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Need help ASAP.. 2017 duramax vs powerstroke

154K views 115 replies 49 participants last post by  monkeyman 
#1 ·
I have a 2015.5 Denali duramax that I have really liked except it just hasn't had enough punch for me with the 6" lift and 35's. I need a tax right off for my business this year so I'm getting a new truck. My truck sold surprisingly quick and now I have to make a quick decision on my new ride. I've gotten some advice on the ford forum but of course they are very biased. So whats everyone's opinions on the new ford vs the new Dmax?? With the new motor on the GMC it makes me a little nervous, where the powerstroke is quite proven. The frame and axles on the ford are more robust for sure but I don't tow much at all. The I will be lifting either one I get with 37's. I do like the Denali grill more than the new ford. Anyways I look forward to your guys opinions on these trucks. Thanks in advance for any input!
 
#2 ·
The Ford is a stout platform, and I wrestled with this before buying my Duramax- although I bought the less powerful '16. My brother in-law picked up a '17 F350 Lariat Diesel- loaded- this past weekend. It is a nice truck for sure, but the interior styling feels 'bulky' to me and was not to my liking. I think the grill and headlights are horrendous especially with the myriad of LEDs on the Lariat- but that's not my thing either. The body doesn't have as nice lines as the GM product and looks more like a work truck.

The latest iteration of the Powerstroke is a beast and proven to be reliable to this point. The solid axle suspension is more robust out of the box and easier to lift albeit at a similar cost for similar quality suspension system. The Ford is a good truck without question.

FYI- this is from a guy who owns two Early Ford Broncos, has always driven a Ford truck and just got out of an F250 to jump into the Duramax...

The reason I went with the '16 D-Max... proven platform, I didn't need the 150+ more torque by any of the big three and of all the trucks, the GM styling (inside and out) was just nicer in my opinion (I went with the High Country). The year end and leftover model discounts were also a nice incentive. GM has come a long way- prior to the 15/16 model years, I was not a fan of GMs styling with exception of the Tahoes (my wife is on her third). Being an engineer and having worked in the suspension industry at one time, I have never been a big fan of the IFS- with some mods it will work for my needs.

The unproven nature of the L5P is the only concern I would have... but I would probably stay with the GM product (either GMC or Chevy) on the '17 designs. Good luck either way.
 
#5 ·
^^Exactly! I too drove the '17 powerstroke and I was thoroughly impressed with that engine. It rode and handled great. The interior has had a facelift from the '16, but is just not to my liking either. Yes, bulky discribes it. It was even taller than the '16 duramax I bought. Found a '16 built as if I had ordered it and got an excellent deal on it. I wanted a proven platform and don't really need the hp increase of the '17. I want to see how the L5P does before I jump on that ship.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Is this sarcasm?

Surely you wouldn't let the absence of air vents in the backseat of a heavy duty truck determine which truck you wanted to buy.


To the OP: I had an LML before this, and this LP5 is a completely different beast. 500 miles on it and I can't stop smiling. Ride is great and more than enough power is always there when you need it. No dead peddle like on the LML.
 
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#7 ·
When paying 60+ thousand dollars for a truck (heavy duty makes no difference) details matter, especially when the competition offers what you're lacking. I have a 15.5 ltz duramax that I like ok, but the new rams and fords have more options. It depends on what you want I guess. I like the drivetrain and looks of mine better, but they have things that gm doesn't offer. (I.e backup camera in 3rd brake light, puddle lights, 5th wheel hookup without rails, more rear seat space, air conditioned seats that actually blow cold air)


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#8 · (Edited)
My friend is a Ford Diesel mechanic and has been for 15 years. I asked him what i should buy when i was looking at trucks his advice was this: if you want a Ford F250, get a 6.2l gas one. They are bulletproof trucks. He has personally replaced 15- 6.7l Powerstrokes since 2011. Not to mention the numerous fuel pumps and turbos. He said if you want a diesel, get a duramax or Ram/ Cummins. The GM will ride better and has better transmission. The Ram has a great engine, but a weak front end. Take your pick...

~the Captain

2016 Chevy 2500Hd, PPEI tuned, CAT back exhaust, 2.5" Zone Level Kit, Moto Metal 970 wheels/Nitto Terra Grapler G2's, Custom Cab lights, LED Fogs, Resonator deleted
 
#28 · (Edited)
X2 on the Ford and Ram problems. I have friends who have had to replace their 6.7 Powerstroke fuel pumps and injectors after the pump took a dump. Ford will take ANY tiny bit of rust to say that your fuel was bad and refuse to honor the warranty. Never mind the water separator they installed on their truck did not work. ram front end still has the Death Wobble problem. That said, the Cummins/Aisin combination is VERY good!

