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2016 F150 to 2019 Laramie Black Appearance Package

rp781

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Wanted to share some of my initial reactions on the new truck as I've learned so much from all of you.

First, a little background on where I'm coming from. My last two trucks were a 2014 and a 2016 F150. Had a 2009 Ram and 2007 Sierra before that. I really don't ever tow anything or go off roading. 85% of my miles are highway and I live in WI so get all the winter weather. I've enjoyed all of the trucks I've had and think they were all nice so I'm not married to a single manufacturer.

I've got about 250 miles now on my Ram and about 70% of that is highway. I went yesterday and swapped out the stock tires for Nitto Terra Grappler G2's 305/45/R22's and tinted the front windows. I've noticed a little bit of vibration on the highway with the new tires but nothing horrible. Sure it will work itself out after some additional miles.

Ride / Noise - Ram is better than anything I've ever owned before. Amazed at how there was no outside noise at highway speeds! Absolutely no rattles in the cabin and everything is just solid. This was very similar to my 2014 F150.....2016 F150 not so much.

Engines - the Hemi isn't as fast but I like it much better. I would rate Hemi, then 5.0L V8 Ford, then 3.6L Ecoboost. Although the Ecoboost is fast I got crappy mileage and never experienced the benefits it brings to towing. Think the Hemi is the best compromise of power and economy for how most people actually drive.

Cabin - I'm at the Laramie level and know the Limited is a big step up....Came from a decked out Lariat and think the Laramie is a bit nicer. Limited blows the Lariat out of the water!

Dash/ Technology - Love the driver's information center and some of the small things Ram has. The customization is really nice and I love the layout. Didn't dislike the Ford but just find this one better for what I use it for. The center stack is way nicer in the Ram. Love the finishes, resolution and layout of the 8.4NAV. I also feel that the UConnect is a little more responsive than the Sync 3. I don't have the Advanced Technology Group and have no interest in those features anyways so I can't compare those.

Sound System - This is where I'm a little undecided....came from the upgraded Sony in the Ford and felt that was a very nice sound system. Clear, loud and a lot of bass. My first reactions on the H/K system have been a little more disappointing. I think the H/K system is super clear and sounds great. However, I don't feel like it packs the "kick in the teeth" punch that the Sony offered. I do like to listen to my music very loud so I think for the normal user the H/K would be perfect. Ironically I found on the H/K that Sirius/XM sounds way better than playing Pandora via bluetooth. Seems that is opposite of what most others have experienced. Don't get me wrong, the H/K system is nice but I guess I was just expecting a little more from a 900+ watt/ 19 speaker system.

Overall I love the truck and am so happy I made the switch. Will update with more information as I drive more. Maybe I'll work on my photography skills as well as the photos didn't turn out the best:)
 

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Jared B

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Wanted to share some of my initial reactions on the new truck as I've learned so much from all of you.

First, a little background on where I'm coming from. My last two trucks were a 2014 and a 2016 F150. Had a 2009 Ram and 2007 Sierra before that. I really don't ever tow anything or go off roading. 85% of my miles are highway and I live in WI so get all the winter weather. I've enjoyed all of the trucks I've had and think they were all nice so I'm not married to a single manufacturer.

I've got about 250 miles now on my Ram and about 70% of that is highway. I went yesterday and swapped out the stock tires for Nitto Terra Grappler G2's 305/45/R22's and tinted the front windows. I've noticed a little bit of vibration on the highway with the new tires but nothing horrible. Sure it will work itself out after some additional miles.

Ride / Noise - Ram is better than anything I've ever owned before. Amazed at how there was no outside noise at highway speeds! Absolutely no rattles in the cabin and everything is just solid. This was very similar to my 2014 F150.....2016 F150 not so much.

Engines - the Hemi isn't as fast but I like it much better. I would rate Hemi, then 5.0L V8 Ford, then 3.6L Ecoboost. Although the Ecoboost is fast I got crappy mileage and never experienced the benefits it brings to towing. Think the Hemi is the best compromise of power and economy for how most people actually drive.

Cabin - I'm at the Laramie level and know the Limited is a big step up....Came from a decked out Lariat and think the Laramie is a bit nicer. Limited blows the Lariat out of the water!

