I found this on a consumer report type forum. (I need to search again to find the address)....

"This discussion is actually pretty interesting, considering how many flatlanders purchase pickups, drive them on the interstate and to soccer practice, and begin to think they can make a truck comparison. Many folks make a decision after driving one pickup, namely their own. I've lived in some very diverse places in the U.S., and here are my observations on late model pickups.

In Southern California and South Texas, guys buy 2 wheel drive Ford 1/2 tons for their wives because they think they want a pickup, and the price is right. The wife doesn't mind if the 4.6 liter has just enough torque to move it off of a standing start, or just enough traction to stay on wet pavement. The price is right, and Mommy gets a pickup. Best selling? Uh... whatever.

Here in northern Maine it's a different story, where extreme weather, deep-woods utility use, plow duty, tow duty, winch duty, overloaded beds, farm use, off-road use, and yes, highway travel is the norm, one pickup design is dominant on the market, the Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra pair with the Gen III V8.

It isn't driven for the name, but for what it can do, and what it does.

One guy I know, a crew chief for a major logging company, drove a 2002 Ford Super Duty 4x4 assigned to him for work, 40 miles into the woods each way 6 days a week, loaded. Not only is he forced to apologize for driving a Ford, his boss had to apologize to HIM that the tranny cooked out at 40K miles and he was stuck in the woods. There were so many problems with actually USING the Ford "Super Duty" pickup they replaced them all. All of them. Every one.

I'm not even going to go into the also-ran category of 1/2 ton only Nissans and Toyotas. Having owned a 2002 Ford F-250 4x4 with the disturbingly underpowered 5.4 (sold that 'bargain' in a hurry after having looked in the trans pan after 20,000 miles-scary), driven a '04 Dodge Ram Hemi for work at length in all weather and surfaces (what a tinny, front-heavy, loud piece of crap), and going home to my '03 Silverado x-cab Z-71 with the 5.3 Gen III V8, it's good to be home.

It's all about the drivetrain at GM. Power? Tons of it. Torque? From off-idle all the way to the top. Economy? 15 in the woods, 19 on the interstate, mostly loaded. Reliability? The only warranty repair after 50,000 miles was a 4x4 wire I must have hung up working in my woodlot. Comfortable, safe, quiet,... the list goes on. That a 7 year old GM truck design can outsell (combined GMC and Chevy numbers) a fresh Ford F-150 design and a burly-looking but horribly engineered Dodge design is a testament to it's quality and market dominance.

I'll bet the 2007 Silverado/Sierra will be even better, a evolution of a great pickup, with wholly unnecessary but welcome engine improvements.

In a nutshell, don't let some "Weekend Warrior" flatlander spout off about working trucks he knows nothing about. He might be late to his corporate sales meeting."

 

even better, i laughed so hard when a friend of mine got stuck in my front yard with a 2004 ford f150. when i can plow through fresh clay in my 2wd 89 chevy.

 

LOL, my Sierra got stuck all the time when I first bought it.... only because there was only about 2/32 of tread left on it. Bought some new tires and now I can't seem to get stuck!

 

As good a review as that is, I'm sure there are places on the net where the exact opposite is posted. Where Fords are the ones that are used all over the place and Chevy's are owned by the soccer moms. This is probably where Toby Keith and Mike Rowe are big.


Disclaimer: I like Dirty Jobs and Mike Rowe, just wish GMC had called him first for the spokesperson deal.

 

Dirty jobs is cool, it's just annoying when he promo's ford during the show (Billboard episode). But I totally agree with you on that, it's always made out to be that the best one is the one you like.

 

My buddy has a new dodge with the cummins and a lift and chip and 35 or 37 inch tires and he got stuck in the snow and my other buddy with a 6.0 crew cab pulled him out with worn out245 bridgestones. We all laughed when we were informed about that.

 

Yeh but diesels are a lot more front heavy. I was in north dakota for four years (military) and I pulled out so many diesels it isn't even funny.

 

Yeah, that's true. I bet when they have a trailer on the back they won't get stuck... if it's 4 wheel drive.

 

Maby not, but you have to think of the weight that is on the tires, if you are light you will most likely not get stuck. However you have to remember less weight means less traction.