F150 to RAM

[Hutch70]

Did any of you guys go from the F150 to the 5th Gen RAM limited? If so what's your verdict? Asking for a friend.

 

[firecadet613]

Many of us have. I haven't looked back! Plenty of posts on this subject.

 

[Kaydee]

I had driven fords for 25 years but in 2015 i took out the new aluminum ford Lariat and the 15 Ram Longhorn and my wife and I said there was no comparison. The ram was way more refined in the ride, the quietness, the interior detail,the infotainment system, so we bought our first ever chrysler RAM....here we are in 2018 and just took delivery of a new 2019 1500 Longhorn and am blown away even more by the ride ,the quiet, the infotainment 12 inch,the looks and the interior is as nice as any vehicle I've been in...

 

[Agitated]

I did. I also chose the 19 Ram over another F150 for all the reasons above, plus others. And I'm a Ford guy, had Ford's my whole life. So for me, the fact that I chose the Ram over the Ford this time is a testament as to just how far Ram has come. I'll tell you this also, the Ram 5.7 doesn't have the power the Ford has (in both the 5.0 and EB engines) and I can feel it. I also don't care because I"m older and that isn't number one on my list anymore. The Ram has wider mirrors which are great when towing my camper. I didn't feel the need to have the extendable tow mirrors like I did with the F150. The interior and exterior are nice looking and a breath of fresh air for me. The rear of the cab has more room than the F150 so my family appreciates it. The transmission is awesome and the exhaust note is perfect. The LED lighting looks really nice too. So far I couldn't be happier. Now let's hope I don't regret my decision down the road. I'd praise it more if Mopar would get some of those accessories available lol!

 

[Kramersp]

I am trying to. The interior, ride, 12" infotainment, air suspension and rambox sold me. Time will tell. I'm not brand loyal to anyone and I see great engineering in every brand. If I dont get my Ram sometime soon, I'll go with F150. The positives for the F150 are aluminum construction (good for snowy climates) and a superior drivetrain. I have heard issues with Ram especially the 5th Gen. Makes me nervous but I really like the truck. FCA quality reputation is a bit shaky but for my needs they make the best product.

 

[Agitated]

There are issues with every brand of truck. Go to the F150 forums and you'll read the same. I learned a while back not to let forums factor much in to a decision. I'm fairly sure that only a small percentage of the 5th Gens have any issues, just like every other brand.

 

[Kramersp]

There are issues with every brand of truck. Go to the F150 forums and you'll read the same. I learned a while back not to let forums factor much in to a decision. I'm fairly sure that only a small percentage of the 5th Gens have any issues, just like every other brand.

I research lots of sources including consumer reports, forums, online reviews, different rating sites, ect. And sorry, but FCA as far as my research has told me, is near the bottom in quality. That's not to say there are plenty of people out there with a Ram with 200k on the odometer with no issues. Heck, 3 of my friends have 4th gen 1500s with Hemis and none of them have ever had an issue (fading plastic on rambox but that's it). My uncle has a 4th gen that has served him well too. So I'm taking a leap because the 5th gen was just so good inside and the ride and storage. None of the big 3 are up to par with Toyota as far as quality though. And yes, there are people out there that had a issue with a Toyota, just not that many.

 

[Ramloco]

I lemoned my 14 and 16 RAM Limited. My 14 has so many repairs under 20K miles. I had 2 full file folders of repairs and my 16 had new tranny, drive shaft, t-case, metal shaving in the diff and more with under 20K miles. Don't be fooled by the 12 in screen, your gonna need extended warranty. My wife called the truck Medusa. Fooled by the beauty then the stone cold face when you been had, twice! Not to mention my wife's Grand Cherokee dropped the drive shaft while driving and a leaking radiator left us stranded in Colorado on vacation. Never FCA again. Hope you have better luck than us.

 

[sticker500]

I also have been driving Ford's for over 25 years, and just recently had a 2018 F-150 Platinum 5.0 FX4. I went to RAM because the 5.0 to me was lagging, and 10 speed transmission mated to the 5.0 along with 3:73 gears just felt worked. I love the interior and comfort of the RAM but right now the way RAM has handled a verified issue has me questioning my decision to move to RAM.

