4x4 truck help: z71 / dakota

[ny300exrider]

Within the next year or so i’m going to start looking into buying a used pickup truck. Right now I have a 99 Isuzu rodeo and although it’s been good to me for the 7-8 months that I've been driving (I have my juniors license which turns into my full on my 17th birthday), it just doesn’t fit my needs as much as a pickup would. I work for my dad's landscaping business, and having my own personal truck would be a huge help if I need to do solo work along with transporting the quad, bike, etc. so far I really like both the Chevy ext. cab z71 and just recently broadened my chevy horizens and checked out some Dodge pictures, specifically the Dakota 4x4 ext. cab which I'm starting to become attracted to as well. I’m just looking for someone who has any experience with either of these trucks to chime in. I know gas mileage shouldn’t be a concern when looking into a v8 4x4, but you know how it is nowadays, especially for a 17 year old kid. I’d like to hear some first hand gas mileages on either of the trucks. The dodge is a bit smaller than the Chevy which is a positive to me, does that help gas mileage at all or are the two trucks pretty close in that aspect. I eventually want to get a dual sport dirt bike to help save gas but for the first year or two, the truck will be my main mode of transportation. I already thought about the s-10 but its just too small. If im going to spend my HARD earned money on a truck, i might as well get something that has alittle room to move in.


I’m sorry for all of the questions, just trying to get a plan set up. Any info on either of the trucks would be great...reliability, gas mileage, happy/not happy, recomendations, anything.

Thanks

[LTZ400rider]

i didnt read nothing u wrote, but get the z71

[yellowzo3]

i have a dodge pickup, and a chevy pickup. im not going to start an argument here. i like them both. however, if i were to use one for work it would be the chevy hands down. for a nice truck to drive around in for long trips, the dodge would be my pick. chevys are more of the work type truck so if your doing landscaping or plan on doing alot i would go for the chevy. both are nice trucks in my opinion. let me know if you want any specific differences maybe i can help ya out there. for gas mileage they both have v8's so dont expect much out of either lol. the chevy is more roomy inside than a dakota obviously. so if your tall or like an open cabin go for the chevy.

[ny300exrider]

thanks man, i will be using the truck for work, and ive always been a chevy/gmc guy so i dont think i can go wrong with the silvy. The gas mileage was the only thing that i hadnt looked into, and since both are v8s, it seems like for what i need, the chevy has more to offer.

Yeah, the Chevy's definately have more room inside the cab. Dakotas are kind of tight.

[ny300exrider]

thanks, thats actually really helpful because one thing i dont want is to be crammed and im a pretty tall kid, almost 6'2. i think the z71 seems to be the truck for me. i also totally forgot that is we do snow plowing as well, so its a possibility i will be raised in the ranks and added to the plowing crew. i know the z71 would be great for that too.

[yellowzo3]

yeah i dont think a dakota would stand a chance snow plowing. its just too small. i think the truck to go for is the z71. :cool:

Chevy!!!...

[NorCalRacer]

Originally posted by Quad_King
Chevy!!!... :D

[400ex28]

one word, Chevy. :o

[watts16]

Go for the Z71. It seems dodge trucks dont hold their value.

[angry450r]

DAKOTAS GO THROUGH TRANSMISSIONS LIKE TOILETPAPER! I KNOW 3 GUYS THAT HAD THEM THEY SUCKKKKKKKKKK
GET THE CHEVY

[250r4life]

well... most of this has already been covered, but i'll go ahead and put in my $.02....

i worked in the car business for many years, and have driven anything from a $200 hyundai to a $80,000 viper... i worked in both the wholesale and the retail side... for starters, i would get the chevy as
1- dodge makes a crappy truck and they fall apart, and the dodge transmission is horrible... the cummins is the best deisel out there, its just too bad that the tranny sucks...
2- becuase of number 1- dodges dont hold their value for crap and we could always buy dodges way below blue book

dodges also tend to be horrible for gas mileage (diesel not included)... i personally would not get a dodge unless i was getting a smoking deal on it... becasue of working in the car industry and the hook ups i have, i generally drive a car for a year, sell it, and end up selling it for more than i bought it a year earlier...

i currently drive an 03 gmc sierra ext cab Z71... i have dual exhaust... i calculate my MPG every time i fill up... in the city i get anywhere from 14-16 depending on how i drive, but i generally am in the 15's somewhere... on the highway i get anywhere from 15-18 depending on how aggresive i drive and how fast... this last weekend i went up to vegas and back, and was doing 80-85 and got 17.8 mpg for a stretch...

yah, between those two i would get the Z71

[ny300exrider]

hey man thanks a ton, exactly the type of response i was looking for. if this says anything, i deleted my whole "dodge" picture folder from my comp. i have been a chevy/gmc guy from the start, and im not changing. We own a gmc sierra 2500hd and a chevy 3500 dump, no point in messing up the order heh. after some research and comments on here, i can tell the dodge isnt for me. the fuel mileage for the z71 is definitly doable for me...now its all about working my *** off and getting one.:D

[Chicksdigme423]

you should get an f150:o

haha j/k man z71's are nice trucks, my dad's buddy has one, it seems to be doing pretty well