walks

OK so i am in the process of selling the truck in my sig and i am looking at a new truck. Age old question, 6.7 or 5.9? I like the 5.9 but i can't see paying the same for a 5.9 with 40k on the clock vs. a new 6.7 with 0. I love doing the performance mods but if emission laws get as bad as i have been hearing (California) I wont be doing them anyway. So, for a nice reliable truck, daily driver and towing occasionally is a 6.7 in my future or should i be looking at a 5.9. I have test drove the 6.7 and it seems really nice. Opinions Please!

mega-engr

I think you should get the 6.7 and a Smarty which takes care of the technical emmisions issues. Swap out the NOX/DPF and block the EGR which would take care of the mechanical emissions issues. Then you'd have the right truck and if the emissions becomes an issue, you can return it to stock with a couple hours and some beers if need be for testing. Just keep you stock equipment on hand and don't butcher it so it can be easily swapped in. The auto tranny, EB, and several other things are too nice.

coolbreeze

I've run my 6.7 over 15,000 miles and wouldn't go back to a 5.9. Have fun.

rvman

I loved my 2001 5.9 truck but my 2008 6.7 is by far a superior truck.Would like to have fuel mileage my 2001 had but have not regretted trading.

Dodgetracker

Get the 6.7 with auto and dont look back.

Mocho

You'd have to pay me to own a 6.7, I would never own one. My dads is just a POS. Randomly dies while driving, for no reason. One day it started, sputtered like crazy, wouldn't rev, would of been stranded if not for my good old 5.9. Started the next day fine, no codes or anything. Terrible mileage. Exhaust brake is nice, 6 speed auto is better then the old 4, but it's still a auto, that is terrible to say the least.

Can't think of anything good to say except for the exhaust brake, because there is nothing. The emissions is a joke, so much crap under the hood to deal with.

My dad and I bought our trucks pretty much the same time, my 5.9 had 55k miles on it then, not ONE lick of trouble, while his was new, and has nothing but problems.

I know I would never buy a truck that is going to sit at the dealer all the time.
The 6.7 is a mistake that never should of gotten on the road.

LeonT

I've owned both, and unless you're willing to get rid of all the smog garbage, I'd stick with a 5.9. It's unlikely you're going to wear it out, even it it already has 40K on it.

I bought a new 6.7 and the check engine lights started up immediately. They never stopped, and I sold it after 1 year and 12K miles. Lots of power, and I liked the tranny and the engine brake. This 5.9 has been bulletproof in the engine and tranny categories. I've had 2 steering gear boxes replaced under warranty. The NV5600 6 speed manual tranny has been flawless so far.

I'm just glad I'm not in your shoes. Good luck with your decision.

mega-engr

A couple of bad eggs spoils the whole omellete... Now that we're all further up on the learning curve on the emissions there are programmers and the techs have learned to follow the service bullets correctly along with the latest flashes. A couple of bad eggs is no reason to discount this (aside from emmisions) otherwise excellent driveline!

Chubby

Love my 6.7 auto would not go back! This is my third cummins and the best by far.

crgcrg

I greatly enjoy this list and like most am very great full for the knowledgeable users here and their willingness to share their experiences. But I have to apply the age old rule of owner feedback though that undermines otherwise invaluable guides such as consumer reports. It's a simple fact that if out of a thousand products 30 are flawed, you will read from all 30 very upset owners and likely less than 20 of the other 970. I, like most, quietly drive my bone stock 6.7 marveling at the many superior features to any other truck I've owned. I don't bother coming on here ranting about zero problems or how the emissions are a sign of the changing times and working unnoticeable in the background as I am one of the 950.
It's been said many times before on this list that a prospective new owner should take the many concerns of the very few in perspective. These are excellent trucks.

gsbrockman

Your posts, on this forum and many others, never cease to amuse / amaze me. So.........your Dad's is troublesome; I guess that means ALL 6.7L's are garbage, at least to the all*knowing "Mocho". I suppose that maybe the dealership he took it to never had any buffoons working as Service Writers and Techs, hey ?

Maybe all the management at Cummins & Dodge should have left well enough alone and just ceased production of light duty diesel trucks in January 2007, when the next cleaner air hurdle had to be jumped.

I've owned a 1998 RAM 2500 12V, a 2000 RAM 2500 24V, a first-year 2003 RAM 2500 HPCR, and my current 2007.5 RAM 3500 6.7L w/68RFE. The 2003 was by far the best fuel economy leader of the pack and the improved braking and handling over any 2nd GEN is nice, too.

My 2007.5 has had one EGR valve and one re-flash. My last two tanks of fuel averaged 17.1 mpg hand calculated, before I added the 20's. Now it gets 16.6 to 16.7 mpg with the 20's...odometer-corrected.

I'm not afraid to speak forth.......lots of guys on other forums really don't appreciate your bashing attitude.

As for me, I love my 6.7L.

Greg

walks

Thanks a lot guys, what a decision huh? one thing that concerns me though is a post i read about a "bootlaoder" software that the 2009 6.7's have on them. Supposedly you cant put any programmer or chip in them? It was a service bulletin that was put out to chrysler tech's. Anyone heard of this?

mega-engr

Yes, that is true of trucks manufactured after March 2009. Like most things though, it just takes a little bit of time and patience as the smart (pun?) people are all ready working on this issue.

Absolutely, it can be a concern, but it should be nullified at some point shortly and should still not deter one from a GREAT deal on a GREAT truck.

Nothing wrong with the 5.9 and no bashing there, but the 6.7 and what comes with it is better.

I like to think of it is a natural beauty that only gets that much better when gussied up.

walks

Yeah like anything it will just take time but i am sure the aftermarket companies will figure a way around it. Also is there any upgrades for the 68rfe yet?

Mocho

That's great that that is YOUR opinion. I am not afraid to speak the truth, good nor bad. I don't speak my opinion I speak the truth. Really don't care if some people don't like it. Met plenty of people in real life off some of these forums and had no problems

It is far from 50 out of 1000 with problems. It is an extremly high rate, compared to any other changes. There is a reason EVERY diesel head says the 5.9 was the end of the real diesels. Heck, the 12v, was the end of the best diesels. Give it 10 years and see how the emissions is standing up, because it won't. Time has told countless times before, plastic stuff jammed in makes it off warranty and that's about it. Almost everyone has CEL problems, that alone is a huge problem. Who the heck wants a truck that has it on all the time? There is absolutely no reason for it.

Flat out, Dodge has gotten lazy and it shows badly, the Cummins is a great motor but Dodge stuffs garbage on it.

It's great that many people love it, yea my dads likes his the 2% of the time it's working. But that doesn't change the fact that the 6.7 is a joke, ANYONE who keeps their diesels for a while and has been around them for a long time, and has worked on them, HATES them, and for good reason. Dealers refusing to work on them isn't for no good reason, they are sick of the crap they stuff on them.