What to sacrifice when looking for a new truck

[gpbst3]

Im looking around to get a 2019 1500 and I cannot seem to find what I want. There are always a few options added or missing from my wish list. I have pretty much found the truck I want but it does not have the rambox. I go back and forth if I need something I never had before. I honestly think I would use the rambox more than the bed. Then I find another truck that has the rambox but does not have the LED headlights.

Then it comes down to pricing. With the rebates on the bighorn I can probably get one 5-6k cheaper than a laramie, but I would really like those ventilated seats.

Im getting a little wiser in my old age and start to think about how much extra im paying for options I do not want. There was a truck with a sunroof, tonneau cover and 12 inch screen. I think to my self that is 3k in options I absolutely do not want and would add 6 months of car payments (if averaged at $500).

Where do you draw the line for loosing or additional options?

 

[Edwards]

Another way to think about this is how much price are you willing to sacrifice to get what you want? If enough, then I'd recommend ordering exactly what you want. You're at the mercy of whatever incentives are being offered when you take delivery but you will always be driving what you wanted with no compromises.

 

[Phi_541]

I ran into the same issue and often found myself considering to purchase a truck with additional features that I didn't necessarily want - and ultimately bought a truck with a couple minor extra features. I recommend making a list of your "needs" and "wants". Make sure the truck has all your needs then prioritize the wants.

If you have a hard time finding the truck you want, ordering may be the best option... if you're willing to wait!

 

[Turin]

That's not a question anyone else can answer for you. We don't know how you'll use your truck or which things are important to you. Your "do not want" is someone else's "must have" and vice versa.

Start by working out the essentials. Will you be towing? If so, how much weight? That could drive you to needing the 3.92 gears or limit the packages you can add in order to keep enough payload capacity. A lightly optioned Big Horn can haul a lot more than a loaded up Limited.

Next, what are your "must have" items? I don't mean just options/packages — some things are only available in higher trims. For example, leather seats and keyless entry require at least a Laramie. Similarly, which options are just not worth it to you? Try to be honest with yourself on how important each package really is to you and keep in mind that some packages require others.

What's your budget? How price-sensitive are you? The best deals right now are on Big Horns.

How patient are you? The best way to get exactly what you want — no more, no less — is to order a truck built to your specifications. Orders are moving pretty quickly lately. (In general; some options can causing significant delays.)

 

[Jus Cruisin]

As Turin posted. Place an order. Easy.....

 

[JJRamTX]

As Turin posted. Place an order. Easy.....

Exactly what he said. Both of my previous Ram 1500's were custom ordered but I got lucky with this one that the only thing I didn't get was the rear ventilated seats (Figured I didn't have to have it cause I never sit in the back), and Ram box (Would have been nice but not a must have). Order one and you will be glad you did!

 

[gpbst3]

For those who order a truck, are dealers still giving discounts or is it primarily factory incentives only?

 

[SacRebel]

I sacrificed the upgraded speaker system, thinking upgrading the 6-speaker system would be a no-brainer to do later. Boy was I wrong! Too many threads to count on the inconsistencies with the wiring and interference with the noice cancelling system.

 

[PorBoy]

I actually didn’t t sacrifice but had to buy more then what was needed to get a darn powered passenger seat for my short wife.

 

[yellowboy]

If you are truly in "old age" get every safety feature available, even if it means a bigger payment. If you avoid 1 accident beaause of them it pays for all the options 20 time over ......

 

[Wakesnowb]

Here is a pretty good article from Consumer Reports on must have features and features to skip. Although I think some of the features to skip come in a package anyways to get the features that are must have, they get your $ one way or another... https://www.consumerreports.org/automotive-technology/must-have-features-to-get-in-next-new-car/

 

[ClancyO]

I’ve always thought you can get the best deal if you buy what they have (or can get from another dealer). If you order you’re at the mercy of the incentives and whatever the dealer discounts are. I ‘built’ the truck I wanted, and even with affinity pricing (1% under invoice), the truck was $2500 over the deal I got on the one I bought. What I bought came with 20” chrome clad wheels I didn’t want (but glad now I got), but didn’t come with led light package or trailer brake controller. The brake controller is gonna cost me ~$300, and the lights - I’m hoping the aftermarket steps up soon... I get the sense that a lot of folks are a little disappointed with the factory led’s anyway. So, knowing I saved a couple grand eases any regret I have for not getting EXACTLY what I thought I wanted... So, for what that’s worth.

(EDIT: My wishlist keeps expanding the longer I hang out here, but I’m good with doing those things in the future as I plan on driving this thing for 12-15 years....)

 

[JJRamTX]

I’ve always thought you can get the best deal if you buy what they have (or can get from another dealer). If you order you’re at the mercy of the incentives and whatever the dealer discounts are. I ‘built’ the truck I wanted, and even with affinity pricing (1% under invoice), the truck was $2500 over the deal I got on the one I bought. What I bought came with 20” chrome clad wheels I didn’t want (but glad now I got), but didn’t come with led light package or trailer brake controller. The brake controller is gonna cost me ~$300, and the lights - I’m hoping the aftermarket steps up soon... I get the sense that a lot of folks are a little disappointed with the factory led’s anyway. So, knowing I saved a couple grand eases any regret I have for not getting EXACTLY what I thought I wanted... So, for what that’s worth.

(EDIT: My wishlist keeps expanding the longer I hang out here, but I’m good with doing those things in the future as I plan on driving this thing for 12-15 years....)

