Truck Owners Opinions Wanted--Ram 1500 vs F-150

[Mynock]

So I'm upgrading my wheels with a new (to me) truck and got it narrowed down to two choices, a 2018 Ford F-150 and a 2018 Ram 1500.

Both are V8 (5.0L Coyote vs 5.7 Hemi). The F-150 comes with a 10 speed auto; The Ram has an 8 speed. The Ford has an extended cab; The Ram has a full four door crew cab. Both have about the same size bed around 6 1/2 feet.

Both are being sold by the same dealer, both are in similar excellent condition.

Here's the conundrum: The Ram only has 44k, it's a higher trim level and has the bigger cab. The Ford is a base level trim, like one step above a fleet vehicle, and has 68k miles.
The Ram is a thousand dollars cheaper......?!

Thoughts? Opinions? I know that Ford generally speaking makes better quality vehicle, and I'm leaning that way, but is it really so much better that it's worth 24 thousand extra miles of wear and tear?

[timothy]

Work truck is 2015 ford 152xxx miles, personal truck is 2001ram 171xxx miles. I could write a poly paragraphical comparison; my final thought is which truck do you feel most comfortable sitting in the seat / what are you planning to do with it?

Ford water pump real easy to replace

Dodge transmission designed for easier repair (component replacement)

Ford engine disposable

Dodge engine eats harsh conditions very well (my dodge has 360 5.9L)

The list goes on..

Go online and search for recalls and TSB’s technical service bulletins on each.

T..

[Duncan Edwards]

It's not a contest in my book. Just based on personal experience I'd buy the F-150 and not even think about it. I drive them until the wheels fall off. Based on my most recent experience I'd dump both and get a Toyota Tundra but it will cost you even more. Given the price of gas, which is unlikely to decline much for a while, I'd get a Toyota Tacoma. Which I did.

[Mynock]

It's not a contest in my book. Just based on personal experience I'd buy the F-150 and not even think about it.

That was my gut instinct too. The Ram has a lot of nice interior upgrades like power heated seats and such but the F-150 has a lot of more practical stuff. Factory spray-on bedliner, 3.73 axles with locking rear diff, block heater, rust proof aluminum body panels, etc. It don't look like much but that can be fixed on the aftermarket. The only thing it's really missing is a good stereo, the sound quality from those low budget factory speakers just won't do.

[Duncan Edwards]

It's not a contest in my book. Just based on personal experience I'd buy the F-150 and not even think about it.

That was my gut instinct too. The Ram has a lot of nice interior upgrades like power heated seats and such but the F-150 has a lot of more practical stuff. Factory spray-on bedliner, 3.73 axles with locking rear diff, block heater, rust proof aluminum body panels, etc. It don't look like much but that can be fixed on the aftermarket. The only thing it's really missing is a good stereo, the sound quality from those low budget factory speakers just won't do.

That was the great lack in my new Tacoma as well. $1200 at Crutchfield and several days learning that a lot has changed since I installed car stereos in college managed to help the situation. Next time I'll give the kid at BestBuy a hundred bucks to do it for me. I've gone from being a technical genius to a technical low-grade clueless old fart. Nevertheless, she sings up a storm now. Looking at the aftermarket for some bigger tires and a brush guard with a winch. At least I enjoy the rig itself.

[Mynock]

I've gotten satisfactory results simply by replacing the stock speakers with those of similar size but higher quality. 3-ways instead of 2-ways, kevlar cones vs whatever the cheap ones are made of, etc. I might add a small subwoofer for some added thump, I miss that from my Jeep.
First things first though, wheels/tires/suspension. Gonna do a lift/leveling kit to get rid of that nose down stance, replace the ugly steel wheels with some nice alloys and max out the tire size with 33's. Also found a nice side exit exhaust kit.

[BogDog]

I have always been a Ford fan.


That said, between those two selections my decision-maker would be do I want an extended club cab or 4-door crew cab? What I plan to do with the truck would decide that. Extended cabs often offer more truck bed space, so do I need extra cargo room or will I be moving more passengers than loads?

[Mynock]

I would love a crew cab AND a full sized 8 foot bed, but you can only get that in a '250 or '350 Super Duty, which is way more truck than I need/want and out of my budget anyway.

But I'll take the bigger bed. My long term plans are to turn it into an overlander type vehicle, throw a bed cap on it, add some camping gear and have a nice bear proof place to sleep at night.

[schlamm]

I can't speak to the newer Ford products as I have been a Tacoma driver since 2000, but my last Ford experience wasn't a good one. Major repairs needed frequently which weren't for the back yard mechanic to play with as they were critical items. With that being said, my current Tacoma has nearly 300,000 miles on it and still running strong...about 200,000 miles farther than I got with my last Ford.

[BogDog]

My friend got the 2015 F150 shortly before he passed away from cancer. He had the twin-turbo V6 and it was a rocket. Note that model year has an aluminum body. I could not believe how light the tailgate was, though still very strong. The layman says they are weaker than steel trucks, but supersonic fighter jets are made from the same stuff, so no.

https://youtu.be/1OX55WxS6cU