Who traded in for a Ram and what are your honest thoughts?

17Denali · January 18, 2017

I had no reliability issues with my 2014 Ram Ecodiesel, nor did I have any on my 2009 or 2011 Ram. The lease on the GM was cheaper and was kind of tired of the Rams body style since I had 3 of them so wanted a change. The LED headlights on my Denali are worth the price of admission, it was a big beef I had with Ram......$50,000 - $60,000 for a vehicle and no LED headlights that's a problem for me.

Colossus · January 18, 2017

The truck I looked at I could actually buckle the sides of the bed in just pushing on them.

I seem to remember that being a complaint on here for the GMT-900s when they first came out.

lawn boy · January 19, 2017

I had a '14 ram 5.7 crew before my 16 Silverado 5.3:

Ram had better-

Power and throttle response

Exterior mirrors

Sound- miss the hemi rumble

Chevy has better:

Interior comfort and materials

Trailer towing manners

Traction- love the locking rear diff for the boat ramp

Overall I like them both pretty much equally. I wouldn't hesitate to get either again

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Graphic · January 19, 2017

So far my Ram has had some minor issues, nothing serious. Nothing mechanical. I get better overall mileage with the hemi. I will echo what others have said with the interior, but I did drop down in trim level. The Ram is just so much more fun to drive. With the 14 Silverado, I just couldn't see at night. The Ram I can. The 8 speed is hands down better behaving that the 6 speed and pulls the travel trailer with ease. I think the Ram looks better than the 14 Silverado, but the front redesign as of late makes it a toss up. Silverado is so much quieter in the cab. The interior is the only thing I REALLY miss about the GM. Ram warms up in the winter like it should. My ram goes straight down the road. Silverado, not so much. Ram electronics are hands down better. Radio, nav, parking sensors, dash, all that seems to operate better and faster. The keyless entry and ignition are super nice. That rotary knob for the transmission is odd, but you get used to it pretty quick. It cleans up the interior without the shifter in there.

I guess overall I would say I am happier in the Ram. I have looked closely at the rebel. I do like the newer front on the Silverado and have been thinking of trying GM again. Just hard to come back. Good or bad, my 14 stripped all brand loyalty from me. I find myself looking at all of them now. For me, spotting a nice Chevy is like seeing an old girlfriend that you really loved, but she cheated on you. lol

Swimmer8366 · January 21, 2017

I work at a Dodge dealer and still drive a Chevy won't trade it in on a Dodge and I work on them daily. Not a fan of them. Seen flash computer updates for them seen rear end problems Transmission problems transfer case replacements all under warranty seen tthem go again after warranty was already done. Trucks still need computer updates even after warranty is up. Several times flash updates need to be done and not ignored because they can actually fix check engine light problems from a simple update nuts. So they get you for diagnosis fees just to tell you a update will fix it like a windows update pretty much. Interior? Cheaply made see guys break panels and all sorts of buttons go bad but again this is not every ram and also this stuff also happens to Chevy if I worked for Chevy I would see the typical daily problems with the new Chevy's. Imo how long do you want to own it? Just till it's out of warranty? Then get a new truck? Do you want to mod it? Do you want to put 300k on it? Do you want more cab storage? The hemi has 16 spark plugs in it that need replaced every 30k. Gotta be careful filling the sucker with oil because if filled to fast it burbs back to the air filter housing sucking oil into your intake (not fun) it's an opinion do you want to deal with Dodge typical problems or Chevy do you want the comfort of a Chevy or the high storage Dodge? My 2002 6.0 with 280k leaves my buddies 2016 Dodge behind like it's a six cylinder mustang. And better gas mileage he averages about 13-15 I get 16-18 also I have mod he does not but also can't do much to it like previously said with out spending mad cash. I'm not a fan of the 8 speed. Saw a 5500 Dodge the other day with a stick in it that was cool. And I'm also not a fan of the shift nob on the Dodge just more to go wrong seen several with problems. Auto park feature is also weird to me.

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Swimmer8366 · January 21, 2017

Talk to the dealer see if the sales guy can work it out so you take one for the weekend? A used one? My friend just did this when buying his Nissan. Maybe it will help you decide?

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Ryan698 · January 21, 2017

Definitely considering the rebel option for myself mainly because I like to play in my truck and I'm pretty impressed with the suspension in the trucks

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17Denali · January 21, 2017

I have had a new truck every 2 to 3 years since 1987. Had Fords till 2009 my hip would get so soar driving the last Ford I wouldn't drive another if it was given to me. Three Rams since 2009 and I was very happy with the ride, comfort level and workmanship. With that being said I don't work my trucks so different applications result in different opinions. I don't find this Denali "plush". I find the imitation wood accents around the console and doors somewhat cheap, actually rattles around the console has to be refastened. Went through the touchless car wash the other day and had water/soap bubbles along the belt lines which means they are not sealed tightly, dealer will replace all window seals.So far, I'm not seeing the quality interior in this GM truck hopefully I am wrong.

hairybumcrack · January 21, 2017

I agree with the cheapness of the GMC but they are still better finished than the Ram. BUT I've never owned a vehicle with so many noises coming from the IP or center console in my life. One would swear there are empty plastic water bottles in my truck with all the sounds coming from the center console.

