Goodbye.
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Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 964
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From: Lancaster, PA
I can do that.
I've never been hugely brand loyal to vehicles. I think everybody makes some good ones and bad ones, it's all luck and maintenance for the most part. I've loved the chevies I've had as much as I loved my ford, hopefully I'll love my dodge just as much too. There's things I didn't like about each as well. When shopping, I get whatever suits me the best at that time. This time it was the Dodge.
First impressions after day three. If I didn't mention, I got the 5.7 hemi and moved into an extended cab so the dogs could come to the lake with us. I've never driven a 5.4 150 to compare it to, so to say it jumps on the throttle could not be saying all that much. Comparing it to my modded 4.6 f150 with 4.10 gears, it's amazing, but likely so would a 5.4 150. Don't like the smaller bed volume, thinking of going back to a soft tonneau, and will miss the deep bed volume of the f150. The brakes are amazing, much better than the 150. I've never liked the f150's braking ability.
I'm not one for bells and whistles (my 150 was an stx), the Ram is an ST (their bottom level trim package) with some options. Carpet floor, cloth seats, power windows and locks (but no keyless), cruise control, electronic 4x4 selector, and the plastic clad wheels. Dodge definitely puts more stuff (or at least makes them available) in the base trim packages. I had a hard time finding one period though, let alone one with the 5.7. Nobody around me carries the ST, they only carry 'money' trucks. The dealers around me choose to make their more affordable trucks comparably equipped, but with smaller motors, etc. They don't go the route of lower trim packages with the same powertrain. Fortunately, I found a dealer who did, although I had to drive almost two hours to get there. Local dealers didn't seem to keen on doing a dealer trade at the moment, so I took a drive.
Ride quality is very good, must admit better than my f150 when it was new. Especially the rear end hop. We'll see what happens in the dependability area, I always avoided dodges because of the old transmission woes. With the lifetime powertrain warranty standard, I wouldn't have gone to a dodge without that. So we will see. I'll keep y'all posted. I'll get some pics soon too (we just got hit with snow here again and everything is cold and salty). Need to do some accessorizing first though.
Thanks for not being too hard on me.
I've never been hugely brand loyal to vehicles. I think everybody makes some good ones and bad ones, it's all luck and maintenance for the most part. I've loved the chevies I've had as much as I loved my ford, hopefully I'll love my dodge just as much too. There's things I didn't like about each as well. When shopping, I get whatever suits me the best at that time. This time it was the Dodge.
First impressions after day three. If I didn't mention, I got the 5.7 hemi and moved into an extended cab so the dogs could come to the lake with us. I've never driven a 5.4 150 to compare it to, so to say it jumps on the throttle could not be saying all that much. Comparing it to my modded 4.6 f150 with 4.10 gears, it's amazing, but likely so would a 5.4 150. Don't like the smaller bed volume, thinking of going back to a soft tonneau, and will miss the deep bed volume of the f150. The brakes are amazing, much better than the 150. I've never liked the f150's braking ability.
I'm not one for bells and whistles (my 150 was an stx), the Ram is an ST (their bottom level trim package) with some options. Carpet floor, cloth seats, power windows and locks (but no keyless), cruise control, electronic 4x4 selector, and the plastic clad wheels. Dodge definitely puts more stuff (or at least makes them available) in the base trim packages. I had a hard time finding one period though, let alone one with the 5.7. Nobody around me carries the ST, they only carry 'money' trucks. The dealers around me choose to make their more affordable trucks comparably equipped, but with smaller motors, etc. They don't go the route of lower trim packages with the same powertrain. Fortunately, I found a dealer who did, although I had to drive almost two hours to get there. Local dealers didn't seem to keen on doing a dealer trade at the moment, so I took a drive.
Ride quality is very good, must admit better than my f150 when it was new. Especially the rear end hop. We'll see what happens in the dependability area, I always avoided dodges because of the old transmission woes. With the lifetime powertrain warranty standard, I wouldn't have gone to a dodge without that. So we will see. I'll keep y'all posted. I'll get some pics soon too (we just got hit with snow here again and everything is cold and salty). Need to do some accessorizing first though.
Thanks for not being too hard on me.
Technical Article Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,862
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From: Northern California
With the desperation deals Dodge is offering right now, its hard not to take a really good look at getting one if you are in the market for a new truck. That new Ram 1500 is a very nice rig, my friend's dad just got one.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 710
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From: Southeastern Virginia
I've never been hugely brand loyal to vehicles. I think everybody makes some good ones and bad ones, it's all luck and maintenance for the most part. I've loved the chevies I've had as much as I loved my ford, hopefully I'll love my dodge just as much too. There's things I didn't like about each as well. When shopping, I get whatever suits me the best at that time. This time it was the Dodge.
Did you or will you be doing any towing?
I have a friend who is looking at the Ram with the Hemi to tow and his is concerned about the current bad reviews.
Good luck on the Dodge.
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Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 964
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From: Lancaster, PA
If by bad reviews you mean the listed tow ratings, yes, they are light compared to ford. I will be towing my boat, but it doesn't even run 2000 lbs, so I'll never know it's back there. The most common trucks out there (in my area anyway) are the top tier packages with the 20" rims. Those 20's just eat up tow rating. And that's what most of the magazines and what not are comparing. They get a top tier truck like a Lariat, and a dodge Laramie and compare them. The laramie having the 20" rims is rated horribly; compare it to a dodge without the 20's and the ratings are a lot better. Not near f150 ratings, but much closer.
From what I've read, when they designed the new rams, they based things on the fact that over half of the ones sold had 20" rims, so not a lot of people buy them for really heavy towing. They kept the trucks lighter for that reason. A six speed tranny would add a lot of rating as well, that's where the new f150 got most of its towing boost from. Personally, despite ratings, I really don't think I'd want to pull even 8000 lbs in a ram 1500 or an f150; there's bigger, better trucks for that kind of application. But that's just me.
From what I've read, when they designed the new rams, they based things on the fact that over half of the ones sold had 20" rims, so not a lot of people buy them for really heavy towing. They kept the trucks lighter for that reason. A six speed tranny would add a lot of rating as well, that's where the new f150 got most of its towing boost from. Personally, despite ratings, I really don't think I'd want to pull even 8000 lbs in a ram 1500 or an f150; there's bigger, better trucks for that kind of application. But that's just me.
