[kelaog]

I sold my ram a few years ago but I've been semi-active on the board for the better part of 7 years. Some of you might remember me, some not.

Since I sold my Ram, I have upkept a dakota 4.7L for my girlfriend and I've used a couple diesel cars as commuters for my long hauls to work. Absolutely love the way the diesel cars drive in comparison to their gas equivalents. So, long story short, we need to replace the Dakota. I wasn't a big fan of how small it was and I missed my ram dearly since the day I sold it. I'd also like to ditch my car and go down to one vehicle right now as primarily I work from home, and the girlfriend can walk to work and her schooling is from home at the moment as well.

So here is my dilemma....I want another RAM, but I want a truck I'm gonna want to keep for a while. My choices are a little strange but hear me out. I could buy a '2015 fully loaded 1500 sport or Laramie for around $33k CAD with low mileage, or I can step into a HD diesel sport/laramie with comparable mileage for about 10-15k $CAD more than that. I'll be honest, I do NOT need a HD diesel truck. I'm not all that interested in the light duty diesel either mostly because of reliability and resale concerns. At the moment my trailer is pretty light and a gas would pull it without incident, well, the Dakota does anyway. Working from home cuts out my 210 km commute every day, so it wont' even get driven every day. Most of my driving will be longer like 100+ km upwards of 1200 km to the mountains. And while most of the driving around here will be perfectly fine with the gas job, actually, it would be more ideal, I know the first trip I take to the mountains with my boat, I'm going to wish I was driving a diesel. One other consideration is that I want a crew cab but I don't want a 5'7 bed. I want the 6'4 and that's a lot more common on the HD's than it is on the 1500's.

My first RAM was an quad cab SXT and a 4.7L v8. I regretted not buying the hemi and getting more options later. However, financially, I'm in a much better place now than I was then. I just struggle with the idea of spending so much money on a depreciating asset especially with the electric vehicle thing really taking off. I'm paying cash for the truck either way. I can afford either one. I definitely dislike the idea of spending 50k on a truck that when invested would double its value in 5-8 years in my portfolio....

So, if you were me, and money wasn't a significant concern, would you still buy a HD diesel if you didn't really need one? Or would the ride quality of the HD trucks shun you away from it.

 

[Nick727]

I owned a 2000 2500 for years which I ended up replacing with an 18 ram1500. I only tow 1-2 vehicles at the most and only 1-2 times a month. So I didn't need the extra size and bad ride to stay with a 2500. I just ordered a 5th gen 1500 to replace my 4th gen. You can order a 1500 crew cab with a 6'4" bed with the 5th gens. I would recommend getting one of those. You can find a nicely equipped bighorn in that config for under 40. Let us know what you end up getting

 

[GTyankee]

Heck, if i were to buy a new Ram right now, it would be the
2021 Ram 1500 HFE EcoDiesel gets 33 MPG on the highway.

 

[kelaog]

Heck, if i were to buy a new Ram right now, it would be the
2021 Ram 1500 HFE EcoDiesel gets 33 MPG on the highway.

It's mighty tempting. I wanted one of these for years. There is a good deal on one close by. Only drawback as far as I'm concerned is that it's not as easy to tune as the Cummins. oh, and it has the shorter bed .

 

[kelaog]

I owned a 2000 2500 for years which I ended up replacing with an 18 ram1500. I only tow 1-2 vehicles at the most and only 1-2 times a month. So I didn't need the extra size and bad ride to stay with a 2500. I just ordered a 5th gen 1500 to replace my 4th gen. You can order a 1500 crew cab with a 6'4" bed with the 5th gens. I would recommend getting one of those. You can find a nicely equipped bighorn in that config for under 40. Let us know what you end up getting

Did you test drive any of the newer HD's before going with the 1500? I Think the ride quality has improved dramatically.

 

[PowerJrod]

I sold my ram a few years ago but I've been semi-active on the board for the better part of 7 years. Some of you might remember me, some not.

