I run an 03 Excursion 7.3 PSD at work. Love it ... Great truck and we put it through a lot of abuse. Just a couple of weeks ago it was an an emergency scene with the motor running for 6 hours. However, if I could buy a new Suburban with a diesel, I would have that. I think the Suburban rides better, smoother and is overall a better vehicle then the Ex. I like Fords (merkur XR4Ti, SHO, Marauder ... I have a sickness there) but the burb is way better than an Ex.
People always ask me why I stick with Ford.
- Thread starter AFBronco235
- Start date
I run an 03 Excursion 7.3 PSD at work. Love it ... Great truck and we put it through a lot of abuse. Just a couple of weeks ago it was an an emergency scene with the motor running for 6 hours. However, if I could buy a new Suburban with a diesel, I would have that. I think the Suburban rides better, smoother and is overall a better vehicle then the Ex. I like Fords (merkur XR4Ti, SHO, Marauder ... I have a sickness there) but the burb is way better than an Ex.
redthies
Renaissance Redneck
Have you seen the new 'Burb? It looks like a Ford Flex that got wet and swelled up! It usually takes me a while to warm to a new body style, but the new GMs are SO bloody awful I don't see ever liking them. Kind of like the current Super Duty from the front. Hideous!
In before the ford/chevy debate. Alot of the debate with the new (04+) big three trucks breaks down into what they are being used for. Where I live (wiliston, ND) the kind of abuse and "daily driver" status most all the fleet and service trucks see up here brings an entirely new definition to the word, also most trucks that I've found up here have anywhere from 6-20k hours on them depending on how much they are in the field and most diesel trucks up here don't get shut off during winter. And while I liked my 12 f150 work truck with the 5.0, with the Elocker in the rear..etc I can't justify spending $35k on a pickup that is just a glorified stripped down work truck.
Here is what I have found to be the most common issues with the newer trucks. Not a complete list by any means though.
Ford:
Brake calipers, caliper brackets, injectors, hub units, locking hubs, ball joints, blower motors, starters, aternators, spark plug repair kits, 5.4 coil packs.
Less common, but still frequent where turbo's, steering linkages and transmissions.
Dodge:
Calipers, shocks, hub units, ball joints, ujoints, steering linkages, CV's, electronic modules, carrier bearings.
Not very many uncommon problems with them though with the exception of the occasional coil pack issue.
Chevy:
MAF's, ball joints, hub units, tie rod ends, blower motors, blower resistors, PCM's, alternators, ujoints, carrier bearings, CV shafts, rear axle shafts, window motors.
I actually like the newer chevy truck drivetrains, but the trucks built around them are atrocious.
Any persons best bet is to pick what truck they like then build it up by getting rid of the BS designs on it. (like ball joints for solid axle trucks...)
Here is what I have found to be the most common issues with the newer trucks. Not a complete list by any means though.
Ford:
Brake calipers, caliper brackets, injectors, hub units, locking hubs, ball joints, blower motors, starters, aternators, spark plug repair kits, 5.4 coil packs.
Less common, but still frequent where turbo's, steering linkages and transmissions.
Dodge:
Calipers, shocks, hub units, ball joints, ujoints, steering linkages, CV's, electronic modules, carrier bearings.
Not very many uncommon problems with them though with the exception of the occasional coil pack issue.
Chevy:
MAF's, ball joints, hub units, tie rod ends, blower motors, blower resistors, PCM's, alternators, ujoints, carrier bearings, CV shafts, rear axle shafts, window motors.
I actually like the newer chevy truck drivetrains, but the trucks built around them are atrocious.
Any persons best bet is to pick what truck they like then build it up by getting rid of the BS designs on it. (like ball joints for solid axle trucks...)
Buliwyf
Viking with a Hammer
Yeah the new trucks are fugly.
The Raptor era F150's, current F350, and the Dodge HD's look nice to me. The 1/2 ton Dodges are pure ugly, the new F150's ain't so cool either. The GM's look like something a Gm guy would like, an improvement IMO, except for the new 'burbs. Maybe the design team for the 'burbs is special, but GM has been better about keeping the burbs and vettes better looking than the rest of their cars. The burbs had a classic look that the new ones just don't, at least for now.
I'll bet GM and Ford will evolve the burb and F150 over the next few years. Ford makes sure the first model year of a brand new design is always fugly. On purpose! It's how they do things, they already know what they're going to fix next year, before they even release it. Mustangs are allways ugly the first year, then evolve. The final Fox chassis in 03-04, Mach1 and Cobras, were awesome looking. But their sister cars in 94 and 99, not so much.
The Raptor era F150's, current F350, and the Dodge HD's look nice to me. The 1/2 ton Dodges are pure ugly, the new F150's ain't so cool either. The GM's look like something a Gm guy would like, an improvement IMO, except for the new 'burbs. Maybe the design team for the 'burbs is special, but GM has been better about keeping the burbs and vettes better looking than the rest of their cars. The burbs had a classic look that the new ones just don't, at least for now.
I'll bet GM and Ford will evolve the burb and F150 over the next few years. Ford makes sure the first model year of a brand new design is always fugly. On purpose! It's how they do things, they already know what they're going to fix next year, before they even release it. Mustangs are allways ugly the first year, then evolve. The final Fox chassis in 03-04, Mach1 and Cobras, were awesome looking. But their sister cars in 94 and 99, not so much.
