Truck shopping. Ram 2500;gas 6.4 vs Chevy 2500

Akwagon · June 21, 2020

11 hours ago, KCJackson1 said:

My point is, for so little sales of the 6.6L gas, there was no advantage of using the 6-speed - especially when Ford dropped both a new gas engine and accompanying transmission against it in their 2020 refresh. If GM had the faith to put the new 10L1000 in an otherwise all-new truck with the far better selling diesel, why bother producing such a small number of 6-speeds and skimp on those who wanted a gasoline engine?

Back to the topic.
2021 ram mega cab vs Chevy 2500 crew. Gas...... ram better 8spd and available 4.10. Both same length truck. Ram better interior. Ram 3k more towing w the gas.
chevy 800 lbs ish more payload (2500 vs 2500) gas.

everyone with a Chevy drools over a front coil lift replacing their torsion bars, which the ram has already up front (I know not ifs).

So why should I consider Chevy???

Edited June 21, 2020 by Akwagon

KCJackson1 · June 22, 2020

59 minutes ago, Akwagon said:

Back to the topic.
2021 ram mega cab vs Chevy 2500 crew. Gas...... ram better 8spd and available 4.10. Both same length truck. Ram better interior. Ram 3k more towing w the gas.
chevy 800 lbs ish more payload (2500 vs 2500) gas.

everyone with a Chevy drools over a front coil lift replacing their torsion bars, which the ram has already up front (I know not ifs).

So why should I consider Chevy???

Pro-Chevy:

In a Ram MegaCab, all the extra room is in the back seat - the Chevy has notably more leg room up front (44.5" > 40.9"). The Chevy's bed is 6 inches longer which may come into play if you haul things like bikes/ATVs. The Ram's increased towing capacity is offset by the reduced payload since tongue weight comes out of payload allowance. If you have a family and gear in the cab, you may not have enough remaining payload for tongue weight to tow that heavier trailer.

Akwagon · June 22, 2020

4 hours ago, KCJackson1 said:

Pro-Chevy:

In a Ram MegaCab, all the extra room is in the back seat - the Chevy has notably more leg room up front (44.5" > 40.9"). The Chevy's bed is 6 inches longer which may come into play if you haul things like bikes/ATVs. The Ram's increased towing capacity is offset by the reduced payload since tongue weight comes out of payload allowance. If you have a family and gear in the cab, you may not have enough remaining payload for tongue weight to tow that heavier trailer.

On crew cab ram to Chevy the leg room is 3” in Chevy favor. In ram mega cab leg room is same as Chevy crew. Ram gives you 6” behind back seat. Chevy gives you the extra 6” in the bed And the overall trucks length is about the same.
the mega cab weighs/and reduces payload 200lbs in the ram compared to the crew ram. Which is about 600/800 lbs in Chevy favor.

Edited June 22, 2020 by Akwagon

KCJackson1 · June 22, 2020

Leg room as stated by the manufacturers:

Ram Mega F/R: 40.9"/43.1"

Chevy Crew F/R: 44.5/43.4"

The leg room is only the same in the back seat - the front is always more in the front seat for Chevy. And if you move the Chevy's front seat up to the same position as Ram's maximum, you'd then have a significant advantage in the back seat (over 46 inches). The Ram Mega will also give you that huge blind spot from the wide rear pillar.

Ray Pickle · June 22, 2020

Reliability and resale value

Akwagon · June 24, 2020

On 6/22/2020 at 8:12 AM, Ray Pickle said:

Reliability and resale value

Source for this?

is a 5 yo Chevy crew gas 2500hd really holding its value better then a ram would?

ram supposedly fixed their known tranny issues

Ray Pickle · June 24, 2020

Google is your friend. Nada, Kbb, any article on leasing residuals. Etc. Easy to find.

Akwagon · June 24, 2020

1 hour ago, Ray Pickle said:

Google is your friend. Nada, Kbb, any article on leasing residuals. Etc. Easy to find.

