Thinking about an F350 - possibly a duely
03-17-2017, 08:48 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Thinking about an F350 - possibly a duely
I know people are on the edge of their seats and have been checking this page every day for updates and a possible review of a 2016 Focus SE. And I have good news - the review is here! Along with pics. Please keep the jealous hater comments to a minimum, as I realize not every one can afford to drive such a prestigious, highline, car. So get comfortable and live vicariously through me. I'll write this "review" in an interview format.
Why the Focus SE?
It was a chance encounter on cars.com where the dealer had listed it incorrectly and the price was a lot lower than other SE models, and even lower than the S models. I sorted by price, scrolled to the lowest posted Focus, and lo and behold it was an SE. The S trims were listed higher, had less features, and a worse interior. I jumped at this and swung by the dealer to make sure I was seeing this correctly, or inquire as to why they priced that so low (car had 15 miles on it). The salesman said it was definitely posted in error, but they must honor the price. It just so happened to be in a tasteful color combo with decent 17" rims (unlike the hubcaps I would've had if I picked up a Fit). I understand Black on black is very "outdone" or "trendy", but I like the way it looks.
Why did you freaking wind up in a econobox sedan when you started with dually shopping??!
I posted this thread after having considered the possibility for a mere 5 minutes. I posted before doing *any* real research at all. It was a lack of judgement on my part where excitement took over and I posted without thinking. This upset some people in the process, and I know that posting out of excitement is a terrible thing to do and I am a bad, bad, person for it. After doing hours of research it became apparent that in my price range, dually just isn't an option.
But you shouldn't ever never ever buy a dually if you're not hauling livestock! Why would you ever consider this?!
Because duallys are cool. They look cool, and I think it would be cool to drive in a bigass diesel truck. Nope, I'll probably never tow anything that is 10000lbs in it. I guess it's the same scenario as buying a GT3 and never tracking it. I don't care though, I buy what I like and drive whatever I want. I got over the whole "lol he drives a diesel and never really uses it" stigma a loong time ago. I was in that bandwagon. Why waste time being upset over what someone is driving? They're not hurting you.
So you're still considering a dually?
Hell yes. Sometime in the future it will happen, just not sure when. It's on my "todo" list and I gotta check it off or I'll totally regret it when I'm dead.
You basically just got another freaking Jetta! Shame!
I suppose so. But this car has a much nicer interior than the Jetta and more features. It's also a brand new car with 15 miles on it, the Jetta has 55k and I had bought it used. It's nice to have a car that's actually *mine* from the beginning.
If you didn't like the Jetta, why did you buy it?
I needed a sedan when I bought it, and it was the only decent condition stickshift used sedan in my price range that wasn't at a shady stealership. I had grand ideas of slamming it on airbags, but that never came to fruition. I had two other sports cars at the time and all my funds were going into those money pits. So the Jetta remained in it's stock, boring, condition.
What was so bad about the Jetta?
The interior fake leather seats are terrible. They smell like crap (I could never get rid of that fake leather smell) and are uncomfortable. They are super easy to keep clean and scuff resisitant, but that's about it. The car didn't have a backup camera or backup sensor-
I gotta cut you off there, you can't park a car without sensors or a camera? You're not a man! Turn in your card!
Sorry, I am not an elite parker. I have to park this car on the street, and have to squeeze into some tight spots if I don't want to park another 1/4 mile away. The assistance of a camera and sensor makes this safe and easy to do. I had to skip many a spot in the Jetta because I didn't want to attempt to fit in it and risk bumping the car behind me.
Okay, lame, but continue...
