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Best Years For Diesel Trucks – 10 Best Diesel Trucks of All Time. Wow. Talk about opening a Pandora’s box, a can of worms, and a potential storm of differing opinions all surrounding one topic. When it comes to categorizing anything as “the best of all time,” there’s some sort of disagreement within seconds of the statement. That’s just how things work in our world, especially when the subject of all things “diesel” is.
Given these things, the consensus opinion on something like this (extremely passionate fans of Dodge Ram and Cummins engines): “Anything with Cummins in it is better than any other truck on the road.” While we take enthusiastic judgment at face value, and there are Cummins-powered rigs we acknowledge in this review of the best diesel semi-trucks of all time, we must point out that the best-truck buck doesn’t just stop at the Dodge Ram (and post-2010 Ram).
Best Years For Diesel Trucks
In the 30 years since the big three truck manufacturers have been making light and heavy diesel trucks, they can no longer be categorized as “the best.” However, powertrain performance – including fuel consumption – and towing/cargo weight limits are widely recognized as the most deserving attributes. The trucks we’ve selected range from the first-generation Dodge Ram of the late 1980s to today’s Ford, GM and Ram trucks that tow more than 35,000 pounds while getting nearly 30 miles per gallon of fuel. So, if you’re in the market for a brand new or new-to-you (older) diesel truck, consider the ten rigs listed in this review:
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The first generation Dodge Ram pickup truck is timeless. Powered by the legendary 160hp, 400lb-ft Cummins 5.9L 12-valve engine, these machines are still quite plentiful, and the 4WD models can be used every day on farms, in the oil patch, etc. The deck in this photo is the first prototype developed on the 1985 model.
The third-generation Dodge Ram Heavy Duty trucks are also highly regarded, thanks to a 2006 facelift; their high-performance 5.9-liter Cummins power units (305 hp, 555 lb-ft in 2002 and 325 hp/610 lb-ft in 2004); and significantly increased cargo and cockpit space. Dodge Ram pickups also remain in stock this year as very capable towing vehicles (12,000-pound rating).
The 6.7-liter Cummins I-6 diesel engine entered the scene in 2010, making 370 hp and 800 lb-ft of torque by 2013 (and responding very well to performance upgrades). The engine allowed this Ram 17 single rear wheel truck to tow 500 pounds (5,000 pound tow), which was remarkable considering its simplicity. Performance Do it all in a fairly simple package.
Ram’s 2020 Heavy Duty ranks among the best diesel semi-trucks ever (and was the 2020 Truck of the Year), largely because its high-output 400-hp Cummins 6.7-liter I-6 is the first general-use diesel powertrain device to reach the four-digit torque rating (1000 lb-ft). The engine and Aisin six-speed automatic transmission sit in a chassis that received countless upgrades the year before, making trucks adorned with this powertrain some of the most powerful workhorses on the road (35,100-pound towing capacity, 7,680-pound payload ).
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While fans of Ford’s “old body” pickups from 1994-1997 may be disappointed by this selection, we think the final generation F-250 and F-350 with the 7.3-liter Power Stroke V-8 will ultimately get the nod to be included in this group. Although not the most powerful powerplant (235 hp, 500 lb-ft of torque), the legendary “seven-three” is literally built for the long haul, with hard internal parts and oil-based fuel to give it a long life. over 500,000 miles (when properly maintained). The 7.3-liter Super Duty defines the slogan “Built Ford Tough” and still holds its own on construction sites, campsites and even daily drives, thanks to improvements to the front suspension, it is much more comfortable and easier to maneuver than its predecessor OBS. In this climate of new, fast oil burners, trucks of this vintage are stable and will be available for many years to come.
While we believe there’s a lot of “good” in the troubled 6.0-liter Power Stroke V-8 powering the 2003-2007 Super Duty, this compilation of the best vehicles of all time bypasses those elevators. The ’08-’10 F-250 and F-350 are available, based on the 6.4-liter Power Stroke engine with 350 hp and 650 lb-ft that motivates them. This line introduced a change in the physical makeup of trucks (bigger everything), which made fast towing and hauling heavy loads areas where trucks really shine. And as evidenced by Tim Jahn (Class of 2017), Garrett Osen (Class of 2017 2018) and Darin Dutton (Class of 2019) in the Diesel Power Challenge, the engine in the 2008-2010 Super Duty is one of the best shifters in Ford diesel history.