Looked up values a 5 yo LTZ vs Laramie gas crew cabs only $1k diff in book value

Ray Pickle · June 24, 2020

Sounds about right. Its your money. If you are keeping it for a longer period of time I believe the G.M. is a better made truck overall. Go figure, I am on a GM site. I have been in the auto repair field for 40 years and in my experience through all of those years Mopar/Ram has had more issues, primarily transmission, a/c, general trim fit and finish issues than Ford or GM. It sounds like you are sold on the Ram. Enjoy whatever you pick, they are all vastly better in capability than they once where.

jamco44 · June 27, 2020

Last year I purchased a 2019 RAM 4x4 Limited Crew Cab 6.4 Gas....I sold it back to dealer months later as the AC was unable to get vent temps below 58 degrees. Some of the vents would only go to 60 degrees. RAM was unable to do anything about it and they tried a number of times. In Texas that is not acceptable. On very hot days my whole family complained about the cab temp being uncomfortable. So I purchased a 2020 GMC 2500 4 x 4 Denali 6.6 Gas. AC is awesome. Vent temps 39-40 degrees in minutes. No comparison. I know this AC problem is fairly common on the HDRAM forums so caution to make sure if you go the RAM route that it cools well on a hot day. I don't know about the 2020 RAMs. But to say all that here are some of my comparison thoughts on the two vehicles. Lets set the AC aside. GMC hands down wins that.

Comparison thoughts:

Interior is truly a winner on the RAM. Screen, design, (even liked the shifter knob instead of standard lever but that's preference). The Denali is nice and has 8" screen and similar tech that works well but not quite the wow factor as the RAM.

Sound system is outstanding in the RAM better than the BOSE in the GMC but that is good as well. Speakers everywhere in RAM.

Seats are a bit more comfortable in the RAM but the ride quality is a bit better in the GMC due to the independent front suspension so not as much bouncing around. Still bounce unloaded in GMC but not as much as the RAM. The RAM unloaded had significant bounce so a bit more difficult to focus on the 12 inch screen.

Headlights in RAM are excellent and move when you turn left or right. Great visibility, better than the GMC. GMC is LED as well and good but RAM is better to me.

The tech in both are similar, GPS are easy in both and work very well. Both you can monitor with an iphone app, both have all the trailer towing settings. Blind spot indicators, lane departure and sensors. The GMC has trailer tire monitoring built in and came with 4 sensors for the trailer. RAM did not have that at the time but I believe it is on the 2020 models. The GMC has a unique HD camera rear view mirror and hologram heads up display which I find very useful. I really like that feature on the GMC.

The tow mirrors are all power on the GMC and only fold in/out on the RAM I had to manually deploy to trailer towing. GMC mirrors are larger and easy to use but do look a bit like a lego but I like them in trailer mode on the GMC better than the RAM.

Engine they both power and drive about the same to me. Sound similar, can't tell much difference between power and the 8 spd and 6 spd. Similar gas mileage. The RAM had the ability to not use some of the cylinders so a green leaf light would come on when you were driving eco style. The GMC all on no variable cylinder usage. So the RAM was like a video game how long can I keep the green leaf light on for maximum gas mileage....:). So the RAM I could average maybe 1 or 2 mpg better but overall not much difference. My GMC around town I average a little over 12mgp. My RAM about 13mpg but overall they really felt and behaved the same.

Truck size is definitely different. The GMC is longer like the mega cab but the space is distributed across the entire truck so a little extra in the back seat (My son really likes the extra inches in the back seat of the GMC crew cab compared to the RAM. The bed gets 6" more is a bit deeper and to be honest the multi pro tailgate has come in handy acts like a set of stairs. I did have RAM boxes on my RAM which we really enjoyed. Great for camping, grocery store, gear...waterproof and lockable but at the expense of bed so depends on what you want to do with your truck. Payload is by far greater with the GMC and that was important. The RAM was about 2300 and my GMC is 3200. We wanted to pull a travel trailer with a hitch weight of about 1000 lbs so the GMC gives us a lot more carrying capacity in the bed when there are 4 people in the cab. We really like that. But the smaller RAM was a bit easier to drive and park around town and it has taken me a bit longer to adjust to the larger truck.

Overall both trucks feel quality and capable, look good, comfortable and can tow and haul a lot of stuff. If the AC was not an issue I would have kept and been happy with my RAM. Knowing what I know now I might have purchased the GMC over the RAM (which was not out at the time I ordered my RAM) as I do like the front independent, the tech, greater payload and everything being a bit larger in space in the cab and bed. I did have some vibration trouble with my GMC over 50 mph and there was a service update to the steering computer plus a road force balance corrected that. I did add some MODS to my GMC that have also made it even more enjoyable. Installed a Suspension MAXX steering stabilizer, Bilstein 5100s, Airlift airbags, and Retrax Pro Tonneau cover. Hope this helps thought you would be interested in some of my thoughts.