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daddyusmaximus
Explorer
Spot on. Buliwyf got it right too with "Fugly". Mine is a '99 and I love it. I get on Powerstroke sites, there are so many guys putting the newer front ends on their trucks. It just takes a decent design and makes it look stupid. Those two big square chrome plated plastic grill bars... hideously fugly.
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But I am a Ford man. I always have to modify my vehicles anyway. No matter what brand, I never could leave anything alone. Works for me, I end up with a better performing, stronger product in the end, it just costs me a lot more. Too many people brag about resale value, that means nothing to me. I don't buy a vehicle unless I like and intend to keep it.
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As far as the add in the op, NOT their best design. Straight axles rule.
CodyY
Explorer
http://youtu.be/UfHtcUZXljw
Not work or children appropriate. Bad language and likely not wife appropriate.
Funny as hell though
Not work or children appropriate. Bad language and likely not wife appropriate.
Funny as hell though
stingray1300
Explorer
Absolutely right.
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I had an advantage for a number of years, as I was a mechanic and tire salesman. What this allowed me was the opportunity to drive many many different cars (test drives, etc.), literally many more than 100 different vehicles. A few of my favorites were a 1971 Corvette 350hp/350; an early SVO Mustang and a BMW 635 "Shark Nose". But what I also learned is how cars felt, and what idiosyncrasies they had. Thus I've been a Ford man ever since, for so many different reasons.
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But, some things that might be of interest, and also germane to the discussion being:
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And yes, we know ALL auto makers have taken government money now and then, but...
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DODGE: No longer referred to as "Dodge", but "Ram" (truck division). Why? They are distancing themselves from the Dodge name, as it is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fiat. That means, after taking the $5 BILLION bailout, and after filing for bankruptcy, they couldn't make it and begged Fiat to buy 50% share in Dodge/Chrysler. Which, they took over a month to decide if they wanted to. After a short period of time, Dodge still couldn't make it, and Fiat realized that the deal was going to drag them down, and so a deal was struck to purchase the other 50% share. I can say one thing, "Ram" sure spends a lot of money on advertising (with true statements or not). A good friend of mine's dad bought a brand new Dodge 3/4"ton. In 6 months the tranny literally blew up. No abuse, the man is almost 80 years old.
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CHEVROLET: Used to be a close 2nd to Ford in sales and dependability. But, GM took the $5 BILLION bailout, and then too filed bankruptcy, leaving their suppliers and creditors in a very bad way. Not a good example of a business model I choose to deal with. Now, given that after the big bailout the US government bought $280 MILLION worth of Fords for their fleet, GM has been the one trying the hardest to catch back up. Example: Ford released the very successful RAPTOR SVT platform. 2013 GM wanted to bring something to market called a "Reaper". Really? <lame> GM has been playing "catch up" for some time. That being the case, they have been known to rush things to market. Example: GM now has 66 active recalls involving nearly 30,000,000 vehicles. That's got to hurt anyone. I imagine the CEO is probably concerned for her job.
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FORD: Best selling truck 37 years in a row. The F150 is the best selling VEHICLE in America. 40% of all trucks sold in America are Fords. Some car models have/had transmission problems (my '88 Taurus ended up getting a new one. It was a real pain to deal with, but they did make it right). I may just have had incredibly good fortune, but I have never had my vehicles not do what I ask of them. And the Eco Boost pulls and tows better than the 5.7L Hemi and the 6.2L Chevy (and just about as good as the 6.2L Ford). Check out www.pickuptrucks.com and see the comparos at the "Ike Gauntlet". I've heard that the Tundra 5.7 is the closest to the EB in capabilities. The tranny in the F150 uses the same tranny as the F250 Superduty - so no tranny problems here! (a big plus to me
Do Fords have issues? Yep! I've just experienced less of them..
Not bashing anyone, just relating already-published information. I believe a person has to be happy with what he/she has. If not, then that person needs to make a change.
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I'm happy with what I have. Are you? (I hope so!
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Hey, let's talk about overlanding!
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Darwin
Explorer
Was it the Aisen transmission that he blew up? What was he doing to blow it up? Lots of bad drivers out there, and the Dodge trannys are supposed to be pretty good.
I could really care less if Dodge/Chrysler took the bail out money. I don't make purchases, especially big purchases based on that. I own two dodges, a 96 with Automatic, and 97 with 5 speed and exhaust brake, both are great trucks, the 96 has 245k, been to Mexico three times and costa rica once. The Cummins does everything I ask it to, so ya, I am happy with what I have.
Says it wasnt for the bail out and was for developing new hybrids. So what point are you trying to make?
AFBronco235
Crew Chief
Read your own articles. They were LOANED money, not just given it. Its compared to the $64B spent on other manufacturers, its almost comical how you seem to think the $5.9B LOAN that Ford has to repay even compares to the money just handed our, without any promise of return, to other manufactures. Its even more amusing that one of the sites you liked is called "fact checker". They can't even get their own "facts" straight.
So why take the loan? Ford saw the writing on the wall and realized that the GOVERNMENT was about to ENFORCE a new law or policy that would increase electric cars on the streets. If somebody was going to tell me how to run my business, I'd make them pay me too. But again, its just a LOAN that Ford has to pay back. Yes, its a BIG loan, but not nearly as big as the BANKRUPTCY of other companies in the industry.
As for Ford lobbying for the bailout, it sounds like someone was just being a responsible adult trying to protect an industry and the jobs that come with it. But do we praise him, no. We criticize him for HELPING people keep their JOBS! Doesn't mean he can't slam his competitors who needed the bailout because they couldn't manage their companies.