2013 Ram 1500 vs. Ford F-150 V6 Pickup Truck Comparison Test
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2013 Ram 1500 vs. Ford F-150 V6 Pickup Truck Comparison Test
The 2013 Ram 1500 and 2013 Ford F-150 pickup trucks offer serious V6 engines that make more than 300 horsepower, the perfect excuse for a comparison test.
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Back in '96, we owned a new Chevy 16' box van with a Vortec 350, and that well out performed this new V-10-powered Ford, even when we had it packed to the gills.
Ford's V10 is definitely a gutless lump. I've driven two examples of it and I could not believe how sluggish it is. No bottom end, no upper end, no nothing. Uses a lot of fuel though. And it is tremendously loud, so I suppose the fuel is being put to SOME use. Ford's new diesel is a very impressive powerplant, however.
In fact, these incentives in some cases make the more powerful versions of these trucks cheaper than the V6's, as does the "express " package on Rams. (20's and Hemi included)
Ford's 3.7, as every other V6 truck until now, is a fleet special. Try to find one that actually looks like the one you tested, in the real world they're all white XLs with bench seats. It has no retail presence and it was never intended to.
Dodge wants the V6 Ram to be a consumer product and they're putting that motor in $30,000 4WD crew cabs. 10 different ways of saying the powertrain is better than a stripper work truck isn't telling us anything.
Where's mileage and drivability against the V8s they're trying to sell this as an alternative to?
1/ GVWR. Trucks are used to move things. The greater the GVWR, the more you can move. Ford gvwr is 8200# max. Ram gvwr is 6000# max. This is a huge difference. With Ford F150 you can mount a decent 2000# camper. You cannot do this on the RAM1500. F150 has far greater towing abilities, too.
2/ Engine Torque. Torque is what gets you going under load, and keeps you going uphill when rpm starts dropping, not HP. Ford torque is 420#. Ram is only 260#. This is a huge difference.
3/ Transmission. Under heavy loads, you want fewer gear changes, not more. More changes means more work and tear on the tranny.
4/ Limited slip rear axle. Under load and slippery conditions, you want traction to both wheels. The question is how much torque the diffy can take, and Ford exceeds RAM.
5/ Brakes. Under load, any tech that can reduce the frequency you need to apply the brakes (and thus reduce fading) gives you that much more braking power and security. Ford does, RAM does not.
6/ Suspension. Under heavy load, any suspension will reduce vehicle control. This is why the big semi rigs often have no suspension on the trailer. So far, the best suspension for heavy loads is axle with leafs. Coils are good for comfort, but not loads: at least not yet, given the current tech put into trucks. Much more R&D is needed by all truck mfgrs to engineer proper independent suspensions for heavy loads.
7/ Seats. The reviewer has ignored the most important item in the cab; the seats. Bucket seats with lumbar are best for long hauls. Even so, American mfgrs are the poorest among all mfgrs. The truck seats engineered by Benz and Volvo are vastly superior for safety and comfort, and have air suspensions. Again, this is an item American mfgrs need to improve enormously, and quickly. Ford offers buckets with lumbar, which is far better than RAM.
RAM may be good for a truck used as a car. But Ford gives you a truck to be used as a truck. The specs prove this.