Anyone Drive A Dodge Ram 5.7 HEMI Pickup ?

[billt]

I don't want to turn this into another "Chevy vs. Ford vs. Dodge vs. Toyota" argument. Those are no better than "which brand of AR-15 is best". It always turns into nonsense. Same with all of this "buy American" crap that gets slung around so much. What is that? I can buy a Honda made in Marysville, Ohio. Or I can buy a Ford made in Mexico. What's the difference?

Yeah, you can argue you're helping a Japanese based company as opposed to helping an American one. The fact is we live in a global market, and I can buy stock in either and reap the profits, or suffer the losses just the same. Besides, one can counter that by saying he is giving an American assembly worker a job as opposed to a Mexican, so it's tit for tat. I know equal people who like and prefer all 4 brands of trucks. I'm convinced it doesn't make a damn's worth of difference. Any one of them can produce a good product, the same as they can put out an occasional lemon.

I should add that I'm a bit skeptical of the new all Aluminum bodies Ford is going to in 2015 with their F-Series trucks. I hate being a first year Guinea Pig buyer for something so radical. You don't know if they'll stick with it, or if insurance will amount to more, because of increased body repair costs. Especially if they drop the concept, and body panels become hard to locate years down the road. I plan to keep this vehicle for a long time to come.

[Timothy]

Bill, we're a gun forum and our opinions vary widely!

Our opinions on trucks and cars is no different.  If you want to know what truck is the most dependable, most powerful, most "everything" then read the truck blogs, read the reviews of professional auto folks and make the choice based on their opinion rather than ours...

I read up on everything I've bought "auto wise" since Al Gore invented the interweb and found that I still gravitate back to what's worked for me in the past.  If you read the information available, you can eliminate the chafe quite easily and focus on those models that have the best of what you need.

I, like you, have probably bought the last vehicle I'll need for the remainder of my life.  It's gotta last me at least 10-15 years with proper maintenance but in the Northeast, Ma Nature will probably have a strong say in that as well.

[kmitch200]

The Ford Eco Boost twin turbo V-6 is somewhat faster, but that is a really complex and expensive motor.

A friend of mine has a '14 Ford with a NON-turbo eco boost engine. He's pulling an Airstream trailer with it and said quote, "I don't know why Ford made the turbo model. I can't imagine needing more power up hills than this motor has."

He got rid of his Dodge truck because the body, trim and interior was falling apart pretty ugly after only 3 years...and this is a guy who takes care of his stuff to the point of being anal about it.
Dodge powertrains always have been solid but their bodies aren't anything I would want to have. JMHO.
I'm a Toyota guy but he likes his Ford.

[TAB]

That's no biggie. I've got to burn Premium in my 5.0 or it pings like hell.

  drop a spark plug heat range or 2.   

[MikeBjerum]

The last Dodge pick up I owned was a 1960 one ton with a 318 and four speed.  THAT WAS A TRUCK!!!  Wish I hadn't sold it 

Between personal and work I have driven several Chrysler products, mostly vans.  My experience with Chrysler products, and several others confirm this, is that they are a good value short and long term, they are very nice when new, and over the first 75,000 miles they lose their tight fit and finish and become tinny.  If we had a local Dodge dealer I would be talking to them about a pick up, but without driving 50 to 100 miles it is GM and Ford.

[Sponsor]

[1Buckshot]

Still have the new one I bought in 2007. One word " POWER". I pull a 16' stock trailer full of camp with water and firewood plus a four wheeler from one side of Montana to the other every year hunting. Going up and over the Rockies the slowest I go is about 60. yes I would buy another one. It also gets about 12mpg on that trip of 400 miles one way.

[TeamCORBON]

I just traded in my 2010 Ram 1500 to upgrade the wife's car.   It had a hemi and ran like a top.  Very quick, lots of power and good highway mileage.  City was 14 highway was 19-22 depending on flat land or Mtn driving.  I had the crew cab and would never go with anything less than that.  I will be getting a new Ram in the spring.