Since I sold my Ram, I have upkept a dakota 4.7L for my girlfriend and I've used a couple diesel cars as commuters for my long hauls to work. Absolutely love the way the diesel cars drive in comparison to their gas equivalents. So, long story short, we need to replace the Dakota. I wasn't a big fan of how small it was and I missed my ram dearly since the day I sold it. I'd also like to ditch my car and go down to one vehicle right now as primarily I work from home, and the girlfriend can walk to work and her schooling is from home at the moment as well.

So here is my dilemma....I want another RAM, but I want a truck I'm gonna want to keep for a while. My choices are a little strange but hear me out. I could buy a '2015 fully loaded 1500 sport or Laramie for around $33k CAD with low mileage, or I can step into a HD diesel sport/laramie with comparable mileage for about 10-15k $CAD more than that. I'll be honest, I do NOT need a HD diesel truck. I'm not all that interested in the light duty diesel either mostly because of reliability and resale concerns. At the moment my trailer is pretty light and a gas would pull it without incident, well, the Dakota does anyway. Working from home cuts out my 210 km commute every day, so it wont' even get driven every day. Most of my driving will be longer like 100+ km upwards of 1200 km to the mountains. And while most of the driving around here will be perfectly fine with the gas job, actually, it would be more ideal, I know the first trip I take to the mountains with my boat, I'm going to wish I was driving a diesel. One other consideration is that I want a crew cab but I don't want a 5'7 bed. I want the 6'4 and that's a lot more common on the HD's than it is on the 1500's.

My first RAM was an quad cab SXT and a 4.7L v8. I regretted not buying the hemi and getting more options later. However, financially, I'm in a much better place now than I was then. I just struggle with the idea of spending so much money on a depreciating asset especially with the electric vehicle thing really taking off. I'm paying cash for the truck either way. I can afford either one. I definitely dislike the idea of spending 50k on a truck that when invested would double its value in 5-8 years in my portfolio....

So, if you were me, and money wasn't a significant concern, would you still buy a HD diesel if you didn't really need one? Or would the ride quality of the HD trucks shun you away from it.

Go test drive both. Try to find a 1500 CC with 6'4 bed. Also . If you're not pulling a ton of weight or hauling a lot of heavy loads....my recommendation is a 1500 Hemi Etorque. The Etorque is the mild hybrid system that will help a lot in resale. Obviously that would mean buying a 2019 or newer but I can tell you sure I would NEVER spend $30k+ on a 2015 vehicle regardless if it's fully loaded or not (unless it has only 10k miles on it). I got my CPO 2019 Hemi Etorque for $28k, so save your money for something newer... it'll cost the same if not a little less.

 

[Andymax]

Go test drive both. Try to find a 1500 CC with 6'4 bed. Also . If you're not pulling a ton of weight or hauling a lot of heavy loads....my recommendation is a 1500 Hemi Etorque. The Etorque is the mild hybrid system that will help a lot in resale. Obviously that would mean buying a 2019 or newer but I can tell you sure I would NEVER spend $30k+ on a 2015 vehicle regardless if it's fully loaded or not (unless it has only 10k miles on it). I got my CPO 2019 Hemi Etorque for $28k, so save your money for something newer... it'll cost the same if not a little less.

He's talking Canadian Dollars...not USD so the numbers are reasonable.

To the OP...Yeah, that's a tough spot...but given you are smart with money, and resale values staying strong, especially for the HD diesels, you take on very little risk if you buy one and decide it's not for you. Always easy to resell.

I was in a similar-ish quandary myself...didn't need the HD but wanted one and loved the idea of how much more I could do with it. But, I ended up in a 1500 Laramie Hemi....and I'm pretty darn happy with it.

Good luck!

 

[PowerJrod]

He's talking Canadian Dollars...not USD so the numbers are reasonable.

To the OP...Yeah, that's a tough spot...but given you are smart with money, and resale values staying strong, especially for the HD diesels, you take on very little risk if you buy one and decide it's not for you. Always easy to resell.

I was in a similar-ish quandary myself...didn't need the HD but wanted one and loved the idea of how much more I could do with it. But, I ended up in a 1500 Laramie Hemi....and I'm pretty darn happy with it.

Good luck!

