Wow didn't know ford made a 7.3.. What the hell another one ford better ideas.. Like Scott said need to kick the government out of the motor manufacturing... Thank god Chevy got the LS motor right now if they could get a truck worth a damb... Maybe Chevy and ford could get together. they would maybe have a good gas truck.
My honest unbiased input on this. Everyone has there opinion, Being a car guy you now this is true. You state you are buying a rig to tow with. So that excludes anything BUT as diesel. A diesel is built for towing. and does it very well. but also drives like any other rig very well. Diesel pumps are not hard to find but also not at EVERY station. Dont worry you will find it. Any of the 3 makes are going to be an amazing upgrade from your 1/2 ton. Personally Im a dodge guy and I love my dodge truck. ANY truck can be picked apart. Buy the newest brand that you like and move on. I agree with the 8 foot bed. A longer wheelbase tows better then short. (but neither is bad) Buy what cab and styling you like. They all make a little different style. dont get cough up with thee hype of deleting the emmissions. leave it stock and you will be perfectly fine.
I've had 3 GMC 6.6 Duramax Sierra/Denali's...2008, 2012 and 2019. I agree that the advent of DEF has impacted mileage as all 3 trucks averaged about 14mpg however the flip side is all 3 are very reliable with the only repairs being heater motors(2) and going through a lot of headlights for some reason....at least 10 over the years. The 2019 is very quiet to the point if someone is pumping your gas, which I try to avoid, you need to keep a close eye that they put diesel and not gas in the tank. Truck rides very well, tows my 24 foot boat easily and has plenty of power. I will use this truck to tow a 24/28 enclosed trailer if I can find a used one cheap. When I traded in the 2008, I test drove a gas 2500 and there really is no comparison in performance...the gas truck felt like I was driving with the emergency brake on compared to the diesel. Diesel maintenance is more expensive for sure but at the same time I've driven over 100k miles before changing tires and never had to service brakes. Truck has all features anyone could possibly need and interior is as nice or nicer than most cars. Good luck!
What I don't get in the new Hd gas is my 2018 High Country has a 6.2 rated at 420/460. Why a new 6.6? When my truck was stock, it made torque for days. Not stock any more and it makes torque for weeks. And it makes my 19 L5P and it feels slow. But a judgement story. In the 800 mile time before the blower Red Rocket was averaging 22mpg. Now with 16K on the clock my average 400 mile loop is 20. I towed 3000 pounds for 70 miles and the 50 mile loop hit 12. I took the Duramaxx on the return trip and it was was 18.9 in and 18.1 out. My lovergirl and myself are towing a 15K pound toy hauler next weekend. We are glamping in the swamp.
The 6.6 is based off the 6.0 platform, and the reason for this engine I think is there was some concern that the “high-feature” 6.2 would not be well-received in a major market segment, and that would be the commercial use segment. So a simpler, 87-octane engine with more power than the previous 6.0 would ease some concerns and keep the buyers from changing brands.
Thank you all for your advice and opinions. After driving all 4 Manufacturer and their Diesels, I finally bought a new vehicle at a Buick dealer. We went GMC and hope for a good 8 to 10 years out of it
Sorry lets try again. GMC 20200309_140906[2079] by Buicksky posted Mar 11, 2020 at 1:33 PM GMC 20200309_151413.jpg