The Latest Diesel Pickups Prove That Motown Still Makes A Splash
… would allow multinational firms to burn dirtier diesel in countries lacking ULSD. Despite the problems with earlier engines, experts assure us that the new 6.4L has the kinks worked out.
 Tudor Ran Hampton / ENR | |
 General Motors Corp |  General Motors Corp |
 General Motors Corp | |
Silverado rides like a road warrior. Seat storage (far right) and cargo rack (bottom) are nice touches but feel cheap. | |
Power Stroke has a $6,895 up charge, thriftier than the $7,195 Duramax. The Bowtie has a quiet, smooth ride, and is well matched to an Allison six-speed automatic. The Cummins rings up at $6,100, the best deal of the three. All have standard gas engines for those not needing extra torque. Only the Crosshair and the Blue Oval offer a manual and automatic tranny. All can be had in rear and part-time four-wheel drive.
Dings and Scrapes
Maneuverability is a mixed bag. Ford has the tightest turning circle; others need cajoling. ENR liked the optional ultrasonics on the rear bumpers of Chevy and Ford. They give feedback like a Geiger counter. As you get closer to an obstacle like a person the system beeps.
Chevy has a nice rear-pillar-mounted light bar but is easily obstructed in a crew cab filled with bodies. For an average cost of $325, ultrasonics are worth considering in this touchy age of risk management. ENR would not be surprised if it shows up on heavy equipment soon for the same reasons.
Think twice about parking a 3/4-ton pickup in a city garage. All three models fit, but it is a tight squeeze, especially for trucks with off-road shocks. Get used to clanging the antennae on the ceiling and scraping low-hanging drainage pipes like ENR did with its Chevy below AON’s headquarters. Thankfully, GM’s insurance adjuster worked out the repairs.
Suspension Savvy
Heavy-duty pickups don’t handle like a car or light-duty truck, and they shouldn’t. While Chevy and GMC have coil-over-shock suspensions in the light-duty Silverado and Sierra, they kept tried-and-tested torsion bars for the heavies. Combined with a Hotchkiss-type rear suspension with layered leaf springs and a re-geared, power recirculating-ball steering box, Chevy’s smooth yet supple ride takes the prize for best all-around road warrior.
 Tudor Van Hampton / ENR | |
 Ford Motor co. | |
 Tudor Van Hampton / ENR |  Tudor Van Hampton / ENR |
 Tudor Van Hampton / ENR | |
Super Duty’s cramped engine and tailpipe are overcome by its offroad agility and cockpit-like interior. | |
Most models have C-channel frames with crossmembers for stiffness and easy upfitting. The trend of more boxed, high-strength frame rails is galvanizing. Chevy has a hydroformed front rail, while Dodge opts for a full box, front to back. It goes...