Chevy, Ram, or wait?

So is the Toyota Camry. That doesn't mean its the 'best' vehicle, rather it means the company has done a good job of marketing and selling them.

The F-150 is a decent pickup; it's not the best.

 

Traded in my 2004 F150 super crew for my 16 / 1794. The Ford was a nice truck, it just ate up a ton of things, but that's what happens when you modify things. I got 186K out of it. Hoping my Tundra will exceed that as this will be the last new truck I ever buy...I'm to young to be old, and my kids need cars...and help with god knows what... LOL.

 

I'm well aware, I've lived in the Buffalo metro area my whole life. What I mean by "notorious for rust" is I've seen Ram's that are 2 years old with undercarriages that are completely rusted out - I mean rust covering absolutely everything, with no clean metal in sight. Every truck here rusts a little after several years with no oiling, but the Rams are barely intact after a long enough time.

 

We had a snowstorm several years ago where we got 6 - 7 feet in an evening, depending on where you were. Needless to say, 4 wheel drive is a popular option in these parts.

Here's an example:

 

Brutal. Have you considered moving?

 

4x4 hell you need a front end loader

 

Nah. Storms like that one are actually somewhat rare. Most of the time we are only contending with a foot or two after a storm, and that's not bad at all, the roads will be clear within 6 hours. And I do love rural upstate New York, it's a beautiful place, even if the state government is a disaster. Plus the food is great.

 

Good to be in California!

 

Yeah, I'm not too far away from Buffalo, so I know what winters are like in that part of the US.

Most of the older trucks have rust on them. Ram (dodge) trucks built 10-15 years ago weren't of the best quality, I agree, but neither were F-150's or the GM HD's and 1500's. Really the only trucks from that era that hold up well are Toyota's (excluding the few with frame rust) and Ford Super Duty's.

When it comes to modern trucks however, I don't there is much of a difference. I see plenty of Ram HD's rolling around which look to be in as good as shape as similarly-aged Toyota's and Ford's.

 

I am in the same boat. Check out the 2019 GMC Sierra AT4. I would not go Ford or Ram.

 

Since 2000, I have had one Ford, one Ram, and 3 Chevys. The Chevy was always the best to me, which is why I stuck with them. I was always intrigued by the Tundra, but the gas mileage kept me away. This year, with all my current Chevy issues, and after driving a friends and hearing that the gas mileage wasn't that different if you remain stock (which I always do), I decided to give Tundra a try. Couldn't be happier. The cabin is a bit noisier but I actually like that...makes it feel more like a truck if that makes sense. If the reliability holds as the reputation shows, I plan on being loyal and trading to a new Tundra every 6 or 7 years.

 

My daughter works for a Dodge dealership in the office. She sees first hand the problems they have with the Rams and would not recommend one. She keeps the records for all complaints , repairs and sales. That's how she knows.

 

I'm guessing by this time the OP has made his truck choice but this thread is gold for some, so here's my take. I have had many vehicles (going on my 20th and I'm 27), not because of crashes but because I like the hustle and building vehicles. I mostly ran Jeeps but had a few truck experiences.

I had an 2004 GMC Sierra (4.8 litre 5spd) that had more problems than my Jeeps. Nothing out of the ordinary I suppose for that body style; speedometer failure, tie rods, ball joints, rotor/calipers, headlights, power steering pump ect. I had a Ford Ranger, no comment. My 2016 Ford F150 Screw 5.0 Coyote was a beautiful truck with endless power when that Coyote is strapped to an aluminum body but that was the truck's weakness-the aluminum body. My body as well as three other friends with aluminum F1's had body panels and doors that would just not line up. Not from collisions or offroading; the body panels just flex so much that they can come out of line. When I was truck shopping again I looked at another 16 F150 but noticed the box was pushed into the P cab corner. Not from a collision, but because they flex way too much. Driving an aluminum truck just felt like I was driving a glass fish bowl. I was so worried about denting or damaging it because of the nightmare they are to get repaired. Total opposite from my armor plated Jeeps.

My family runs Rams for their personal and work vehicles (logging company in Maine) ranging from 1/2 tons to 1 tons with mixed results. One 2015 3/4 ton had a rear end go out early in life. One 2017 1/2 ton Laramie had a transmission go around 20k. The 2016 1 ton has had electrical gremlins since ownership. Another 2015 1/2 ton has done well up to 90k miles, then the "Eco" mode has had significant lag and audible noise when coming out of Eco mode (yet to be fixed). The other 2016 1/2 ton is used lightly but has had no issues other than recalls.

So enter my search. When I sold my last Jeep in September I was in the market for a 1/2 ton and was really liking the Ram Big Horn. I liked all it's bells whistles and smooth direct power. However, Mopar and fancy WORKING electronics seldom have a long term relationship. I test drove the Big Horn and liked it but it wasn't special and it didn't really "wow" me. I went to drive a 2016 F150 but noticed the body imperfections (as said above). A few friends have Yotas and I've seen one friend go 190k on his 2nd gen Tundra and basically only feed it gas and oil. The other two had new 3rd gen TRDs that have proven themselves to be tough as nails in the northern Maine woods both on off-grid moose hunts and remote ice fishing trips. I've always been secretly curious about Toyota trucks but I never really drank their Cool Aid.

Alas, one Saturday I sat in an unlocked SR5 Tundra at the dealership (score). I immediately liked it! The truck felt like it was built like a brick sh!t house. It was simple (with the bench seat I like) yet felt like a real truck. Sure they don't ride as nice as a 4 coil Ram, but that's what I think of when I think truck -a heavy duty tool that is as dependable as the driver who owns it. A few days later I found my Blazing Blue 2016 SR5. I liked the fact it came standard with an LSD 4:30 rear end, ATRAC, strong powerful motor, large side mirrors, backup cam, comfy stylish interior ect.

I hope this is helpful. In the end, different strokes for different folks. But you come to Taco Bell they're going to sell you tacos. And who doesn't like tacos..I mean Tundras! Cheers.

 

I have a 2015 Tahoe LT and feel like I will be going backwards getting a 2019 (4 years newer!) Tundra Limited Crewmax without Remote start, inferior tech with Entune, worse gas milage... but there is something about the Tundra?