bonfire

I was able to test drive a GMC2500 fully loaded Denali and was also to test drive a 2010 Ram 2500 Laramie. I am doing this from my phone so I apologize for bad sentence structure and incorrectly spelled words.

I am no expert in the field of reviews. These are just my owns views on both trucks. I am a fan of both trucks and am torn between the two. I have test drove each truck twice in the past few weeks. Just can't pull the trigger on which one fits the needs better. We are going to start a family so the wife's requirement is cab space and storage. She likes the Ram for this but everything else about the GMC. I just want a truck that is reliable and can tow. I have owned a GMC gasser for 13 years and it's still running strong so I know GMC has great reliability. I also have friends that have a dodge that is just as old as my GMC. Dash layout was ok. Everything seemed to be spread out.

GMC first impression very sharp and shiny truck with all the chrome. Seats were very cushy. Really enjoyed the heated and cooled seats. I never thought I would want cooled seats until I got to experience them. The drive was amazing. Very smooth and took the bumps very well. Acceleration was very smooth and before you knew it you were well above the speed limit. Freeway or even idling at a stop light you could not tell you were in a diesel. My only grip about the truck is the space in the rear is very limited for passengers and the back seat only flips up one way. The navigation worked really well in this truck. The menus in the dash would take some time to navigate and get used to but that is not a big deal. With the truck empty the exhaust break seemed to work well. It was hard to tell when it would engage and disengage. Braking was very good.

Ram 2500 impression was another good looking truck. I have always liked the look of the Ram. Seats were a little firmer than the GMC. They were also heated and cooled and both did the job well. The dodge was a defiantly louder and knew you were driving a diesel. At freeways speeds it was very quiet but at a stop light you could hear the rattle of the diesel (which I don't mind) Acceleration felt sluggish. I had to really push down on the pedal to make it go. It did have good pick up and go once you hit the sweet spot on the pedal. You could really feel the truck shift. The Ram took the bumps very well. The ride has greatly improved over older models. The back seats were very spacious as it was a mega cab. Had the ability to store more behind the rear seats. The Ram ran about $8000 less than the GMC and that was fully loaded. I guess they are offering a life time warranty for an extra cost. Very noticeable exhaust break. When you let off the gas you felt it kick it. Braking was very good. Really liked the dash layout. It was all in front of you and easy to locate.

Still not sure which one to go with. I love both trucks and if I could own both of them I would. I know the Ram is easier to mod.
Questions
Can you adjust the seat temp on the Ram?
I hear you can edit the Ram's computer to get better mileage on the 2010. Does that void your warranty?

Thanks!!

PS first time poster here.

rockcrawler304

First of all WELCOME to DTR! The BEST diesel (Dodge) site on the net

I have a 2006 Megacab and bought it for the roomy cab and the Cummins diesel.

I have driven both the newer Dodge and GMC diesels as well just for fun. Never intended to buy either but wanted to compare for myself. I was biased because I would not own anything other than a Cummins but I do agree that the GMC is a great truck. I agree with most of the pluses you describe except for the sluggishness of the Dodge off the line. I didn't think there was any real noticeable difference in the two.
If I had to choose, I would most definitely buy the Dodge. Mainly because of the Cummins but also for the ease of working on it and modding it if you choose to. The interior space is no comparison. I like the layout of the GMC but just seem to like the Dodge better. I also think the factory exhaust break works better on the Dodge.( Would have been nice to compare the two with a load.)

Doesn't sound like I was much help so just buy the Dodge and read lots of info in our 4th Gen section here on DTR

Hodge

Personally, I am a bigger fan of the solid front axle than the independent suspension.
You have not included what you plan to do with the truck- towing, work, etc.? These considerations may make a difference in opinions.

I don't have one, but I'm no idiot- I can't imagine that monkeying at all with the engine fuel or emissions management will keep your warranty intact. That will have to wait till later.

Strictly based on stance, I can not stand how low the GMC trucks sit. I like ground clearance.

I am sure that either one will be a good truck. $8000 is a good deciding factor, though.

bonfire

Thanks for the responses.

The truck will be my daily driver. I would be towing anything from snowmobiles, motorcycles, yard debris trailer ski boat, car and trailer.

bnold

For the differences in power available this year.. I don't know why anybody would choose the Dodge over the other two right now.. Dodge consistently finishes dead last in all the 'Big 3 testing' I've seen... Seems like the $8k is the only thing holding Dodge in line with the others...

SOhappy

Yeah, but when is enough power "enough"? I've got a 250hp SO with minor mods and have only been passed twice by other diesel pickups towing similar loads in seven years of ownership. If I'd been paying attention to the mirrors things would've been different....