The car is completely gutless after second gear. It loses breath at high rpms pretty fast, and the engine is lifeless sounding even with a ghetto intake install. The transmission had some annoying sychro issues (not sure if that was from previous driver), I always had to shift into second, then to reverse, or else the car would lurch. The AC was almost useless, and the fan settings were like "kinda blowing air" and the next level being "hurricane level of air blowing", really annoying. The DRLs were ugly, one was blown out (but it was on the driver side which is apparently a supreme pain in the ass to get to). I could never find the right seating position, it always felt "off". Car swayed like a boat too. I'm not sure what tires they installed, they had decent tread, but they were utter shite in rain. It didn't have a digital speedo (well it did, but it was in kmh). I hate using dials for speed, I must have digital. The car definitely had poor insulation, so it was freezing cold in the winter and way too hot in the summer. It got to the point where I just couldn't drive the car anymore and the 911 became my DD. The car didn't even have an engine temp or oil temp gauge! Argh!
Anything good about it?
It had a soft comfortable ride. It was damn reliable. I would redline the crap out of that engine and drive it 10/10 and it never gave up or had any issues. I ran an open intake on it and it never stuttered or idled incorrectly, just took a beating like it was nothing. No warning lights, no oddities, just a rock-solid smooth engine.
What do you like about the ford?
It looks cooler than the Jetta in my opinion. I like the seats wayyyyy better, and the fake leather in that car is a much higher quality (the highest quality of fake leather, lol). Again, the aforementioned backup camera makes parking an ease. I now have a digital speedo, temp gauge. The engine actually sounds kinda cool for a 4 banger, mods are super cheap but limited to intake/exhaust/suspension. It came with a set of meaty tires which are great in the rain. It warms up super fast and the heat melts your face off in the cold. I have yet to test the AC but I am confident in it. The engine will keep pulling until redline, which is a nice surprise. It's a gutless 160hp but it feels better than the i5 of the Jetta. It was a great deal that I lucked out on, it feels great to have a brand new car.
What were the other cars you considered?
I am a bit eccentric when it comes to car shopping. I test drove a used 370z. It was fast, but the interior was terrible. It smelled funny and the car made a lot of weird noises and clunks. I test drove a used Rx8. It was actually pretty fun to drive, although slow. The interior and ride quality of that car is far better than the 370z I drove, but just didn't have enough power to keep me interested. The rotary sounds so cool. I've had rx7s in the past so it's hard for a rx8 to impress me. I test drove a 2017 Fit base model. Price was higher than the Focus. Car was pretty darn slow, and for some reason the engine was really loud (didn't bother me, just found it odd). I was very close to picking that up but stumbled across the Focus the next day. I test drove a Civic, it was higher priced and just out of my price range but was a nice car for sure.
Do you plan on keeping it forever?
Nope. I go through cars a lot. It's not quite the perfect DD but it'll get me by. My next move is getting out of the 911 for something more interesting. That's a whole different story with how I wound up with that car. It's a great freaking car, just not exactly what I wanted, but it was a great deal to get out of 2 nightmare cars I had.
You seem to make poor decisions with cars.
Sure, I guess. I like cars and I need variety in my life. I would say the decisions were poor in some cases, but a mixture of bad luck too. Oh well, comes with the territory.
http://imgur.com/A4VNkWL
http://imgur.com/W84tfJb
Original post:
Need some opinions. Biggest thing I've driven is an Excursion for a week as a rental, had a LR3 for a while too. Duelies just seem to freakin cool and there's some near me for a pretty good deal. I'm also really interested in diesel, never had a diesel before, and it would be my first truck - so I'd be popping two cherries at once (yes, I have multiple hymens).
Anyways, has any one rocked an f350 before, and what do you think of duelies? It would be a "beater" car I'd drive to and from work occasionally. The only thing I'm concerned about is how massive they are and how long it'll take for me to adjust to such a huge vehicle without destroying other cars
I also realise I"ll have to park them way out, but I'm already doing that in the 911.
Also open to other brands of huge diesel trucks. This is replacing my current beater which is a 2012 jetta se.
Why the Focus SE?
