Well, let me first say this. I previously was a Chevy man. I have also owned a dodge. I have taken apart the interior panels of virtually every auto make and model up to about the 2000 models. Here is my unbiased observance of each from both an owner standpoint and installers.

Ford- Great engines, good tranny, excellent interior quality

Dodge- Great engines, terrible tranny, shoddy interior quality

Chevy- Great engines, top notch tranny, horrible interior quality.

I have taken apart the interiors of all three makes and must say that Ford by far has the best interior for durability. My wife had a 99 Sunfire that the interior rattled terribly on, I currently have an Astro Cargo Van (V6) that has about 200K miles on it but the thing I have noticed besides interior falling apart is I have had to replace alot of the accesories such as ignition switch, TPS, Alternator, etc. The Astro is still running strong but does leak like the Exxon Valdez due to oil pan gasket and tranny pan gasket needing to be replaced. I also had a Chevy Monza years ago and had pretty much identical problems as the Sunfire and Astro.

All in all I gotta say from a mechanical standpoint one is just as good as the other, electrical systems I think Ford has tops there, Interior quality Ford takes it again, I don't rate paint and body since they are all pretty much the same and it comes down to if the owner takes care of his truck by keeping it clean.

For what it is worth I only say the others suck more to rib friends but the dish it out as well. Nothing beats having to help your friend tow his Chevy, Dodge, Toyota, Nissan, your name here, home. You get to bust his chops the entire ride!

 

I think some people shouldn't own certain makes of cars (it's kind of a karma thing). I've owned five GM products and every one has fallen apart (I'm a little slow at the learnin thing). I know other people who can't own Chrysler products and the same for Ford products.

I think all of the manufacturers make decent cars otherwise they would go out of business. If anybody could prove beyond a doubt that one make of car or truck is far inferior to the other then that maker would have to change the vehicle or lose alot of money on it.

 

haha I actually partially agree to your statement about certain people not owning certain types of cars, but not on a karma thing. I think it actually just comes down to i guess more so personal experience or what you're willing or know how to do to a certain type of vehicle.

For example, i'm seeing a lot of people here saying that FOrd is "easier" to take care of. Well, I talk to Chevy people and they say the same things about their Chevy's...I really just think it comes down to what you're comfortable with because it's true that you can't treat every vehicle the same way, even vehicles that are in the same class. Every car needs to be handled according to its own needs and I think that's the viewpoint that a lot of people miss. People just go, "hey it's a truck so I can do this and this and treat it the same way"...but that's not true...why do you think you can't treat a mercedes the same way as a BMW...even though they are in the same class

 

I have some friends that are definitely truck people...every vehicle they have is a truck of some sort... a GMC Sierra 2500, a Chevrolet Tahoe, a Toyota Tundra (the mom owns this "truck"... she doesn't really fit in with the rest of the family...lol...no joke) and a 2003 Ford Ranger. They've also had a Ford Explorer.

I can definitely say that this family is the least biased truck owners that I've ever known, as they've owned virtually everything. BUT, at the same time their dad is part-time mechanic and he KNOWS how EACH vehicle needed to be treated...so everything they had (the Chevy, the GMC AND the Toyota) runs great...even their older ones.

I'd say that's definitely proof that one manufacturer is not necessarily weaker than the other, but it just comes down to how you take care of your vehicles...so, if you had a poor GMC, Chevy or Dodge or whatever and had problems with it you might want to blame yourself and not the company...because a man's car reflect's the man...and Ford in my opinion makes their vehicles easier to take care of for the "average" market, whereas I think GMC/Chevy make their vehicles more for the "know-how's"...which is kind of a bad thing because that typically alienates a huge truck population.

This family says that they favor their GMC over Ford as far as towing goes...and when looking at the specs the GMC definitely does outdo Ford's on towing by towing some 10,900lbs. But at the same time, GMC's to me seem to be built with towing in my mind and less on other things.