Dash/ Technology - Love the driver's information center and some of the small things Ram has. The customization is really nice and I love the layout. Didn't dislike the Ford but just find this one better for what I use it for. The center stack is way nicer in the Ram. Love the finishes, resolution and layout of the 8.4NAV. I also feel that the UConnect is a little more responsive than the Sync 3. I don't have the Advanced Technology Group and have no interest in those features anyways so I can't compare those.

Sound System - This is where I'm a little undecided....came from the upgraded Sony in the Ford and felt that was a very nice sound system. Clear, loud and a lot of bass. My first reactions on the H/K system have been a little more disappointing. I think the H/K system is super clear and sounds great. However, I don't feel like it packs the "kick in the teeth" punch that the Sony offered. I do like to listen to my music very loud so I think for the normal user the H/K would be perfect. Ironically I found on the H/K that Sirius/XM sounds way better than playing Pandora via bluetooth. Seems that is opposite of what most others have experienced. Don't get me wrong, the H/K system is nice but I guess I was just expecting a little more from a 900+ watt/ 19 speaker system.

Overall I love the truck and am so happy I made the switch. Will update with more information as I drive more. Maybe I'll work on my photography skills as well as the photos didn't turn out the best:)

That is a beautiful truck, I'm a big fan of the Laramie Black package. Glad to hear that you're happy with the truck. I know some owners were saying that the H/K system didn't sound as good as they expected and that a recent UConnect updated fixed those issues from what I've been able to see. I believe they all had the 12 inch screen though, I'm not sure if an update has been released for the 8.4 yet.
 

rp781

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That is a beautiful truck, I'm a big fan of the Laramie Black package. Glad to hear that you're happy with the truck. I know some owners were saying that the H/K system didn't sound as good as they expected and that a recent UConnect updated fixed those issues from what I've been able to see. I believe they all had the 12 inch screen though, I'm not sure if an update has been released for the 8.4 yet.
I would bet that I received the update because everyone else was saying the Sirius was bad, but it was better than Bluetooth for me. I'm going to try plugging in via USB to play some music as I haven't done that yet.
 

sticker500

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Really nice truck! I am running the same tires and have had a vibration between 55-60 but I think they got it worked out. The more I look at those headlights the more I like them over the Limited.
 

rp781

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Update on few items:

- I'm not experiencing any issues or dissatisfaction with the A/C unit. Feel like it is pretty darn good.

- Brakes - love the stopping power of them. Definitely a step up from the F150

- Back Seat - my girls (9 and 6) love the recline but my daughter did say that she thought the F150 had a little more leg room. Know the official dimensions say otherwise but after playing around for a bit I think the actual usable space is similar to the F150.

- H/K System - Getting more and more impressed with it in Sirius/ XM mode - seems like there was an update between the first couple months of manufacturing vs. mine.

- Tires - no issues what so ever with the Terra Grappler G2's. No rubbing, etc....

- Nav - I have experienced some "weird routing" issues that a couple other of you have mentioned. Will play around with it more.

- No issues with Engine, Uconnect, etc.....everything has operated as it should 100% of the time so far.
 

RT70808

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Update on few items:

- I'm not experiencing any issues or dissatisfaction with the A/C unit. Feel like it is pretty darn good.

- Brakes - love the stopping power of them. Definitely a step up from the F150

- Back Seat - my girls (9 and 6) love the recline but my daughter did say that she thought the F150 had a little more leg room. Know the official dimensions say otherwise but after playing around for a bit I think the actual usable space is similar to the F150.

- H/K System - Getting more and more impressed with it in Sirius/ XM mode - seems like there was an update between the first couple months of manufacturing vs. mine.

- Tires - no issues what so ever with the Terra Grappler G2's. No rubbing, etc....

- Nav - I have experienced some "weird routing" issues that a couple other of you have mentioned. Will play around with it more.