KCJackson1 · June 27, 2020

7 hours ago, jamco44 said:

Last year I purchased a 2019 RAM 4x4 Limited Crew Cab 6.4 Gas....I sold it back to dealer months later as the AC was unable to get vent temps below 58 degrees. Some of the vents would only go to 60 degrees. RAM was unable to do anything about it and they tried a number of times. In Texas that is not acceptable. On very hot days my whole family complained about the cab temp being uncomfortable. So I purchased a 2020 GMC 2500 4 x 4 Denali 6.6 Gas. AC is awesome. Vent temps 39-40 degrees in minutes. No comparison. I know this AC problem is fairly common on the HDRAM forums so caution to make sure if you go the RAM route that it cools well on a hot day.

This has been a long-time issue with Dodge/Ram. My 96 Ram was average at best, and my 05 Ram is an HVAC headache. The 03-05 Rams had a cheap blend door design that broke easily - I actually heard mine break as the little metal piece hit the inside of the dash as it fell. There was also a programming issue where the Body Control Module would dump refrigerant thinking it was overfilled and above pressure when that wasn't the case - it was supposedly fixed in a flash for 03 and 04 models, but not 05s. I have to recharge the AC every year. Never had that problem in my earlier F-150s, or in any GM truck I've driven (I've had Silverado 1500 , Suburban, and Tahoe as rentals over the years). The more recent Rams had a notable issue when the rear-seat vents were added to the interior, as the blower was intentionally biased for the rear vents because the duct was longer. This left the front vents too warm when the AC was on or too cool when the heat was on. Poor HVAC is a significant reason why I'm strongly considering Chevy/GMC over Ram for my nest truck.

edgexcsp · June 27, 2020

So here's my tale of woe... I'm a long time GM fan and I currently have a 1/2 ton lease, its been a great truck but we have out grown the extended cab and the 1/2 ton. I drove a 2020 Sierra 2500 and fell in love but the price felt more like a divorce settlement... I knew the first 3/4 ton would hurt but having nothing to trade really makes that payment steep. The Ram's especially the Tradesman models sticker for thousands less and you can order them with most of the things you would want and then some, the seem like a value. I am however aware that you get what you pay for... Dodge also offers a lease in their 3/4 ton line up which is very attractive to me. I haven't bought a truck in 6 years and every time they stick some fancy new electronic screen or system in them I think giving them back every 3 years is the right way to go...

I'm torn between leasing or potentially buying a Ram or Picking up a used Chevy/GMC that fits my budget... I don't really want to own a Ram long term, but I also don't really want a used truck. Complete first world problems, if GM would just offer a 3/4 lease I would be a happy man!

Edited June 27, 2020 by edgexcsp

Akwagon · June 28, 2020

On 6/26/2020 at 8:00 PM, jamco44 said:

Last year I purchased a 2019 RAM 4x4 Limited Crew Cab 6.4 Gas....I sold it back to dealer months later as the AC was unable to get vent temps below 58 degrees. Some of the vents would only go to 60 degrees. RAM was unable to do anything about it and they tried a number of times. In Texas that is not acceptable. On very hot days my whole family complained about the cab temp being uncomfortable. So I purchased a 2020 GMC 2500 4 x 4 Denali 6.6 Gas. AC is awesome. Vent temps 39-40 degrees in minutes. No comparison. I know this AC problem is fairly common on the HDRAM forums so caution to make sure if you go the RAM route that it cools well on a hot day. I don't know about the 2020 RAMs. But to say all that here are some of my comparison thoughts on the two vehicles. Lets set the AC aside. GMC hands down wins that.

Comparison thoughts:

Interior is truly a winner on the RAM. Screen, design, (even liked the shifter knob instead of standard lever but that's preference). The Denali is nice and has 8" screen and similar tech that works well but not quite the wow factor as the RAM.

Sound system is outstanding in the RAM better than the BOSE in the GMC but that is good as well. Speakers everywhere in RAM.

Seats are a bit more comfortable in the RAM but the ride quality is a bit better in the GMC due to the independent front suspension so not as much bouncing around. Still bounce unloaded in GMC but not as much as the RAM. The RAM unloaded had significant bounce so a bit more difficult to focus on the 12 inch screen.

Headlights in RAM are excellent and move when you turn left or right. Great visibility, better than the GMC. GMC is LED as well and good but RAM is better to me.

