to be honest, i have NO loyalty to brands, I do love the cummins, but i do want the truck for family trips, and workers in the back seat, and the dodge back seat is ok, but with two kids, all their crap, it gets kind of tight.

I like the ford because i can get it in a manual, but thats not a huge deal. But Any of the big 3 will work for me, and there will always be new mods, and upgrades for them all.

So i think what will make my decision next year, is go to dodge, go to chevy, go to ford, look at all three and who ever gives me the best deal. Though I am leaning much more towards the chevy interior, and the ford exterior. *i dont like the new GM body style at all*

I have a 50K mile tacoma, which is holding it's own right now, with a set of air bags its pulling what i need it to, just not loving it, and its just tight.

SO I thank everyone for their imput, all opinions are great, but I think new, or a last year left over or lease turn in will be the way to go.

not to mention my wife will be going back to work next year so another 3G a month will make it easier to sign the financing on a 50K truck!

 

Drove an 08 ford today, all I have to say is awsome

 

Personally, it'll be a chilly day in hades before I buy another spankin' new vehicle.

Too much of a hit right off the lot!!

I bought an 08 Scion XD for work (do couple hundred miles a day on a "good" day. Bad ones get ugly quick!) when the gas prices went through the roof.

I bought it new only because the price was right ($18k out the door, still wrapped in the travel condom-LOL)

I'd be looking at 1-2 years old. If well maintained and cared for, you'll get the powertrain you want, the interior you want in still like new condition, a warranty (and the ability to purchase an extended on top of that) and save the depreciation...a win-win all the way around.

I've been looking around and although the "Chebby" comes close (IMO) to the Ford in interior room and comfort, the fit, finish and overall comfort level kudo's, still go to the Blue Oval gang.

But, I wonder WTF GM was thinking when they designed the truck? There's no pizazz to it

Don't get me wrong. I've seen some beauties out there, but thier owners have gone big $$ to make them look that way.

I love the look of the Dodge and the Cummins from what I'm seeing and hearing, can't be beat (right there with the Duramax) for reliability and longevity.

But the interior....

One can always pour money into it and make it as luxurious as the Ford, but it's going to take a major overhaul to do it.

I was sitting in a Mega Cab the other day, and it seemed to have pretty decent room in the back seat. It "seemed" at least, to have as much as the Ford...but it was just boring compared lets say, to the Lariat

Both the Ford and the Dodge look mean as heck lifed, tired and comin' up in your rear view mirror

...just a few thoughts and observations from a rookie, wanna be diesel owner....

 

SAR Pirate Cummins is not right there with the Duramax it surpasses it 10x on durability, not sayin the duramax isn't a long lasting engine but the cummins is far superior from the get go as fas as reliability goes on any of the diesels offered in today 3/4 + ton pickups

 

Get a 7.3! it it will outlast every one of those.

 

the heui system is definitely not as bad as ppl make it out to be. their one downside is they CANNOT fuel as hard as say a common rail or a p pump system. however the strong points are the HPOP very very very very rarely goes out, the injectors will last a really long time if the oil is changed on time, and you don't have to worry about the engine having damage from being run with out oil since the heui system shuts down the engine before the engine is damaged b/c it can't supply oil to run the injectors. it cost $400 to rebuild the injectors with a stage 1 kit(got me to 352hp) and the super dutys come with a pretty good HPOP, but the stocker can't supply for larger than stage 1's so bigger would be needed for bigger than stage 1's, but the dieselsite adrenaline is a pretty cheap HPOP solution. everyone bangs on the heui for being unreliable or not powerful, but i feel that it is VERY reliable when taken care of. my stock injectors went for 260,000 miles before a rebuild and they still didn't even come close to needing the rebuild!!! all of the new diesel engines i doubt will last for 10 years as much as it sounds like you drive. the 6.4's have radiator issues and turbo issues, the cummins has DPF issues from the ones i have seen, and the dmax we used to work with that my old boss owned sucked!!! yes it was an 08 and the allison tranny and transfer case blew around 50,000 miles.. i am not impressed by any of them and the only one i haven't driven is a 6.4...... they all make good power with chips though i guess and straight exhaust..

 

i would get a 7.3 to make a power plant! with and a 6.4 to get ya there and to play on the street with

 

just reading your sig, but you actually made 613hp @12xxlbs of torque?

 

i think I am leaning towards a 7.3, I've been looking online and have found some with between 100K and 125K miles and they sell for 10-13K I can sell my tacoma, buy the 7.3, do injectors and a pump, new radio, and clean t up and still have a few grand left to spend. And ypothetically i can run a 7.3 on High sulfer heating oil, I won't of course but @ $1.15 a gallon and I have hundreds of gallons of that stuff, i could...i mean i won't cause it's illegal, but the 6.4 wont run it. Also the 7.3 seems like it will run for a very very very very very long time, might not be as good as the old cummins, but With the trade off i can get ford crew cab comfort.
Throw in a new radio, with some gizmos, pay for it to get detailed inside and out. and a linex bed liner. Even at 100K miles or 140K miles I am sure it will last me another 100K miles and run strong the entire time.
I also love that the 7.3 is cheap to make a little faster. I don't want to pull a sled, but an intake, exhaust, and mild chip is always nice to make it run a lot better.
It's a lot cheaper to mod then the new engines, and with a lot less crap on them.
and i can make it exactly what i need for half the price of the new one...

 

Sounds like you've got a plan

From what I'm reading here and there, if you take care of the engince, these things are running up into the 300k plus range

Should give you a lot of use.

Best of luck with it.