I haven't driven a newer Allison either and though I've ridden in one many times (a co-worker I often lunch with) I've never ridden in one pulling a load.
My problem is paying for a new truck. Back in the employee pricing days a maxed-out gas powered dually was still over 40K and the Duramax added a bunch more.
Of course things like leather upholstery and GPS and alloy wheels all add up.
I recently spent 30K to buy my wife a VW. That was hard to do. I'm not just getting old I'm becoming a real tightwad. The VW and the decision not to buy a 40- to 50K new truck were both made before I got sick and had to go on disability so my current circumstances had nothing to be with being cheap-- I've been accused of having champagne taste on a beer budget since I was a kid.
