New Vehicle quandry

I have a Dodge Charger Hellcat and a Dodge Charger 392. I also looked at Rams to stay in the family but opted for the Tacoma.

I don’t need a full size truck so that’s key in my situation. If I got the Ram I was gonna want a Hemi version and the MPG is horrible for what I need. Also you can’t beat Toyota holding its value over the long run. Only issues I had with my Dodge product was the Uconnect screen acting up but it did go away on its own.

I actually traded in my 392 for my Tacoma, no regrets.

 

Coworker has a 2020 RAM, less than 10K miles and has been serviced too many times... They also took days on some repairs and left him with a loaner. I think it's there now for problem #3

 

Fix It Again Tony! Ralm! Don't forget to pronounce the "L"

 

The Tacoma can feel a bit underpowered until you realize the power for these engines comes on at a higher RPM. Put your foot into it and the power is there and will make the truck scoot. I really wish they would have put the 4.0L engine from the 4Runner / FJCruisers in these trucks. Those made better low RPM torque. Still, it is a good engine and has plenty of get up and go.

 

My Tundra certainly had lots of power 381 hp

 

42k for a used truck ? Hell no

 

Another factor to consider was value as far as resale. Even though I plan to run my truck into the ground, the fact that my truck was only worth $5k less (before the market went up) than new was pretty big considering the F150's I was looking at were a year newer and worth $10-15k less than new. At least the ones I was looking for anyway.

 

OVtune helps a ton with the powerband issues.

 

OP If you are getting a truck to do mostly truck things (tow/haul) any full-size would be better than the Taco. If you are instead using the truck for light duty towing once in awhile, or a couple bags of topsoil on weekends the Taco would be hard to beat. If you plan on filling it with passengers then the Taco is probably too small.

Since this is a Taco forum my guess is anyone hanging out here likes their Taco. You might want to post on a Ram forum and see if you can get info there on why someone might have swapped their Taco for a Ram.

FWIW I've had two HD Rams: One 5.7 hemi and the other a Diesel. No issues with either and I absolutely loved the Diesel. Both my Tacos I ended up selling in less than two years (both bought new). Tranny issues with my 2nd Gen and no issues with my 3rd gen but was simply too doggy for me.

Both are good trucks. U.S News Report did a meta-analysis of the data and ranked the Tacoma next to last (11th) in reliability...ahead of only the Jeep Gladiator (Tundra was number 1, Ram was number 2) It's low ranking doesn't mean the Toyota is junk (far from it) just that the competition (and all vehicles in general) have greatly increased their reliability. It is like winning a Bronze in the Olympics. You are still a world-class competitor, but the entire field is just so good.

Link: https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/the-most-reliable-new-trucks-on-the-market

 

Definitely the Tacoma, in 5 years I would be surprised if they offered you 20K trade in for the Ram. I have owned and traded ram truck, the resale is abysmal compared to Toyota. One of the main reasons I own Toyotas now is because I was tired of seeing the horrible resale on domestic trucks over the same length of ownership and mileage.

The only reason I would buy a ram (or any other domestic truck) now is if I needed the capability and I could not find it anywhere else. I am kind of there at the moment, because I want to put together a truck camper rig and the Tundra doesn't quite have the payload for what I need. I am waiting for the 2022 tundra stats, and if they aren't something I can work with I will have to buy a domestic. If you need a full size truck, or think you need one over the tacoma I would wait a month or so and see what the new Tundra brings, if you don't like it there will always be Rams, If you buy the ram now and like the new tundra ( I am assuming you don't like the current one) you will lose your shirt in trade. If you buy the Tacoma now and find you want a full size and like the Tundra...you won't lose much at all.

 

Go with the Tacoma. Drive it for a year, or more, get ALL your money back, except insurance, gas, etc. If you don't like it, get
your Ram. We have had 5 4R's since 2012, trade at 50K on the odo. Never lost much on trade.
Most recent now, traded our '18 4R-4WD with 32K on the odo, for a new Tacoma OR-4DR-TRD. Dealer gave us 36584 for the 4R on trade. It had to go, lot of field work coming up, pickup makes more sense now. Rep says be here this week.
We paid 36442 for this 4R, April '18. Taco built 7/22, snagged and allotment end of May.
Where else are you going to get a deal like that ? We have an '04 Tacoma, never let us down. Picture one of our pickups in work mode, doing a field survey.
New Taco coming OR, MG.
As far as US News ranking trucks, I think they should stick to the wine and cheese crowd.
B 1

 

Toyota:

Eats Dodge
Farts Fords
Shts Chevy's

 

This is very true, it does. The OP should however, be aware of the potential powertrain related warranty implications of going into a dealership for warranty service with a non-factory ECM flash before making this decision. He should, IMHO, have a way to flash it back to a factory tune before taking it in if he chooses to go this route. Also be aware that as you drive the truck more miles it will learn how you drive it and adjust somewhat. It won't be as bad as the day you drove it out of the dealership. You will also adjust your driving to having a bit heavier foot to compensate for the early shifting, assuming you go with an AT. I only have about 1,700 miles on mine and it already drives much better than it did when I drove it off the dealer's lot.

 

I haven't heard a bad word about the last few year rams. Neighbor traded in his 2015 silverado that the dealers couldn't get rid of the chevy's shake for new 1500 ram. So far its the best full size truck he's ever had...loves the interior.

 

Maybe not as important to you but one of my main considerations was parking in today's "straight-in" parking lots with their narrow aisles and other inconsiderate drivers/pedestrians in those lots.
I prefer the Tacoma for all of my in town errand running.

 

I know a few coworkers who could tell you a few things. Then again I have a few others who could tell you a few things about GM products as well.

 

I once had a ram that went through 3 transmissions in 3 years. No towing or anything crazy just regular driving. Never again

 

Take it for what it’s worth…actual
personal experience as a business owner with a large fleet of trucks.

We run a fleet of rams: hd diesels for crew and utility trucks and the Hemi quad cabs for superintendents and area managers.

Many of the trucks rack up 25 to 30k miles per year and we have little if any issues with them. The 5.7 hemis routinely gets better mileage than my 2019 Tacoma, as do the diesels (if they are not excessively idled). They are far more comfortable for cruising than the Taco.

I am a Toyota fanboy - I own three, but this idea that Toyota’s don’t break down and all other brands do is stupid.

 

42k for a used Tacoma off-road seems like low value compared to a full size for 46k. I paid 35k for a new 2020 Tacoma off-road. YMMV based on your location.

 

I really appreciate everyone's comments and ideas regarding this purchase, except maybe the one about the Honda Ridgline.. :0