Originally Posted by cj2112

the question of why you wanted a diesel was just that, a question, I was wondering what it was you expected out of a diesel. Now that you know you want a diesel, you need to understand the pro's and con's of owning a diesel. The pro's are obvious, fuel mileage and durability (which is not the same as reliability). Some of the cons are not so obvious and don't expect a dealer to point these out, they inclued parts availability (they are usually in in stock in the larger cities but if you happen to have a problem in BFE your gonna be waiting for parts to arrive), lack of knowlegdgeable people to repair them (again in larger cities your ok), a narrow power band, noise and smell. If the pro's outweigh the cons for you then by all means a diesel is not a bad choice.
You've decided against the Ford (I don't have much faith in the international engine myself), so it's really a decision of who's engine you prefer, the cummins or the detroit diesel, and who's body you like better. For me the chevy is a much better looking truck, but I prefer the cummins over the AM General/Detroit Diesel and I'd be buying the truck to use not to sit in my driveway and look good, so the dodge w/ the cummins wins out.