Decisions, decisions...

[Chief holley]

Help me please. Has anyone traded in their luxury car for a Ram? I currently have a Tesla Model S and I am trying to decide if I want to go with a Laramie sport or a used S Class. I know, helluva choice! I don’t tow anything and the bed would be really for oversized kid toys. They both have almost the same cabin size (truck bigger), same gas mileage, but truck offers a little more versatility and the S Class offers style. I had a 2006 Ram and loved it, this would be the first Merc for me and the Tesla is not convenient for me anymore, size and range wise. What made you change and why?

 

[VaderRebel]

Um, a loaded Laramie is the exact same thing as a S Class Merc... except the ground clearance, 4WD, 395hp, payload, towing, warranty... any more reasons needed?

 

[Chief holley]

Great point, I think at some point, it’s really just a name. If (and when) the Benz breaks, I don’t want to deal with the overly priced repairs. That definitely makes me afraid, but I have been up here for a little just reading, and the brand new truck had been experiencing some going pains.

 

[moosem]

I think your mind is already made up or you wouldn’t be here. Nobody on this forum is gonna tell you to get the Benzo.

 

[jloops]

Unless you're talking about an AMG S 65, it's RAM all day long. And for the price of one of those you could buy 4 RAMs.

 

[Chief holley]

Yeah Moosem, I think it is. It’s seems like it will be the truck. I wanted to get others perspective who have transitioned from a luxury car, preferably a big one to the Ram. I know the Ram offers just about as much as a S550 (that’s what I’m looking at to be exact), I wanted to find out what others have went through in their thought process switching over.

 

[Chief holley]

Jloops, I wish I was on that level, this would be a totally different conversation!

 

[jdmartin]

My experience in life: if you need a truck, you get a truck. Otherwise you're moving around a whole lot of vehicle for not a lot of purpose. The Ram can kind of be a luxury vehicle with a bed - it certainly drives nicer than anything else I've ever owned before - but if you only need to stick a few kid toys in the bed it seems something of a waste to me. Why are you looking to get out of the Tesla anyway?

 

[Patsy1099]

Get both

 

[jloops]

Jloops, I wish I was on that level, this would be a totally different conversation!

Yeah, there's nothing like going 0-60 in 4 seconds with 3 passengers while everyone is getting a heated massage.

 

[Chief holley]

My experience in life: if you need a truck, you get a truck. Otherwise you're moving around a whole lot of vehicle for not a lot of purpose. The Ram can kind of be a luxury vehicle with a bed - it certainly drives nicer than anything else I've ever owned before - but if you only need to stick a few kid toys in the bed it seems something of a waste to me. Why are you looking to get out of the Tesla anyway?

I’m getting rid of the Tesla because of the convenience factor really. We now live in an area that a little further from things. My Tesla, P85+, doesn’t have enough range. Although it has only left me high and dry a few times, it is still a cause for concern. Charge time has got in the way of a few things, you have to be great at planning your mileage and there are a lot of other factors that come into play, speed, weather, etc. it also has left me stranded in the snow a few times. It is rear wheel drive and I got struck the last time trying to pick my pregnant wife up from the hospital. That was the straw. Plus, I got the itch.

 

[SpeedyV]

Yeah Moosem, I think it is. It’s seems like it will be the truck. I wanted to get others perspective who have transitioned from a luxury car, preferably a big one to the Ram. I know the Ram offers just about as much as a S550 (that’s what I’m looking at to be exact), I wanted to find out what others have went through in their thought process switching over.

I’ve made the move from a sports car to a truck in the past, and I found it to be a healthy transition back when I had a commute.

With a fast car, I tended to drive more aggressively; first of all, it was easy to drive fast, and second, I was actually more comfortable passing others than being passed due to limited visibility. But this also makes every commute (potentially) a little more stressful.

Driving a truck, visibility and ride quality are excellent, while performance is “sufficient”, so there’s far less temptation to play Frogger. I don’t really commute anymore, but setting the adaptive cruise and hanging out with the easy drivers makes for a pleasant experience.

Finally, there’s the space and utility considerations. The truck simply has more of both. These Limited and Longhorns, in particular, are luxury cars with open beds. Once you’ve had a truck and encountered situations where you needed it - even if infrequent - you tend to want to keep a truck in the family.

 

[jdmartin]

I’m getting rid of the Tesla because of the convenience factor really. We now live in an area that a little further from things. My Tesla, P85+, doesn’t have enough range. Although it has only left me high and dry a few times, it is still a cause for concern. Charge time has got in the way of a few things, you have to be great at planning your mileage and there are a lot of other factors that come into play, speed, weather, etc. it also has left me stranded in the snow a few times. It is rear wheel drive and I got struck the last time trying to pick my pregnant wife up from the hospital. That was the straw. Plus, I got the itch.

All good reasons. It sound like you could definitely find a truck useful. Depending on where you are there's a good likelihood it will hold its value better than the alternatives you mentioned. So if you get tired of it in a few years you can likely get a good part of your money back.