Here's my analysis of how i view everything:

GMC: Towing
Chevy: Power
Ford: All-Around
Dodge: Nice "entry-level heavy-duty" truck, but unreliable.
Toyota: Lifted Camry (this doesn't even qualify as a truck to me)
Nissan: Lifted Altima

So whereas the Ford's won't have as much towing/power as the GMC and Chevy, they typically make a better "all-around" truck, which places them right at the top of the market because only workers (why do you think the goverment uses GMC/Chevy's as their official heavy duty vehicles?) will favor power/towing over "all-around" performance. Whereas the average person will favor all-around performance.

And, if you notice how each company advertises their trucks, you'll see what I mean. Chevy & GMC usually advertises raw muscle and power and Ford usually shows off all aspects. But, when you have an all-around vehicle you won't usually have the "best" in each category, but you'll still have more than ehough to cater to your needs...but it still makes for a better vehicle for the average consumer (or non-construction worker hehe).

Realizing that just now sort of made my decision a bit easier

 

That and closer9's post sum it up. Everyone has a story about someone they know or their own past sour experience. For the most part, they stereotype the rest for all time. This leaves most people pretty much ignorant about the other rands because they build in their bias into every story they hear afterwards. Even your own view about the Dodge for undisclosed reasons.

Any idea what the percentage of workers involved with a vehicle development and manufacturing worked the same job 5 years ago? I bet it is 25%. People change, designs change, products change.

All three trucks have their strong and weak points, but none are junk and none suck like many people seem to think. No one can tell to what to buy. I cannot sell you an FX4, let the product do it. That is what you have to live with every day. Drive them all with similar equipment and decide yourself.

 

Let's face it, when all is said and done, you'll probably buy what looks best to you and then hope it will be a good vehicle!
When I bought my '97 F150 in 1996, I was just looking for a simple work truck after totalling out my perfectly good Chev, which was an excellent vehicle too........... When I happened upon a red '97 F150, SC, stepside, I was hooked !!!
I still have this vehicle and I even bought my brothers 97 F150 also and still have it too.........both have proven to me that I bought a very good and dependable truck and what I still think is one of the best looking trucks made.
Sure, look at statistics and look at anything else that will help you qualify a purchase, but last of all, buy what you like and what looks good to ya.
Good luck with your purchase and we look forward to having you around here ....... especially if you buy a Ford!!!

 

My family is a Ford family. However, we have owned vehicles from all of the "big three" in the past. We've always gone back to Ford because they've been the best, most reliable vehicles for us. I would say that my brother has the most experience with all three makes of vehicles. He's a Trooper on the Wisconsin State Patrol. They have all three vehicle makes to use in various situations. My brother has always chosen to drive the Fords. He says they may not be the fastest, most powerful vehicles on the Patrol, but they are the most comfortable interior wise. They have to be when he spends 8/10/12 hour shifts in the vehicle. The Chevy's and Dodge's are to this day still horrible on his back and completely uncomfortable. The Ford's - no problem.

 

I think it is worth pointing out that many of the people on the boards own more than one vehicle, and that vehicle is not a Ford. I have 2 GM cars in addition to my F150. My next truck will most likely be a Ford, but my car won't. Ford does not make very appealing cars, and I think they know they don't. FoMoCo pours it's heart and soul into making the best built. best selling, and most affordable truck year after year. The Lightning Forum is a good example of this. The guys there LOVE their trucks, and rightly so, but many over a ZO6, Viper, or some other company's cars. Even in General Discussion people are commenting on a cool BMW or Audi (or whatever), but no one is excited over the new '04 Escort or Crown Vic.

 

Well I've actually had Dodge everything in my household for a while (a stratus and a 1999 ram) and in my opinion they were pieces of crap, but only in comparison to other vehicles in the same market. I think Dodge just doesn't put as much work in to their vehicles. I'm sure though that as of 2003 each brand of every truck has stepped up a few notches because the market share is getting too tight to leave any loose ends untied.

