I recommend the Laramie over the Big Horn. With the Laramie you'll get proximity entry, heated/cooled seats, LED lights, reclining back seat, Alpine stereo, and a couple other little things that you either can't get in a Big Horn or will pay a high price to get them. I see a lot of Big Horns that cost more than Laramie's without some of the package features that you get in a Laramie....that is why I bought a Laramie.
- The bigger 33 gallon gas tank would be nice; it wasn't on my list of "must haves" but it would be great for when I'm towing long distance.
- Axle ratio is a personal preference thing really; but go 3.92 if you intend to get big tires in the future.
- Anti-slip (or limited slip) is a must in my opinion; it will keep you from spinning tires on those wet Virginia Beach roads when you are accelerating from a stop or accelerating around a corner.
- Don't get the tow package unless you like those HUGE mirrors that you see on RAMS. You can get the brake controller separately (if you even need it). It can be added later at a relatively low cost.
- Rear Wheelhouse liners are worth the little bit of extra money they cost.
- The MOPAR slush (all weather) mats are built really well and have a nice fit.
- I have the 8.4 Radio no-nav and I like it. However, with the no-nav 8.4 you do not get HD radio and you cannot change the color/pattern of your displays. Plus you won't have Nav.
- The Bed Utility Group with the Spray In Liner and Pick-up Box lighting is a nice thing to have. You can add this stuff later as well; but its nice to get your truck with it already.
- When I bought my truck, the 20 x 9 premium wheels were $1295. They were already on the truck I wanted; but not worth it in my opinion. You can buy a set of those on here for $500 to $600 if you really like them. I would have preferred standard wheels personally. If I didn't pay $1295 for those premium wheels I would have already bought the aftermarket Fuel wheels that I really want.
- E-torque doesn't save that much in fuel. Some people love it; others hate it. I'm not a big fan of the start/stop or the regenerative braking; so it was a no for me. Others here will tell you how great theirs is.
- I have the leather trimmed bucket seats with the console. They are nice, but I would have preferred the bench seat. Nothing wrong with the buckets really; I just like the old school look and feel of the bench style.
Its a big price to pay for a 20 year old. But a few thousand dollars to get a few more useful options will pay off in the long run. I bought a new truck when I was 20 and opted for a V6 to save a few dollars; a year later I was kicking myself for not buying the V8.