It's not that small, but if the main reason your buying a new pickup is because you have to have a back seat then you better get a big one. There is a noticeable difference in the back seat space and comfort between my Dodge quad cab, my Chevy crew cab, and my brothers 04 Ford crewcab. Mega cabs are in a class of their own for back seat comfort in my opinion.

If you really intend to keep this truck for 10-15 years, then you should be looking real close at how you will use it vs. what flavor of the week you like at the moment. All three diesels will handle whatever you throw at them, all will hold up to a mild chip pretty well and be fast, pull hard, whatever.

 

We have a four year old in a car seat in the back of the Dodge Quad cab and its roomy.235000 miles on my 99 dodge3500 great truck. better milage than the Toyota.

 

Yea, I was suprised with the milage out of my tacoma. I like the way the superduty looks, but I prefer the Cummins motor, I realize that all three will do what I need, At most I will do intake and exhaust. I really want a 6-speed but have to consider that auto is much nicer to drive.

I will probably wait about 8/9 months, which will give me time to do the research. I also don't want to buy brand new. So I will have to decide between a late model dodge and ford. I really have no expierience with the chevys

I do like the cummins motor because the inline 6 is just a work horse, but i know nothing about the new 6.7.

I was in the back of a dodge quad cab today, and it wasn't bad. But it's not huge, the ford crew cab is much much bigger.

so many choices.

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which do you like the best? as for interior comfort and space. It's going to be my daily driver, and work truck as well as the 40% of the time faimly car.

 

I think you'd like the Chevy better. The Dodge is a brute of a truck and gets old for a daily driver, light work truck. It is best suited for pulling a heavy load down the highway in my opinion. Either way, you'd be crazy not to get the automatic for what you're talking about. I know, you can get along fine with a stick shift, I put 65,000 miles on an 02 six speed I had years ago. The only reason my new Dodge is a stick is, I don't have to drive it everyday, it's my option when I use it. I got my Chevy with the auto knowing that it would be my main work truck.

Comfort is way subjective, you'll get people that hate seats in one and love another. It's really up to you which one is more comfortable. There's a reason there's still three different diesel trucks to pick from, and it isn't because one is better or worse than the others hands down.

By the way, The 6.7 is pretty awesome for a stock diesel pickup.

 

If you go ford go 7.3 milege isnt great to begin with but it is a strong motor and youll have it longer than you want but to get good mileage put on a good chip then put a water meth kit at a constant slow spray and youll get 18-20 mpg

 

Here's the thing. it will be more then a light work truck. I do construction, and although I am the boss, i still have it loaded most of the time, pallets of brick, ect. But Not a heavy work truck where I am pulling a back loader around everyday.

I will use it to tow, mostly car carriers, singles, Avg between 6-10K lbs, and a few years from now I would like to get a camper maybe a 30ft, or a nice fifth wheel. And I want something that will handle all of that with out a problem


As for the stick vs. auto. I do love driving stick, Usually get 2-3mpg better, and there is a LOT less to go wrong with them. My fear of the auto tranny's is that they will burn up or not hold up as well for as long. But I have to agree with you, driving a 6-speed with very short gears with a low revving diesel is a headache, and i do a lot of city driving.

I don't know mch about the chevy's. About the duramax, how they hold up, MPG, and any issues and i am starting to look into them now, what kind of milage do you get with yours? is it a crew cab with a long bed? I will say what i like about them is that they seem to sit a little lower then the dodge or ford, and will make loading a little easier.

I don't like the new ones though, it seems the rear wheels are way to small and inset inside the wheel wells.


As for mods, it would be an exhaust, intake, and maybe a chip. All of which i would do to get the MPG's up rather then make 1000lb/tq.

I do spend a lot of time in my truck, and need it to be comfortable.

 

That's what i would define as a light work truck in the diesel genre. All three would be overkill, but I like to have everything capable of doing more than you plan to so it can when you need it. My Chevy is an 07 (yes crew cab long bed 4x4) but it is the old body style, I love that it sits low for work, but I have taken it hunting a few times and it's not the greatest if you run into a nasty washed out road. Mileage, mine sucked when new but now at 38,000 miles with a chip and different muffler I can get 20 on the highway. In town I average about 13, but you know how work trucks are when on the job, I'm not thinking mileage when I have to get something out to the guys right away.

Like I said in my first post, any newer diesel pickup will do what you want. Buy a big fifth wheel, pull a flatbed trailer, throw a pallet of bricks in the back, whatever, they will all do it just fine. If you're serious about wanting to keep it for a long time, focus on which truck fits you better and you'll be more likely to keep it around. In my opinion, you're analyzing these trucks for the wrong reasons, they are all fairly equal. But hey, what do I know? I'm just the idiot that buys all brands

 

Def not an idoit, you've been very helpful and thanks for that. I stopped and looked today, and the dodge quad cab is a little tight. Not small by any means, but tighter then the fords, which was huge. I love the cummins motor, but for the 30% of the time the wife and kids will be with me they will be much happier in the ford then the dodge.

The Chevy is really nice, i mean nicer then i thought it would be, inside is on par with the ford, very comfortable and it sits nice and low. Im not big on the new body style but it's not bad.

Although they had an 08 6.7 quad cab 6-speed on the lot. and told me he could give me $2,000 off because it was a stick, appearently no one wants them. But comfort is one thing, but money is another!!!!

 

I had to order my Dodge to get it with the stick. Apparently not to many people buy a laramie with sunroof, cab lights, and manual in a 2500 long bed. At least, there weren't any around when I bought mine. Good luck, whatever way you go.