I would stick with GM. If you are leery of the L5P, wait a year or two and buy the truck then, but Id stick with GM.

Just my thoughts
 
#10 ·
I may be biased cause iv been a BOW TIE TILL I DIE kinda, yes i have owned fords, still own a 72 bronco, i had an 04 Lightning, i had a 7.3 with over 400,000 miles on it, im on my 2nd LBZ, and now waiting on my new L5P. But to me there is a reason chevy is still running a 6.6 duramax, why change platforms when you can improve on what you already have. Yes it is a bummer that the rear seats dont have venta on the back of the center console, not a deal breaker beacuse they still get air flow from the vent under the seat. Yes its a bummer no heated seats for the rear seats, but when will i be sitting in the back, 90% of the time it will be my kids in car seats anyways, even if i had the option it would get used for another 3 to 4 years when one of them could sit on the actual seat. And i do believe gm has the 5th wheel and gooseneck hitch prep package that has not rail system in the bed for the curt hitches. The chevy/gm ride will always be better then the straight axle of ford and ram, i would rather replace smalled cheaper parts on the IFS system then have to shell out 3 grand every time the ram needs front end work, and never get the death wobble either. But that is my opinion, and i am BOW TIE TILL I DIE and that is why I ordered the truck that i ordered
 
#11 ·
I had a 6.7 Ford prior to my Denali and would go back to the Ford in a heartbeat if I could get Fords even remotely close to the price of the GM.
 
#12 ·
The 17 f250 platinum loaded up is not a cheap truck by any means. It seems you can get better deals on the GM product when you actually start shopping.
 
#14 ·
I get 20k off sticker because I am a member of a specific group that GM supports. It is in Ontario only.
 
#17 ·
I am a Ford guy, in a Chevy truck. That said- I do not know of one 6.7 in my friends and family that has had any issues. That is from 2012 and newer, except one did have an emissions system issue.

The Ford is a great truck, but so is the duramax. Price would most likely be my deciding factor if I was shopping
 
#19 ·
The Ford is a great truck, but so is the duramax. Price would most likely be my deciding factor if I was shopping
I just pulled the trigger on a Silverado 2500 over an F250 for exactly this reason. I've been looking/ trying to decide for a long time, and finally decided they were too close to matter and decided I'd buy whichever I could get the best price on and that was the Silverado.
 
#18 ·
I just signed the papers for a 16 high country today and I love the truck so far my friend owns the f350 and it a loaded model but I still find the interior feels plasticy and cheap to the touch. IMO the duramax is the better truck if it don't have enough punch chuck a chip in there


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#21 ·
With the new motor on the GMC it makes me a little nervous, where the powerstroke is quite proven.
Proven what? I know quite a few diesel mechs and they all say to stay away from the 6.7 (I was looking at one before I got my LML).
 
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#22 ·
Proven to be pretty reliable. The first year of them wasn't the greatest with Turbos etc. but they sorted those issues out pretty quick. The LML's are pretty flawless as well.
 
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#25 ·
Duramax or a Ram/Aisin/Cummins. I'll never buy another Ford again. The difference in how GM treats you vs ford with a warranty claim is night and day. GM gets it done. Ford treats you like a criminal from the get go. The '14 Ram dually I have driven is a very good truck, solid axle is a touch rough riding but their fit and finish is much improved over years past. It's close and I'll drive both before buying a '17 or an '18.
 
#26 ·
Had a turbo on my 6.7 covered under warranty at 60K miles without a hassle.
 
#27 ·
I am selling my 15 year old Dodge now which is heavily modified, cant beat a Cummins but with Ford a lot of repair reqires lifting the cab which adds six hours to labor, I love Cummins but hate the choice of wrappers! So this is my first Duramax and GMC
 
#29 ·
It's luck of the draw..

Guy A has ford for 7 years and 450,000 miles no issues... had a Dmax break 3 times in a year
Guy B has Dmax for 7 years and 450,000 miles no issues.. had a ford break 3 times in a year

Get what you like.. test drive them.. make a decision. My sister in law had the SAME suburban as me.. SAME.. she sold hers with 290,000+ miles.. ZERO issues. I traded mine with 116,000 miles.. replaced 9 sensors, engine blew, front end dropped out, 4X4 broke, and controls modules went in less than 2 years. I maintenanced and garage kept mine.. she didn't. Luck of the draw.

