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Getting service done at a dealership park in CT, I naturally wandered a bit to the other dealerships in search of something tasty.

Lo and behold, the BMW dealership had something I very much wanted to try: the rare X5 diesel.

Expected:
-great engine, very small lag, and gets up and goes like a sonofabitch when merging into traffic.
-suspension at speed was very good. They did a good job of making it more 'high sportswagon' than SUV. Might even be good on some back roads.

Unexpected:
-couldn't find the right seat setting to be comfortable... a bit of a shocker considering how much I typically like BMW seats.
-steering was shockingly heavy at low speeds. The setting is fine for the highway, and keeps your movements fairly linear, but it was about 1 step away from no-power-steering. Not quite so difficult to move as to give you an ab-workout, just really felt pig-like around town.
It undid for me, what the suspension did on the positive side. If a sports sedan felt like that, it wouldn't be any fun either. So fail for a sporty SUV too.


So overall I was a little disappointed in what I thought was kinda a niche vehicle kinda tailored towards people not unlike me. I like diesels, I like AWD, I like nice interiors... this one didn't quite deliver.


So on my stroll back to my service center, I browsed through the SuperDuty section at the Ford dealership. Picked out a nice F350 Crew 4WD Lariat.

Expected:
- damned near impossible to park and move around in a lot.

Unexpected:
- everything else

Explanation:
- where's the lag? 6.7L, 700lb-ft of torque (bone stock) and very little turbo lag. As much as I like BMW's little diesel, these big domestics have come a long way... even with 2.2x the displacement, they are very useable powerbands around town. Really wish we could see what our domestics do in Europe with their passenger diesels.
- the dashboard is almost as good of a data center as you see on luxury cars. Not the navi, the actual gauage cluster has multiple digital screens and has lots of neat (and useful info). First time I've seen a 'mileage monitor' on a heavy-duty diesel truck. And the rearview mirror is actually a TV screen for the backup camera! (necessary on something this big)
- seats are like driving in a high-rider sofa. I could sit there all day and not adjust my bum. Interior quality is, just like the instruments, very good. Not just for a truck, I mean just in general.
- actually quite agile for such a tall vehicle. Springs are 'truck-solid' but the dampers did a good job of smoothing out the ride. Honestly, even in this category, I'd probably choose this over the BMW due to the 'normal' steering feel the truck had.
- you can select the gear on the automatic on the column. Not quite 'paddle shift', since it is more a button, but kinda entertaining.


I actually got out of the F350 with a big stupid grin. Big stupid grins from a big truck, the type I swore off a few years back due to their impracticality, and the fact that for a lot of money, you get a vehicle that is equipped about as well as an econobox car.


I might actually consider one of these slightly used off the lot in 2-3 years. A big reason to wait that long, is to see if the new V6TT F-150 raises the bar even further... a lot of torque (not quite as much) in a lighter, smaller package. And at that point the used SD and the new F-150 should be in the same price ballpark, so whichever one works best is the one to have.

Good Veterans Day.

thanks for the great post.

my buddy had a big Ford diesel about two years back. F250 Lariat or something.....black with black/red leather inside. it was a hoot to drive.

I've, umm, driven spiritedly with a modded Ford diesel in my modded STI and he kept up the entire way. At the next stoplight and pulled up next to me and gave me two big

super sweet, thanks for the writeup!

Awesome reviews as always I'm very surprised to hear that the X5d didn't fair well. I do want to go drive one of the F-350's now though!

nice review, thanks!

i'm also very interested to see what ford's v6tt is going to do the the playing field. it has tons of potential.

GaToR wrote: ...
I actually got out of the F350 with a big stupid grin. Big stupid grins from a big truck, the type I swore off a few years back due to their impracticality, and the fact that for a lot of money, you get a vehicle that is equipped about as well as an econobox car.
...

True love never dies

-scheherazade

scheherazade wrote:

GaToR wrote: ...
I actually got out of the F350 with a big stupid grin. Big stupid grins from a big truck, the type I swore off a few years back due to their impracticality, and the fact that for a lot of money, you get a vehicle that is equipped about as well as an econobox car.
...

True love never dies

-scheherazade

Oh quite true. I really wanted them to get to this point so I could go back.
Kinda like the girl you dated in highschool going through a phase to find herself and comes back to you as the intelligent executive that is actually how I view the domestics.

I had a collection of 1978-1995 full size truck that I loved
Simple, raw power and utility. You could justify the bench seats (out of style on cars since the 80s
) because at least they wee light, cheap, and ample. You got what you paid for and could use them fir anything.

Then they went through a phase from like 1998-near present in which they grew in size, but not in quality, which I think is contradictory. Fuel economy was abysmal.

Now there is another rea kick to make them have redeeming qualities for their size. Ford in particular has upped their mileage by 20% in the past 3 years.

If you're not going to be small, at least be comfortable. And don't make us suffer for driving you by having car-like econom and handling.

Not sports cars by any stretch, but certainly better than an XAV like the X5 in every subjective way, IMO.

Big trucks are back for me. I'm afraid the bug will probably get me at some point.