2006 Chevrolet 3500 3LT Crew 4WDDuring our testing we often referred to the Chevrolet 3500 3LT 4WD Crew Dualie as the hot rod of the bunch. It produced more horsepower and torque at the dyno, and with a relatively light 7,400-pound curb weight the Chevy reigned supreme on the acceleration tests (both when it was loaded and unloaded). The Chevy feels downright nimble and racy for a truck of this size. The balancing of the drivetrain components is key for the Chevy, and the six-speed automatic transmission gets a lot of the credit. Anyone who is looking for a good ratio of performance for the money has to look at the Chevy, since it also sells for less than the other two.
All that engine performance, however, is tempered somewhat by the Chevy's dated chassis architecture, in comparison to the Ford and Dodge dualies. Of course, this will be remedied once GM rolls out its new heavy-duty trucks next year. As for the dualie we had on hand, it dealt us a lot of freeway hop that we blamed on either a weaker frame or stiffer suspension damping. We could definitely feel the suspension-heavy trailer when it was hitched to the back of the Chevy. Couple that with a design that isn't as bold as the other two and it might be enough to give the Ford and Dodge enthusiasts something to rally behind.
Despite that, we were impressed with the Chevy's "Tow/Haul" setting, which offered a very smart downshift schedule. (We didn't, however, like the oddly shaped transmission lever.) The transmission's torque management is very aggressive. It makes the engine feel like it bogs down when you floor it at 55-65 mph. This was even more apparent when the engine was cold. It may, we surmised, be a part of Chevy's plan to keep numbskulls like us from hurting the engine.
Chevy uses the power steering pump to supply boost for the brakes, and it seemed as if the pump doesn't have quite enough capacity to easily assist the brakes and turn the steering wheel at the same time. This resulted in an ominous groan from the pump. We also thought that the front brakes should be larger for a vehicle of this size.
Inside the cab of the Chevy we found less available space compared to the other trucks. The rear cargo storage improves when the rear seats are folded down, but that limits how far you can recline the front seats. Plus, it would be great if the driver's seat reclined more than it does. The center console is too small to provide as much storage as a target customer for this truck might expect, but the good number of pockets in the dash are helpful. And the fact that the truck has two 12-volt outlets that stay on all the time is a plus, particularly for journalists who had to power a computer and battery chargers at the same time.
The Chevy gets high marks for comfort. While no one was particularly enthused about the styling or muted gray interior materials, the seats were easily the most comfortable and offered the best structure. On long runs, you start to notice that the Chevy seats have more support and the base is more forgiving, especially for us middle-aged types. We thought the engine noise inside the cabin was quieter than we expected, but you definitely can hear the turbo whistle (and all of us liked that).
Wrapping things up:The Chevy's older architecture - and subsequently less refined driving experience - did make us take pause. And while it is no slouch when it comes to interior appointments, the Dodge Mega Cab and Ford King Ranch do offer much nicer and more contemporary interiors (as far as trim level, interior space, or conveniences like navigation). So as a straight up passenger vehicle the Chevy lagged a bit, but as a working truck it roared ahead - at least on the 1/4-mile - thanks to its powerful motor and six-speed transmission, a horsepower-to-weight ratio of .042 (compared to the Dodge's .039 an Ford's .034), and massive torque on the dyno (569 lb-ft, compared to 530.6 and 443.6, respectively). Its long bed is essentially equivalent to Ford's and beats the Dodge's necessary limitation of a shortbed. Compare the Chevy's max towing estimate of 12,000 to the Dodge's 15,600 and 15,000 for Ford. Then you have another reason to take pause, but with a GCWR of 23,500 it does weigh about the same as the Dodge and less than the Ford. And while the Ford we drove, with the equipped 4.30 axle, has a GCWR of 26,000, it doesn't have quite the same oomph as the Chevy.