Purchase a New Pickup truck 2021 GMC

I have the ecodiesel in my Grand Cherokee, and a Cummins in my '01 Ram 2500. Love diesels. The "biggest" service? Fuel filters. No tuneups. No plugs, coils, wires. Occasionally you have an injector fail, but no scheduled interval for those either. Fuel, oil, air...drive.

My Cummins has 280k on it. Other than things dripping (not the engine, but diffs and the transmission seals are starting to go)...it's a tank. Oil change and tire rotation every 5k miles, fuel filter every 10k or when my pressure starts to drop on the gauge. 20mpg right now, with all my concert gear in the bed (23,000 watts of speakers, 32 channel mixer, cables, stands, mics...).

My Eco has 80k, bought it brand new. Oil change every 10k, fuel filters every 15k. Fill the DEF once a year for a whopping $17 or so (get it at the pump, at the truck stop, for a fraction of the price of bottled DEF). It's had an emissions recall (software) and the 'cheating' debacle that netted me $4k cash; it's had 2 EGR coolers under warranty. Other than that, it's been bulletproof. 240hp, 420 lb-ft (stock), 26mpg commuting to work and over 30 on the highway. 5500 lbs, AWD, uber-luxury, and QUIET.

The Eco is, as noted above, a VM Motori engine. 6 bolt main girdle setup (not individual caps), super strong, Banks Engineering makes a version of it (630T) that they developed for the military's FAVs and they sell it as a crate motor. Weak point for the stock Chrysler setup, unfortunately, is the software because of "emissions standards". Most of the issues with the aftertreatment systems stem from people who don't "speak diesel", and drive them like gassers and expect them to behave the same. Major mechanical issues with the Eco in the Ram is because people think "I gots me a diesel Ram, I can pull down a house!"....when this is an economy engine, not a towing powerhouse engine.

Diesel is HUGE for economy, especially in the smaller displacements. EGR does tend to build soot, but as long as I have a warranty....I'll leave it stock and get it fixed for free. Once warranty is up...it'll get deleted if it fails again.

My favorite truck I've owned was my 2009 GMC Sierra. Sold it 3 years ago and the buyer occasionally calls me to tell me its running perfectly with no issues. I should have sold it for more $$ lol.

You guys' new magazine subscription is on the way!

Congrats Pops!
I think the rlRams are the most atractive inside and out but if the small Duramax is anything like its big brother Im sure youll like it.
I sold my 02 5.9 a couple of years ago and miss it dearly.
I had looked at Rams 1/2 ton diesels and what turned me off was their towing capacity. It wasnt half of the 5.9 and didnt see any real benefit other than the mileage. That would have been offset by fuel cost now...
The only thing I didnt care for with the GM/Chevies were that the dashes all looked the same as the camaro, the impala, traverse, and many others. It looks like they tried to replicate the 69 Camaro cluster which is fine, but jeeze dint make every car with the same dash...
Can you post a pic of the interior?

Finally got my new wheels on....

400 big cam3 13 speed RR now were are talking diesel ( teasing). I cut my teeth on a Detroit 13 speed RR.. Oh how I still recall the cackle as it got singing in the high end...Boy did it slobber the oil! Lots of nice stuff out there just depends what you like and what you expect out of it.. and what you want to deal with. Those wheels look nice too.

F4R/T said:

400 big cam3 13 speed RR now were are talking diesel ( teasing). I cut my teeth on a Detroit 13 speed RR.. Oh how I still recall the cackle as it got singing in the high end...Boy did it slobber the oil! Lots of nice stuff out there just depends what you like and what you expect out of it.. and what you want to deal with. Those wheels look nice too.

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I have 605 HP and 2050 TQ in my Cummins. 2 more months left on the warranty and DELETE!!! Going with a re-flash of 605 HP and 2350 TQ, hoping to add a ceramic coated intake and bigger injectors. Looking to put 600 HP to the ground!!

