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RAM sells more than Silverado for 2nd quarter


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On 7/6/2019 at 2:02 AM, HondaHawkGT said:

Yeah a fully optioned Silverado High Country still has over  500 lbs more payload than a loaded Ram 1500 Limited of the same GVWR. That's a huge amount. Admittedly it's at the expense of interior design and features, but the 2019 GM trucks are heavily geared towards lower prices and better fuel economy, not pretending to be a truck-shaped car with a Cadillac interior. 990 lbs of payload essentially makes the "truck" useless as a truck.

 

I have never had a problem with the rear end being so "squirrely" (lateral instability) that it was a problem. Trucks have been using leaf spring suspensions for nearly 100 years without an issue. I'm not interested in settling for Ram's multi-link rear suspension just to solve a normal characteristic of a truck suspension. Honestly, I've seen many Ram 1500's with the multi-link rear suspension that were used to haul heavy loads and tow a lot of trailers, and over time the bushings end up wearing enough to develop a "loose" sensation as the links no longer maintain the axle's position. Same with the rear coil springs "relaxing" due to fatigue. Hence why I consider the jury to be out on the progressive coil springs Ram chose in an attempt to improve the weak payload rating, while preserving as much of the soft ride as possible.

 

Everybody sets their own personal limit for what they think their truck can handle. I've watched guys use half-ton trucks to pull 22k lbs with nothing more than a pintle hitch. But when it comes to tongue weight and how it affects a truck's balance, I'm not interest in a truck with a suspension that's so soft and quickly overloaded that it struggles to handle much more than 1500 lbs.

 

Sorry, but the old Hemi is absolutely struggling to keep up with the competition. Yeah, it is pushing more weight. But that weight is intrinsically tied to the truck it's in. There's absolutely no point in comparing engine power without keeping in mind how much the truck it's in weighs. Until Ram cuts a few hundred more pounds out of their 1500's, it NEEDs a 5.7 just to keep up with a 5.3 or 2.7 EB. Car and Driver has demonstrated that it struggled to just equal a 2019 5.3 truck with 3.23's. 3.92's would help the 5.7 but it's still far behind the more powerful engine options out there, and at a significant cost in terms of fuel economy.

It's slower than a 2.7 Ecoboost. (But more capable than a 2.7 EB)

It's slower than a 5.0 Coyote.

It's slower than a 3.5 EcoBoost.

It's slower than a GM 6.2.

Every truck manufacturer has multiple levels of engines to choose from. The Ram's top choice can barely muster a tie against a 5.3, when both trucks are running the same axle ratio. It's important to remember that the 5.3 is an engine that prioritizes efficiency over max power. With 3.92's, the Ram in many cases would edge out the 5.3, but then you're stuck with a truck that gets noticeably worse fuel economy (sub 20-mpg highway) than both the 5.3 and 6.2. A 2018-19 F-150 5.0 Coyote with 3.55's will average approx 23 mpg. Even with 3.55's, a decently equipped 2019 Ram 1500 5.7 truck is going to struggle with fuel economy.

 

The GM gauge cluster sucks. It's a downgrade from the previous truck. BUT the rest of the truck more than makes up for it. I'm honestly fine with the rest of the interior. The seats are good, the riding position is the best it's even been, MyLink works great as usual, and the AC can cool the truck down in minutes even when the truck has been sitting in the sun all day in 95 degree temps. Plus the shifter is where god intended, on the steering column.

 

The 1-speed transfer case on trucks with the max tow package might bother some guys, but I know just as many guys that don't even know what 4-low is really useful for. Most half-ton owners don't even bother to ever use 4-low. The people most interested in a Ram because of it's nice interior design and soft ride, will NEVER bother to shift into 4-low. A few clueless owners might shift into it, even if it's because they think 4-low is the best choice for driving through 2 inches of snow. You'll get a handful of guys on here that say they use 4-low constantly, but for the guys that never leave pavement because they only use their truck to tow or go to work and back, 4-low isn't particularly useful. I used 4-low in my last truck just a few times in the 5 years I owned it. I won't judge the terrain management system that helps make up for the lack of a 2sp transfer case because I haven't driven one. It might perform fine for all I know.

 

" I'm just saying some of you guys need some perspective, and the Ram excels in some areas and needs some attention in other areas, just like the GM twins."

 

We all have the internet. We don't need a guy from 5th Gen Rams to come over here to try and "lead us to the promised land". There is no shortage of truck reviews available online. Plus we see all brands of trucks out in the real world. We know what trucks are out there.  Unfortunately, most reviewers are really only concerned with reviewing trucks based entirely on interior design, gimmicky features, and ride quality.  They have zero interest in delving into the characteristics of full-size trucks that are the most important when using trucks for truck duties. Most don't even understand the pros and cons of engineering choices in most trucks.  I can't speak for anyone else here but I closely watch and evaluate all new trucks well before buying a new one. I honestly haven't been impressed with the Ram 1500 since they went to a multi-link rear suspension.They decided to stop trying to compete head-up against Ford and GM on capability, so they decided to compete based on more car-like attributes like soft riding suspensions and premium interiors, hoping to pull buyers in that don't use trucks to do much more than pull a small boat, if tow anything at all. If I wanted a soft ride and didn't have anything to tow, I would honestly go for a Ram 1500. I didn't because payload ratings and towing performance are more important to me than a soft ride. I want a truck that doesn't feel like it's going to bust a nut with the tongue weight typical of a travel trailer. I want to be able to pull a travel trailer AND haul the family and their stuff in the the truck.

Dont forget Silverados do better in sagging. Unlike Ram without the air suspension and Ford. Chevy has always holded the weight better. Less sagging when towing or a loaded bed. My friend has a ford and me a chevy. Payload on mine it 1950 and his is 2183. We loaded the trucks with 1700lbs each and his truck say way lower than mine. My truck was level and his truck was almost bottomed out. I seen Rams also who sag way to mich without air suspension but even that fails really fast. Chevy might not have the best interior in style or looks but it's a danm truck what should matter is how safely you can feel while towing it have a loaded bed and chevy has always out performed all trucks. 

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