As far as someone mentioned about buying whatever looks best, that's not really the case with me because if it was I would all ready completed decided on the FX4, as I think that looks the best of any new truck on the market. The fact is that I'm looking for a tight truck because if I'm going to plop down $30k+ for a solid vehicle I want to know THAT'S what I have. I don't care for "show-points" or saying, "hey my truck looks cool". Because if it's stuck on the side of the road later and has to be towed how cool will it look then

Hell, maybe I'll just buy one of each lol

 

No, not really all that long ago. Although, yes, there have been new engines put out by Chevy. But, thats just how it goes. Some people get lucky with Ford, some get lucky with Chevy, some get lucky with Dodge, and you tend to stick with whatever you get lucky with

As far as Dodge, Ive heard of alot of problems with the HEMI engines and noises that Dodge wont put a recall out for, even though its pretty well known.

 

I like chevy and ford......well I used to like chevy. The new Silverado's are just plain ugly. The front end is awful. If I went back to GM, I would buy a GMC truck because the front end looks much better. Chevy has nicer looking interiors, but less quality in my book. I have owned 4 silverados and 4 fords, 1 dodge dakota and a Toyota. Ford to me is the best built, they are heavy duty solid, overbuilt, wonderful trucks. The new 2004 truck is nicer in some ways and not so nice in others.

The first thing I noticed in the 2004 truck while driving is the power. It feels smoother and gets off the line better. The second thing I noticed was the brakes. Damn I want those brakes on my truck. I mean that thing has wonderful braking. Better then dodge and chevy.

What I didn't like is the fact that it is lighter and not as well built. The sheet metal in thinner and more chevy like. THe tailgate is half the weight of my 2003 and I was told it was lighter because of the spring they put in there. Well that is BS because you can now push the metal in, so its thinner. The spring might be nice but it isn't needed because it doesn't weigh near what it did on the previous year models. The truck does handle great and is wider and feels less cramped. I spent two days in the 2004 F150 driving it around, and I was impressed overall. I own a 2003 F-150FX4 and I like it better, but would give anything to have the same power and braking. They did improve on those areas. Looks, well I think the 97-2003 trucks look better, but the 2004 models will grow on me.


Chevy's are faster because they are lighter. THey are just uglier then sh*t now. Dodge is just **** poor quality. Toyotas are great quality, but for the money, you can get more truck in Ford, Chevy, or Dodge. Ford is still the best. Most torque, better looking, longer lasting and just reliable. I'm glad I traded my Z-71 in for the FX4 crewcab. Its a much better truck.

 

I have been a professional stereo and security installer/service tech for almost 30 years and for the last 10-15 years I have found the GM vehicles to be the largest pains in the *** to work on from my perspective. They seem to delight in making life difficult as far as putting any aftermarket accessories in their products. Different mounting kits for practically every model, antenna adaptors etc. puts the cost of adding to your vehicle up considerably. I consider the 88-94 GM/Chev. truck to be one of the worst they've ever come out with. They have a very small drivers underdash access plate which makes it difficult to install things like alarms, keyless entry or remote starters.
I find that Dodges and Fords are much more aftermarket friendly. In Dodges, for the most part one stereo mounting kit fits all and with Fords, a lot of times you don't need a kit or plate at all. Trucks and SUV's being the main exceptions. Under the drivers dash there is usually plenty of working room in both brands.
As far as buying a vehicle I went back to Ford this year after driving Chevy trucks for the past 20 years. Partly because I have very good connections in the Local Frod dealership parts dept. and partly because I prefer to work on them. I've been prejudiced against Dodges ever since I saw the movie "Bullitt" way back in the early 70's. LOL. Also their trucks get crappy gas mileage.
Just my 2 cents worth (1.2 cents US)

 

Of course you are mostly going to hear about all the bad experiences that people have had. It is like when you go to a restaurant and get bad service. You are more likely to tell people all about the bad service that you had as aposed to the good service you might have had.