For what it's worth.. I would never spend 60K+ on a truck that advertises everywhere.. Fords are big/roomy but dang.. the word FORD, Super Duty, Powerstroke is literally indented on every frocking body panel, interior piece, windshield, grille, etc.. No thank you. Plus they are super marked up...
 
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#30 ·
Ram: The 68RFE sucks. I hate it in any form. It's best off as a boat anchor.
The paint is still pretty pitiful on these trucks. A lot of body shops/detail shops say Dodge/Ram will have a lot of paint issues straight from the factory. (Runs, exposed primer, bad orange peel etc)
The ride (From the 16 we have) is still kind of rough
I love the 6.7 Cummins. Deleted or in stock form though
I do like on the newer 4th gens all the space they've used for storage.
You can get a tradesman for $40Kish USD and that's becoming pretty rare. Not to mention you can customize the crap out of the interior with no issue. (Buy base, add your own options down the road)

As far as the GM goes, It's what I'm most familiar with. I think it's the best of both words. Only thing I would be upset about going back to GM is losing the solid axle and having the ability to put a Carli system on the truck. They ride good in stock form and handle well. Quiet and comfy interior. There are some options that I feel the gm is lacking in that Ford has on them. Course it could be said the other way as well.

I use to think Ford was the most expensive and having basically the same box body style for the past 20 years was getting old and I never could really get into how boxy their damn trucks were. Interior, boxy. Exterior-boxy Only thing with curvature was the blue oval
Either way, since I've been shopping patiently for a new truck, I've visited AutoTrader frequently searching for either a King Ranch, Laramie Longhorn, or less optioned out Denali/high county/SLT/LTZ
Not sure if I'm allowed to share dealers, but I found some Lariats for around 55-60 and I thought they were going for 65~. @ Expressway Ford in Mount Vernon Indiana. They are like LBGMC and sell in volume so they can sell these trucks all day for a lot lower than MSRP. In my mind they may be willing to move on price some. I do love the look of the new F250/350s. It was definitely a long overdue appearance change and supposedly the 15 and up trucks fixed a lot of the issues with the turbo and so on. I've been hearing pretty promising things about them.

It's all a matter of preference. I would go test drive each one once or twice and think about it. Then make a decision based on price, what you like, and customer service. I think they're all extremely nice now a days and you can't really go wrong with any of them so as long as you take care of it.
 
#31 ·
I'm a little confused isn't this site a Duramax Forum, try asking that question in the Cummins Forums, you would be laughed out! as far as vents in the back killing the deal, I laughed at that, also check out how the injection system works on Fords, not bad trucks, don't like their engines, and I have taken apart dozens of Diesels
 
#33 ·
i drove both before buying my 15, they both make great power, the ford felt like it had instant low end power, the dmax wasnt far behind, it felt more refined and didnt instantly smoke a tire. ride quality, the solid axle in the front makes it ride like complete shit. its like driving a dump truck. the 17 rides a lot nicer than my 15 does. and its smooth, where as the fords solid front axle jsut really doesnt make it ride good. now if you plan on towing a small city in 4wd, the ford will do it and you wont break that front end. the one thing i really liked about the ford, the front hubs, theyre auto and manual, so if the auto portion somehow fails, you can manually lock them, great feature. plus i prefer the interior of the gm
 
#34 ·
There is a little more difference in the trucks, to do any major engine work on the Ford you have to remove the cab, add five hours to labor, makes a difference when you do your own work, not to mention the Allison blows the ford trans away
 
#35 ·
I came from 4 ford diesels in a row went to buy a new 17' F250 platinum price was $75k on the sticker and not much wiggle room. I was told Ford is the best selling heavy duty truck for 40yrs Bla Bla Bla and they sell just fine as is!
So the Ford with what ever rebates would have been around $75K on the road i paid $63K for a 17' Denali 2500 with a sticker of almost $72K. Being a Ford guys for years it was a simple decision because they sure don't care how many i buy the price was still $12K higher!
Might be a bad way to look at things however that's a lot of coin that can be used for modding and i'm completely happy with the Denali just need some tuning!
 
