Looking into a Ram 1500 (Plus & minuses)

[jaysantosauxiliarypolice]

Hello,
I'm looking into a Ram 1500. Mainly commuter and occasional hauling (minimal towing). I've looked at Chevy, Ford and Toyota. I hate how Ford does their packages. Too many and too confusing. You want feature A, you must get package 3a. You want feature B, you must give up package 3a and get package 4d... screw that.

Then there's Chevy... too expensive. All I want is a Silverado crew cam with power windows, ac and power locks. That's all. Cheapest is about $37K. I want to stay as low as $30K range as possible.

Toyota Tundra isn't too bad. Double cab 5.7 can be had for $32,K. Decently equipped. What do I dislike? Abysmal gas mileage. 13 city 18 hwy... dear God.

So far Ram is a pretty good value. I'm seeing a crew cab, not quad cab, with the 5.7 Hemi for $30K after rebates. 17 c 22hwy is also not too bad. Like I said, it'll mainly be my daily driver. I drive 14 miles each way daily and I'm aware that it's a truck.

Pros and cons of Ram. Drive train solid?
I've seen some reviews were owners claim materials are not good. I'd appreciate a full honest view.

 

[unxpctd]

The 8 speed transmission is great...I had one in my 2014 Durango R/T and now my 2017 Hemi Rebel. Its a dream to drive overall. Its a great match with the 5.7 Hemi.

I'd look for the 3.21 gears unless what you're towing is very heavy or close to the limit. Also...maybe consider the 3.92 gears if what you're towing is very very long distances. Just my thoughts...others may have more or better info on this ( I don't tow anything ). I just know the 3.21 gears will probably get you a bit better mileage.

 

[StinkyHotChocolate]

I find the materials to be very high quality in my 2013 Laramie. Lots of miles and very little wear.

The drivetrain the most appealing part of the RAM platform, in my opinion. The Hemi/ZF is a proven package that gets equal or better mileage to any other half-ton and excellent reliability, power, and that gorgeous sound.

I see new 1500 CC Hemis, 4x2, advertised in the mid-to-high 20's here in Houston. I think RAM is a real value proposition.

I have owned a Titan, F150, and from Chevy: 2 Tahoes, a Suburban 2500. I am most pleased with the Ram, by a pretty wide margin.

 

[Buddy]

I was the same as you, looked at all of them. Actually a friend just did the same last month, same outcome as me...Ram.
The Ram has the best price/package as compared to the others in an apples to apples comparison in model levels. I mean here in Canada Fords Platinum sits square with Ram Limited and GM Denali, the Ford Msrp's $10,000 more than the Ram.... sit in them both and the interiors really do come close. So $10,000 more??? No thanks. Then when you factor in factory discounts, the gap widens even more. This goes down the line the same for every trim level comparison. You just get more for your dollars with the Ram.
The other thing was ride. Ram rides smoother with the rear coils, something the others haven't got. I mean I'm surprised one of the others haven't at least made it an option on their trucks...
Trucks are purchased today in large numbers to be used as family haulers and not just work, the days of trucks being workhorses is long gone, the factories all make their trucks as luxurious as the nicest full size luxury cars, just look around any shopping mall parking lot or subdivision driveways, trucks really are in so many households. All the manufacturers put their eggs in the trucks basket, it's their bread and butter.
So if used as the family hauler, or daily driver just as a car, the Ram has that nicest ride, smoothest. These were my 2 biggest reasons to buy a Ram. I grew up a GM guy... but today all the manufacturers are so even in their products, you get a quality product any choice, so I whitled it down to differences above, price/package, and ride quality.
Thats my experience and view.

 

[UPSTrucker13]

I was in almost the same situation as you are. I drive 64 miles round trip to work. The Ram was several thousand cheaper than the others. I had never owned a mopar product and decided to take the chance. I’ll admit the Express package I got isn’t the most luxurious, but I turned 7000 miles last night and can honestly say, I’d do it again. I’ve had no trouble, at all, get decent mpgs, and I’m leveled with 305/55/20s. I’m still getting 17/18 mpg if I drive reasonably. This truck has really grown on me too. I have a 2017 4x4 crew with the Hemi. My dad liked mine so much, he went and got a reg cab just like it.

You never said are you wanting 4x4 or 2x4?


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[UPSTrucker13]

I was in almost the same situation as you are. I drive 64 miles round trip to work. The Ram was several thousand cheaper than the others. I had never owned a mopar product and decided to take the chance. I’ll admit the Express package I got isn’t the most luxurious, but I turned 7000 miles last night and can honestly say, I’d do it again. I’ve had no trouble, at all, get decent mpgs, and I’m leveled with 305/55/20s. I’m still getting 17/18 mpg if I drive reasonably. This truck has really grown on me too. I have a 2017 4x4 crew with the Hemi. My dad liked mine so much, he went and got a reg cab just like it.

