When you say your Chevy is a 6-speed, do you mean 6-speed Allison, or 6-speed manual? There is a world of difference between how the two run and pull.

 

BC can you tell a significant power difference between the two?

 

I don't know why everyone thinks the allison tranny is so good. I had a duramax and that famous allison tranny went out in 2500 miles without ever pulling a thing. They all have there pro's and con's. Me personly. I like the dodge set up better. My duramax ran very hard till I put my fiver behind it and then it fell flat on it's face. I think that if you are going to tow alot. You better own a cummins.

 

Well the test results are in and I'm not that impressed!!!

New 06 4x4 Crew Cab, short bed w/360hp 660tq Duramax with Allison 6 speed auto= Tons of get up and go if you dont mind waiting for the 2,000 rpm range to feel that power!!!

I have driven all three of the new Big 3's and here is what I think:

Duramax- Fun to drive like a sports car with massive turbo lag----Highway Beast! Highway MPG New=13.7

PowerStroke- Fun but peaky and LOUD TURBO SCREAM! Always wondering when she will blow not if! 1900rpm and up power! Highway MPG New=12.4

Cummins- Towing machine, great mileage compared to both competiors, interior right up there with the GMC. Seats are less comfortable (Leather). Tranny shifts with authority, no lag! Highway MPG New= 16.4

The Dodge is easily the winner in the department of Towing/Recreational/Fuel MPG! Ride is not quite as good but to me it is a real truck. Looks, and attitude with the Cummins installed!!!!

 

6 Speed Allison to answer the question above.

There is not a significant power difference.
The Dodge feels stronger when taking off from a stop sign. The Duramax has some turbo lag but I think it is magnified by the way that Allison engages. Mostly noticeable when trying to pass. I think it takes at least 2 seconds for the ally to find the gear and another second or so for the turbo to spool to get it to go.

 

Thats what I was saying in my above post. I like both the Allison and the Dodge auto, but I think that the Dodges works better with the applied engine than I do the Allison with the Duramax!! If the Cummins was attached to the Allison then there would be a good match- - - - - - wait until the Asian 6 speed comes out and I bet that the Cummins/Dodge package will be better!!!!

 

In the last 4 years I have had 3 duramaxes for 100k miles, 1 Ford F-350 6ohno for 30k miles and 1 2003 Dodge for 133,000 wonderful miles. Yep I blew the tranny up just under 100k miles when the flexplate gave up the ghost but the tranny was scheduled for a rebuilt to tow at the max that I do and I kept putting it off. The 2002 Duramax was the only other truck I would have bought but it was too flexy in the chassis to tow heavy.
Today I got up a little earlier than normal 5:00am and skipped the caffeine and food and went straight to work after two weeks of mind clearing vacation in Florida. After many snafus (see story in towing forum) I took the 25,000 pound load of logs to the mill. I missed a shift down on the auto on one corner and ended up pulling that massive load up a 4% grade from 1100 rpm right up to 2200rpm in the same gear 3rd - direct drive and she pulled smooth, no lugging and just accelerated like an empty truck. Sure the TST was on 6 x 3 but this is a SO. In the Dmax this would have been 4 shifts and max rpm but I know it just would not have gotten the load out of the hole it was in and definitely could not hold that weight. In the Ford ...are you kidding it blew the tranny twice towing itself in 30k miles. Numbers look good on paper but these Dodge trucks haul butt. ks

 

Ok, the Dura______ (insert explitive here) rides like a car......cause that is how the chasis is set up. Reason I would not own a Dura_____, Who puts an independent suspension under a 1 ton?? Ford....Dodge, dana 60's or better. Not GM, needs to ride like a car.....hence....the lovely getragged front diff, essentially the same thing that is in the tahoe/Escalades that I see being rebuilt almost daily from heavy metal failures, plus lets throw in 660 tq to that weak contraption.....oh wait a minute....I learned at school that we(GM) reduce power to the front. Maybe in 4 low only, or both, I know low for sure.

Have not driven a duramax....looked at one or two....saw the jaw dropping, heart stopping price....after the salesman picked me up I excused myself across the street to the dodge dealer. Plus I get to see the problems with GM vehicles everyday....and how much stuff goes wrong...ok, time for this........
then this......

I think someone....uncle sam possibly will put a cap on this horsepower war. When Cat came out with the 3406E at 600hp and 2200lbft of torque I figured Cummins or Detroit would try and top it. Cummins had the red 600 and Detroit I don't think went higher than 550. It was rumored that Cat had a 700hp on the dyno but not sure if it would be released...something about epa or dot and crazy truckers with 700 ponies at the tips of their toes. What the trucker does in his spare time at home to his truck and they don't know about....I see nothing....

