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Nissan Titan vs. Dodge Ram Hemi
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Comments
The fact is on the road the Titan does have more power than the Dodge Hemi both in Torque and in HP and it shows in all the tests and reviews that the Nissan Titan takes the #1 position for power.
That being said, the Dodge is a very good truck and it is possible it takes the #1 position in other areas besides power. Anybody who buys/bought a Dodge w/Hemi, probably got excellent value for the money. I didn't buy one because unfortuntely, they have a bad (probably undeserved) reputation in my area for quality and resale. I know the Titan doesn't even have a rep yet, but I am willing to take a chance because i owned a Fronty and it had great reliablity and quality and resale.
I also heard horror stories about the gas mileage from buddies who own them. I know the Titan might not be better, but I don't know it won't.
Just my 2 cents
the titan will do it all too...just with a little snap in the throttle!
Better? In order to reduce power loses in drive train components you must reduce component loads, both from friction and inertia. In practical terms that means to reduce inertia loads, lighter components. To reduce friction, smaller bearing contact area. Is that better? Maybe not if you want consistent work being done in the upper range of capacity.
Even Nissan can't violate the laws of physics.
The Hemi produces 300 lbs. ft. of torque at idle speed. Show me your torque/rpm specs.
>>>...which is why it STILL has a higher towing/payload rating than the dodge<<<
Towing and payload ratings have much more to do with brakes and suspension than engine power, so the conclusion is baseless. Besides, the National Highway and Traffic Administration is starting to look at the claims of LD truck manufacturers as to towing and payload ratings. We may be finding out that maybe the manufacturers are pushing for numbers. Now wouldn't that deflate a few salespersons egos.
I was under the impression from both experience (friends with big tranny bills) and reading that Dodge might have some minor (maybe major) tranny problems.
The biggest problem, Dusty, is we just don't know beause the Titan hasn't been out long enough to know it's endurance.
At the moment, there are only assumptions regarding the Titan's drive train design. For that matter, quality, too.
82% at idle (299) and 92% (336) at 2200 rpm.
the question, mr. hemi master, is what rpm does the dodge reach 335 lb. ft.???
(sigh) Oh, yeah. The obviousness of the Dodge hatred campaign is getting so boring. By now it is clear that we have an unhappy ex-Dakota owner in here with an axe to grind at every post. Expect nothing more than the "Dodge is junk" bias with heaps of anecdota evidence.
The implicit message is of course all of us Dodge owners are intellectually inept, since, by the virtue of the machinery we own and the dentigerous proclamations made by the self-serving... we are the unwashed. Especially if it is not a Nissan we own.
It seems that in the last few months the incipient Titan zealots has managed to out-do Chevy owners at ego, brag and self-assigned superiority. Hold on Nissan! Your friends in here are going to do the same for you as Chevy owners have done for GM!
One saving grace. At least the Chevy guys will always be able to get parts.
I don't know. You tell me.
345 CID Hemi (RAM 1500 only) = 301 HP @ 900 rpm, 345 HP @ 5400 rpm; 375 lbs. ft. @ 4200 rpm
Manufacturers usually have independent laboratories certify the horsepower and torque specifications for engines on a engine dyno. Manufacturers are not compelled, however, to publish that data and they may elect to use their own dyno readings for published specifications.
Manufacturers have not, at least in my memory or knowledge, relied on or published chassis dyno specifications. The reasons is pretty simple. First, the chassis dyno is not anymore of a realiable indicator of real service power as the engine dyno. Second, there are enough manufacturing tolerances and variables to render the chassis dyno a inaccurate way of forecasting real power.
Your inquiry, however, was as good one. There is really no standard for chassis dyno setups, although 40 BHP load use to be the standard. They are only relative to each other. A more accurate method would be comparative measurements ON THE SAME DYNO WITH THE SAME SETUP.
It is a completely new design. The 360 LA engine has no component relation to the 345 Hemi.