You never said are you wanting 4x4 or 2x4?


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Forgot to mention I got 3.21 gears too.


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[Jeepwalker]

I'm coming from GM because I didn't care for their current style or interiors. Ram seems to have better over-the-hood visibility. I bought used though. Ride is great, I like how they did a lot of things to prevent corrosion (but being from Tx, probably not a concern for you), like the style and interior lay-out better. Rides great. Mine runs fine (155k mi) and is really quiet inside. I went with a reg cab because on Ram regular cabs there's more room behind the seat and the next longer cab has maybe 10" more? With the reg cab I can get what I need back there which wasn't the case with the GM's I was looking at. Reg cab with 8' box gives me more box cargo and towing ability. Plus I think the larger cabs look dorky, but if you haul enough people you might need more cab. I've got 3x Jeeps one that is over 300k and another Grand Cherokee with the 4.7 (different engine than the 5.7) over 200k mi. I'm not a Mopar guy at all, but I've had good luck with the Jeeps I've owned.

You would probably be well-served to check out the 6 cyl engine for what you described. Great fuel econnomy and it puts out quite a bit of power. I've got the 5.7 but really don't take advantage as much as I thought I would, Just costs me more gas $$. Sometimes I tow , but not very often. for a daily commuter, at least measure out the power of the 6 and see if you can live with it ...it gets like 20+ mpg. Other than that, its all up to you...

 

[UPSTrucker13]

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[UPSTrucker13]

My dad reg cab the day he got it


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[jaysantosauxiliarypolice]

Thanks for the responses guys. I feel the V6 might be all I need. However, I don't want to be in the situation 3 days after buying the truck saying, "I should've bought the V8." hehehe. I don't know how much more the V8 is over the V6. I'll check again.

Also, since the Ram is about $5,000 cheaper than the competition, this leads me to think if the competition is just milking customers for more money or is Dodge cutting corners here and there to achieve that price difference. Hmmm...

 

[kooler1]

Well also look at getting the ram boxes. I bought used but if I ever buy new I’d have it added to the truck then.


2012 ram 2500 4x4. 3” lift. 37x13.5x17 toyo mt. Smitty built grill, kenwood radio, bullet liner.

 

[Chigurh]

I ate a hole in my stomach for a month last year with the same dilemma and went for the Ram. Toyota Ford and GM wanted too much IMO for fewer options and I got a great deal on a Ram with the Hemi, tow package, 8.4AN, LSD, twin buckets and a spray in bedliner. For what I paid, the next closest option I had was a Titan XD with a 6.5 foot bed and a tow package but was otherwise stripped down compared to the Ram, no top of the line infotainment system, bench seat, vinyl interior, floorboards. I got the 3.21 with the LSD, tow 5K lbs 2-3 times a year and the truck does great. You know its back there but the Hemi really has some grunt when you need to get things moving and cruises really nice. All of the half ton truck makers are making great vehicles, the competition works in our favor. Ram IMO has addressed a previous history with transmission reliability with the 8-speed and I still think it looks better than newer body styles with Ford, GM and the Nissan.

 

[chrisbh17]

Finally gave up on fixing my '01 Frontier, wife insisted "we need a truck!" so I made sure to make her happy

Test drove my '17 Big Horn Quad Cab then 10 minutes later test drove a '17 F150 SXT quad cab with 2.7L TT.

The F150 felt "tinny" compared to the RAM. Two reasons: the SXT is a glorified XLT which is one of the lowest available trims. It has carpet, but no insulation. According to the salesman the sound and vibration deadening is better on the models higher than SXT. I think the biggest reason for the tinny feel is all the weight it lost with the switch to aluminum. Yeah its better for mpg and potentially corrosion resistance, but to me it translated into something that didnt feel very well planted on the road. Maybe a higher trim would feel better but compared to the RAM (which actually ended up almost 5K cheaper!) there was no contest.

After dealing with my Frontier for 11 years, another Nissan was out of the question. Didnt even think to look at the Toyota, surprised to see that you're finding prices that low. Not a huge issue to me, I was pretty much turned off Japanese pickups....yeah they may last forever, but they rust like mad and seem pretty darn hard to work on.

I was a bit worried about the 8 speed auto myself, but keep in mind its different than the 9 speed that has issues, and I made sure to find a truck that had the transmission assembled in Germany (maybe they ALL are, but I figured Id point it out anyway).

After having my RAM for 1.5 months I still love it. The price I paid for the Big Horn wouldnt even cover an SXT F150 and I got a lot more for the $$$. Fords base infotainment system has a 4" screen....I laughed at the salesman when he told me to "just use the zoom button so you can see out the rear view camera". The instrument panel on the XLT/SXT looked like gauges from my mom's 1989 Taurus...not anywhere near the snazzy EVIC in the RAM. Interior materials on the RAM were better...again the result of a higher trim I would think. There are more soft touch (i.e. vinyl padded) materials in my RAM than my Frontier ever had. Its not Mercedes level, but at least its not ALL hard plastic.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Also, since the Ram is about $5,000 cheaper than the competition, this leads me to think if the competition is just milking customers for more money or is Dodge cutting corners here and there to achieve that price difference. Hmmm...

