GMC or a Chevy

[golfish]

I'm thinkin about trading in my 97 Dodge Ram in and getting a new truck. With the new baby on the way I need a truck with 4 doors. The Dodge has been a good truck but it just doesn't ride like the GM's, Its bumpy and rattles too much. I have heard from a few people that the GMC is a better truck compared to the Chevy ( I know I know its the same truck).....Anybody had both?

Mark

[Firefish]

I had both...they are the same. Full size will give you the best ride. I like the Chevys trim package the best though. There is no real answer to this question you know...

[G]

Mark,

At least you have enough sense not to buy a Ford!
Either way you can't go wrong. I've had a 96 Chevy Suburban that I was completely satisfied with although I traded it in for a 2001 model.

Gary

[icemark]

Chevy or GMC:

They are built in the same factories and utilise many of the same parts. If styling doesn't matter, go with the best deal. I personally think the GMC is a better LOOKing truck.

But I would buy the Toyota Tundra, way before I would buy either GM. At least with the Toyota you are getting a truck built in the USA, not Canada or Mexico.

Also I have had family members that over the last 5 years have had GM, Ford, Toyota and Dodge 4x4 Fullsize Trucks, and the general consenus if that of the lot the Toyota has the best reliablity (and is the most expensive), and manual tranny 5.4 liter Dodge pick-ups the second choice (four wheeling, the Automatics just die). The all the GM trucks (including an small 2wd S-10) have consistently had brake and electrical problems.

You might want to check with consumer reports and the car mags.

[golfish]

Icemark,
lol, I can tell you that you don't have to use the Dodge truck off road for the Tranny to go out. I take great care off my trucks. One day the tranny just up and went out, no warnning, nothing, it just went out......2000.00 later its back on the road.

Funny you mention brake and electrical problems with the GM's..My dad has had t GM trucks since 88 and never had any electrical problems and just normal brake wear.

I like the Tundra but its just not a full size truck, Its got a full size price though.

Gary,
My sis just bought a new Suburban, Too bad it won't fit in my garage. I really like em.

Firefish,
There has to be some kind of answer


Thanks guys

[icemark]

I guess what I mean on the brakes is abnormally fast wear out of both the pads and rotors.

My neighbor with his 96 two door Yukon goes through brake pads every 15 to 20k miles and a rotor set every other pad replacement. Thats a little over each year for him. My dad with the 97 S-10 replaces his brakes every 20k. I think he got 22k once out of a set of extra heavy duty pads.

My Toyota and Jeep Grand Cherokee both have had the same set of pads for 30K with only about half the pad gone. (Now the rotors are wasted on the Jeep because the wife drives it like its a Mustang GT.. but thats next weekends project).

The electrical problems that both my dad and bro in law have had were fixed by replacing the CPU both at around 40K miles. But at $1500 w/ core exchange it wasn't cheap to fix.

The Tundra is as big as a Ford F150, maybe you were thinking of the old T100 which was smaller.

[Ironreef]

The tundra is smaller than the chevy or ford. PPL at work have 4x4 tundra and my work truck is bigger and its not 4x4.(mine) Most cars aren't full made here in the usa either . Tundra is a good truck but for the price I would prefer the Chevy its bigger and can haul more. If your buying a truck to haul. It depends on what you want. I can tell you at work everyone has trucks all makes all sizes all years theres ppl who have had probs with there tundra's. But The Fords ,Chevys and dodges there have been probs also. But ime almost all newer truck are good. Depends how you tear it up.

[golfish]

NO way the Tundra is as big as my Dodge. It looks more like the size of the Dakota then the Ram......It might haul the same amount but not near as big.

[icemark]

The Dodge is the biggest. Its almost as big as the Ford F250 heavy duty.

[Bojinx]

stick with Ma and buy the new 2002 Dodge.

icemark, Dodge doesn't make a 5.4

[icemark]

Bojinx,

I just checked. Your right.

