I am thinking of buying a Ford F150 v8 5.4L or a Dodge Ram 1500 v8 5.9L truck.

Are there any problems with either vehicle I should be aware of which could help me decide which one to buy?

Thanks for any and all help.
Russ....

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What do you think A FORD

 

I hope I can give you some insite. The Dodge is running a 360, which is a great dodge engine. I don't know what the specs for hp/torque are on the Ram, but I would be sure that Ford would have higher on both, and should get better mpgs. My advice is to drive both, and get the one you like and feel more comfortable with. You can take anyones advice, but remember your the one driving it!

Good luck!

 

If you want a long lasting truck get the Ford.

 

The Dodge 360 is proven and bullit proof. The problem is with the auto transmission and front brakes. The Dodge has a solid axle front end, no cv boots but a harsher ride. I liked my Dodge (old style), but now have an F150 and no regrets.

 

Get the F-150, it has more payload and towing capacity as well as rear legroom and in my opinion, a more usable rear seat due to the 60/40 split and if I remember from a test drive, the rear seat floor area is flat (front to back) unlike the Ram's which has a bump. For me that makes it a bit more useful. The mileage is rated to be better with the 5.4l Triton. I may be wrong but the bed is also deeper in the F-150 which means you can load more stuff. Dodge also has a reputation for cantankerous trannies and longer braking distance. I test drove a 4x4 Ram, and I must say that the handling is quite fine for a truck and I like the center seat better since it is wider. Both trucks look marvelous, personally I like the F-150's look the best but the Ram is a very close second. I wouldn't buy a Ram 1500, but I might buy a Ram 2500 Cummins.

Leo dC

 

this is sure to be a hot topic. I just sold my 98 ram 2500 5.9 4x4 it would and has pulled fords and chevy all over you can not beat the soild front axle for pulling and mud bogging, no cv boots to tear, also alot less parts, if you get serious into off road they even make conversion kits to change from and independant suspenion to soild. but the ride is a little rough and the milage was about the same my ford gets louse milage so did my dodge. If you are looking for great milage i would by a little car.I didnt buy my truck with gas milage as my number one concern. It was a great truck execpt for tranny problems it was replaced under warranty, but the fords here are not trouble free either. The olny reason i am driving a ford now is that i get the "a" plan it saved me about 6000 dollars. I would get what ever you can afford and you like they all have their pros and cons. I liked my dodge and my chevy before that, i like my ford as well, All execpt the stupid turn siganl that is to touchey it cancels out to easily. good luck

P.S.> i did have alot of trouble leasing through G.E. capital they SUCK!!!!! Don't lease though them they do NOT ALLOW ANY stone chips or dings or dents on the truck and this was the best no scratches in the box or on on the tail gate at all. I lost my deposit and my truck was mint execpt for the normal stone chips Ilive in MI lots of loose gravel and road construction here. The MI state animal is a barricad.

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2000 blk xlt f150 sc 4x4 orp pkg 5.4 3.55 ls tow pkg flowmaster muffler air box mod herculiner ,sony 10 disc cd-player A.R.E. cap remote start

 

Personally, I'd go for the Ford. If you do decide on the Dodge, make sure you get the optional tail-gate heater. (so your hands don't get cold when you have to push it) LOL

 

I personally think the F-150 is the best truck to buy! I too was looking at the Dodge Ram and the more research I did, the more problems I found with the Dodge. I heard and read them having alot of problems with their trannies and breaks. I just received my Lariat on 2-8-00 and I know my choice was the right one! But, I think with you doing this research.... you'll come up with your own choice. That's the most important thing. A good place I found to get info was at www.fightingchance.com .

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2000 F-150 Lariat 4x2, Amazon Green/Clearcoat Metallic, SuperCab, Styleside, 5.4 Liter V8, Class III Tow-Package,Limited Slip Rear(3.55), K&N Filter.

 

Go with the Ford. That 360 only makes 245hp and I think 330 ftlbs, comparing that to the 5.4l which makes 260hp and 350 ftlbs. The dodge has a WEAK auto tranny, and brakes are very stellar either. The ride is very rough also, and which the f150 rides like a car, and runs as fast and faster than one.