It was a chance encounter on cars.com where the dealer had listed it incorrectly and the price was a lot lower than other SE models, and even lower than the S models. I sorted by price, scrolled to the lowest posted Focus, and lo and behold it was an SE. The S trims were listed higher, had less features, and a worse interior. I jumped at this and swung by the dealer to make sure I was seeing this correctly, or inquire as to why they priced that so low (car had 15 miles on it). The salesman said it was definitely posted in error, but they must honor the price. It just so happened to be in a tasteful color combo with decent 17" rims (unlike the hubcaps I would've had if I picked up a Fit). I understand Black on black is very "outdone" or "trendy", but I like the way it looks.
Why did you freaking wind up in a econobox sedan when you started with dually shopping??!
I posted this thread after having considered the possibility for a mere 5 minutes. I posted before doing *any* real research at all. It was a lack of judgement on my part where excitement took over and I posted without thinking. This upset some people in the process, and I know that posting out of excitement is a terrible thing to do and I am a bad, bad, person for it. After doing hours of research it became apparent that in my price range, dually just isn't an option.
But you shouldn't ever never ever buy a dually if you're not hauling livestock! Why would you ever consider this?!
Because duallys are cool. They look cool, and I think it would be cool to drive in a bigass diesel truck. Nope, I'll probably never tow anything that is 10000lbs in it. I guess it's the same scenario as buying a GT3 and never tracking it. I don't care though, I buy what I like and drive whatever I want. I got over the whole "lol he drives a diesel and never really uses it" stigma a loong time ago. I was in that bandwagon. Why waste time being upset over what someone is driving? They're not hurting you.
So you're still considering a dually?
Hell yes. Sometime in the future it will happen, just not sure when. It's on my "todo" list and I gotta check it off or I'll totally regret it when I'm dead.
You basically just got another freaking Jetta! Shame!
I suppose so. But this car has a much nicer interior than the Jetta and more features. It's also a brand new car with 15 miles on it, the Jetta has 55k and I had bought it used. It's nice to have a car that's actually *mine* from the beginning.
If you didn't like the Jetta, why did you buy it?
I needed a sedan when I bought it, and it was the only decent condition stickshift used sedan in my price range that wasn't at a shady stealership. I had grand ideas of slamming it on airbags, but that never came to fruition. I had two other sports cars at the time and all my funds were going into those money pits. So the Jetta remained in it's stock, boring, condition.
What was so bad about the Jetta?
The interior fake leather seats are terrible. They smell like crap (I could never get rid of that fake leather smell) and are uncomfortable. They are super easy to keep clean and scuff resisitant, but that's about it. The car didn't have a backup camera or backup sensor-
I gotta cut you off there, you can't park a car without sensors or a camera? You're not a man! Turn in your card!
Sorry, I am not an elite parker. I have to park this car on the street, and have to squeeze into some tight spots if I don't want to park another 1/4 mile away. The assistance of a camera and sensor makes this safe and easy to do. I had to skip many a spot in the Jetta because I didn't want to attempt to fit in it and risk bumping the car behind me.
Okay, lame, but continue...
The car is completely gutless after second gear. It loses breath at high rpms pretty fast, and the engine is lifeless sounding even with a ghetto intake install. The transmission had some annoying sychro issues (not sure if that was from previous driver), I always had to shift into second, then to reverse, or else the car would lurch. The AC was almost useless, and the fan settings were like "kinda blowing air" and the next level being "hurricane level of air blowing", really annoying. The DRLs were ugly, one was blown out (but it was on the driver side which is apparently a supreme pain in the ass to get to). I could never find the right seating position, it always felt "off". Car swayed like a boat too. I'm not sure what tires they installed, they had decent tread, but they were utter shite in rain. It didn't have a digital speedo (well it did, but it was in kmh). I hate using dials for speed, I must have digital. The car definitely had poor insulation, so it was freezing cold in the winter and way too hot in the summer. It got to the point where I just couldn't drive the car anymore and the 911 became my DD. The car didn't even have an engine temp or oil temp gauge! Argh!
Anything good about it?
It had a soft comfortable ride. It was damn reliable. I would redline the crap out of that engine and drive it 10/10 and it never gave up or had any issues. I ran an open intake on it and it never stuttered or idled incorrectly, just took a beating like it was nothing. No warning lights, no oddities, just a rock-solid smooth engine.