 

[riccnick]

As a Tundra owner with 145k on a 2010, that I use heavily, I will say that making a vehicle go 200k and gettting to 200k without any issues are two VERY different things.

My Toyota hasn't been perfect, but, I haven't paid a single dime for anything that wasn't maintenance related (brakes, oil changes, normal wear stuff, etc), due to Toyota's EXCELLENT customer service and warranty coverage. It doesn't sound like Ram meets the same standards. I'm shopping for a 2019 1500 so I can't say for sure (yet).

From what I read on here, getting most CJDR dealers to even diagnose something under warranty is a struggle. Never mind getting it fixed properly and covered by warranty.

Sure, every make has their issues, but numbers wise, it's a whole lot more likely to have an issue with almost ANY other brand apart from a Toyota or Lexus vehicle. That's just the stats. Ram has come a LONG way recently though, and that's the only reason I'm even considering one. They may have hit a good point where the balance of features and tech vs reliability has hit the sweet spot for guys like me who use their trucks a lot.

Oh, and the frame rust thing is very overplayed, and has not even been a part of any current gen Tundra, or the last gen either... It's for the 2000-2006 generation only, not even close to an issue on the newer ones. I've seen current (4th) gen Rams with rust over the wheel wells though...

 

[Jared B]

Toyota quality isn't what it used to be, they're no better or worse than the other mainstream brands anymore. The new Tacoma was full of issues when it first came out, and I've heard a lot about issues with their other vehicles as well. Most Toyota owners just don't think anything of it, they will keep taking the car into the shop and still believe it's more reliable than anything else. Toyotas customer service though, is very good. This likely helps the perception.

Every Toyota I've been in has also felt incredibly cheap (to me anyways).

 

[Ramloco]

And yet here you are reading a Ram Truck forum still...

Ye, is it against the law?

 

[Rustydodge]

I research lots of sources including consumer reports, forums, online reviews, different rating sites, ect. And sorry, but FCA as far as my research has told me, is near the bottom in quality. That's not to say there are plenty of people out there with a Ram with 200k on the odometer with no issues. Heck, 3 of my friends have 4th gen 1500s with Hemis and none of them have ever had an issue (fading plastic on rambox but that's it). My uncle has a 4th gen that has served him well too. So I'm taking a leap because the 5th gen was just so good inside and the ride and storage. None of the big 3 are up to par with Toyota as far as quality though. And yes, there are people out there that had a issue with a Toyota, just not that many.

Not disagreeing really with you Kramer, it is great to do research, but also have to understand how that research is done, the response rates, who is actually doing the responding and why, etc. Also, not all FCA brands are equal. Some of Rams challenge could be argued has as much or more about complaints with poor dealer service experiences than anything else. What also impacts this stuff is recommended vs required maintenance schedules and what is or is not included in dealer scheduled maintenance when comparing product quality or reliability. One way to tell when things are off too is if one manufacture has multiple brands that get a significantly different rating (example, Chevy vs GMC) for products that run down the same assembly line and use vastly same components.

Not saying Ram is the best or trying to make excuses but really it is not statistically different IMO from Ford F-series or GM trucks by any vast margin. Consumer reports and JD Power analyses leave much to be desired IMO statistically, and both their response pools are quite small. Not that they can't be usefull in some ways.

 

[John813]

I made the switch.

Taking a break from the offroad world as the Bronco/TRX/Ranger Raptor etc come.

Wanted a truck with a good range for road trips and more interior space. I quickly regretted going to a Supercab for my last truck and having a kid made that space tight and a PITA.

The 19 Ram with the increased room inside for the Crewcab was a huge bonus. Add in the interior and price point, I was comfortable making the switch. Same ole 5.7L that Ram has had for a while made me feel good about the powertrain portion too.

No vehicle is going to be perfect, just got to hope if any issue occurs it's in the first 3 years/36k miles.

I avoided air suspension, as every vehicle my family had with air failed, multiple times, and I wanted the 5.7L with the alternator as a jic while the 19's were the first year with the E-torque.
Tech wise I went simple too. Just wanted BLIS(wife) and a backup camera. Rest of the stuff I don't need.