The 5.9 only has marginally different specs than the 5.2. Only like 15 Hp more and 35ftlbs of torque. Must be a Dailmer thing.

As I recall the 5.9 that used to be available is the old 360 OHV V8 that they have been making since the late 50's along with the 5.2 which is the old Chrysler 318 of yore.

[Reinhold]

It know it wasn't one of the choices, but I'd pick a Dodge 3500 diesel pick-up. I know a rural mail carrier north of Cedar Lake, Manitoba who has almost 700,000 miles on one.

He drives through every kind of weather and road conditions imaginable, from -55 F and blizzard conditions to +105 F at times in the summer.

There is one stretch on his mail route with 180 miles between two mailboxes!

[addicted2fish]

G, whatcha got against Ford? My 1988 Bronco with 190,000 is still going strong. Of course, I don't beat on it. In fact, it's still got the original clutch. Good and bad comes out of every factory. My wife's three year old Dodge has been in the shop many more times than my thirteen year old Ford. And my secretary just bought a Toyota a couple of months ago that has been nothing but trouble. You just never know.

[golfish]

Icemark,
The 360 is the 5.7 motor and the 318 is the 5.2.

Bojinx, Reinhold,
I have a Dodge now, Its a rattle trap and just not a smooth riding truck like the Ford or Chevy. I have had six adults in it and except for the tranny going out its been a good truck. The tranny realling ticked me off. The truck ran fine and the tranny showed no signs it was bad, then just like that $2000.00.


addicted2fish,
Before the Dodge I had a 94 Ford Ranger, it was the most comfortable auto I have ever driven and with that big 4.0 V6 it could blow the doors off this Dodge but it was just too small for a wholw family to go on a three week camping trip. I don't like the looks of the other Ford trucks but I have to say there not ruled out.

Mark

[G]

addicted,

Nothing against Ford but what comment would you expect from someone who owns a chevy? Should I say that Fords are better? So to ease the anger about my Ford comment, IMHO I would rather own either a Dodge, Ford or Chevy before getting an import. I just don't think imports can match the big 3 dollar for dollar. See, now I'll have someone who owns a Toyota get pissed at me!

Gary

[Bojinx]

Golfish,

have you checked out the new 2002 Ram. It has been completely redesigned. The exterior has been updated in a slight but huge way (if that makes sense.) Interior has also been updated and the new 'hemi' drivetrains are going to show up in '03. Just something else to consider. Your old dodge may be squeaky and rattley, but the new on may be right up your alley. It definetely looks bigger than the last generation of Ram, but i have not driven one yet to comment on how it rides.

icemark,

Sorry, but Dodge has never had a 5.4. The 360 is a 5.9. The next step down is the 5.2(318) which is only available now in the Ram. Ma used to offer the Dakota/Durango with a 5.2, but in Y2K, this motor was dropped for the 4.7 in those applications. 5.2 and 5.9 engines have been in the Mopar family since '56 and '71 respectively.

[icemark]

Thanks for the corrections, yes you are right the 5.9 is the 360. I don't know where I was getting that 5.4 from...

[Ironreef]

IME/IMO find the one you like the looks and get the one with the best deal GMC/CHEVY consumer reports can give you good prices to shoot for but you can get a good deal from a broker. Most ppl I know go to a broker only a few have gotten a better deal. If your not to pick on color find the one you want have the $$ go the last day of the month= best deal IME. They want there quota for the mo. JME

[golfish]

Bojinx ,
What the hec was I think? 5.7 is a Chevy Another problem I have with Dodge is my Brother-in-law He's a Dodge mechanic (25 years) When I bought the truck I have now he told me "We never have problems with our trucks" then after a few years he started telling my, "Mark, I can't belive you haven't had to replace the fuel pump, The tranny, the motor" the list goes on. I really like the look of the Dodge, I guess that's why Chevy copied it.


The wife wants me to wait until next year

Mark

[addicted2fish]

Gary,

No anger associated with my question, didn't mean for you to take it that way. I was just thinking maybe you had a bad experience or something.