I know this is not a yamaha post and i hope nobody gets mad but i am going to be able to buy a BRAND NEW truck here in the next couple of weeks and i am having such a hard time deciding.Which one would you guys buy?A 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 single cab 4x4 slt with the 5.9 V-8 or the Chevy 1500 Z-71 with the 5.3 V-8?Do any of you own either of these trucks?If so,how do ya like them.I am 20 years old and have been saving along time for the down payment so i need all the input i can get.Thanks.

 

I've got a 2000 Z71 Ext. cab with the 5.3. Its everything I could ask for other than a HD with the 498cc engine (not for economy though!). Its been great for the first 48,000 miles. I got around 17.5 mpg before I put larger tires on it. Now my reading is off, so I don't know my correct mileage. The engine will flat out run. I don't know how it does powerwise against the others other than what magazines will print. You can't go wrong either way you go though. All of them are good trucks. They have to be to be that damn expensive.

I'm a chevy guy so that is all I would have got though. My second choice would be the Ford, and then the Dodge. Thats basically on gas mileage though. Any way you go, you won't make a mistake. With these things, its basically a preference call.

 

Don't forget about Toyota Tundra. You don't have to buy just go for a look see. Chet

 

Don't forget about the Nissan Frontiers. But I would go with the Chevy just because I am a Chevy man. I have a 1975 Chevy Silverado and it outdoes all the new trucks that think they can take me in the mud.

 

I own a 2001 Dodge single cab pickup and I love it. It has the 5.9 litre engine and this thing will flat out haul. It also has the Off Road package, which if you can get be sure to get it, which comes with 17 inch rims, sits 4 inches higher than a standard Ram pickup, Sport appearance package, Infinity sound system with CD. I use to be a Chevy man until I bought this truck. I will never go back to Chevy. There is nothing wrong with a Chevy but they just don't have the look or feel that the Dodge has. Just my opinion.

 

If you're looking for a REAL off road truck, then you need to score a Ford Super Duty, but that wasn't a choice. Between the two you listed, the Z-71 all the way. Awesome ride, decent power, and good milage to boot. A buddy at work gets 20 mpg with his 2001 5.3 Z-71. He does run a bed cover though. Windowed for $34,000, he got it for $23,000 (GM employee discount, plus MI zone rebates). Not much good for off-road though, due to the low vehicle height and crappy tires (Firestones). I would not recommend the Dodge under any circumstances, especially with a motor design that is 30+ years old. Another thing to consider about the Dodge is that the 2001 is the last year for the current "look". The 2002 has changes that will decrease re-sale value 2001's down the road. If you get the Chevy, make sure it is a 2001 model so that you get the engineering updates from the 2000 model (don't ask). Good Luck.

 

95warrior, what good would it be to have a 4X4 if it is no good off road? Like I said before, Chevrolets are good trucks but they are way over priced. If I am going to pay over $30,000 for a truck you can bet it is going to be for a Super Duty F-250 or F-350 or a Cummins High Out-Put Dodge not a Z-71. Have you seen the 2002 Dodge truck? I don't think it will affect the price of the 2001 because that new style isn't very appealing.

 

id recommend a ford f-150 offroad package with 5.4l triton v-8 there is a reason ford has been on top for years.

 

2001Banshee,
AZTrailRider had a list of two trucks, which didn't include mine (F250 Super Duty V-10 4x4). Of his list of two, the Z-71 is the more appealing choice from an objective point of view. Neither truck is my choice (see above), and I come from a GM family. As far as what good is a 4x4 if it isn't any good offroad, it increases the market when you want to get rid of it. Some people want it because of snow, some because they got a big-butt ski boat or cabin cruiser they can't drag up the boat launch in 2x4 (seen it), others just to "fit-in". A Cummins turbo diesel (or a Ford Powerstroke) adds $4500 to the sticker, and that's the price of a new quad. Plus a turbo diesel bumps the truck up to a Ram 2500, not one of his choices. The 2002 Ram will knock re-sale value of the 2001 because: 1. Largest extended cab of any brand, with the biggest doors for getting in. 2. They canned the 318 (5.2L) in favor of the 4.7L. Higher quality engine, OHC means better fuel economy. 3. Four wheel disc brakes means better stopping power. 4. New model means aggressive lease residuals to move product. Therefore it's a cheaper monthly payment to get into a 2002. 5. Look at resale on a 98 F250 7.5L vs. 99 F250 6.8L, 99 Silverado Classic vs. 2000 Silverado, etc. The last model year of series always takes a larger percentage hit on re-sale value. All things considered, the Silverado is a "newer" truck, being engineered in 1998-99, while the 2001 Ram was engineered in 1992-3. My opinion (only mine) is that the Silverado Z-71 is the better of the two trucks listed(but not better than my Super Duty![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]).