Ahhh, the age-old question. Having owned nownine Ford and Chev/GMC pickups and SUVs, and considering that fuel costs are NOT likely to come down for a long time:

- Best mileage: Diesel, hands-down (22 hwy, 15 city)

- Best power: Diesel, hands-down

- Most pulling power (I tow anything from a snowmobile trailer to a 28.5 ft Fifth-wheel with an 18-foot boat behind (about 17,000 lbs)) - Diesel, hands-down

- Most expensive purchase price: Diesel, hands-down

- Most expensive repairs: Diesel, hands-down

I currently drive an '07 Chev Silverado DuraMax/Allison Crew-cab, coming up from an '01 Extended cab. Have just one kiddo, but that extra room in back is a lifesaver. With three, that Colorado's not big enough by a long shot. The whining you hear all the time won't be from the tranny.

There's nothing wrong with a gas engine if you don't have a big towing requirement (and a once-a-year trip may not justify paying an extra $50-$75 each time you fill it up the rest of the year - I'm paying about $130 twice a month now). I know lots of guys who, although the biggest thing they might load in the back or pullmight be a lawnmower, absolutely MUST have a diesel. That's kind of silly, but whatever floats yer boat. I know other guys pulling trailers like mine who think they need to be able to pass Ferraris on the interstate. What concerns me most then isn't so much "pulling power" but "braking power". Most of them can't slow themselves down in time to avoid accidents. When I've kept my wits about me and been patient about getting there, even with a 17,000-lb load I can pull 14 mpg from the truck at 65mph. Kick it up to 75, I'm lucky to get 10.

If I were simply using a truck for get-to-work and light pulling, I'd probably be inclined to stick with something 5.3-6.0 and gas. I've not heard good things about anyone's big motors lately (8.1 or V10), nor about Dodge's gas engines at all,other than from people holding shares of an oil company. More important to me is 1/2-ton vs 3/4. Simply because thestuff turning power to motionall tend to be a little heavier-duty (not to mention the brakes are better), I'd opt for a 3/4 if I had any choice at all. An aside - the DuraMax/Allison with a Tekonsha Prodigy inertia brake controller are an incredibly effectivecombination, especially when you're coming off Wolf Creek or Vail passes with a big trailer on behind you.

While it does pain me to say it, I've seen a couple Honda Ridgelines in the woods. Honda's been known for durability for years. No, you probably won't see them at the weekend's mud-bog competitions, or running on the slickrock, but for general purposes, they might be a solid alternative. I see a lot of Toy and Nissan "full-size" trucks with 5.7-5.8 engines running around lately, but I'm not hearing any better of them than I have the Fords and GMs. Their smaller offerings (Tundra, Frontier), even in the crew-cab versions, leave me with a short box and stuff hanging over the tailgate, and feeling like I'm jammed inside a buzzing sardine can. Of course, the things'll run FOREVER, but a recent past experience where it seemed like every knucklehead with an AK-47 or RPGwas driving one, I can't say that I'm eager to drive anything that I used to shoot at on a regular basis.

There are a LOT of choices out there, my advice is go a little bigger if you can - especially in the cab if you're hauling the family. If you really PULL stuff often, think about a 3/4-ton. If you pull really HEAVY stuff often, think about a diesel.