What do you like about the ford?
It looks cooler than the Jetta in my opinion. I like the seats wayyyyy better, and the fake leather in that car is a much higher quality (the highest quality of fake leather, lol). Again, the aforementioned backup camera makes parking an ease. I now have a digital speedo, temp gauge. The engine actually sounds kinda cool for a 4 banger, mods are super cheap but limited to intake/exhaust/suspension. It came with a set of meaty tires which are great in the rain. It warms up super fast and the heat melts your face off in the cold. I have yet to test the AC but I am confident in it. The engine will keep pulling until redline, which is a nice surprise. It's a gutless 160hp but it feels better than the i5 of the Jetta. It was a great deal that I lucked out on, it feels great to have a brand new car.
What were the other cars you considered?
I am a bit eccentric when it comes to car shopping. I test drove a used 370z. It was fast, but the interior was terrible. It smelled funny and the car made a lot of weird noises and clunks. I test drove a used Rx8. It was actually pretty fun to drive, although slow. The interior and ride quality of that car is far better than the 370z I drove, but just didn't have enough power to keep me interested. The rotary sounds so cool. I've had rx7s in the past so it's hard for a rx8 to impress me. I test drove a 2017 Fit base model. Price was higher than the Focus. Car was pretty darn slow, and for some reason the engine was really loud (didn't bother me, just found it odd). I was very close to picking that up but stumbled across the Focus the next day. I test drove a Civic, it was higher priced and just out of my price range but was a nice car for sure.
Do you plan on keeping it forever?
Nope. I go through cars a lot. It's not quite the perfect DD but it'll get me by. My next move is getting out of the 911 for something more interesting. That's a whole different story with how I wound up with that car. It's a great freaking car, just not exactly what I wanted, but it was a great deal to get out of 2 nightmare cars I had.
You seem to make poor decisions with cars.
Sure, I guess. I like cars and I need variety in my life. I would say the decisions were poor in some cases, but a mixture of bad luck too. Oh well, comes with the territory.
http://imgur.com/A4VNkWL
http://imgur.com/W84tfJb
Original post:
Need some opinions. Biggest thing I've driven is an Excursion for a week as a rental, had a LR3 for a while too. Duelies just seem to freakin cool and there's some near me for a pretty good deal. I'm also really interested in diesel, never had a diesel before, and it would be my first truck - so I'd be popping two cherries at once (yes, I have multiple hymens).
Anyways, has any one rocked an f350 before, and what do you think of duelies? It would be a "beater" car I'd drive to and from work occasionally. The only thing I'm concerned about is how massive they are and how long it'll take for me to adjust to such a huge vehicle without destroying other cars
I also realise I"ll have to park them way out, but I'm already doing that in the 911.
Also open to other brands of huge diesel trucks. This is replacing my current beater which is a 2012 jetta se.
03-17-2017, 08:55 AM
#3
Registered User
Thread Starter
Also, are all 350s diesel?
03-17-2017, 08:56 AM
#4
Registered User
Thread Starter
03-17-2017, 09:06 AM
#5
Registered User
03-17-2017, 09:08 AM
#6
Why would you buy such a massive vehicle for any sort of daily driving, unless your daily drive includes a 15K lb trailer? Stiff ride, huge dimensions, heavy, horrible fuel economy, poor handling, tough to park, easy to hit other people, etc, etc. They're also very expensive to buy, maintain and operate. They aren't fun to drive, at all.
My dad had a 2015 F-350 dually (Platinum) and it was a beast. Very comfortable interior with all the bells and whistles you could ever want. He has an 18K lb double-decker enclosed race trailer so he needed it. Otherwise, a SRW (single rear wheel) truck makes way more sense for general driving duties, if you actually do need the truck.
Your Jetta is far superior in every way for daily driving. If you want a "bigger" daily, get a standard 1/2 ton pickup or just buy a Mustang or something with a V8 and more weight.