And my HVAC unit sounds like something is either in one of the plastic runs or a fitting is not put on properly as it provides a real nice whistiling sound. There is no way I'm taking this into a stealership to have them rip apart my IP to have a look at this as it will have more BSR (buzz, squeak, rattles) sounds coming from it after they put it back together. That, and I'm sure that crap will be damaged or marks will be present all over the truck. An example of this is that I had the dealer look at the warped top cover on my IP and when I picked up my truck after an oil change, there were marks all over the windshield, the speaker grille was not in position, and it developed a nice hum at certain speeds from the harmonic vibrations coming from "normal" vibrations on my truck.

It's a truck, not a luxury car so I'm ok with some of these issues.

MikeNH · January 21, 2017

I have had a new truck every 2 to 3 years since 1987. Had Fords till 2009 my hip would get so soar driving the last Ford I wouldn't drive another if it was given to me. Three Rams since 2009 and I was very happy with the ride, comfort level and workmanship. With that being said I don't work my trucks so different applications result in different opinions. I don't find this Denali "plush". I find the imitation wood accents around the console and doors somewhat cheap, actually rattles around the console has to be refastened. Went through the touchless car wash the other day and had water/soap bubbles along the belt lines which means they are not sealed tightly, dealer will replace all window seals.So far, I'm not seeing the quality interior in this GM truck hopefully I am wrong.

Ford truck seats are real firm in my experience too. I had a 2015 as a rental right when they first hit the market and the seat was horrible, it felt like the seat cushion was angled downward. I'd like to try one with a power seat though to see if it is any better. But even so, a LT Chevy or SLE GMC is much nicer inside. Ford still uses hard plastics everywhere. The Ram does have some advantages but I'm through with Chrysler stuff. The Jeep dealer locally is a bunch of morons and I feel like FCA will be dead by the end of the decade anyhow.

Colossus · January 21, 2017

One of my top 3 complaints of the Ford is how uncomfortable the drivers seat is along with leg room. I've owned a number of fords over the years and starting in 1998 the trucks and large and medium sized sedans (Taurus & Crown Vicki) became painful to the back and legs after sitting in them for more than 20 minutes. With the trucks- (F-150/250/350) as well as the SUVs (Exploder & Expedition) I just could not get comfortable with those seats, no matter how much I played around with the positions. I always came out of them with something aching. Several others I know who were around 6'1" or taller, (I'm 6'2") it was especially noticeable for.

FL335i · January 22, 2017

I saw a ram Rebel in person a few weeks ago in a parking lot. Was not impressed with the black plastic work truck like front end. So F'n cheap looking up close. the letters RAM on the tailgate are obnoxious. It's just a goofy truck with 33's to me. Redneck trendy rubbish IMO. I put +1 size KO2's on my truck and think it looks far better. Think about it this way. The RAM on the tailgate is so large, you cannot put a common business magnet on it. I'm not sure what is fueling all these "off-road" full-size trucks anyway. They are boo-koo expensive. They are BIG. And not very off-road capable (Raptor is the exception). I would think the mid-size trucks would be a better size truck for an off-roader. I've built a Dana 44 straight axle conversion 4runner. I've off-roaded a lifted F250 and 1/2 tons. The mid 90's 4runners (or Tacoma) were the perfect off-road size vehicle. From a cost perspective, I rather buy a normal 4x4 with the the max tow package gear ratio and add my own Detroit lockers and such. All the bling in the world won't come close to a $600 Detroit locker in the heat of battle. And after off-roading my lifted F250 6.0 with 35's.... I felt like an idiot. It was like driving a U-haul truck or RV off-road and the frame flexed like Twizzlers while the 35 ton diesel engine made sure the front end might sink to china. I don't see the point of spending an additional 10-20k for these goofy off-road packages to get a truck that still has no lockers and is only about 1-2" taller than a stock regular truck. No sense or cents.

Annhl8rX · January 23, 2017

I went the opposite way, sort of. I drive a 2016 Z71 CCSB right now. My last truck was a 2010 Ram 1500 (with a dalliance with a Jeep in between). Before I got the Silverado I had a 2017 Laramie 1500 as a rental. Aside from a few convenience features it was no different than my 2010. For that reason I decided against another Ram and went with the Chevrolet. I wouldn't rule out another Ram in the future, but it would have to be after a full redesign. There's nothing wrong with the current ones (despite what brand loyalists will tell you); they're just getting a bit long in the tooth.

My personal take is that best trucks that have ever been built are the ones on the road right now...and that is for any manufacturer. Go in with an open mind and decide what you like the best.

beerguy214 · February 12, 2017

Make sure you take it on a test ride on the highway because my buddies have rams and I can't stand the road noise in them.I guess I am used to my chevy.Good luck with whatever you decide to do .

Styles_888 · March 29, 2018

On 1/13/2017 at 8:47 PM, fedmogul89 said:

owning a Ram was like going and getting a large pizza on your way home then stopping and getting a 6 pack of ice house. When you get home, you eat every slice then pound a 6 pack down. You get nice and stuffed and get a nice buzz. But it's sloppy and you feel like crap the next day. The Silverado/Sierra is like going to a steak house and getting the best steak they have, and sipping a nice bourbon. You have to pay a little more, but you'll enjoy it a lot better.

Reading an older post and really enjoyed your analogy ...