Ok folks - update time. I found a 4.7L w/ manual transmission over the weekend, so
I finally got to test drive it. This required a 150 mile roadtrip, but hey - it's
a dakota. Anyways... to be honest, I was rather disappointed with the manual tranny.
The shift was smooth and effort-free, but in my opinion, it was TOO easy to shift.
The gears weren't well defined at all, almost like I couldn't tell if I was actually
in gear or not. There was a certain paste-like quality about it. It certainly didn't
feel as solid a unit as the 5sp in my v6 CC. With my trans, the gears are very well
defined and the shifter feels good and solid. Remember, this is just opinion, and I
am not knocking anyone's 4.7L 5sp, so no flames please!! :)
So, now I am torn between the 4.7L and 5.9L w/ autos. I couldn't do a good head-to-head
comparison, because they didnt have any 4.7 QC models. I did try a 4.7 CC 4x2, and
to be honest, it felt like it pulled just as hard as the 5.9 QC 4x4. The two trucks
both have 3.55, but I am wondering if the 4.7 had an advantage because it was a lighter
truck, with smaller tires which help the gear ratio.
Then, the sales manager really threw me for a loop. He popped out with some kind of
nonsense about "Those new 4.7's send more power to the wheels than the 5.9's do." I
asked him how this can be, if the power is lost in the 5.9 transmission, or where it
goes, and he didn't have an answer. Sounds to me like he'd just rather sell a 4.7 for
some reason. At any rate... anyone ever hear something like this before?? Anyone
have any dyno numbers to support (or disprove) this claim?
DISCLAIMER: I am not interested in re-igniting the battle of the V8's here, but I
**am** looking to shell out close to $30k, and I want to be as informed as possible
before throwing that kind of money around. :)
thx
kevin d.
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