2023 3500 BigHorn or 2019 3500 Laramie

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zzzxhk

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2019
Posts
23
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Location
NV
Ram Year
2023
Engine
Cummins 6.7
I ordered a '23 Bighorn Standard Output, RFE, Night. They told me it would be 6 - 9 months (If nothing went wrong), I saw (and bought) a decent 2019 Laramie Sport. It's been about four months and my '23 is being shipped and according to the website, will be here next week.

The ordered '23 Bighorn - has 8.5" entertainment screen, Standard Output, RFE, 3.73 rear, Night edition, cold prep, towing puck prep, short bed, cloth bench seat, no air bag suspension, no side step, standard fuel tank (was going to upgrade all that later) and of course the new mirrors.

My current 2019 Laramie, bucket seats, mega cab, shortbed gooseneck, 3.73, Sport, SO, RFE, 12" entertainment, 50k miles, after market 50 gal replacement tank, after market (manual rear airbag suspension), after market AMP retractable side step, leather seats, cold wx prep,

zero miles vs 50k miles on a diesel is almost still new. CP4 recall done on the Laramie. My decision - the devil I know vs the one I don't, what crazy recalls could happen, I've read horror stories of new trucks with major issues like transmissions. I'm looking around at parts and upgrades and don't really see much for 2023, even though there is supposed to be little difference between 22 and 23s.

The 12" screen is okay, kind of gawdy, too big IMO. I could live with it, or not. Sort of prefer the Night over the Sport, maybe change the Sport to Night later or not. I'll get black wheels when I change tires if I keep the '19.

Not that impressed by the mega cab (yes it can be a lot of space), my 2016 1500 crew cab had the boxes in the floor which I liked. Not sure what the '23 will have. Not impressed with the bucket seats, the huge center console just turns into a big pile of stuff.

2019 BC (before covid) VS 2023 didn't get actually built till Jan '23 so hopefully After Covid.

I'll still go look at it for sure when it gets here. Yes, finances and trade-ins etc... I'm aware of, could be a loss, but with a below MSRP on the '23 and the '19 is a Laramie, not a big loss.
 

Ratman6161

Senior Member
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May 16, 2022
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Location
Buffalo, MN
Ram Year
2022
Engine
6.4 Hemi
All dep3nds on your preferences. In my case I went from a well optioned GMC Sierra 1500 SLT (equivilent to a laramie in a Ram) to a 22 Ram 2500 6.4 Bighorn. The bighorn was doing the job of pulling my travel trailer just fine but....it always felt like a "lesser" vehical than the GMC as far as luxury and features. It was also missing some features I really wish I had like power folding mirrors and surround vision cameras. To get in my garage I had to open the window and pull in the mirror by hand then creep in next to my wife's Infiniti which I could not see over the right side of the truck. Last week I ended up trading the 22 bighorn on a 22 holdover Laramie. For those reading this, please don't lecture me on how much it sucks to trade in a truck after only 8 months....belive me I know. Anyway, my point is, don't buy the 23 if it feels like a step down or you will be dissatisfied.

I also dislike the 12 inch monster screen. And both the bighorn and the new laramie have the 8.4.

Here is another option to consider. Look at leftover 22's. My dealer is offering up to $4k discounts in addition to the $2k from Ram on 22 Diesel 3500's and he has 14 of them...9 Tradesman and 5 Laramies. And there really isn't that much difference between a 22 and and a 23. Also, I have good luck with small town dealerships. The bigger dealers near me aren't offering discounts and the 23's they have inbound are optioned up ridiculously. They have 2500's priced over $90k and don't even carry the configuration I wanted which was a gas 3ngine Laramie.
 
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zzzxhk

zzzxhk

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2019
Posts
23
Reaction score
25
Location
NV
Ram Year
2023
Engine
Cummins 6.7
Thanks. Think I'm going to get the 2023. As a friend mentioned, a new warranty and hopefully this will be my last for a long time and newer should last longer.

The Bighorn I ordered has all the level 2 options, so might as well be a Laramie, minus leather seats, which are nice, but my butt with jeans on can't tell the difference.

The salesman only does fleets, but this is a friend of a friend deal he does for us and below MSRP. So far he's had 4 trucks ordered for us, so might as well be a small fleet. Yea, the market is still nuts. Hoping I can get one last deal on a truck that will last and be how I want it.

A few months ago I was going to look at '22s, because of the transmission leak recall the dealer wouldn't even let me drive them or even look at one. That's one thing I'm afraid of is some crazy stupid recall.

Got the news today, it arrived (a week early according to the website) and it's ready, so tomorrow after a bunch of stupid meetings, I'll take a few hours and go see it and probably go ahead and buy it.
 

Ratman6161

Senior Member
Joined
May 16, 2022
Posts
243
Reaction score
256
Location
Buffalo, MN
Ram Year
2022
Engine
6.4 Hemi
Thanks. Think I'm going to get the 2023. As a friend mentioned, a new warranty and hopefully this will be my last for a long time and newer should last longer.

The Bighorn I ordered has all the level 2 options, so might as well be a Laramie, minus leather seats, which are nice, but my butt with jeans on can't tell the difference.

The salesman only does fleets, but this is a friend of a friend deal he does for us and below MSRP. So far he's had 4 trucks ordered for us, so might as well be a small fleet. Yea, the market is still nuts. Hoping I can get one last deal on a truck that will last and be how I want it.

A few months ago I was going to look at '22s, because of the transmission leak recall the dealer wouldn't even let me drive them or even look at one. That's one thing I'm afraid of is some crazy stupid recall.

Got the news today, it arrived (a week early according to the website) and it's ready, so tomorrow after a bunch of stupid meetings, I'll take a few hours and go see it and probably go ahead and buy it.
So how did you turn out? I know you said you cant tell the difference with the leather seats but here is one I definitely notice: For us, the truck is a recreational vehical that spends about 80% of its time/miles pulling the travel trailer in the summer. We eat in the truck a lot while doing this. Imagine if a chunk of a candy bar ends up on the seat and then you sit in it for a couple of hundred miles before you notice it. Clean up with the leather is much easier :)
 
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zzzxhk

zzzxhk

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2019
Posts
23
Reaction score
25
Location
NV
Ram Year
2023
Engine
Cummins 6.7
First of all - A chunk of candy bar is not missing my mouth so I don't usually have that problem, but I get your point.

I went with the '23 Bighorn. Warranty starting at zero and hopefully will last longer than an already 4 year old truck, was probably the biggest thing. I could have lived with the Laramie, it was nice, but I lived with a Bighorn before.

Apparently there is a shortage of running boards from the factory and the only trucks available with stock running boards are Limiteds. The sales guy is letting me take off the AMP's from the Laramie and install on the '23, which I thought was cool of him.

Wasn't thrilled with the trade-in $$$ they gave me when similar '19 Laramies are going for 70+ still. Even though this was the best truck / car buying experience ever, hopefully not doing it again for awhile.
 
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