When it comes to late-model diesel power, the third-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 in the 2020 Ford Super Duty is the current “all-powerful” engine among the latest big-three heavy-duty pickups. Its 450 hp and 1,050 lb-ft of torque, paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission, brings a 37,000-pound towing threshold to the properly specced F-350.
The 2006-2007 Chevrolet and GMC 2500 and 3500 pickups are included in our review for their utility (they’re solid workhorses) and also for the serious hot rod potential of their 6.6-liter Duramax LBZ V-8 engine. The 350 hp/650 lb-ft of torque powertrain is the last of GM’s “pre-emissions”/non(federally) required DPF engines that are easily tuned for more performance.
Best Diesel Project Trucks
Surprise! While you can probably see why we have several all-new, heavy-duty diesel pickups in this collection, you may be wondering why GM’s 6-in., 1/2-ton models are considered the “best” of all time. The answer is simple. The new Silverado/Sierra 1500 diesel engines feature the segment’s most dynamic combination of a 3.0-liter Duramax engine and Allison ten-speed automatic transmission. And in addition to being solid in all general performance categories (of course GMC brings “upscale” treatments to the table), these machines have get-up-and-go capability (277 hp and 460 lb-ft) and are fun to drive.
Like their half-ton siblings, the current-generation Chevy and GMC heavy-duty diesel pickups rank among the best ever, thanks in large part to a powertrain upgrade that includes the installation of Allison’s new 10L1000 ten-speed automatic transmission for a 445-hp, 6.6-liter Duramax engine The L5P with 910 lb-ft. The combination makes it easy to tow heavy loads up to 35,500 pounds (regular cab with double cab). 10 Best Diesel Trucks of All Time. Wow. Talk about opening a Pandora’s box, a can of worms, and potentially a storm of differing opinions, all in one thread. When it comes to categorizing anything as “the best of all time,” there’s some sort of disagreement within seconds of the statement. That’s just how things work in our world, especially when the subject of all things “diesel” is.
Given these things, the consensus opinion on something like this (extremely passionate fans of Dodge Ram and Cummins engines): “Anything with Cummins in it is better than any other truck on the road.” While we take enthusiastic judgment at face value, and there are Cummins-powered rigs we acknowledge in this review of the best diesel semi-trucks of all time, we must point out that the best-truck buck doesn’t just stop at the Dodge Ram (and post-2010 Ram).
In the thirty years since the Big-3 truck manufacturers have produced light and heavy duty diesel-engined semi-trucks, they can now be categorized as “the best (by many criteria)”. However, powertrain performance – including fuel consumption – and towing/cargo weight limits are widely recognized as the most deserving attributes.
Best Ford Truck Engines Ever Made
The trucks we’ve selected range from the first-generation Dodge Ram of the late 1980s to today’s 2020 Ford, GM, and Ram trucks that tow more than 35,000 pounds while getting nearly 30 mpg in fuel economy.
So if you’re in the market for a brand new or new-to-you (older) diesel truck, consider the ten rigs listed in this review. In the big picture, it’s all about money – how much you want to spend. In our opinion, they are all good choices that can handle the tasks you throw at them.
The “first generation” Dodge Ram pickup truck is timeless. Powered by the legendary 160 hp/400 lb-ft Cummins 5.9-liter “12-valve” I-6 engine, these devices are still quite plentiful, and all-wheel drive models can be found in daily operation on farms. , in oil patches, etc. The deck in this photo is the first prototype developed on the 1985 Model 3500.
Third-generation Dodge Ram Heavy Duty trucks are also highly regarded, thanks to a 2006 facelift, “High Output” 5.9L Cummins engines (305 hp/555 lb-ft in 2002 and 325 hp/610 lb-ft in 2004) and significantly increased cargo and cockpit space. The stock Dodge Ram pickups in this year’s lineup are still very capable towing vehicles (12,000-pound rating).
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The 6.7-liter Cummins I-6 diesel engine entered the scene in 2010, making 370 hp and 800 lb-ft of torque by 2013 (and responding very well to performance upgrades). The engine gave this single rear wheel Ram 17 a 500-pound towing capacity (5,000-pound payload), which was great considering its simplicity. Performance does it all
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