Opinions wanted... F150 verses Ram 1500

We're looking at a new truck and keep going back and forth between the Ford F-150 4x4 with the 5.0 V8 and the Ram 1500 4x4 with 5.7L V8 Hemi and 8 speed transmission.

What sayeth the Beeb?

Dawn

 

Ram 1500 diesel

 

F150 4x4

 

I was really unimpressed with the F150 interior. Mediocre fit and finish with a surprising amount of creaks and rattles for a car <2 years old. The Ram interior has a higher standard regardless of trim level. Just MHO.

 

My recent experience with Rams build quality leaves little to be desired.

 

F150, no contest.

 

I had a 2013 Ram1500 and absolutely hated it. It would continually hunt for a gear and never lock up. The slightest grade or wind change and it would downshift/upshift, about the only time it actually stayed locked up in top gear was downhill.
So unless they fixed the tranny issues (Dodge claimed that was "normal" and I drove 2 others on the lot that did the same thing) I would run so fast there would be a strip of asphalt on fire making a map right to the Ford dealer
Not to mention the best mileage I ever got with it was 13 sitting on cruise @ 65 mph on a 700 mile trip completely empty. I hated it so much that days after getting home from that trip I sold my less than month old truck and took the $5k loss
I have had several F150's with the 5.0 and all them shifted better, stayed in gear better and got better mileage, typically on a trip they would be 20ish, that makes a huge difference over the lifetime of the vehicle in operating costs.

 

totally weird that this post happened here and now, JUST had a patient in my office and I found out he was a Dodge dealer that just retired about 4 or 5 years ago. I've had several Ford trucks, and wanted to ask him about the new Ram diesel coming out. His words, and I quote, "Don't get a Ram right now, they're still having some issues with some of the engine configurations and the associated electronic controls". He also told me some horror stories about some of the cheap engineering he saw on some models, not necessarily just the trucks.

I mentioned to him that whenever I saw an older minivan pull away from a stoplight in a cloud of blue oil-smoke, it was invariably a Chrysler product. His answer? "They tried to save $6-10 dollars per unit and put cheap valveguide seals in those engines, and they leak shortly thereafter. He sold his dealership right before Mercedes said Adios, and he said he's never felt luckier to be out from under that place.

So really weird that I see this thread just after he walked out of my office. My brother has a Dodge 1995 3/4 ton with the Cummins diesel, and that motor is darn-near bulletproof. Good thing, because the paint has peeled off nearly the entire truck and the headliner in the cab is hanging down. Piss-poor quality, IMHO.

 

f150 will save you some trips to the service dept.. I looked at the ram's but at the end of the day i decided to keep my Tundra, its easily a 200,000 mile truck

 

"Leaves little" or "leaves a little" ?


That one letter makes a big difference

 

It's a piece of shit.

 

No ambiguity there

 

That should clear it up some...

 

All of them are getting shitty.

 

My 05 Hemi Ram has 100k and has never been to the dealer.

Just sayin

 

Neither, buy a GM.

 

I have had 3 rams with Hemi's in service.

No motor troubles out of any of them. They will tow some weight too.

One had a cracked radiator from a stone.

Another one had a bad egr valve. Took 15minutes to change and I don't think it was even a hundred bucks.

We had one Ram that literally looked like it was leaning left when you stood behind it. We measured it and sure as shit the bed was 1'' higher on the driver side than the passenger side. We had them check it out and everything they said it was within spec. Crazy.

We kept it for 3 years with no problems other than leaning left. Haha.

We have had pretty shitty luck with Fords.

I would get the Hemi equipped Ram over the Ford.

I can't speak about that transmission though.

I would buy a Toyota before either of those if it was something I was going to pay off and keep. All the guys I know with Toyotas have very good luck with them and they are all over 100K mile trucks.

 

Other thing to consider is that you'll very likely be able to get a much better deal on a '14 F150 right now as dealers try to move as much inventory as possible prior to the 2015 hitting lots later this year.

 

I think you might be on to something...