#36 ·
ford verses chevy

I have had issues with the power stroke starting with my '05. I had it in the shop 15 times for oil leaks. long story short i got an'08.it didn't hold compression. long time ago the best advise i got was from an elderly gentleman and he told me to go out and test drive all three, see which one you like the best and buy that one because they ALL have their issues. hope this helps
 
#37 ·
Pretty old thread but to add some info here I have a good buddy who is a dentist. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ He paid cash for a custom 42' offshore boat ($500,000+) and his 6,000 sq ft house in the snobbiest neighborhood in town was paid off 2 years after he moved in. I only mention all this to prove that price had nothing to do with his choice.

He drove an older Duramax for years - think it was like an '07 or so. Next, he went with an F250 with the 6.7. Motor locked up on him at around 40k miles if I remember. So he got a new F250 w/ the 6.7. This one had the death wobble so bad he wouldn't let his kids ride in it. Also had all kinds of annoying problems with gizmos that broke / wouldn't work and the thing was constantly in the shop. They never could fix the death wobble and he'd had enough. Went back to a duramax and says he'll never go back to Ford.

He tows his 42' offshore boat. Has towed it several time to Miami and back (Louisiana) with both the Ford and the Duramax. Says NIGHT and DAY the duramax tows that monster better. Said while towing with the Ford he felt unsafe and not in control. With the Duramax he says rock solid and just handles the load so much better. I'm trying to quote him as close as I can but all this happened over several years. I'm guessing boat and trailer are close to 20k lbs.

only other point to make here is that Ford is still using the hand grenade Bosch CP4 while the L5P uses a Denso fuel system. The Denso A/C compressor on my '02 duramax went 330k miles before I changed it. And it was still working fine when I changed it, I was just getting nervous that it would go out on me while on a road trip - so I kind of trust the people who built my A/C compressor a hell of a lot more than the people who built my injectors (that have been changed 5 times now).
 
#38 ·
I had a 14' F250 6.7 Powerstroke, $68k and the biggest POS I've ever owned. In the shop 12 times in 14 months and I only had 22,000 miles. I have never seen more uneducated, rude, and clueless people in the auto industry than at the 3 Ford dealers we have her by me. Ford and Ford dealerships simply don't care about the customer. I dumped the Powerstroke for the Duramax and I'm very pleased!
 
#39 ·
I've owned a 2009 6.4 Powerstroke, 2012 6.7 Powerstroke, and a 7.3 Excursion. I currently own a 2007 LBZ. I'm not brand loyal.

I've been in the market for a new truck over the last year and am having issues pulling the trigger. The 2017 Super Duty appeals to me because of the added room in the back seat. The Super Duty also has power extension/retraction on the tow mirrors. This is a very nice feature if you tow frequently. Chevy does not offer this on their mirrors. The Ford 6.7 scares me because (as previously mentioned) the CP4 HPFP. I kept a 2017 F-250 Crew 4X4 6.7 Lariat Ultimate overnight and was not impressed with the ride quality compared to my LBZ. Additionally, I have seen dyno charts where the 2017 6.7 Powerstroke has not delivered advertised power. I drove the one I had overnight hard (at the instruction of the salesman) and was not impressed compared to my LBZ on the Sport/Economy tune. The ultimate tow camera package on the 2017 Super Duty is very nice. Chevrolet only offers a dealer installed camera package that doesn't look as clean installed.

I also kept a 2017 Silverado 2500 Crew 4x4 Z71 Duramax overnight and here are those observations: Power was better than the 2017 Powerstroke. Not a huge difference, but seemed smoother and better refined. I'm afraid to comment on the L5P reliability as I don't think there is enough data out there. Better interior materials. I see quite a few references made about the lack of HVAC vents in the center console. I felt like the cabin had adequate air circulation on a 95 degree Texas summer afternoon, with a family of four in the truck. I am no longer concerned about the lack of air vents in the center console. The ride is smoother than the Super Duty. Here are the things I feel are short comings: As mentioned before, lack of power extension/retraction on the tow mirrors. Lack of exterior LED lighting options (specifically the tail lights.) Massive DEF tank location is a visual distraction. Smaller back seat area.

I hope this helps someone who is looking at trucks. I'm still on the fence, but leaning towards the L5P.
 
#41 ·
The one area you did not mention was the transmission. I find the Allison transmission a HUGE plus for the Chevy/GMC vehicles. I have always been a Ford man, as was my father before me. My current truck has forever made me a GM truck guy and that Allison has been a large part of what I love so much about these trucks.
 
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