My bad. Still...my advice on the 1500 stands.
$33k CAN ends up being like $26.5k US..I guess that's not bad but there are still better deals out there.

 

[kelaog]

My bad. Still...my advice on the 1500 stands.
$33k CAN ends up being like $26.5k US..I guess that's not bad but there are still better deals out there.

Thanks for the advice! I hadn't really considered the E-torque but I spent the morning digging into it. I forgot that even came out. I realized you were talking in USD. Unfortunately we get slaughtered in buying power up here. Wages are comparable, dollar is worth less . Taxes are slightly higher, but hey, free health care. Personally if I could relocate to Montana I would do it in a heart beat, not because I dislike Canada, it's just a massive pay bump for me to go down there with zero loss to my health care coverage. Montana is also beautiful Off topic.

You are right, I need to test-drive both and decide. I also want my girlfriend to be comfortable driving the HD. I told her it'll be a little bigger than the 1500 but the turning radius will be way worse so parking is more difficult. Fortunately we live in a smallish town and parking isn't that big of an issue. I grew up living in a big city and had no issue parking my 1500 in the tightest underground spots

Problem I'm finding is dealers have nothing in stock around here right now so test driving the two back to back is difficult to achieve.

 

[kelaog]

He's talking Canadian Dollars...not USD so the numbers are reasonable.

To the OP...Yeah, that's a tough spot...but given you are smart with money, and resale values staying strong, especially for the HD diesels, you take on very little risk if you buy one and decide it's not for you. Always easy to resell.

I was in a similar-ish quandary myself...didn't need the HD but wanted one and loved the idea of how much more I could do with it. But, I ended up in a 1500 Laramie Hemi....and I'm pretty darn happy with it.

Good luck!

Good points. I think I'd be pretty damn happy in anything laramie regardless of engine option haha. They are nice trucks for sure. To be clear, I do really enjoy driving the hemi trucks--great engines. What made the final decision for you? Price? Obviously a 2500/3500 diesel in the same trim would have been a LOT more.

If I was really smart with my money I'd buy a 20k CAD truck and drive it until the wheels fall off and invest the rest. I can almost trade straight across for that with my current vehicle equity... It would still be a nice upgrade from the Dakota. Minimal risk in that scenario. It would also be nice to upgrade to a bigger/newer house. One thing is for damn sure about money, you can never make enough of it....

 

[Andymax]

For me, certainly price was a factor. I was also torn between Ford and Ram. But what settled the debate in my mind was realizing how I would REALLY use the truck, and truth is I drive lots of highway miles (for work- and not towing) and the comfort vs. utility argument swayed hard towards the half ton. The interior of the 2019+ Laramie is what what decided the Ford/Ram debate...the Ford feels like it's 15 years old on a 2020 model. (although, for me the Ford seats were a bit more comfortable...small compromise). Once I decided on the half ton over the HD, I had to decide gas vs diesel. Having owned an EcoDiesel Jeep, I was tempted to stay with the Diesel because of the mileage, but in the end, with all the emissions crap and other unresolved issues I decided to simplify and go with the gasser.

I figure, with the money saved, if I ever really needed a HD I could always rent one...and, again, if I change my mind I can always sell and change it up.

 

[kelaog]

For me, certainly price was a factor. I was also torn between Ford and Ram. But what settled the debate in my mind was realizing how I would REALLY use the truck, and truth is I drive lots of highway miles (for work- and not towing) and the comfort vs. utility argument swayed hard towards the half ton. The interior of the 2019+ Laramie is what what decided the Ford/Ram debate...the Ford feels like it's 15 years old on a 2020 model. (although, for me the Ford seats were a bit more comfortable...small compromise). Once I decided on the half ton over the HD, I had to decide gas vs diesel. Having owned an EcoDiesel Jeep, I was tempted to stay with the Diesel because of the mileage, but in the end, with all the emissions crap and other unresolved issues I decided to simplify and go with the gasser.

I figure, with the money saved, if I ever really needed a HD I could always rent one...and, again, if I change my mind I can always sell and change it up.

