shaggy911

Asking for a friend who needs a family hauler, primarily for winter.
He has a 2 year old and is looking for a crew cab 4x4.

Ford F250 vs Silverado 2500HD.
Which is the one to get?
budget 10k - 15k.
looking at 2002/2003/2004 model years

not doing any towing. Occasional hauling.
not sure about engine or transmission.
looking at both gas and diesels.
Must be an automatic, 5 speed auto would be preferable

Maintenance cost needs to be low.
Should be very durable and reliable.
MPG > 11 to12mpg overall (city/highway split 20miles each) is fine.
Safety is most importance hence the heavier weight trucks is a choice i guess.

Or should he start looking at Suburbans/Yukons/Expeditions of the same year? He likes the looks of a truck, better range of transmission/engine choices and the additional ground clearance with trucks.


please post your comments and help with experience or advice on what to avoid. like for instance specific models or options that could cost a lot in maintenance.

KGVette

F-250

IB4TL

blackmachdown

expedition.. thats what I have, but my question is why does he need a one ton vehicle if he isn't going to haul things?

vette.mix

F250 will ride a little rougher

jlsru

I don't have any experience with Ford but I do with the 2500HD.I purchase a new 2500HD every 4-5 years.I put over 200,000 miles on these trucks with no problems at all.Just regular maintenance oil change at every 5,000 miles and tune up at 100,000 miles.The last 2500 that I had was 03 I gave to a family member at 208,000 miles and it is still going strong at 216,000.I currently have a 07 with 67,000.Got a long way to go.

smoothblue

F-250 hands down

shaggy911

Clearance.
Flexibility of having a bed for the occasional if not frequent lowes runs.
Expedition type vehicle is limited in its choice of engine/tranny combinations. Better in terms of daily use.

blackmachdown

well if he is dead set on a one ton, then an f250 is the best choice (im a ford guy) I used to have an 08 powerstroke f250 and that thing was awesome, smooth and very quiet, and gets better mileage than my current truck (an 07 f150)

Stomp'N'Go

Diesel or gas?

I like the looks of the f250 and the fact that the 4x4s have a solid front axle but I hear that the Chevy Duramax is one bad boy, lots of torque..

I'd go for the ford..

jrose7004

Since this topic has nothing to do with C5's, I'd say IB4TL!

baddboyz03

chevy duramax/allison drivetrain= bad azz! best HD drivetrain combo on the planet. look how many recalls ford has, and if their drivetrain is so good why do they change it every 2-3 yrs??

Retro99

head over to Fullsizechevy.com and ask those guys that question.. they'll set u straight

Tact

I've had a 2003 F250 with the 7.3 diesel since new and it's performed flawlessly. The 6.0 engines gave Ford some trouble. I'd buy Ford again, but I'm not sure if I'd buy new until they come out with a new engine. I love the 7.3. Best truck I've ever owned.

I've owned the GMC 2500HD before, but I had nothing but trouble, both with the deisel and the gas burner. GMC bought both trucks back under the lemon law.

MVR 155

Still not sure why he needs a 3/4 ton truck (2500/250) if he is not towing and only making an occaisional trip to Lowes?? The ground clearance on a 3/4 ton vs. a 1/2 ton pickup is marginal at best. A 3/4 ton truck is going to be signifigantly higher in price and probably have more miles on it.

If he likes the utility of a pickup bed but also likes the family hauling ability of a SUV then why not look at Suburbans/Yukon XL which are availible in 3/4 ton or the Excursion, with the seats folded down there is a ton of room for hauling stuff around with the only limit being the ceiling height of the truck.

Once again I stand by my original point of being absolutely no need for a 3/4 ton chassis since he wont be towing or hauling anything on a regular basis.

If it were my choice and I only had $10-15K to spend I would be looking at Silverado/Sierras or Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon/Yukon XL

IMXCITD

i'd go 2500 suburban or excusion...much better family vehicle.

71stang99

From what I researched the 6.0 diesel had many issues, so much so that it caused Ford 1 billion in headaches. I went with the 2009 6.4 1 ton (F350) and its been a great truck so far.

C5 Pewter Coupe

talking with Ford diesel engineers a few years back (was in late 05) they said the major problems with the 6.0 PSD was they had to introduce it 6 months early into production and they didn't have the time to work all the bugs out of it. (the 7.3 didn't meet emission standards, and NVH was to high) if you want a 6.0 get one of the later years and your golden..

kenv

juiceman03070

The Chevy will be a little more money ...because they hold their value much better ...
So my guess after owning several 2500 Chevys .....they are a better truck ....GO FIGURE ....

shaggy911

thats why it is under offtopic => other cars