The tech in both are similar, GPS are easy in both and work very well. Both you can monitor with an iphone app, both have all the trailer towing settings. Blind spot indicators, lane departure and sensors. The GMC has trailer tire monitoring built in and came with 4 sensors for the trailer. RAM did not have that at the time but I believe it is on the 2020 models. The GMC has a unique HD camera rear view mirror and hologram heads up display which I find very useful. I really like that feature on the GMC.

The tow mirrors are all power on the GMC and only fold in/out on the RAM I had to manually deploy to trailer towing. GMC mirrors are larger and easy to use but do look a bit like a lego but I like them in trailer mode on the GMC better than the RAM.

Engine they both power and drive about the same to me. Sound similar, can't tell much difference between power and the 8 spd and 6 spd. Similar gas mileage. The RAM had the ability to not use some of the cylinders so a green leaf light would come on when you were driving eco style. The GMC all on no variable cylinder usage. So the RAM was like a video game how long can I keep the green leaf light on for maximum gas mileage....:). So the RAM I could average maybe 1 or 2 mpg better but overall not much difference. My GMC around town I average a little over 12mgp. My RAM about 13mpg but overall they really felt and behaved the same.

Truck size is definitely different. The GMC is longer like the mega cab but the space is distributed across the entire truck so a little extra in the back seat (My son really likes the extra inches in the back seat of the GMC crew cab compared to the RAM. The bed gets 6" more is a bit deeper and to be honest the multi pro tailgate has come in handy acts like a set of stairs. I did have RAM boxes on my RAM which we really enjoyed. Great for camping, grocery store, gear...waterproof and lockable but at the expense of bed so depends on what you want to do with your truck. Payload is by far greater with the GMC and that was important. The RAM was about 2300 and my GMC is 3200. We wanted to pull a travel trailer with a hitch weight of about 1000 lbs so the GMC gives us a lot more carrying capacity in the bed when there are 4 people in the cab. We really like that. But the smaller RAM was a bit easier to drive and park around town and it has taken me a bit longer to adjust to the larger truck.

Overall both trucks feel quality and capable, look good, comfortable and can tow and haul a lot of stuff. If the AC was not an issue I would have kept and been happy with my RAM. Knowing what I know now I might have purchased the GMC over the RAM (which was not out at the time I ordered my RAM) as I do like the front independent, the tech, greater payload and everything being a bit larger in space in the cab and bed. I did have some vibration trouble with my GMC over 50 mph and there was a service update to the steering computer plus a road force balance corrected that. I did add some MODS to my GMC that have also made it even more enjoyable. Installed a Suspension MAXX steering stabilizer, Bilstein 5100s, Airlift airbags, and Retrax Pro Tonneau cover. Hope this helps thought you would be interested in some of my thoughts.

Thank you very much for all this insight! It may sound like I’m sold on the Ram in my posts.
I’ve always thoughts dodge/ram/fiat stuff was all bunch of pos. It’s just when I started looking at all the 3/4 ton trucks recently that they actually started to look and seem so appealing over the Chevy and ford.
owned a 2014 ford super duty xlt gas after 4 years and 35k miles. You couldn’t look at the truck with out something needing fixed. It was a pos. Fords of my list.

Edited June 28, 2020 by Akwagon

Ray Pickle · June 29, 2020

I can agree that the big touch screen and the interior in general are a cut above both ford and gm. There is so much more to consider and Ram comes up short in the meat and potato categories. I would caution that they "supposedly" fixed their transmission issues, they have had generational problems in that part of driveline. The question is are you willing to guinea pig ? I would not be willing to give them the benefit of doubt. That "old" 6 speed G.M. uses is the lowest warranty trans they make. I also wish GM had the 10 speed available now for gas, not later, but I do know the reliabilty of what I have based on track record and when towing fairly heavy, 12k, it matters to me.

KCJackson1 · June 29, 2020

2 hours ago, Ray Pickle said:

I can agree that the big touch screen and the interior in general are a cut above both ford and gm. There is so much more to consider and Ram comes up short in the meat and potato categories. I would caution that they "supposedly" fixed their transmission issues, they have had generational problems in that part of driveline. The question is are you willing to guinea pig ? I would not be willing to give them the benefit of doubt. That "old" 6 speed G.M. uses is the lowest warranty trans they make. I also wish GM had the 10 speed available now for gas, not later, but I do know the reliabilty of what I have based on track record and when towing fairly heavy, 12k, it matters to me.

Ram fixed their transmission issues by not using their own transmissions. The bulk of Rams are running ZFs, the Cummins HO has the Aisin behind it. Only the 68RFE behind the standard-output Cummins is still a Mopar unit.