 

[392DCGC]

I traded my 2017 Model S for a Limited. This truck doesn't have the cool factor, and I miss the EV driving experience, but in terms of features (except Autopilot), practicality, ride and noise quality, and materials... the truck steals the show. Filling up and seeing 600+ miles of range is also awesome. I haven't owned a Benz, but I'd bet these high end trucks are basically a Benz in truck form. Sure, the S class is luxury whereas these trucks really aren't (I'd say they're just very premium with excellent ride quality, what you'd expect from a lower model Benz). But the truck is cheaper than a high end Benz or Tesla, and my dollar feels like it went MUCH further on this truck than my Tesla that cost nearly 2x as much...

I just got a Model 3 a few days ago, thinking I'd save on gas, and enjoy the truck and Tesla experience at the same time. But the 3 is no Model S, and certainly not my truck - terrible ride and noise levels, and an interior so spartan that it seems cheap. I almost dislike driving the Model 3 because the ride and noise is so bad compared to the truck. It is more fun to drive though given the size/weight and EV drivetrain. I also love Autopilot and the infotainment, but I still don't think that make it worth $55K... so I'll probably return it and stick with the truck. Hopefully Rivian or Tesla can come out with an electric truck soon that isn't terrible, but my guess is they'll still have a lot of catching up to do in the "building a solid vehicle" department.

 

[Chief holley]

Get both

I wish! lol

 

[Chief holley]

I traded my 2017 Model S for a Limited. This truck doesn't have the cool factor, and I miss the EV driving experience, but in terms of features (except Autopilot), practicality, ride and noise quality, and materials... the truck steals the show. Filling up and seeing 600+ miles of range is also awesome. I haven't owned a Benz, but I'd bet these high end trucks are basically a Benz in truck form. Sure, the S class is luxury whereas these trucks really aren't (I'd say they're just very premium with excellent ride quality, what you'd expect from a lower model Benz). But the truck is cheaper than a high end Benz or Tesla, and my dollar feels like it went MUCH further on this truck than my Tesla that cost nearly 2x as much...

I just got a Model 3 a few days ago, thinking I'd save on gas, and enjoy the truck and Tesla experience at the same time. But the 3 is no Model S, and certainly not my truck - terrible ride and noise levels, and an interior so spartan that it seems cheap. I almost dislike driving the Model 3 because the ride and noise is so bad compared to the truck. It is more fun to drive though given the size/weight and EV drivetrain. I also love Autopilot and the infotainment, but I still don't think that make it worth $55K... so I'll probably return it and stick with the truck. Hopefully Rivian or Tesla can come out with an electric truck soon that isn't terrible, but my guess is they'll still have a lot of catching up to do in the "building a solid vehicle" department.

I'm glad to hear from a fellow EVer! I thought I may be the only one getting rid of a Tesla for a truck! Its too plain for me really. I think it is a great car, just not for me anymore. I like to tune and add things to a vehicle, personalize it to my taste. Unfortunately, you really cant do that, it is also one of the things stopping from going with the S550. In fairness, you can do things to it, but a $2,500 tune or a $5K body kit seems a bit much for me.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Great point, I think at some point, it’s really just a name. If (and when) the Benz breaks, I don’t want to deal with the overly priced repairs. That definitely makes me afraid, but I have been up here for a little just reading, and the brand new truck had been experiencing some going pains.

maybe the RAM has some issues yet compared to the service costs for the German makes, well, I'd take the chance on RAM. Look at the Limiteds, they compare quite favorably with any 3 pointed star offering. Especially now with 17K off MSRP, at my dealer in NC anyway. Does Mercedes discount MSRP by 25%?

 

[Chief holley]

All good reasons. It sound like you could definitely find a truck useful. Depending on where you are there's a good likelihood it will hold its value better than the alternatives you mentioned. So if you get tired of it in a few years you can likely get a good part of your money back.

I am definitely not in an extreme place, I live in NC. We don't get much snow here, but when it does, the state does not have the proper equipment to treat the roads so they are quite impassable. Originally, I was looking at getting a F-150, they do not go down in value at all. I live close to Fort Bragg so soldiers are always buying trucks which keeps them pretty in demand. That was a great point, thank you!

 

[Steveu]

Help me please. Has anyone traded in their luxury car for a Ram? I currently have a Tesla Model S and I am trying to decide if I want to go with a Laramie sport or a used S Class. I know, helluva choice! I don’t tow anything and the bed would be really for oversized kid toys. They both have almost the same cabin size (truck bigger), same gas mileage, but truck offers a little more versatility and the S Class offers style. I had a 2006 Ram and loved it, this would be the first Merc for me and the Tesla is not convenient for me anymore, size and range wise. What made you change and why?

Ive had several luxury cars and currently my second raptor in on a new loaded longhorn which I should have next week.

 

[Willwork4truck]

I am definitely not in an extreme place, I live in NC. We don't get much snow here, but when it does, the state does not have the proper equipment to treat the roads so they are quite impassable. Originally, I was looking at getting a F-150, they do not go down in value at all. I live close to Fort Bragg so soldiers are always buying trucks which keeps them pretty in demand. That was a great point, thank you!

So drive 3 hrs north to KernersvilleRAM, or get a copy of their website ad and go down to your local dealer, is it Nichols? Anyway tell them to match it!