Had the opportunity to put several hundred miles on my friend's '05 PSD 4X4 Crew w/12,000 miles over the weekend. Compared to my truck, here's an unbiased report (well...as unbiased as I can be) of what I think:

1. Steering was awful. No feedback, and what, 7 turns of the wheel (or at least it felt like it) lock-to-lock? . My Dodge handles like a sportscar in comparison, and it has over 30,000 on the original ball-joints .

2. Throttle response. Again, the Dodge feels sportier, with very little foot movement to initiate a change in velocity. The Ford had too much travel in the pedal for my taste. My Dodge feels much quicker off the line, great for beating even the most hopped-up rice rockets and merging into their lane just after clearing the intersection.

3. Headrests. Love my Dodge's headrests, really missed them on that long trip. Leaned my head back as far as it would go and still couldn't find 'em on the Ford.

4. Visibility. I like the way the Dodge's snout drops away faster, revealing more of the road and making it easier to park.

4. Build quality. Almost everyone (except fellow Dodge 3rd gen owners) I know says that Dodges are built cheap. After this weekend I couldn't disagree more, the fit & finish and material quality on mine is at least as good as my friend's Ford (his is a decked-out Lariat though, mine's just an SLT). They're both great trucks in this department, both companies have come a long way in this area.

5. Transmission. OK, here it comes. His Torqueshift auto kicks but over my 47RE. Oh Asin 6-speed, where are thou?

 

Good review.. I felt just about the same.. The only difference being, my buddies truck has the torqueshift and my truck has the NV5600... At least you were honest about the tranny.. I was impressed with the torqueshift.
Scott

 

Dodge makes the better truck, now if you could only get it with a cummins....

 

Umm...mine has a cummins!!

 

Aisin 6 speed auto is on the way with the 6.7ltr chassis cab and maybe even our little 3500's will get it too

 

After driving the new Ford I would have to say that the 3rd gen Dodge is equal in the truck to truck comp but there is no question which one has the more reliable motor. I compared 6spds as that is what I drive, the Ford did not have the torque off the line, you had to drive it like a gasser, slipping the clutch with the go pedal going down at the same time. I will stick to my 04 Dodge, thank you!

 

Me too, driving my buddy's Ford was yet another affirmation of my decsion to go with the Dodge...not that I needed one.

 

I have a diesel collection here at work. 99 F350 7.3L, an 03 Excursion 6.0L. 06 Chevy 6.6L and a 06 Dodge 5.9L and pretty much agree with everything you said.
The Torqueshift is at another level above my 99 F350 and the 06 Dodge trans. The new Allison 6 speed is another step up. I am hoping Dodge gets it together with that new 6 speed because they are behind. I will be waiting. I have 2 more work trucks I need to replace next year.