I for one will say I am very impressed with the Factory LED adaptive headlights, the LED Fog lights are pretty decent also. The one that most will agree with to avoid in ordering is the trailer tow mirrors and there has been some debate on whether the Bed Utility Group, or the Skid plate protection group is worth it. I put two of the 3 skid plates on myself for a third of the price and they were super easy.
I kept my 2007 for 12 years and plan on having this truck a little bit longer than that.

 

[ClancyO]

You have the limited/adaptive- I suspect they are better than the non-adaptive leds available on the Bighorn/Laramie. I’ve just seen (and read complaints) that the ‘accent’ bars don’t function as drl’s like they do on the ford/chevy/gmc trucks..

 

[dn325ci]

For those who order a truck, are dealers still giving discounts or is it primarily factory incentives only?

Yes. I ordered, and you still get discounts. You can negotiate the dealer discount up front. In my case this was $9,000 even on a 62,230 Laramie Sport. Then there are some rebates that are price protected, meaning you still get them when it arrives. In my case this was 2,750. Then there are currently running rebates when it arrives. In my case this was another 1,500. The only part of the equation that wasn't completely known up front at the time of ordering was the third part. Frankly, this was not a hard deal to get. I like having all the options I wanted and none of the options I didn't want. I definitely did not want to pay for e-torque or air suspension or something else I didn't want, which is often what happens when trying to find what you want in dealer stock.

 

[MTRHEAD]

I could not find exactly what i wanted so i ordered. I say, don't have buyers remorse. Research, find exactly what you want and if you can afford it, get it so you don't "wish i would of" later.
'

 

[dutchman187]

For those who order a truck, are dealers still giving discounts or is it primarily factory incentives only?

Definitely can still get discounts. I am very happy I ordered on this one and got all the options I wanted and nothing I didn't. I ended up getting 10,600 off msrp overall last August. I was happy with that considering I didn't have to sacrifice a single feature to get there.

One small comment on the options you listed. Ramboxes have been fantastic to have in my opinion. While I love the ventilated seats, I have been surprised at how much of a PITA it is when dirt gets in the little holes. I don't eat in my truck either and somehow crap still finds a way into those ventilated holes. It wouldn't stop me from getting them again, but be aware.

 

[orlando bull]

I have a 3500 on order and the wait is killing me, but, dealers will negotiate. The problem I have often had is that I don't want to compromise. When I bought my current truck, there were literally 3 that fit what I wanted within a 300 mile radius. I don't mind traveling, but, I thought I had a deal on one of those 3 and the dealer wanted to play games after I spent a day with my family getting there (after explicitly telling him that it would tick me off if he did this). I left there angry and bought one of the other 2 that evening. It was the least desirable to me because there was one option it was missing, but, not a deal killer.

So, with this order, I have honestly been able to do everything over email right up until the end. I got prices from high volume dealers (which I honestly was willing to travel to), leveraged those with more local dealers (about an hour away), then, went in to my most local dealer with the best deal I had elsewhere and told them they had to beat it or I would go with the dealer an hour away. I actually found it almost easier to negotiate when I wasn't working against myself knowing that I only had 3 options to get the truck I wanted. I'm sure there will be better deals once the HDs are on the lots and dealers are trying to move them, but, I ended up a little over 2% under invoice and with good trade value, so, I am happy with the deal I am doing. And, I am getting exactly the truck I want.

As an aside, the wait for the order also has given me a chance to secure better financing than I could have gotten through the dealer. I asked the dealer if they could match it with one of their partners and they replied that it's a fantastic rate that they can't get close to.

 

[jdmartin]

Im looking around to get a 2019 1500 and I cannot seem to find what I want. There are always a few options added or missing from my wish list. I have pretty much found the truck I want but it does not have the rambox. I go back and forth if I need something I never had before. I honestly think I would use the rambox more than the bed. Then I find another truck that has the rambox but does not have the LED headlights.

Then it comes down to pricing. With the rebates on the bighorn I can probably get one 5-6k cheaper than a laramie, but I would really like those ventilated seats.

Im getting a little wiser in my old age and start to think about how much extra im paying for options I do not want. There was a truck with a sunroof, tonneau cover and 12 inch screen. I think to my self that is 3k in options I absolutely do not want and would add 6 months of car payments (if averaged at $500).

Where do you draw the line for loosing or additional options?

I passed on a truck that I liked the color (Delmonico Red) because I also did not want a giant sunroof or 22" chrome bling wheels. I'm pretty happy with what I ended up with. No one can answer the question "what options should I get?" for you. But here's what I would say:

- If you trade vehicles every few years, you'll probably never know the difference on the options you passed on. In that case I'd save my mone.
- If you buy a new vehicle every 10-15 years, you might as well get everything you think you want because you'll never notice the difference on the couple thousand more you pay.

So I had my last truck 10 years. I never "missed" any options I didn't have, because it was pretty well optioned anyway (for the year it was). Now that I have this Ram there are a few options I really like - the automatic parking brake is my favorite, because I live in the mountains and have to use it but often forget I have it on with automatic vehicles and burn it up - and a few options that are there and wouldn't bother me one way or the other if I had/didn't have them (beeping parking thing, heated steering wheel) - and a few options I'd change if I could redesign them (rather have knobs and buttons for heating than screen + knobs). I try to stay away from options that are bound to be trouble just on the basis of what they are (sunroofs, which are big holes in the roof that you then need to seal and drain, for example) or things that are needlessly complex (i.e. the aforementioned climate control screen system). But some of that just comes with the territory - eventually all the cars are going to have climate control screens, so there's no point in fighting it unless you want to drive old vehicles.

 

[19Jake]

sacrifice only applicable to GM/Ford