I can pull 10,000 lbs up the steepest western mt. passes at the posted speed limit and rarely ever think "gee, I wish this had a little more power". I guess my point is, who cares if GM and Ford currently have better numbers? Do you really need the extra power? Only if you're trying to keep up with the Jones.

For $8,000 less my vote would definitely be with the Dodge. It's been my experience the gap will probably close at resale anyway (the two trucks will sell for about the same in 5 years or so).

Hodge

x2. Plus, if you HAVE to be the big dog, $8000 is enough to put you well past what Ford and Chevy is running.

ktpauley

Between those 2 trucks I would choose the Dodge mostly for the solid front axle. That is everything else being equal. Keith

Hvytrkmech

GMC has had far less emission related failures with their Duramax diesel then both Ford and Dodge. You can get emission delete kits for any of the 3 brands, just depends on what you want to do. Emission component dependability is getting better but in my opinion not where it should be. If I were going to spend 50-60K on a new truck I most certainly would not want to spend another 1-2k to make it more reliable by deleting components hence the reason I bought new in 06.


Good luck, its your money.

.boB

I went through the same thing when I bought my truck. Tough decision between Dodge and GM. A lot of things I liked about both, and a lot of things I didn't like about both.

All new cars and trucks drive well, are comfy, have lots of toys, etc. If they didn't they wouldn't survive in today's market. The real question is, what will it be like at 100K miles?

I went out and found three examples - Dodge, Ford, and GM. All with nearly 100K miles. And I test drove each one back to back; all from the same dealer, all in one afternoon. Easy to make the comparison.

The GM had a better powertrain. The trans was nice, good power, no turbo lag. But the suspension was down right scary. It was more like driving a boat than a car.

The Ford was nice. Handled well, rode well, excellent suspension. The drive train wasn't as good as the GM. But the interior was falling apart. Loose buttons and *****, shift handle flopping around, seats worn out. Felt cheap, and not that comfy.

The Dodge had an excellent drive train. A little more turbo lag, but not much. Excellent torque once the turbo spooled. Trans was OK, but not great. Suspension was tight and smooth. Felt very good in the corners and over rough pavement. Very easy to control at speed, and excellent transietn response (for a 4 ton truck). Not real keen on the interior. Dash is OK, but the seats feel more like a park bench.

After that, I bought a '07 with 35K miles on it. 2 years later, I'm still very happy with the Dodge. Based on the test drives, I expect it to be in good condition at 100K miles.

PoorMansCat

One thing you might consider, Dodg ehas had 3 years to tweak the 2010 emissions system. This is GM/Isuzus first year...
I personally wouldn't buy either... between all the emissions crap that just complicates everything and the fact that neither company apparently knows how to run a successful business with their welfare checks.. I'll jsut keep my paid for, no regen 5.9L...
While making a decision that is a $50K investment, you might as well go drive the 2011 Ford 6.7L... Atleast then you can make sure that you compared them all...

bonfire

Thank you everyone for the advice.
I was able to go look at and test drive the Ford. Loved the space in the back but did not like the interior layout. I thought both the GM and Ram have a better ride. The quality of the interiors seemed better on the Ram and GMC. I don't want to seem like I am hammering the Ford. I have owned two of them in the past. I don't care the brand of truck I am driving just as long as it's reliable and will take what I throw at it. I did like the computer of the Ford. Currently the Ram is in first followed by the GM and then the Ford.
Thanks again everyone! Starting to be a daily visitor to the forums.

HMX-1

By your own words you've made the choice plain as day .... get the Ram.

The wife gets the room she wants and as long as she's happy you'll be fine ..... and if "Household 6" isn't happy, you'll know it. You get a truck that will tow what you need when you need it. Mileage issues can be fixed with minor mods that won't void your warranty and the Ram is easier to modify once the warranties run out (or sooner if you choose).

I don't look at the testing they do on the trucks anymore so the rag magazines like Car & Driver mean nothing to me unless I'm looking at a car. Most of the writers live in big cities and don't drive trucks period, so why should I listen to them? And I'm not looking for the most horsepower, either, because if I wanted a hotrod I'd build up a GMC 1500 with a supercharged 5.3L. I want dependability and durability, that's why I own two Ram trucks.



Kris

cincydiesel

I depends on what you want to do and how long do you keep you vehicles?

The Cummins will outlast any of the 3 engines by a long shot. Then again does the average owner really keep their trucks for that long?

Ford and Chevy do have more torque and horsepower but at what cost? The longevity really starts to suffer when your in those kinda numbers. Then again who cares, its all about "who's got the most". Right??

For a personal truck I'd chose the GMC. For a true work truck, I'd go with the Dodge.

RAMRODD

Dead last except for durability, reliability. I admit it was a little tuff to buy the factory under powered truck but I knew I would mod it and now I have the dependable,reliable most powerfull urea free truck