Posted by Marty on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 at 3:14PM :
In Reply to: 2005 dodge cummins auto vs std, and 3.73 vs 4.10 posted by michael lisle on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 at 1:02AM :
I love my 2005 DRW but if I had my money back to do it over again, I'd by a low mileage 1997 12V truck.
There's a reason they are highly sought after & that's because the last years of the 12 valve Cummins engine have proven to be the most trouble free. Yes they are noisier, yes, they come with less horsepower & torque but this engine is capable of lasting longer than any other year 6BT, getting considerably better mileage than the 2005 & capable of considerably more power I might add. For under $1000 this truck can have well over 600lbs of torque...more like about 900lbs & still live to see 300K miles.
I like the comforts of the new rig but I always have to look back at our old Power Wagon's...do we buy them for comfort? I hope not.
Even the Dodge 3500's of 89-93...they ride a little rough but what's the deal...are we sissy's these days or what?
I, for one, miss my 93 Cummins....if only I could turn back the clock, I'd have enough money left over to buy a fully restored WDX with the money I'd have saved!
That all being said, I'm seriously considering accepting an offer on my 2005 & revaluating what I need.
So to answer your question....I don't think either the manual or the auto are necessarily best set-up!