I had a 2016 Ram Outdoorsman with the V6 that I traded for a 2018 Ford XLT with the 2.7. My Ram was a quad cab and when I was shopping for a new truck Ford had the largest crew cab available (two growing boys made the change necessary) and I also had a company car that made owning a truck easier. I leased the F150 because I had heard horror stories about the ecoboosts and didn't want to be stuck in anything long term. I will never do that again regardless of the situation but that's a whole different story...
Fast forward 3 years and Ram's new interiors seem to be beyond even the updated F150. GM's are lagging way behind in my opinion, although that could be changing soon. After test driving both a new F150 and a new Ram it was a pretty easy decision as to which to go with. My situation changed slightly though in that I will no longer have a company car and will be putting close to 35,000 miles on per year. This is where the decision became harder. I don't 'need' a truck for work or to tow, but one becomes used to having something as useful as a full sized truck.
Looking at powertrains, I think this is where choosing a Ram becomes harder for someone like myself. Having owned the Pentastar in the past I was comfortable with that engine but was looking for better fuel mileage (I only got about 18 mpg with my older Ram) and the Hemi seems incredibly thirsty. That left me looking at EcoDiesels to see if that was really a cost effective alternative. After doing a ton of research (too much per my wife), I decided I would give the diesel a try for my new truck. I was able to locate one on my preferred dealer lot that was spec'd close to how I would have built one and took it for a test drive. I also took my current truck on the same loop to see what kind of differences I would see.
First, the Rams interior is just that much nicer. It's only a Big Horn, so no luxury truck, but the interior finishes are just better. I didn't have all the problems a lot of people did with the F150 with the extremely warped dash or frozen door locks (I do live in Central Wisconsin so it could have been an issue) but the interior is just not as nice. Hard plastic everywhere and just not quite as nice as the Ram. On the test drive loop with both trucks, the Ram rode so much smoother than the Ford as well. I think two things contribute to the ride quality, one being the difference in suspension set ups but the other being with the Ford being so much lighter. It just doesn't feel as 'planted' going over bumps. Again, I live in Central Wisconsin and are roads take a beating during winters so rough roads are just a thing we have to deal with.
I also got quite a bit better gas mileage with the Ram, which I was expecting. 28 mpg with the Ram compared to 20 with my F150. Just made the decision a little easier. Plus all the extras that I will be getting on the new Ram compared to my current truck. Power folding mirrors, heated steering wheel, the safety package, LED headlights, Rambox, dampened tailgate (also much lighter than my current truck) are just a few of the things that are included on the truck I will be buying that I don't have on my F150. And only about $1000 more on the MSRP compared to my 3 year old F150 (which I'm sure Ford's pricing has gone up since then).
Dealer is throwing in spray-in bedliner and tonneau cover so the truck should be ready next week Tuesday or Wednesday but I'm excited to be back in a Ram. A little unsure of the EcoDiesel (only because it will be my first diesel vehicle) but I'm really looking forward to this new truck.
Sorry for the long post.
Fast forward 3 years and Ram's new interiors seem to be beyond even the updated F150. GM's are lagging way behind in my opinion, although that could be changing soon. After test driving both a new F150 and a new Ram it was a pretty easy decision as to which to go with. My situation changed slightly though in that I will no longer have a company car and will be putting close to 35,000 miles on per year. This is where the decision became harder. I don't 'need' a truck for work or to tow, but one becomes used to having something as useful as a full sized truck.
Looking at powertrains, I think this is where choosing a Ram becomes harder for someone like myself. Having owned the Pentastar in the past I was comfortable with that engine but was looking for better fuel mileage (I only got about 18 mpg with my older Ram) and the Hemi seems incredibly thirsty. That left me looking at EcoDiesels to see if that was really a cost effective alternative. After doing a ton of research (too much per my wife), I decided I would give the diesel a try for my new truck. I was able to locate one on my preferred dealer lot that was spec'd close to how I would have built one and took it for a test drive. I also took my current truck on the same loop to see what kind of differences I would see.
First, the Rams interior is just that much nicer. It's only a Big Horn, so no luxury truck, but the interior finishes are just better. I didn't have all the problems a lot of people did with the F150 with the extremely warped dash or frozen door locks (I do live in Central Wisconsin so it could have been an issue) but the interior is just not as nice. Hard plastic everywhere and just not quite as nice as the Ram. On the test drive loop with both trucks, the Ram rode so much smoother than the Ford as well. I think two things contribute to the ride quality, one being the difference in suspension set ups but the other being with the Ford being so much lighter. It just doesn't feel as 'planted' going over bumps. Again, I live in Central Wisconsin and are roads take a beating during winters so rough roads are just a thing we have to deal with.
I also got quite a bit better gas mileage with the Ram, which I was expecting. 28 mpg with the Ram compared to 20 with my F150. Just made the decision a little easier. Plus all the extras that I will be getting on the new Ram compared to my current truck. Power folding mirrors, heated steering wheel, the safety package, LED headlights, Rambox, dampened tailgate (also much lighter than my current truck) are just a few of the things that are included on the truck I will be buying that I don't have on my F150. And only about $1000 more on the MSRP compared to my 3 year old F150 (which I'm sure Ford's pricing has gone up since then).
Dealer is throwing in spray-in bedliner and tonneau cover so the truck should be ready next week Tuesday or Wednesday but I'm excited to be back in a Ram. A little unsure of the EcoDiesel (only because it will be my first diesel vehicle) but I'm really looking forward to this new truck.
Sorry for the long post.
