I know that I am probably beating a dead horse, but here goes. I currently own a 2001 Screw Lariat 4WD with 95K miles on it. It is not my daily driver anymore (I have a 2010 Escape Limited now). I am in the market for a new truck.
I am looking for something to tow my toys around on the weekend and for vacations. Currently, I tow a wakeboard boat or a trailer with UTV's and ATV's (3 or 4 at a time). Also, I have a 28' toyhauler that gets towed by friends with 3/4 ton trucks.
So, I have been looking at Ford and the darkside (Chevy/GMC). I can afford a F250 Crew Lariat 4WD with the 6.2 gas engine, but cannot stomach the $8000+ option for a diesel. So, my next option would be a slightly used Duramax diesel if the gas engine is not what I need.
I have owned 4 Ford trucks in the last 16 years and have loved every one of them, so I am reluctant to switch brands.
Herein lies my dilemma: Do I get a brand new F250 with the gas and save the 8 grand for a supercharger, lift, etc later on? Or, do I get a slightly used Duramax that i know will tow all my stuff with ease? Which will be cheaper as far as the cost of operating it. Fuel cost, service cost, etc. The truck will be driven most often with some kind of trailer, or to the grocery store and back.
A used F250 diesel is not something I am even considering due to Navistar's poor track record.

 

I'd have to go with the Duramax with your needs.

 

I would not hesitate to buy a low mile used 6.4 they did not have the problems that the 6.0 has. You can also find alot of them with factory warranty remaining.

 

I'd be all over a used 7.3 or a slightly used 6.4 crew cab super duty

 

no duramax

 

I gotta say the new 6.7 diesels have a ton of power. I had to go gas one up at work and I decided to see what it could do. I was impressed.

 

I am interested to see how durable and reliable the new Ford diesel is. Also, I am concerned with the new emissions urea setup. Is it going to be problematic or expensive, or will there be a way to bypass it?

The Duramax LMM has shown itself to be a fairly good motor, and mated with the Allison tranny makes it a little bit more desirable.

I don't want to buy a used diesel truck with too many miles on it or too much age b/c of issues non related to its powertrain. I have found that even vehicles that have been babied with low miles have nickel and dime problems that add up to be headaches from always trying to chase them down. Not all parts go bad because of wear and tear, some parts fail simply due to age.

I may just need to wait and see how the Ford diesel fares, and save my pennies until i can afford it. It is just kind of difficult when my better half gives me the green light to get a new truck, and what I want is just out of reach.

 

You can save that $8k right now and then some by getting a 2010 6.4. It's a good engine, trust me. All the little issues with it were worked out by '09. Ours gets 16 unloaded and 13 just today pulling a loaded down 16ft. trailer. You can invest a good $1500 into it and get even more power and better mileage with a tuner if the stock mileage isn't to your liking. Just take care of it and stick to the scheduled maintenance like you should.

 

Why not get a 2010 F250 V10? You can probably get a pretty good deal on one right now.

 

The new 6.2 claims to make more HP and torque and use less fuel than the V10. i don't know if it is true or not since the motor is so new.

 

A few more HP, but a good bit less torque at much higher RPM. There is a good reason why the V10 is still available in the cab and chassis trucks and motor homes, but the new 6.2 is not.

 

If I were you I would either be looking at a 2010 V10 or maybe a 6.4, TRY to find a low mileage 7.3L, or dare I say find a low mileage 5.9 Cummins.

If you do look for a Duramax hopefully the LMM is better than the LBZ version. One of my buddies has a 06 2500HD with the LBZ 6.6L that is currently in the shop getting head gaskets put in for the second time. They were supposed to go camping with us this weekend, but he called last night and said that they weren't going to be able to make it since the gaskets popped again, and he won't have his truck back until monday or tuesday.

 

I really like the looks of the 2010 Super Dutys. They look good. So do like everyone else says and pick up a used one if you need to save cash

 

Im not so sure that a Duramax is a better choice that a buying a 6.0 powerstroke.. I have several guys that i work with that have them and all of them are having problems out of them...two of them the transmission went out at around 50k. one of them all the injectors went out. and another the head gasket blew...it was never chipped.. I am on my second 6.0 (03 and now 06). I have only had 1 problem between both of them..the ficm module had a loose ground and it wouldn't start one day. it was fixed under warranty. If your scared of the 6.0..I would shop around like most said for a used 6.4 they are really good. I would stray away from the gas burners for towing alot, the diesels are worth it.

 

the 6.7 emissions system CAN and HAS BEEN removed and tuned for an extra 100hp.

I would not shy away from a duramax they are great engines and ride like a car due to the independent suspension. Just stay away from the LLY they had severe injector problems. The 6.4 isn't a bad engine but it is almost identical to the 6.0 except that the 6.4 uses a common rail injection, both 6.0 and 6.4 blocks are pretty much identical and both have four headbolts per cylinder unlike the duramax,cummins and the new 6.7 that have 6 bolts per cylinder.