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Fast46Triton ®

1999 Fast46triton Edition® Ford F150 XLT Supercab, Shortbed, 4x2, 4 wheel disc brakes/4 wheel Anti-Lock Brakes, Cloth Seats, Amazon green, 16" All season tires, Soft Tonneau Cover, CD Player, 4.6 liter Triton V8, 3:55 ls, towing package, 4 speed auto, K&N Airfilter

 

From all of the research I did before buying my truck...I would HIGHLY recommend the F-150 over the Dodge. Just about every reputable source says the Dodge is way overdue for a body style change, the 360 V8 consumes too much fuel, and reliability of the Dodge is way below average. The interior of the Dodge has been reported to look cheap and outdated. The Dodge tied the F-150 for top honors in recent crash tests..the Tundra and Chevy/GMC did not do as well.

I am more than impressed with the F-150..and I say this not because I am a FORD nut..but because it really is that good!

Sources: Consumer Reports, Edmunds, carpoint, Kelly Blue Book, and a few others.

Good luck..get the F-150!!!

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2000 F-150 XLT, 4x2, 5.4L Supercab, Styleside, Black with silver two-tone, 3.55, class III towing package with heavy duty cooling package, 4 wheel disk ABS, overhead console, sliding rear window, keyless entry, dark graphite interior, in dash CD, Pendaliner bedliner, K&N air filter, rubberized undercoating, cabin filtration system, Bugflector II, 5W-30 Mobil 1, engine build 10/4/99

 

I don't agree that the ride is rough. I have ridden in several ram 1/2tons, and they ride like most 2wd's. Every good trucker knows that a Solid axle is the way to go for a real 4x4. I think Dodge is coming out with a larger OHC engine to accompany the 4.7L in the Dakota.

 

who said the inteior was bad take a lok at your ford i have a 2000 xlt and it is not great it has a huge amount of plastic on the door panles and 99's had plastic visor(cheap) my dodge had a very nice set up and was very user friendly,like the seats on the chevy and dodge you lift alever and the seat comes forward and is easyer to get in the back ford you have to grab the bar under the seat that is a pain. dont get me wrong i like my ford but if i had not gotten a dicount i would be driving a dodge the price is lower and the amount of truck you get is the same. may be there are small differances but if it comes down to money and it made here in the us dodge would have replaced my 98 it was a very dependable truck. my buddie made fun it ugly but they never made fun wheny i was pulling there stuck a$$ ford and chevy out because of there IFS got them stuck. Also i feel it has more inside room as well i dont know that (like square inches of space but it felt more roomyer) gas milage was very close not enough to mention. Look at all the people here who complain about it every day, there is even a whole section devoted to it.
I am not bashing any brand here i am only telling my opion i get a new truck every two years so i am maybe more in touch with other models, at work we have chevy they are okay they get better milage that either of these. about 3-4 more mpg on the averge. but butt ugly and over priced but that is my opion

If you want a non-biased info go to other make boards as well and look there and talk to them. just about every one here will tell you by a ford (the obvious f150 online) this is my second ford the other being a 1987 f150 it was junk the suspenion (front) was junk alway replacing parts and it was alway where tires it need new I-beams, but that is my point eveyone here i am sure can tell you a horror story on there truck or another.

Drive one can you like it, buy it they are both great trucks. Enterprise retanl rent truck rent one drive it for a weekend rent the other drive it, that is how we bought my wife car, it's a good way to realt test drive them take them for a trip, or go shopping we found out how little room there is in a jeep grand cherokee.

good luck to you.

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2000 blk xlt f150 sc 4x4 orp pkg 5.4 3.55 ls tow pkg flowmaster muffler air box mod herculiner ,sony 10 disc cd-player A.R.E. cap remote start

 

I think Dodge is a little pricey compared to Ford
(at least on the 4x2s anyway)
I was driving a Nissan so I had no brand preference, and I found that Ford gave more truck for the $$$$.