Ram or Wrangler

If your after off road capabilities the Jeep is hands down the best. If your looking to modify and sand running is in the works , the Jeep is the way to go. For everyday travel and comfort buy the Ram.

The Ram has much more comfortable seats than the new Wrangler. My 05 Wrangler had better seats than either one.

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07MegaCabRam said:

I couldn't believe the Jeeps were so expensive.

For off road - the truck will be fine. Jeep will be more offroad 'ready'..

long term, the truck should hold resale value better.

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very wrong, wranglers hold value much better than a ram will.

tough choice and i couldnt decide, so i have a ram and a jeep wrangler sport. also had an 08 jku sahara that made a few trips from jersey to florida and found it comfortable. my 2015 wrangler has been very reliable and has needed 0 repairs. good luck, tough choice indeed, but if its one or the other, get a jku, "4 door", and get the tow package.

We got our first Ram in November, and then traded it in on a Mega
Cab Cummings in March. We had a 2015 Wrangler JKU that came
with the Mopar 2" lift and the larger tires and wheels. We added
a few things to it.

But riding in our Mega cab we decided to trade in our Wrangler with
15000 miles on her, it did not hold it's value very much NADA really
ripped the Wrangler, the dealer threw in several thousand dollars
to make up for some of the hit.

So now we have a Rebel 1500 and the Mega Cab 2500 and could
not be happier with our decision, my wife and I both don't miss
the Wrangler.

MightyUnclean said:

OK, thanks guys. I'm leaning towards the Ram at this point, as most of the time will be spent on the road, and I'm certain it will meet all my off-road requirements. Can you guys see anything important I left out of the potential custom order build?

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I think people are confusing Fla and Co. off roading.
Fla off roading is not not like Colorado off roading. Fla has flat and sandy roads. The biggest issue will be water in the road.

You have options - you could go with the Wranger and if you need to carry stuff you could get a trailer.

It really is about what you want.

True ^

Imo, it depends on how avid of an off roader you are/plan to be. Most people on the east coast travel to the prime spots... I used to drive 5 hrs to get to Uwharrie, stay for the weekend, come back and do repairs until the next trip.

Get that V8 for them mud holes

MightyUnclean said:

OK, thanks guys. I'm leaning towards the Ram at this point, as most of the time will be spent on the road, and I'm certain it will meet all my off-road requirements. Can you guys see anything important I left out of the potential custom order build?

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"Ram 1500 Express
Regular cab
4x4
5.7L Hemi
Auto 8HP70 transmission
3.92 gears
Limited slip differential
Popular equipment group
Power and remote entry group
Rear sliding window
Spray-in bedliner"

Thats pretty much where I started, except I was leaning more to chrome. Folks here suggested looking at the BigHorn package, nicer interior, bigger radio, nicer dash, 20 inch tires, some other useful dodads for not much extra money, like LED bed lights, Receiver Hitch, Fog lamps, power fold away mirrors.. some may be in the express package I forget. When I went through the compare and contrast, the BigHorn package made a lot of sense to me.

Regular cab and rear sliding window probably not needed. I thought I wanted one, don't have one, don't miss it. Having a clear view is nice. The sliding window is more useful snow plowing where you want to run the heater to keep the engine cooler and need all the windows open to compensate. I only used the sliding window a couple times in my mega cab, to haul some long thin wood planks.

My short bed reg cab with 3.21s is a hoot to drive... with 3.92s... yikes, you'll be ripping the paint off. If you are towing heavy or pulling a heavy boat out of the water (i.e. using it more of a work truck than a transportation appliance), 3.92s may be more useful, otherwise you may want to stick with the 3.21s. I suggest you test drive both axles before making a long term commitment.

Oh, don't forget, you'll have to also decide if one of those $200 paint colors suits your fancy.

I was merely asking about reliability from those folks who have used both brands past and present. Me personally, I don't have any experience in Jeep's so cannot judge.

So a 4x4 ram with a few mods like floorpan protection and a lift cannot match the Jeep in off road scenario's? Trying to compare like for like mods here.

Being a Brit an all I'd personally opt for a land rover . Lolzzz

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Limeybastard said:

So a 4x4 ram with a few mods like floorpan protection and a lift cannot match the Jeep in off road scenario's? Trying to compare like for like mods here.

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Floor pan protection?

Off road scenarios is a vast statement. Jeeps have an advantage because of their size, wheelbase, and when you take the top off, it adds more articulation .

Which brings up the IFS vs SAS.. for crawling/mud bogging/etc the SAS would be preferred (usually necessary)

For high speed stuff (prerunner) or very moderate stuff (like a rutted dirt road), the IFS would be preferred.

All depends.