 

[Kramersp]

Toyota quality isn't what it used to be, they're no better or worse than the other mainstream brands anymore. The new Tacoma was full of issues when it first came out, and I've heard a lot about issues with their other vehicles as well. Most Toyota owners just don't think anything of it, they will keep taking the car into the shop and still believe it's more reliable than anything else. Toyotas customer service though, is very good. This likely helps the perception.

Every Toyota I've been in has also felt incredibly cheap (to me anyways).

Sorry Jared that just isnt correct. Toyota isnt first in technology or power or even fuel mileage, but they do make the top quality automobile. Obviously some are better than others, but a 10 year old Lexus LS on average will have less problems than a brand new MB E Class. They are just solid. And yes, customer service is top notch. I lived in Japan for a couple years and I would almost attribute that to their culture. Quality and reputation is also held quite high. I think if they want to introduce a new technology, it will be tested to the point of almost being counter productive before it hits the market. I do think if FCA drastically improved customer service they would sell even more. Go on youtube or google it. That's like a huge complaint with FCA across the board.

 

[Craftman]

I had my 2016 Tacoma for 2 years 8 months, - Had two recalls done - plus regular service. Maintenance cost was 0.

The problem with the Taco was it was very underpowered. I like something to happen when you step on the gas, Taco ride, and seat comfort was also subpar.

Only time will tell if the Ram will be reliable - but in the meantime, I am enjoying my new ride, comfort, power, and new car grin.

 

[Lakewake]

Sorry Jared that just isnt correct. Toyota isnt first in technology or power or even fuel mileage, but they do make the top quality automobile. Obviously some are better than others, but a 10 year old Lexus LS on average will have less problems than a brand new MB E Class. They are just solid. And yes, customer service is top notch. I lived in Japan for a couple years and I would almost attribute that to their culture. Quality and reputation is also held quite high. I think if they want to introduce a new technology, it will be tested to the point of almost being counter productive before it hits the market. I do think if FCA drastically improved customer service they would sell even more. Go on youtube or google it. That's like a huge complaint with FCA across the board.

My wife had a 4th gen Cressida back in the 90's, great car. Her 2012 4 Runner was not the same quality, at least not the one she had. We traded it after 1 1/2 years.
It spent more time in maintenance than any other vehicle we have owned. Maybe we just had a lemon.
I agree that FCA CS needs to catch up, maybe a casualty of a Company that had some serious debt to fight off.

 

[Jared B]

Sorry Jared that just isnt correct. Toyota isnt first in technology or power or even fuel mileage, but they do make the top quality automobile. Obviously some are better than others, but a 10 year old Lexus LS on average will have less problems than a brand new MB E Class. They are just solid. And yes, customer service is top notch. I lived in Japan for a couple years and I would almost attribute that to their culture. Quality and reputation is also held quite high. I think if they want to introduce a new technology, it will be tested to the point of almost being counter productive before it hits the market. I do think if FCA drastically improved customer service they would sell even more. Go on youtube or google it. That's like a huge complaint with FCA across the board.

https://www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/Tacoma/2016/

The 2016 Tacoma even gets itself Clunker status on carcomplaints.com, compared to the 2016 Ram:

https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ram/1500/2016/

Not fully scientific but supports my points. I am well aware of the quality reputation that FCA has and the way they deal with complaints goes hand in hand with that. That said most publications don't seperate problems by something major vs something minor. Ford was at the top of the quality chain for awhile, after myford touch came out with its issues and people not knowing how to use it properly their quality ratings tanked. Thats over an infotainment system, not actual quality or reliability statistics.

I agree 100% that the Lexus LS has a legendary reputation for reliability that was well earned. I'm talking about within the last 6-10 years that Toyota has lost their way.

 

[Kramersp]

True, myfordtouch was a nightmare. Sync 3 is pretty good and user friendly. None of them look as good a uconnect. Uconnect is the top rated infotainment system I believe. And for good reason.

 

[Jared B]

True, myfordtouch was a nightmare. Sync 3 is pretty good and user friendly. None of them look as good a uconnect. Uconnect is the top rated infotainment system I believe. And for good reason.

Funnily enough my new daily has MyFordTouch and I actually like it. Not as much as UConnect but I don't really have any issues with it. Sync 3 is good as you said as well but still not as good as UConnect.