I went from a Gladiator Willys to an F150 XLT with the V8. Loved my Gladiator, but the F150 is faster, gets better gas mileage, and feels more solidly built. I wouldn’t consider another Stellantis vehicle.
Just speaking from my experience as a Ford fan. I’ve had mostly great experiences with Ford trucks—only had one major issue, and that was due to a bad repair from the previous owner.
A lot of the guys I work with have tried Dodge, but none of them kept theirs for more than 5-6 years. Some major issue would come up, they’d go to the dealer, and get talked into a new one. Seems like Dodge builds them to last just long enough to get you into the next one. Just my opinion, but I’ve seen a lot of Dodge trucks fail faster than Ford or Chevy.
F150 has a better cab, while Ram has more gadgets.
The main thing the Ram has going for it is the ZF8 transmission. I’ve got friends with newer Rams, and they shift super smoothly. Plus, the ride is comfortable, and UConnect is solid. But in terms of power, options, reliability, and build quality, I prefer the F150.
If you’re looking at used models, go for a 2015-2017 5.0 or 2.7, or any engine from 2023 onward. Ford was still figuring out the 10-speed in the in-between years, so they’re a bit less reliable.
Ford’s trims from lowest to highest:
XL,
XLT,
Lariat,
King Ranch,
Platinum,
Limited (up to 2023)
The XLT 302A package is popular—cloth seats but with nice extras like heated seats. If you go up to Lariat, you get leather seats.
@Halston
Thanks, this is super helpful. I didn’t realize I might be looking as far back as 2017 for a good engine. It’s hard to find a 2017 with low miles, though.
Hadley said:
@Halston
Thanks, this is super helpful. I didn’t realize I might be looking as far back as 2017 for a good engine. It’s hard to find a 2017 with low miles, though.
In 2017, the 5.0 and 2.7 had the old 6-speed transmission, which is solid. The 3.5 Ecoboost had the 10-speed, so you might want to avoid that one. Good luck!
@Halston
Quick question—does the 2.7 have enough power? It seems a bit small for a truck.
Hadley said:
@Halston
Quick question—does the 2.7 have enough power? It seems a bit small for a truck.
It’s a turbocharged V6, so it’s actually pretty responsive. It’s definitely enough for most half-ton buyers.
@True
Fair enough, that makes sense!
Hadley said:
@Halston
Quick question—does the 2.7 have enough power? It seems a bit small for a truck.
Yeah, it’s a great engine. Built by the Powerstroke team with a compact graphite iron block and forged internals, so it’s very solid. In the 2015-2017 range, it was often the fastest F150 engine because of its lower weight. As long as you’re not towing over 6k lbs regularly, it’s more than capable.