I'd say Dodge under rated the 6.7L just so they can spank GM's hind quarters when it comes out....which it will do....guarenteed....Cummins ain't gonna let them get one up on them...they have been fighting...competively with CAT for how long?? And GM thinks they are gonna do something with an Isuzu motor..... Personally, I think the only thing that would give Cummins a run for it's money in a pickup truck...if Ford would dump that turd power junk and shove a CAT in it....then....and only then would Cummins have some true competition.....just my thoughts....Love my Cummins.....but I Love a good yeller CAT to!!

 

my next truck will be a duramax i can tell you that right now. everyone bitches about the front ends but honestly you don't get much more from a dodge front end and the chevy is much nicer to drive on bumpy roads. i work on them all the time as thats all we have in fort nelson is the big 3.

 

IntakeRacing, Good luck you will get what you deserve. The duramax is a light flexy chassis with a good diesel, a stable tranny, and a poor EGR system. The first duramax engine was the best. The Allison tranny shifts like an RV or bus tranny unless you modify the electronic controls. I'd buy a dually duramax as a tow vehicle 2002 to 2005 but for an all around offroad onroad vehicle the Dodge has a way better chassis than the GM's. ks

 

Do you thinks dodge's chassis being better is there experience years ago with the cracking frames and stuff? I guess when they first come out with the Cummins? Think they learned it had to be extra beefy? I guess if you were pulling a house boat to the lake on the weekends or your rv and had to be in a truck for many miles the chevy suspension would ideally be better for ride quality. But, I see no rv or boats in my future, just heavy hauling. To each his own I guess, that's why we live in America....we buy what we prefer then have little gear head arguments(friendly of course) about who is better! Ah, just like the old days in school...Ford! Chevy! Dodge!

 

id like to see the trucks built a little more solid..tie rods, track bars, ball joints, u joints should all be overkill not the same as the lil 1/2 tons!....and make programmers that give me fuel economy! thats what people buy a diesel for!...i'd like some sort of programmer that would completely cut fuel in half if im cruising on the highway and change the pray pattern accordingly...kindof like our version of displacement on demand....there is no reason why these trucks can't be getting 30 mpgs... the technology is there....i mean GM is doing great stuff with their V8 gassers most of them getting better fuel economy than diesels.....thats very very sad (for the diesel market)

 

i don't tow heavy stuff.. tidy tank in hte back and i tow my car for races. thats it.
i've never seen a chevy with a wrecked frame, theres a ford in the shop right now with a bent frame and i've seen an 03 dodge with a frame cracked in half. but every truck has there good point.. it just depends on what your looking for.

 

That is what we found too between an 06 D/A "Z" and the 06 CTD 48re 3.73. The CTD will lay down some serious rubber though. From a rolling start at 25 mph I punched the Dodge when I saw the D/A smoke. From 25-80mph there was no change in distance. Now the D/A has 17K and the CTD only 3K so if it loosens up like usual..........! Towing identical box trailers into the Smokies the CTD had no trouble staying with the D/A. The D/A got 9.4 and the CTD got 10.6. Nothing to brag about for either one. The D/A is getting worse mileage than the 04 D/A but is much smoother power and shifting wise and doesn't have to downshift topping overpasses with 8-10K loads like the 04.

 

It's interesting reading the opinions of the Ram vs Silverado. I recently did some serious test driving of both 3500 versions prior to making a buy decision. I was comparing the quad cab to the extended cab. So here are my opinions:

DODGE - I like the exterior styling and interior decor better than the Chevy. Chevy will change design to be like the Tahoe in 07 but that doesn't alter my preference for looks. The one exception to this interior "opinion" is the built-in arm rests (captains chairs) in the Chevy LT3 .... very nice!

CTD comes on much quicker than the Dmax with far less turbo lag. Both feel very strong (6.6l Dmax). Without a trailer and stop watch I don't think you will know the difference.

Dodge has the Nav system .... Chevy doesn't.

Dodge rides like a truck, a stiff one to boot.

CHEVY - tranny is a piece of art. Appears to compensate some for the need for RPM to make power by having lower 1st/2nd gears. Still has considerable turbo lag. The "manual" mode where you can lock in a gear with the flip of a switch is slick.

Rides much better than the Ram. When you hit a speed bump, however, you remember you are driving a 1 ton.

Quieter than the Ram.

Has the style lines of a basic box.

Results: I fell in love with the Allison transmission!!!! Coupled to the Dmax it delivers the power quite well and very smoothly ... and I might add VERY quietly!

As much as I liked the Chevy, last week I ordered a fully loaded Laramie H 3500 DRW that is will take 8-10 weeks to get (hopefully not). My decision had nothing to do with the styling. This will primarily be a tow vehicle for my 5ver and since I can't see what it looks like going down the road I'm more concerned with getting somewhere.

I have 92000 miles on my 2001 CTD and have never had a problem. The CTD just keeps going, and going, and going .....

For what it's worth!