supr

It's always fun to look at competion, especially Ford. Their new SD is outlined in a page in Car & Driver as well as Trailer Life. Ford owns 45% of the market, but Dodge & Chevy/GM have been making gains. This new truck is suppose to stop that, but it seems a tad low on content. My observations:
1. 6.0 Motor-30 ft/lbs less than Cunnins at + 400 rpm's.
2. Service life- 250k vs 350 for CTD(Many go much further)
3. Fuel economy- 2-3 mpg less than CTD, pretty much across te board, best I can tell.
4. Price- C&D says "the average 250/automatic goes out the door at $50k list.........You can get a 3500 with everything for less. Seems Ford gets abouta $10k premium for their trucks. Dodge incentives are better, by and large.
5. Warranty- 7 yrs 100k vs ?- don't know here.
6. Exhast Brake- Jacc optional/warratied at CTD, Ford- Go wish. Use the Tow /haul mode(Shift down 1 gear?) Should be good enough, right?
6. Combined weight rating 23,000 vs 23,500. Seems like they just barely cauht CTD. Had to improve their frame to get there. Historicly, seems they have been 2-3K less lbs. than Dodge. Pay more get less with #1, right?
7 Built in Trailer Brake Controller- One up for Ford. Looks like they really got this right. Hopefully CTD will have this next year.
8. Reliability- No numbers, but from reading, the CTD is more reliable, simpler design . I like the comment about getting the heated tailgate option, so your hands don't freeze pushing the PS off to the shoulder.
Comments?

BigBlue

Heated tailgate. That's funny.

farmer dave

How many people that buy a ford actually use it for work? Most just want the biggest and best truck out there. I have heard that the new 6.0 is fast, and supposed to get good milage. Not sure though. I think most of the fords are for looks.
Dave

Hannibal

If they can keep the thing running it might turn out to be a tough competitor. I think the heated tailgate is optional with the V-10 and 5.4 but comes standard with the Pile of SD. That way you can keep your bum as well as your wife and kid's bums warm while you wait for the tow truck.
I wouldn't touch a PSD with a stick but I have nothing but thumbs up for their 415cid V-10.

Begle1

Those old Powerstrokes are great engines that I can vouch for. I know a guy who's got his pretty worked over, nothing but good news. It's almost on par with the Cummins.

The new ones, however, I don't now about. But you can't mess with them old ones.

ArkansasRam

i have a 87 6.9 with 300000 on it a real good truck just lack of power, 95 i ton 7.3 # 6 & #7 leaking antifreeze and always has a tranny problem sits out back now. 92 DTC modified with 189000 all i can say is WOW. new here neet site.

apache

Heated tailgate??? seriously? what for. Ferds gizmos never seize to amaze me. Kinda like our works exploder. 1 key hole on the hole truck, cant even open the little womans door first on a rainy night out. Better ideas????

LanceD

that ford 6.0 is a fawkin pos. we have those and some dodge diesels used as bobtail flightline tow trucks, and the fords break all the time. only thing with the dodges are interior panels falling off and stuff like that.

localnet

My landscaper is in the process of a buy back on his 03 SD, awaiting the arrival of an 05 SD.

His phone rang yesterday as we were talking. A friend of his in the construction biz called to ask him how his buy back was going. Seems this other fellows 04 SD had the same problems as my landscapers. Go figure?

Mike