Conflict Of My Upbringing...Chevy VS. Ford HELP :S

I have always been a Chevy guy and so has the entire family. I am not looking for a half ton pickup. I have been searching for 2004-2006 Chevy 1500 Ext. Cab Z71. Today a Ford F150 caught my eye on a lot, so I pulled over and checked it out. It really hurts to say this...but I liked the looks of the truck. It was a 2006 F150 Lariat Crew Cab.

My question to you guys, I know very little about Fords. What are the main differences that make them better/worse than my other option with the Chevy.

Motors (Power, Millage, Acceleration)
Suspension (Ride, Ability in rough terrain and mud)
Audio (Bass, sound quality, durability)

Interior: Seats holding up? Everything working and staying in one piece
Exterior: Paint quality? Plastics?

The pickup will be used as a daily drive to and from school and to college. It will also be used as a work pickup on a Farm/Cattle Ranch in the summers so it needs to be durable.

I know there are many people on here that know A LOT more than some of the dealers about how things hold up and I know I will get the truth. Thanks again for the help guys, I really appreciate it.

Tyler  

Really, you can't go wrong either way. They're both good trucks. First of all, what are the engines in the Chevy & Ford? I'm assuming it's the 5.3 in the Chevy and the 5.4 in the Ford. Even though the Ford is a multi-valve, overhead-cam engine, in my experience, it's got a lot more low-RPM grunt than the Chevy, though the Chevy engines seem to have a little more high-RPM pull.

The Ford has a beefier chassis, and has a higher towing capacity. The trade off is in overall weight. The Ford is heavier than a comparable Chevy. I haven't owned either, so I couldn't give you a first-hand testimonial.

I guess my recommendation would be to drive and check out both, and see what kind of deal you could get on either of them.