I've been a GM guy forever, I normally get a new truck every 2 or 3 years.  I trailer several times a week so I buy the 3/4 ton diesels.  The last GMC I had I was not real happy with, it just seems like their quality has fallen.  Squeeks and rattles and an engine that was not as powerful as others I've had.  I figured that all the trucks were about the same these days so I was just going to continue gettting the GM's because its what I've always bought.

I decided to take a look at the new fords just for the heck of it.  I liked them so well I bought me a 2011 F350.  I've had it 3 weeks now and I LOVE it.  The power is much better than my 2008 Duramax.  It also drives nicer and just has a better feel to it.  This is my first ford truck but if this is the way they are building trucks I'm going to stay with them.  So far I am very impressed. 

Glad to hear some good news about them finally.  The ones we have been testing has run good but has been using WAY more DEF (urea) than we was being told.

Keep us posted on how much you are using and what your fuel mileage is.

We was told we good avg. 1 tank of DEF per oil change.  I sure do not want to change my oil every 2-k to 3-k miles while towing that could add up fast.  The Dodges are the same way.  Have not tested GM yet.

You got a 2011 F-350 with the Scorpion Diesel that's getting 17 mpg in town..... What's it getting out on the open road... 26?

I haven't done the calibration by hand, I'm going on what the dash says.  The 17 mpg is mostly town, some hwy.  How accurate that is I don't yet know.  I do know I'm putting much less money in the tank than I did the Duramax.  But the better fuel consumption is only part of why I like this truck so much better, it has more power under my foot and it just has a better feel to me (to be fair to GM, this truck is a newer model by 3 years).

I've bought a dozen new GM's over the last few decades, they are wonderful trucks, I'm not bashing them at all, I just think right now in this snapshot in time Ford is building a better truck. 

I also bought a new 2011 Ford last summer. I've got 9000 miles on it so far. 

I changed the oil at 5000 miles and it took 2.5  gallons of DEF, in additon to the 2.5  gallons I had put in at 3000 miles.  So Yes, I believe I'll get about 1 tank (5.0gallons) of DEF per oil change.

I getting pretty consistantly 1 mpg better than my 6.0L Ford did when towing, Or about 12.5 mpg with my trailers.  Around town I'm getting 16 mpg, Which is up 2 mpg from 14mpg that my 6.0L got.  But empty highway has really jumped.  My old 6.0L was 18-19 mpg empty straight highway.  This new truck has gotten as high as 23 mpg on a 300 mile trip from SLC to Jackson Hole.

I'm also very impressed with the creature comforts that the trucks now offer. The price tag reflects it. They have added everything including the kitchen sink. The one things I'm not impressed with are the Michelin Tires that Ford is puttin on the truck.  They start are at 17/32 new and by 5000 miles when I rotated them, they were wore down to 10/32. They will be bald by 12,000 -14,000 miles. That's not very go tread life.

Doing the figures by hand is a must...... The overhead on my Dodge will read 22/24 on the hwy while empty and around 17 loaded.  Hogwash!  Actual real number figured by hand is 17/18 unloaded and 14/15 loaded with the LQ trailer.  Not sure why they can not get the computers to show right number all the time.  I can get mine calibrated and the next tank it is off again.  Every car/ truck I have ever owned with trip computers has always avg. being 20% off on calculating fuel mileage.

So based on your number and if it is a new truck with under 20-k miles I would guess you are actually getting around 14mpg.

According to Painted Horses numbers mine might be right on.  Sounds like his truck is getting the same as mine. 

Paul, I did find it in a search but searching for urea would have been a whole  'nuther subject. lol  My son had a suggestion on how to get urea in the DEF tank lol. 

I did not know anything about this until this thread though - hopefully, I'll keep my 6.0 for awhile.

My 2008 didn't have DEF, this 2011 does.  Is that part of why this new one has so much more power??? 

My 2004 was also much more powerful than the 2008...  I was told they had to put more polution controls on the 2008 than the 2004 so it robbed power. 

No, DEF has nothing to do with power gains. It's a fluid that converts the exhaust NOx to basically breathable clean air. It is injected late in the exhaust system, not the engine. The design and tuning of this new engine is why its got more power.

It is true about the 08-10's. There is so much junk on them that it affects the power significantly. Also, not to mention that when the truck goes into Regen, the fuel gets injected into the exhaust side and heats up and that excessive heat to "clean" the DPF goes right through the turbos. Stupid design. These trucks are much better without that crap on them (if you live in a state where there is no emissions check).  

I have an 06 and hope to keep it for a long time. It's been good to me so far and the less I have to deal with emissions junk, the better off I am. The new trucks and creature comforts are very nice though!