Simplification is definitely a factor. I also agree with you about the ford interiors outside of the lariats--I looked briefly at some ford trucks because I do like the eco-boost and the room in the crew cab but the interior swayed me back to ram pretty fast. Owning a diesel through the winter can be a pita with fuel gelling etc. I had a few weeks where I couldn't get my car to start well. ended up being glow plugs for most of the hard starting but there is something else not quite right as well. No codes. I think this is more of a car specific problem rather than a diesel problem mind you .

I did find this today in the next town over. It's a 1500 sport crew with the extended box. This fits my ask list pretty nicely actually. Price is good for what it is as well.
Marketplace - 2015 RAM 1500 | Facebook

 

[PowerJrod]

Simplification is definitely a factor. I also agree with you about the ford interiors outside of the lariats--I looked briefly at some ford trucks because I do like the eco-boost and the room in the crew cab but the interior swayed me back to ram pretty fast. Owning a diesel through the winter can be a pita with fuel gelling etc. I had a few weeks where I couldn't get my car to start well. ended up being glow plugs for most of the hard starting but there is something else not quite right as well. No codes. I think this is more of a car specific problem rather than a diesel problem mind you .

I did find this today in the next town over. It's a 1500 sport crew with the extended box. This fits my ask list pretty nicely actually. Price is good for what it is as well.
Marketplace - 2015 RAM 1500 | Facebook

As much as I like my Ram... honestly I was more comfortable sitting in my 2014 F150. And that was just a STX lol.

 

[PowerJrod]

Thanks for the advice! I hadn't really considered the E-torque but I spent the morning digging into it. I forgot that even came out. I realized you were talking in USD. Unfortunately we get slaughtered in buying power up here. Wages are comparable, dollar is worth less . Taxes are slightly higher, but hey, free health care. Personally if I could relocate to Montana I would do it in a heart beat, not because I dislike Canada, it's just a massive pay bump for me to go down there with zero loss to my health care coverage. Montana is also beautiful Off topic.

You are right, I need to test-drive both and decide. I also want my girlfriend to be comfortable driving the HD. I told her it'll be a little bigger than the 1500 but the turning radius will be way worse so parking is more difficult. Fortunately we live in a smallish town and parking isn't that big of an issue. I grew up living in a big city and had no issue parking my 1500 in the tightest underground spots

Problem I'm finding is dealers have nothing in stock around here right now so test driving the two back to back is difficult to achieve.

It's like a seller's market for trucks right now lol. It's funny you mention Montana...we almost just moved there since my girl put in for a military position at one of the bases there. But transfer was not accepted to looks like we're staying in Las Vegas for now lol.

 

[PowerJrod]

Simplification is definitely a factor. I also agree with you about the ford interiors outside of the lariats--I looked briefly at some ford trucks because I do like the eco-boost and the room in the crew cab but the interior swayed me back to ram pretty fast. Owning a diesel through the winter can be a pita with fuel gelling etc. I had a few weeks where I couldn't get my car to start well. ended up being glow plugs for most of the hard starting but there is something else not quite right as well. No codes. I think this is more of a car specific problem rather than a diesel problem mind you .

I did find this today in the next town over. It's a 1500 sport crew with the extended box. This fits my ask list pretty nicely actually. Price is good for what it is as well.
Marketplace - 2015 RAM 1500 | Facebook

Really nice looking Ram. If be cautious with the mileage though...it's out of warranty, if you look at it, check thoroughly for rust...that will be a key indicator in how it was treated...at least on the outside.

 

[Site-r]

The cumming engine is bullet proof. They go 300,000-400,000 miles with reasonable maintenance. My wife also loves driving our 2500 crew cab. Without a load, I get 19-20 mpg without hills or winds.
Oh I forgot to mention that I had a F-150 before and there is no comparison for us.

 

[TAJ45]

Heck, if i were to buy a new Ram right now, it would be the
2021 Ram 1500 HFE EcoDiesel gets 33 MPG on the highway.

I think a more accurate statement would be: It gets 33mpg on the EPA test rollers w zero wind resistance and no undercarriage turbulence.
Yes....all epa #s are apples to apples but NOT real world.
From my reading on here, 28 seems more realistic if figuring operating costs.