ROLLING COAL!!!

I finally bought my first diesel back in July. It's a 2004. Could not be happier. 18.7 MPG towing my 28' loaded with cabinets, tools, golf cart, equipment and race car.

6PKRTSE said:

I finally bought my first diesel back in July. It's 2004. Could not be happier. 18.7 MPG towing my 28' loaded with cabinets, tools, golf cart, equipment and race car.

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That’s a sharp looking rig!

Friday temperatures-24 with windchill. had engine warmer plug in, truck starter fine warm up for 25 minutes. After driving less than a miles truck bucked about 3 times, engine light came on w TPS code. Went into Limp mode and shut off. I had to cycle starter switch on and off a few times to start vehicle and was able to get home.

Pulled over 15 codes, I think my diesel Fuel gelled. Cleared all codes & truck is running fine…

My boss bought a 2020 GMC diesel. His DEF pump and wiring burnt out and the infotainment screen is bad at 40K. He got the GM warranty so it was covered, took about a month to get it in and fixed. It is a nice truck with a ton of power. Dustin

I have owned a couple of Cummins Dodges, currently own a "hemi" 18 Rammer and drive a 2020 Chevrolet Duramax for my part time job. So I have a few thoughts.
Cummins is the best engine but "Dodge" (or whoever runs the company now) refuse to make a transmission good enough to match up to the huge power the Cummins puts out. The transmission is not on par with the engine period and it never has been over the years.
The Chebbie I drive only has about 60,000 miles on it now but it has run flawlessly and the transmission is great as well. To me the rest of the truck is second rate. Crappy interior quality, crappy comfort, not enough foot room as compared to my 18 Rammer. Also the electronics are junk as well, poor quality switches, stupid messages that come up on the display (like "don't take your eyes off the road" well I wouldn't if this stupid message didn't pop up). It's just not a nice truck. The styling is subjective but to me it is just plain stupid looking, wheel arches designed by an etch a sketch, grille designed by somebody with phallic envy etc.
The Rammer has way better interior quality and comfort however mine has had 2 issues which the company (whoever runs Dodge now) didn't address promptly. The radio did an update and bricked. I couldn't even access the HVAC controls which is a safety concern, I waited months for a new radio. My lifters haven't failed yet but it's a common issue that (whoever runs Dodge now) won't address. My exhaust manifolds did crack at 50,000 miles which is another known issue.
Bottom line is the company (whoever owns Dodge now) don't give a flying heck about their products or looking after their customers after the sale. I won't buy another one, I don't know what to buy next, it won't be a Rammer and it won't be a Chebbie. I've had a lifelong hatred of Ford trucks since the rusting, 8MPG 360 days. Ford really has a hard time building an engine that is any good other than their 302's and 460's it seems. I think I will give Ford a chance though as they seem to take care of their customers better from what I've seen with friends who have bought them.

I won't buy a new truck; I'll keep my old (2001, nearly 300k mile) Ram and keep fixing rust.

Runs like a champ.
No emissions to worry about.
Six speed manual transmission.
No computer nannies at ALL - no start-stop system, no "driver monitoring", no lane-keep assist, no park assist, no auto high beams, no adaptive cruise control, no radar, no cameras, no NUTHIN'.

And, it's paid for.

If I had to get something new(er), it would likely be a GM. Duramax is a good platform (the emissions junk screws ALL the manufacturers though), and the Allison is a HELL of a transmission. Shame GM has the exclusive rights to the Allison, Ram can't pick them up. THAT, would be a good match - and it is, in many RV applications. Cummins ISB or ISX mated to an Allison - great setup.

Ford screwed the pooch when they released the 6.0 - that engine was an abortion, it never should have come to market when it did. I understand not being able to certify the 7.3, but c'mon...have an engine that's actually ready for market, guys!

But, all of them are fugly in my book these days. Ugh. I'll keep running my gen2, thanks.