But I'm not a fan of Jeep at all. Not because of their capabilities, but because of the type of people that usually drive them (stereotype, not every jeep owner is a *****). But it's true.. usually end up being someone with a rather large income, just bought their Jeep, add a bunch of lights and a winch, and the tires always have armoral on them..But no locker and think they are Gods out on the trails...then shortly after, being towed out cause they're broken/don't know how to drive.

Jeeps right off the lot aren't what people make them out to be. In fact, the very first mod that should be done is an axle swap...followed by a lift, lockers, regear, low low tcase gears, and 35s at the min.

Those little dana 30 axles will snap over a speed bump.

Basically a stock Jeep with dana 30s (skip to 0:30) ..it doesn't take much.
https://youtu.be/--1B9NCSjcs

Vs

A purpose built Jeep (my guess is about $30k - $50k in upgrades)

This is where I go wheeling

https://youtu.be/aKjZDfVAquc

MightyUnclean said:

........... and there's the Jeep Wave thing!

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Trust me, that wave thing will get old real quick. Until you buy and drive a Wrangler for any length of time, you will never realize how many are out there.

If you are a outdoorsy social butterfly, get the Wrangler hands down. If you actually do a lot of towing and hauling, get the ram.

Only you know what your lifestyle and interest are and what suits you best. I traded in my Wrangler for my current Ram and have no regrets because it suits my lifestyle and needs better.

AustinB said:

Floor pan protection?

Jeeps right off the lot aren't what people make them out to be. In fact, the very first mod that should be done is an axle swap...followed by a lift, lockers, regear, low low tcase gears, and 35s at the min.

Those little dana 30 axles will snap over a speed bump.

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But I'll be driving down flat dirt and sand roads in the Ocala National Forest here in Florida...

AustinB said:

Basically a stock Jeep with dana 30s (skip to 0:30) ..it doesn't take much.
https://youtu.be/--1B9NCSjcs

Vs

A purpose built Jeep (my guess is about $30k - $50k in upgrades)

This is where I go wheeling

https://youtu.be/aKjZDfVAquc

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hahaha stock d30s and bigger mud tires = broken!

plus those guys are idiots and didnt know what they were doing

My first car was a Wrangler, and I absolutely loved it. I totalled it just after college (accidentally tried to run over an expedition), and had I been able to afford another one I would in a heartbeat. Plus, I paid $11,500 for it in 2003, put 120k miles on her in 7 years before she passed (a lot of road trips and back and forth from college-home), and still got $8k from statefarm.

Like HootBro said, if you don't do a lot of towing/hauling get the jeep. Hands down.
Manual, soft top, V-6, halfdoors if theyre available.

2003 1500 QuadCab 5.7 4x4

lukedukem said:

really? Based off what information. Every article out there has the wrangler as one of the best vehicles with a top resale value. And when comparing it to the ram, which is what he's doing here, it's way better. Only truck to come close is the tundra.

Luke

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Wrangler has the best resale value I've ever seen.

I traded my Wrangler into the same dealership that I bought it from for $2500 MORE then I paid for it when I bought my Ram

The thought of spending $37K on a kind of basic pickup (albeit with some nice mechanical pieces) is killing me, but the thought of spending $36K on a 2-door Wrangler Willys Wheeler W is even harder. Vehicles are just so expensive now! Of course, that's MSRP, not out-the-door price.

But what else can I get that promises a fun experience? Another V8 pony car? Been there, and now they're even more expensive, with the insurance cost on top.

MightyUnclean said:

The thought of spending $37K on a kind of basic pickup (albeit with some nice mechanical pieces) is killing me, but the thought of spending $36K on a 2-door Wrangler Willys Wheeler W is even harder. Vehicles are just so expensive now! Of course, that's MSRP, not out-the-door price.

But what else can I get that promises a fun experience? Another V8 pony car? Been there, and now they're even more expensive, with the insurance cost on top.

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You could look at a chevy colorado, 4runner, and tacoma

Beauregard7765 said:

You could look at a chevy colorado, 4runner, and tacoma

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I've checked into those. Especially with the Toyotas, by the time you get the V6, 4x4 and some decent options, you're very close to Ram I priced out, if not higher. The 2017 Tacoma TRD Pro is selling for $42K with no discounts in sight. Even the Tacoma fans on Tacoma World at like OMG, these things have gotten so expensive for a mid-size. The advantage is that you get a crew cab for that money, but it's just my wife and me, so we don't need that. We have the Mazda for moving people. This is more about a fun vehicle that looks great and brings driving enjoyment. I'm driving a Kia right now and I miss my old F-150!

Toyotas and Jeeps have insane resell.

Should definitely just get the Ram and pick you up an old CJ to cruise around in. Can find those for about $6k.

From the sounds of it, you could do the type of trails you're talking about with a wrx.