Having driven quite a few Dodge/Cummins, owned a Chevy/Duramax, and currently driving a Ford/Powerstroke, my next truck will either be an 06-07 Duramax or a 2013-newer Ford, but I really want a manual, so it may be a Cummins anyway
since thats the only manual option for 2011 and newer...
All of the 07-earlier Cummins are way overpriced (Duramax is getting that way too), and auto tranny options were not very good.
I don't know enough about the 07.5-newer Cummins to comment. The crewcabs were too small in the pre-2011 trucks, and I don't like the styling and 5.5ft bed of the Megacabs
All of the 7.3 Fords are even more overpriced than the Cummins
The 6.0 Fords can be found at a decent deal, but be prepared to spend a couple grand getting it bulletproofed, or a pay a premium for one that has already had it done (and can you trust that its actually been done?), the 05-newer trucks are coil spring front and supposedly ride a little better
The 6.4 Fords get TERRIBLE fuel mileage (ask me how I know...even deleted and tuned it's still terrible), ride quality with coil spring front is still much worse than a Duramax, reliability must be good though, as mine has 322k miles on it and still runs like a champ.
The 6.7 Fords had issues in the 2011/2012 model years that were later resolved ($$$$ radiator replacement was very common)
01-04 LB7 Duramax is known for injector issues, but otherwise are a very good truck that beats the Ford and Dodge of the same generation in ride/driveability/mod-ability. The Duramax has also proven itself as a VERY good motor other than some known issues. I had a 2003 with 335k miles on it and the interior was worn slap out, but mechanically the truck was fantastic.
Late 04-05 LLY Duramax has a few small issues but is also a very reliable motor.
06-07 LBZ Duramax is the one to have in my opinion. Most power of the early gen Duramax's, no emissions systems, and the Allison trans has 6 speeds instead of the earlier 5 speeds, so you get a little better fuel mileage.
08-newer LMM/LML Duramax's are very solid trucks that provide better performance than the numbers indicate, but I don't like the body style, so I've never done much research on them.
Theres also the new Nissan Titan XD depending on your needs and price range.
If fuel mileage is a concern, get a 2wd 03-04.5 Cummins with a manual. Those guys get 35 internetmpg, which is approximately 25-27 real world mpg.
My 03 Duramax averaged about 18mpg with stock tires and 17mpg with larger tires. My 08 Ford averages about 13.5 with stock tires, and 13 with larger tires. Typically a good source for mpg info is
www.fuelly.com, but you will find that all of the trucks get 12-15mpg, and there's no way to differentiate between an empty and loaded truck, so the data is a bit skewed.
After owning a Chevy 2500HD CCSB and a Ford F250 CCSB, there are things I like about both. The Chevy rides, drives, and maneuvers so much better than the Ford. Its also almost 1000lbs lighter. My Ford is ~8300lbs. The interior quality of the Chevy sucks. The Ford crewcab is the perfect size. Little known fact, the Ford bed is 2" wider and 2" longer than the Chevy and Dodge. All of the drivetrains are very good these days. But the Duramax/Allison combo is a great example of taking a good thing and refining it to a degree that makes it tremendously better than its competitors. The 5R110W in my Ford is stronger than the Allison 1000 in the Chevy's, but the 5R110W feels slow and clunky, doesn't lock up soon enough, and just doesn't work with the engine as well as the Duramax/Allison combo. The newer Fords with the 6 speed auto are supposed to be a lot better, but I have no experience with them.
If you want a manual trans, your options are a 2007 earlier Duramax, and it will be almost impossible to find, or a 2010 earlier Ford (pretty rare in the 03-07 models, and almost non-existent in the 08-10's), or any year Cummins.
