I had a 1997 F250 with the 7.3 Diesel and I really liked it. Wish I hadn't gotten rid of it, however the regular cab was no longer sufficient for our needs. The local dealer was a bit lacking. Their "Diesel tech" wasn't always on the ball.
I had a F150 with the 5.4 and it was a good truck, but no matter what I did I could get more than 15mpg out of it.
I've got a friend that has on, and he's happy with it, but it's got a few minor issues and seems like the maintenance gets expensive up past 100K. I've still got a bit of an issue with Dodges because I drove so many 70's and 80's era Dodges that were really pieces of crap. Still, I'm going to give them a good look. Not sure about how I feel about Fiat owning them and how that might impact things. Fiat had a pretty bad reputation when I was a kid.
I owned a 1990 1/2 ton with the 5.0 liter engine. 1994 3/4 ton with the 5.7. Put 100K on that truck in about 2 years with no issues.
In 2005 I bought a GMC Canyon with the 3.5l I-5 engine. That was a good truck. Had the stick shift 5 speed that was a lot of fun to drive. 2wd but had the Z71 package with a locking rear end. Fun truck to drive on logging and fire roads. Squeezed a radio in there, actually had 2 at one point. I've got a 2007 Colorado with the 3.7 I6 here at work that's going great. It's only got about 25K on it. Just plain out grew it, so I've got a 3/4 ton 4x4 F250 on it's way with a service body. Going to keep the Colorado as a loaner.
Pretty much everyone else in my extended family is driving recent model Chevy 1/2 tons. They've all done just fine, and easy to install radios in. The 5.3 with the cylinder deactivation seems to do well on the fuel economy. I've always had an issue, though, with how low they sit, even the 4x4's have that nose down low ground clearance look to them. I wish GM would figure out a design that addressed that. I'm 6' 4" and shouldn't be able to see over the top of a 4x4 full size pickup. Extended family is all using them for towing campers, and they seem to do OK, even in the mountains.
The Nissan looks like they are off to a good start with that truck, but I don't see too many of them on the road. Looking at the XD, I see a truck with 1/2 ton capability with 3/4 ton weight and MPG. It just doesn't have the capacities that a "3/4" ton heavy duty truck should. Not sure what market they are going for there. It either needs to be a lighter truck with better MPG, or they need to make it a contender with the real 3/4 ton trucks. Right now it just seems to be stuck in the middle.
I see a lot of the Tundra's around, but the fuel economy seems to be lacking on them. That and after spending so many years driving US brand trucks, I can't make myself take them seriously. My wife had Toyota's and Hondas, and the reliability on the little things was awful and the build quality was not impressive. Again, since they don't have a real 3/4 ton contender, they won't even be considered.
I've got a 2011 F150 with the 3.5 turbo V6, and it's been a great engine. I know the idea of a V6 in a full sized truck doesn't sit well with many, but I've been happy with it. It'll out tow the GM's with 5.3's in my family and gets better MPG when not towing. Done a few long road trips and can easily get 20MPG or higher. Did a few round trips to Las Vegas and nailed 25mpg each time. Stomp on the gas and it'll scream. If I didn't need the higher towing capacity, and bigger brakes, I'd consider another. It did take a leap of faith to jump from V-8's to the V-6's, but I've been pleasantly surprised.
I'm in the same boat, I prefer the lower trim trucks. The cloth bench seats and lack of bells and whistles doesn't bother me. The GM's in the family all have the leather seats, and decked out interiors, and I really don't like them set up that way, just my personal preference.
