Hopefully this post will not be too long. I drove the subject Ram 2500 yesterday. I have divided this post into three sections for organization: 1. My reasoning for a pickup and not an SUV; 2. My impressions of the test drive and 3. my concerns and questions resulting from 1&2.
1. One poster mentioned the very appropriate question about getting an SUV IN PLACE OF a pickup, given my people-hauling duties. This is a great point. I have looked at SUV's and the one that has been BY FAR the best I have driven is the Infiniti QX56, at a mere $70K!! My needs really do best favor a truck. While I haul people I do pull some and use the bed almost daily for one thing or another. I do not think I could do without a pickup, even if I got a large SUV, so why not have both in one? The other thing I should mention is that I like diesels and I like heavy duty trucks. For me, even though my duties could likely be adequately done by a 1/2 ton truck (and I have considered this seriously), where I live even if not doing a lot of heavy hauling puts a lot of strain on the components. As an example my next door neighbor has an F150 and his wife a GMC Yukon Denali and they are constantly having brake jobs, suspension/shock issues and tire wear from living on our very steep mountain. For me, I still have significant tread on my second set of tires and have never had to have the brakes done. I have also never had a mechanical issue with my truck. My point here is that the heavier suspension and components of any of the 3/4 ton trucks offers benefits for me beyond those of just heavy hauling. I should note that these trucks are expensive as was well-discussed by a couple of posters, but really my view is that they are no more expensive, and likely less expensive, than any other nice vehicle to operate. If one chooses to buy new (to each his own) usually the trade-in value holds well on these type trucks. I was offered, just last month, by the dealer from whom I bought my truck $35,000 in trade for a new GMC and as stated my truck has well over 70K miles on it (nearing 80). I paid just over $50K in OTD pricing, so these trucks have not seemingly gone up much if any in actual adjusted price and I have driven the fool out of my truck for the depreciation. I would argue there are not many vehicles out there that hold value any better than a diesel truck, even with the higher fuel costs we currently endure.
2. I was impressed by the Ram. Specifically, I liked the tight feel and what I perceived to be quick-handling relative to its large size. The Cummins HO engine seemed very stout on the bottom end, but did not seem to have quite the mid-range power by feel of my Duramax. I have driven an older Dodge 2500 owned by a friend (2006) and it is obvious this one has much more power. I really liked the interior. The stitching on the Longhorn seats was a bit excessive, but the seats felt more comfortable to me than those in my current truck and the interior was as roomy as I expected, especially the back seat and storage where I need it most. I was a little disappointed in the trim work as some of the molding was cut irregularly and the speaker in the dash was misaligned, but aside from those two things the truck seemed well put together. I looked it over thoroughly and the door seams were even, the paint good and the trim work well done (though I personally was not happy to hear it was assembled in Mexico--thoughts on that?) The Ram Box is a nice feature and was present on this truck, but does take about 6" off the width of the inner bed area. This does not bother me but I wonder whether it could affect resale if potential buyers are looking for more in-bed room than a locking "truck trunk." These things said my current truck is still very solid and handles quite well also, even with miles on it.
3. This brings me to some concerns. I liked the Ram truck. I have never owned a Ram nor do I have much knowledge of those that do. This truck does meet some of the needs I have for a vehicle and offers the increased interior room that I am wanting v. my current truck. That said, my current truck has been flawless and I have reluctance to sell or trade away a truck that is a known entity and that I like. I can afford either, but like everyone else, I am trying to keep costs down where I can and do not want to make a foolish move to achieve a perceived and highly-specific benefit. If one has knowledge to answer these specific concerns, I would appreciate his/her input:
1. Resale value. I have heard (and experienced) that GMC/Ford have good resale in diesels. I have heard Ram is less good, even in diesel. Is this true and if so how much? I would not want a truck that held value more poorly than that which I have had.
2. I was impressed with the tight feel of the Ram. Does the 2500 level Ram have the suspension and frame integrity to hold up over long miles and tough terrain or do they lose drivability with higher miles (for example, my truck still seems pretty tight with few rattles and handles about the same as when new).
3. Are there any specific problem areas with the 2500 diesel Rams?
4. Power. Some articles I have read indicate the Cummins is down on power v. the new Duramax and power stroke. My seat-of-the pants impression was that this is likely not the case, but what have others heard/experienced?? I do not need a race truck, but do want something that will run. I also do not believe in chips, exhausts, etc. Been there, done that as they say.
5. Dealer. I was not overly impressed by the dealer. I only went there because it was close to my parents' house and I was going there to visit--and they had a truck that was similar to that in which I had interest. They did give me a good price relative to the cost of the truck ($52,300 on a $63,250 truck for straight sale--I did not work them as I did not know if I had real interest), but I have had an excellent dealer experience at my current GMC dealer though the service manager, who I found fantastic to work with, is now gone from there. I would be reluctant to go away from my current dealer unless there were substantial reasons to do so.
4. Warranty. Does anyone have knowledge of how well Dodge/Ram stands behind its product? I am reminded on how NOT well Ford stood behind its 6.0L trucks with problems and would not want to consider a product that was backed with similar laxity by the manufacturer if one has an issue.
Thanks for the input. I would close by adding this: my questions are as much meant to discuss our respective thoughts on these trucks and the improvements and cost relative to their benefit. Having owned two of the "big three" makers, I have no particular brand loyalty, aside from the fact I have had a good dealer experience with my current ride and appreciate that, and I really do not even have to trade, but I will likely be into the six digit mileage within the next six months or so given current usage. I have an interest in vehicles and spend a lot of "windshield time" making the process of looking at these vehicles one of importance to me. For those who may have an interest, I just last month went with my dad to buy himself a new 2012 F150. It is 2wd, but has the Ecoboost (my suggestion to him), so I have all the brands now covered.
John M