- No issues with Engine, Uconnect, etc.....everything has operated as it should 100% of the time so far.
On the Navigation:
My 2012 Charger with 8.4 uConnect was Garmin powered, I miss it.
The euro powered Harmon Kardon is horrible. In my 2015 Grand Cherokee the maps were way behind, it was completely missing a section of I-49 connecting Louisiana to Arkansas, I got unverified map data messages all the time while fishing, there’s spots where it doesn’t know the speed limit so it can’t calculate the eta properly. I am expecting the same results with the 2019 HK powered. I actually argue with “Ms Harmon” as my wife and I call her, I like using the nav for the traffic features so I will turn it on even if I know where I’m going but sometimes she will take 10-15 mins of telling me to make a u-turn before she recalculates the route I’m really taking. I actually keep a hand held Garmin with lifetime maps in my console. I can’t wait for iOS update that will let me use other map apps with CarPlay.
 

rp781

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On the Navigation:
My 2012 Charger with 8.4 uConnect was Garmin powered, I miss it.
The euro powered Harmon Kardon is horrible. In my 2015 Grand Cherokee the maps were way behind, it was completely missing a section of I-49 connecting Louisiana to Arkansas, I got unverified map data messages all the time while fishing, there’s spots where it doesn’t know the speed limit so it can’t calculate the eta properly. I am expecting the same results with the 2019 HK powered. I actually argue with “Ms Harmon” as my wife and I call her, I like using the nav for the traffic features so I will turn it on even if I know where I’m going but sometimes she will take 10-15 mins of telling me to make a u-turn before she recalculates the route I’m really taking. I actually keep a hand held Garmin with lifetime maps in my console. I can’t wait for iOS update that will let me use other map apps with CarPlay.
Yes....Google Maps with CarPlay would be fantastic! I hate Apple Maps
 

IA_Dawg

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Nice truck. Are you experiencing any rattle from
Wanted to share some of my initial reactions on the new truck as I've learned so much from all of you.

First, a little background on where I'm coming from. My last two trucks were a 2014 and a 2016 F150. Had a 2009 Ram and 2007 Sierra before that. I really don't ever tow anything or go off roading. 85% of my miles are highway and I live in WI so get all the winter weather. I've enjoyed all of the trucks I've had and think they were all nice so I'm not married to a single manufacturer.

I've got about 250 miles now on my Ram and about 70% of that is highway. I went yesterday and swapped out the stock tires for Nitto Terra Grappler G2's 305/45/R22's and tinted the front windows. I've noticed a little bit of vibration on the highway with the new tires but nothing horrible. Sure it will work itself out after some additional miles.

Ride / Noise - Ram is better than anything I've ever owned before. Amazed at how there was no outside noise at highway speeds! Absolutely no rattles in the cabin and everything is just solid. This was very similar to my 2014 F150.....2016 F150 not so much.

Engines - the Hemi isn't as fast but I like it much better. I would rate Hemi, then 5.0L V8 Ford, then 3.6L Ecoboost. Although the Ecoboost is fast I got crappy mileage and never experienced the benefits it brings to towing. Think the Hemi is the best compromise of power and economy for how most people actually drive.

Cabin - I'm at the Laramie level and know the Limited is a big step up....Came from a decked out Lariat and think the Laramie is a bit nicer. Limited blows the Lariat out of the water!

Dash/ Technology - Love the driver's information center and some of the small things Ram has. The customization is really nice and I love the layout. Didn't dislike the Ford but just find this one better for what I use it for. The center stack is way nicer in the Ram. Love the finishes, resolution and layout of the 8.4NAV. I also feel that the UConnect is a little more responsive than the Sync 3. I don't have the Advanced Technology Group and have no interest in those features anyways so I can't compare those.

Sound System - This is where I'm a little undecided....came from the upgraded Sony in the Ford and felt that was a very nice sound system. Clear, loud and a lot of bass. My first reactions on the H/K system have been a little more disappointing. I think the H/K system is super clear and sounds great. However, I don't feel like it packs the "kick in the teeth" punch that the Sony offered. I do like to listen to my music very loud so I think for the normal user the H/K would be perfect. Ironically I found on the H/K that Sirius/XM sounds way better than playing Pandora via bluetooth. Seems that is opposite of what most others have experienced. Don't get me wrong, the H/K system is nice but I guess I was just expecting a little more from a 900+ watt/ 19 speaker system.

Overall I love the truck and am so happy I made the switch. Will update with more information as I drive more. Maybe I'll work on my photography skills as well as the photos didn't turn out the best:)
Nice truck. Are you experiencing any bass rattle from the power sliding window?
 

rp781

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Nice truck. Are you experiencing any rattle from

Nice truck. Are you experiencing any bass rattle from the power sliding window?
Have not had any issues with rattling via bass or normal driving yet. Everything is pretty solid.
 

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