I just bought a 2003 F150 4.6L 4x4. The main reason i wanted the ford was because I liked the looks of it. I wanted to get new because I wanted to get a warranty. I do like the looks of the new dodge but.... it's a dodge. I don't like the way the Chevy looks after the change in 2003. My decisions was made pretty easily. Plus I got a good price on the Ford.

My dad bought a 1999 Silverado Z71 new in 99. He has had very minor problems with it. None have been mechanical. It was mostly rattles and bad wind noise. Personally I love that 99 Silervado Just as much as I like my 2003 F150. I probably would have bought it from him if he was interested in selling it.

Either way that you end up going, I don't think you are going to be too upset. Ford and Chev both make great trucks (Try telling that to my uncle who is the sales manager at a Toyota dealership).

Good luck with your searching.

 

Well, if we're talking about working them I haven't really done anything major on a Ford newer than the '92 Flareside I had. but in previous years I would work on a GM product any day, but not a Ford. I don't know if it's changed, but it used to be you nearly had to know the day your vehicle was made on, because Ford would change vendors, and specs two or three times a year, and it was just anybody's guess as to which part you might need. Whereas you take just about any GM part, and put it on nearly any GM vehicle... Chrysler was somewhere in between... but either way I'll keep my '67 Plymouth... The truck will eventually move on down the line I'm sure... Nothing these days is built like it used to be...

 

I drive a Chevy and I don't hate Fords. I originally joined this forum when I was researching trucks. I was deciding between a 97+ F-150 or a 99+ Chevy/GMC.

I bought my 99 Silverado 4x4 for 2-reasons:
1. IIHS offset crash test of the F150 Supercab was frightening. I go to junkyards all the time to pick parts for my older cars, and I can vouch for the IIHS stats that offset crashes are most common. I have photos I took that show F150 s-cabs almost always look like the IIHS results after an offset crash. Silverado didn't do as well in this test as the Tundra, but I don't care for the Tundra's looks, expensive Toyota parts, big pricetag, and smaller size. I heard the F150 Screw and reg cab were a lot better, but I wanted an extended cab with a normal shortbed.
2. I don't know how in the world a Chevy could be harder to work on than a 97+ Ford. On the Chevy, you can at least SEE and easily access all 8 spark plugs. You can't even see them on the Triton 5.4L. I still haven't figured out how you get them out, but my research says you have to pull the fuel rail!?!?! I don't know how that's easy? Everything on the Chevy is modular and disassembles/reassembles easily. I even converted my truck to factory power windows, power locks, heated power mirrors, and keyless entry in 2 afternoons.

My Chevy has been totally reliable with zero problems or glitches up to 117,000 miles. I would say most people here that hate Chevy must have experiences with older trucks... but then again my stepdad's '94 GMC has had ZERO problems in 120,000 miles so I don't know... I do have a friend that used to have an '83 Chevy that was an unreliable POS, but surely everyone's not biased due to experience with something from the 80's??? On the other hand, I guess it's possible. I have a friend that HATES any Ford. He learned that from his dad, who HATES all Fords because in the 1950's, he was left stranded on a cross-country trip by a 1950-something Ford. LOL!

I own a Chevy, but I still think the exterior of the 97-03 Ford F-150's, supercabs especially, is nothing short of an artistic masterpiece. My Chevy is okay looking, but the 97-03 Fords are beautiful. Such curves!

As for the 04 F150's, they're okay looking... but too many squared/flat body panels for my taste. They're safer in offset crashes than my Chevy, but their looks isn't enough to make me jump ship. I'll say they look a million times better than the 03 Silverado though. 03 Chevy's are pretty disgusting looking.

As for Dodge, I hate Dodge. I have no experience with the truck, but I hate that "mini big rig" front clip.