My dad had a 2015 F-350 dually (Platinum) and it was a beast. Very comfortable interior with all the bells and whistles you could ever want. He has an 18K lb double-decker enclosed race trailer so he needed it. Otherwise, a SRW (single rear wheel) truck makes way more sense for general driving duties, if you actually do need the truck.
Your Jetta is far superior in every way for daily driving. If you want a "bigger" daily, get a standard 1/2 ton pickup or just buy a Mustang or something with a V8 and more weight.
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03-17-2017, 09:39 AM
#8
I have not driven any duely for a long time but I agree with JonBoy. They are just awful to drive unless you have to pull something heavy. They do not like to turn. At all. Any tight spaces are a huge headache.
If you don't need a work truck, you might get the high some people like my friend gets driving a big truck in that he thinks it makes him a big burly man, but they just suck at everything not related to heavy duty work.
If you enjoy driving I think you will regret your purchase within two months unless you have some real work for the truck. You might get a kick out of crop dusting people with soot which I see rednecks try to do once in a while but I can't see that it would validate the purchase. You know someone pisses them off in traffic so they step on it. Then wait for it, wait for it, wait for it..........the truck starts to take off and pours black stuff on the person behind them. Yipee.
If you want something to try tailgate people in traffic, you are far better off with just a good full size pick up for cost, upkeep, comfort and drivability.
The only way I would ever want one was if I was a rancher in rural Texas. Seriously, if you have this in the stable for occasional trips to work you will come out of the house and always want to pick a different car. I drove a big Isuzu box truck with a hydraulic lift on it in college and that was way more fun than a duely, and it was not much fun at all.
If you don't need a work truck, you might get the high some people like my friend gets driving a big truck in that he thinks it makes him a big burly man, but they just suck at everything not related to heavy duty work.
If you enjoy driving I think you will regret your purchase within two months unless you have some real work for the truck. You might get a kick out of crop dusting people with soot which I see rednecks try to do once in a while but I can't see that it would validate the purchase. You know someone pisses them off in traffic so they step on it. Then wait for it, wait for it, wait for it..........the truck starts to take off and pours black stuff on the person behind them. Yipee.
If you want something to try tailgate people in traffic, you are far better off with just a good full size pick up for cost, upkeep, comfort and drivability.
The only way I would ever want one was if I was a rancher in rural Texas. Seriously, if you have this in the stable for occasional trips to work you will come out of the house and always want to pick a different car. I drove a big Isuzu box truck with a hydraulic lift on it in college and that was way more fun than a duely, and it was not much fun at all.
Last edited by vader1; 03-17-2017 at 09:43 AM.
03-17-2017, 09:44 AM
#9
Registered User
Thread Starter
03-17-2017, 09:47 AM
#10
Registered User
Thread Starter
Why would you buy such a massive vehicle for any sort of daily driving, unless your daily drive includes a 15K lb trailer? Stiff ride, huge dimensions, heavy, horrible fuel economy, poor handling, tough to park, easy to hit other people, etc, etc. They're also very expensive to buy, maintain and operate. They aren't fun to drive, at all.
My dad had a 2015 F-350 dually (Platinum) and it was a beast. Very comfortable interior with all the bells and whistles you could ever want. He has an 18K lb double-decker enclosed race trailer so he needed it. Otherwise, a SRW (single rear wheel) truck makes way more sense for general driving duties, if you actually do need the truck.
Your Jetta is far superior in every way for daily driving. If you want a "bigger" daily, get a standard 1/2 ton pickup or just buy a Mustang or something with a V8 and more weight.
My dad had a 2015 F-350 dually (Platinum) and it was a beast. Very comfortable interior with all the bells and whistles you could ever want. He has an 18K lb double-decker enclosed race trailer so he needed it. Otherwise, a SRW (single rear wheel) truck makes way more sense for general driving duties, if you actually do need the truck.
Your Jetta is far superior in every way for daily driving. If you want a "bigger" daily, get a standard 1/2 ton pickup or just buy a Mustang or something with a V8 and more weight.