I test drove an 04.5 3500 drw 4x4 today and liked just about everything about it except the color which is white. I really want a black one and I'd like an 04 with the 305/555 motor. The truck is optioned exactly the way I want and has 98k on it. The dealer is asking $22,400 or so. The interior is in great shape and the outside is pretty good except the inside of the bed which has seen alot of use.

So, a couple questions. I reset the mileage computer at the start of the test drive and drove about 10-15 miles mostly side roads with a couple miles on the highway. By the end of the test drive the computer read 20.4 mpg. I know these things are optimistic but would this translate into a realistic 17-18 in that type of driving? The truck has 3.73 gears.

Also, the truck sounded really good but I'm used to older 12 valves and 24 valves. At idle it had a very slight ticking sound apart from the normal light clatter. Is this normal?

I'm thinking of offering them 21k out the door including a spray in bed liner. What do you think? If the truck were black or even blue I would already own it. Oh, and it has 6 brand new tires on it.

Thanks.

 

I paid the same price for my truck, with $4K worth of accessories, and it only had 60,000 miles on it.........and the truck was in mint condition.

I would keep looking, or see how much the price can come down.....

 

my wife wants to sell hers but it is not 4x4 66000 look at my sig its the 305 cummins driver side fender has crack in it but the rest is cherry have another fender in the barn just needs paint. mpg on the interstate is about 20. the tires have about 8000 on them inside is also cherry just had it at the dealers for all the updates and checked everthing else. clean bill of health 23000

 

Gotta have 4x4 and want an auto, plus I have a 'blank check' from Capital One and it's only good at a dealership.

 

What was the original asking price on your truck? Most of the trucks I'm seeing here in Colorado are listed in the upper 20's and even low 30's for '03 to '05 dually 4x4's. I haven't even been looking at the ones that are listed at like 29,900 because I assume that I won't be able to get them to come down to my max price of 25k. I guess I can start low balling the dealerships, the worst they can do is turn me down.

 

I found an '04 4x4 SLT Auto W/56k for $22,500 it's white also. Same dealer where I bought my '05

OOPS! just checked there website its gone --not suprised.

sorry

 

Most trucks around here, especially Dodge diesels, are very overpriced.

I looked for 6-8 months and finally drove 3 hours to get my truck.

They only came down $2,000....but like I stated the truck came with $4K worth of aftermarket items, that I wanted anyways.

 

I would sell my 06 with the Accesories for the low 30's (And its Black!!)
You can get a 08 SLT 4X4 quad cab dually diesel for 34 Grand

 

Right now I wouldn't give more than the high teens for that one. I had the same dilemma as you-apparently here in NM trucks are more valuable, (yeah right) so I spent a few hundred and flew to Minnesota to get mine almost 2 years ago, stock except for Ranchhand w/~90K miles for 22.5. The dealer started at 24.5 and I talked him down 2 grand over the phone, then sent him a check and picked it up the next weekend. Yeah, I probably spent a few $$ in diesel driving back, plus at the Cabelas we ran into, but I saved alot in return. Use the autotrader, ebay motors, etc. to find one you really want-you won't regret it.

 

I can't understand these prices either. If you can I sugges buying new. You should get a nice 08 dually for under $39,000 with no miles and a lot better interest rate. You will sane a year in payments but you'll have a whole lot more life.

These diesels really really hold their value.


Mike

 

I have found several trucks recently that appear to be what I want but I'm a little leary of purchasing a truck far from home. I've gotten burned in the past by flying out of state only to find that the truck was misrepresented and turned out to be a steaming pile.
Maybe I would have better luck now since I'll be purchasing a much new truck with lower miles.

 

I've thought about new but I don't really like the new interiors. I'm not really that fond of the new front end design either and I definitely don't want all the emissions crud. I would really like that 6 spd auto though.

 

Remnik,

It's hard to put much stock in the computer mileage on a short drive. The '04 will do better than the '04.5 though. It's not hard to get mine to read 20, but it's really in the mid 18s.

The 04.5 trucks are great, and probably better for bombing, but I love my '04 HO and would search for another if I had to get a different one. Better mileage and no cat.

John

 

Drove an '06 yesterday. Pretty good looking truck, blue with a matching hard tonneau cover. Still prefer the front end of the 03-05 models. I also prefer the interior of the 03-05. This truck was a laramie with leather and all which I really don't want.

I didn't like the sound of it, too quiet. I didn't think there would be such a difference between the 04.5 and the 06. I'll admit I didn't like it when they changed from the 24 valve to the common rail. I loved the noise of the 24 valve but I guess I'm getting older and want a little more peace but I still like it to sound like a diesel. I liked the sound of the 04.5 that I drove.

Strange as it seems, I also liked the way the 04.5 with almost 100k felt to drive better than the 06 with 47k.

The search continues....