- Joined
- Sep 2, 2019
- Posts
- 160
- Reaction score
- 170
- Location
- Arkansas
- Ram Year
- 2021
- Engine
- 5.7 Hemi (no e-Torque)
HELP! I NEED SOME NEW RAM TRUCK BUYING ADVICE.
It's a sort of sad day at the Handy house. We've been offered about as much for our 2019 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Plus as we paid for it. My sweetie (trophy wife) has decided she wants a new 2021 Ram 1500 Laramie. Those have been priced a little too high for us. But now that we have all this unexpected equity in the Scat Pack, we can trade it in and afford a Laramie with most of the bells and whistles we want. I've narrowed down the search and the finalists mostly look like this one below. It's been fun owning the Scat Pack and I had hoped to keep it as my car once I retire the 2006 Daytona. But this high-equity thing is just too good to pass up. Otherwise, we would never buy a truck this expensive. And it will make my wife happy.
Handy's 55-year-old "trophy wife" and Mopar speed demon.
Here's a few questions to discuss. Any other advice and pointers would also be appreciated:
1. e-Torque 5.7 Hemi or Original 5.7 Hemi?
2. 20" or 22" wheels?
3. Best aftermarket add-on? (Tri-fold bed cover, chrome side moldings, tray under backseat, etc.)
4. Things I need to be warned about? Things I need to be sure and get when I buy?
Other thoughts from Handy:
The truck in the photo above is one of two we are considering buying. It's a Laramie Limited. There's a second one at another dealer that is just a Laramie, but is pretty loaded and has the chrome package. There's a photo below.
The biggest issue with buying a 2021 Ram right now seems to be the chip shortage. Before the COVID shortages this year, trucks with the Laramie Level 1 option came with blind spot sensors. After COVID, they went to Laramie Group A without it and Group B with it. But then RAM ran out and Group B didn't get the blind spot sensors either. My sweetie can't live without her blind stop sensors. Both trucks we are looking are "pre-shortage" trucks originally ordered by small rural dealerships that couldn't sell them. They both have the full Group 1 and/or Group 2 option packages. Both also have panoramic sunroofs, rain sensors for the wipers and auto high beam headlights. The first truck has 22" wheels and the e-Torque 5.7 Hemi. The truck below has 20" wheels and the regular 5.7 Hemi. I'm kind'a partial to the 22" wheels but prefer the regular Hemi since it's a much simpler setup I'm very familiar with.
The extra Limited model chrome side molding on the first truck is only about $250 from Mopar. So if we get the second truck, I plan to stick the body moldings on there. The two trucks will be fairly identical inside and out, except the second truck has a full chrome package. It is also a little cheaper. Payments will be almost exactly the same as what we are making on the Scat Pack now. The first truck will increase our payments about $25 to $30 a month.
DISCLAIMER: It should be noted that while Handy is an ASE Certified Master Automotive Tech and an excellent lover, He primarily works professionally as a Safety Engineer among other things and he hasn't worked as a professional mechanic since he was a young strapping lad with long sexy flowing hair before college. And even then, he mainly worked on big trucks and heavy equipment. Nowadays, Handy enjoys driving and working on Mopar cars and truck for fun and relaxation. And I help others when I can.
It's a sort of sad day at the Handy house. We've been offered about as much for our 2019 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Plus as we paid for it. My sweetie (trophy wife) has decided she wants a new 2021 Ram 1500 Laramie. Those have been priced a little too high for us. But now that we have all this unexpected equity in the Scat Pack, we can trade it in and afford a Laramie with most of the bells and whistles we want. I've narrowed down the search and the finalists mostly look like this one below. It's been fun owning the Scat Pack and I had hoped to keep it as my car once I retire the 2006 Daytona. But this high-equity thing is just too good to pass up. Otherwise, we would never buy a truck this expensive. And it will make my wife happy.
Handy's 55-year-old "trophy wife" and Mopar speed demon.
Here's a few questions to discuss. Any other advice and pointers would also be appreciated:
1. e-Torque 5.7 Hemi or Original 5.7 Hemi?
2. 20" or 22" wheels?
3. Best aftermarket add-on? (Tri-fold bed cover, chrome side moldings, tray under backseat, etc.)
4. Things I need to be warned about? Things I need to be sure and get when I buy?
Other thoughts from Handy:
The truck in the photo above is one of two we are considering buying. It's a Laramie Limited. There's a second one at another dealer that is just a Laramie, but is pretty loaded and has the chrome package. There's a photo below.
The biggest issue with buying a 2021 Ram right now seems to be the chip shortage. Before the COVID shortages this year, trucks with the Laramie Level 1 option came with blind spot sensors. After COVID, they went to Laramie Group A without it and Group B with it. But then RAM ran out and Group B didn't get the blind spot sensors either. My sweetie can't live without her blind stop sensors. Both trucks we are looking are "pre-shortage" trucks originally ordered by small rural dealerships that couldn't sell them. They both have the full Group 1 and/or Group 2 option packages. Both also have panoramic sunroofs, rain sensors for the wipers and auto high beam headlights. The first truck has 22" wheels and the e-Torque 5.7 Hemi. The truck below has 20" wheels and the regular 5.7 Hemi. I'm kind'a partial to the 22" wheels but prefer the regular Hemi since it's a much simpler setup I'm very familiar with.
The extra Limited model chrome side molding on the first truck is only about $250 from Mopar. So if we get the second truck, I plan to stick the body moldings on there. The two trucks will be fairly identical inside and out, except the second truck has a full chrome package. It is also a little cheaper. Payments will be almost exactly the same as what we are making on the Scat Pack now. The first truck will increase our payments about $25 to $30 a month.
DISCLAIMER: It should be noted that while Handy is an ASE Certified Master Automotive Tech and an excellent lover, He primarily works professionally as a Safety Engineer among other things and he hasn't worked as a professional mechanic since he was a young strapping lad with long sexy flowing hair before college. And even then, he mainly worked on big trucks and heavy equipment. Nowadays, Handy enjoys driving and working on Mopar cars and truck for fun and relaxation. And I help others when I can.