Who knows?? Probably a combination of efficient construction design, reduced materials here and there ...better deal with the unions (just speculation), more automated factory (again, speculation), foreign-made components, more plastics, aggressive marketing, willingness to sacrifice some earnings for gaining market share, corporate debt/earning overall, making some of the difference up in other areas (military, aerospace, other products), not investing in redesigns every 4 years (evolutionary vs revolutionary approach). The only way to know what the factors are would be to sit in the board rooms at the headquarters for a week maybe. But that aint gonna happen for us. Isn't that how competition is supposed to work? And plus, it's really difficult if not impossible to do 'true' apples-to-apples comparisons on trucks with all the different trim levels between mfgrs and different dealer sales variations.

I know I see a lot more Ram trucks on the road than ya did even 10 years ago!!

 

[chrisbh17]

Who knows?? Probably a combination of efficient construction design, reduced materials here and there ...better deal with the unions (just speculation), more automated factory (again, speculation), foreign-made components, aggressive marketing, willingness to sacrifice some earnings for gaining market share, corporate debt/earning overall, making some of the difference up in other areas (military, aerospace, other products), not investing in redesigns every 4 years (evolutionary vs revolutionary approach). The only way to know what the factors are would be to sit in the board rooms at the headquarters for a week maybe. But that aint gonna happen for us. Isn't that how competition is supposed to work?

I know I see a lot more Ram trucks on the road than ya did even 10 years ago!!

When I sat down with the Ford salesman after test driving a RAM (different dealer) then the F150 with them, the number he came up with for an SXT (i.e FAR less included options than my Big Horn) was almost 5K more than the Big Horn I drove. I didnt outright say he was nuts but I did mention that the numbers werent close and that I could get that same basic F150 (even better, actually) for 5K less. Then his GM got involved and "did a wide area search" and the only truck they could come up with that was close was COMPLETELY stripped (vinyl floor mats instead of carpet, base V6 instead of the turbo, etc).

Then when I told him the Big Horn was ~5K less "well, their bed isnt aluminum". So, Im guessing Ford thinks your 5K is worth an aluminum bed

Since I was going to have to Fluid Film/Corrosion Free/whatever the F150 anyway (the frame isnt made of aluminum ), I could put the same effort into taking care of the RAM and have, what I felt was, the better truck.

In my area, though, F150 reigns supreme. VERY few Dodges....a few Chevys, LOADS AND LOADS of F150s.

 

[cbsmith]

I was a bit worried about the 8 speed auto myself, but keep in mind its different than the 9 speed that has issues, and I made sure to find a truck that had the transmission assembled in Germany (maybe they ALL are, but I figured Id point it out anyway).

The 8 speed transmissions have been assembled in the US since late 2013, first at a ZF plant in the US and then ZF allowed assembly directly from an FCA Transmission plant in Indiana.

Unless your truck is a 2013 model the transmission wasn’t assembled in Germany.

 

[unxpctd]

GM and Ford are milking customers....no doubt.

Then again I looked at a Durango SRT over the weekend...gorgeous truck....same size as my old 2014 R/T. The SRT is stickered at 72,500....20K more than a comparable R/T with the regular Hemi. 20K premium for a 6.4 liter Hemi is soaking people...a bit.

Ram has the best looks and best engine (in my opinion) which in turn leads to best value. ...helps that they're 5K or more below comparable trucks from GM/Ford.

 

[TruckNut]

OP, if you are primarily commuting, consider the V6 with the 8 speed. It has pretty good numbers, gets good gas mileage and can tow well. What's not to like? That said, I couldn't resist the 5.7 Hemi and 8 speed with the 3:92 gears. Not that I necessarily need them, but the cheap V-8 burn rubber feel is there. Good luck in the hunt. Either way you go, these are nice trucks.

 

[huntergreen]

For me, based on the sticker mpg ratings, I had to go with the hemi over the v6. That being said, the Pentastar is an awesome engine.

 

[chrisbh17]

The 8 speed transmissions have been assembled in the US since late 2013, first at a ZF plant in the US and then ZF allowed assembly directly from an FCA Transmission plant in Indiana.

Unless your truck is a 2013 model the transmission wasn’t assembled in Germany.

Hmm.

Window sticker on mine says the country of origin for the trans is Germany. Country of origin for the engine is Mexico. Final assembly in Warran.

I have the 8HP70 which was a "for cost" option...does that make a difference? Do they get to put Germany as COO if they are using a ZF plant here? I thought Chrysler only produced the 9 speed under ZF licensing.