At the moment, there are only assumptions regarding the Titan's drive train design. For that matter, quality, too"
Hey big guy, I agree with the 2nd part as I had said earlier. I am not sure with the first one, though. I guess it could be any number of factors from design, to inferior parts, to assembly, to driver error. But if it is driver error, then the Dodge drivers I know are bad drivers :-).
But for what it is worth, I would buy the Dodge before the Ford or GM! I am not sure about the new Tundra DC, though. I would have to put both them through a good test drive and evaluation.
I have to say, there are a lot of new Rams driving around my city - so a lot of people like them. I hope they kick the F-150 because I just don't get it with that truck (I can't stand the exterior look of the airplane sized windows and high bed and doors) and I (contrary to most people) did not like the interior at all, both in comfort and looks.
Which brings me to another reason for my Titan purchase, I bought the first one in my city (another guy bought a KC last week and actually got it - my CC is still on order) and I like the fact that there are very few around. I like to be a bit different as long as I like what I am getting - and I do!
cheers
The truth is that Dodge automatic transmission failure rates are no better or worse than the competition. In addition, all Dodge transmissions are not the same. The Hemi only comes with the 545RFE in the RAM 1500. This transmission is as solid as any on the market today. Much better than the 4LE60 or 4LE80s found on GMs, yet you don't ever seem to hear the same thing said about them.
I did overlook one very big thing - my friends don't have the Hemi!! So your point about the Hemi trans is a very good one. Much like Ford made the worlds worst tranny in the windstar; then a pretty good one in the F-150 - Dodge could do the same with different Ram tranny's.
Aggie - Good point about the Tundra. Your right, we will see about the Titan.
I now have to question where you've been for the last ten years. The poly-coated wheel has been around for at least that long and EVERYBODY does it. My wife's Avalon has them and so do Lexus models and Nissan Maximas. My daughter's '02 Altima has them as well. I'd be carefull. You might find that the Titan has them too.
At least Dodge offers it either way if you don't like them if it's true. I'm not aware of any other version that does it both ways.
By the way, Dodge uses a different process which has proven to be very robust. My wife's Avalon wheels looked like crap after two years. So far my Dakota wheels look like I polish them at every car wash, but I don't.
>>>Dodge will always be behind Ford and Chevy in quality unless they show some real initiative.<<<
Well, this is a highly modified version of a post previous post where you flatly stated that "Dodge is junk and always will be...." Let me tell you that in the last four years or better my company's Ford fleet has gone downhill with respect to reliability and cost of ownership. Our Dodges, especially the newer ones have been solid with very few problems. As to Dodge being behind in quality to Ford, that's too close to call. But as to GM, absolutely pure unadulterated BS. We converted from 18 years of being 100% GM LD PUs to Ford in '97 because GMs were pitiful. We cut repair cost better than 60% by going to Ford.
So don't try to make me believe that Dodge is worse than GM when it comes trucks. That comment just validates both your opinion of Dodge and mine of your biased opinion.
Come to Texas where Dodge's are free!
as a matter of fact, other than autozone's supoplier, i think dodge is the only one.
What Dodge does not offer are "hub caps" of any type on the 1500 series. Even the base RAM offers a styled, steel wheel...yes, with a little plastic cap that covers the spindle. Whoopie!
Boy, you guys are scraping the barrel trying to denegrate a Dodge. Talk about hypocrisy, man, people criticize the Titan for cheap looking interior or a body that looks like an art decco refrigerator, and you get all miffed.
As far as "plastic" goes, I wish Toyota would have made the wheels of our junk Avalon out of plastic. They sure couldn't have looked any worse after four-and-half years!
second, the ram DOES offer chrome imitation hub caps. they were on a ram we just traded for...on a titan.
My own feelings are that you are just as wrong to refer to Asian car manufacturer's as 'HatcheeScratchee' as someone is to refer to domestics as 'junk'. Further, I have no idea what 'Chinese Chrome' is, but it appears to me to be a thinly veiled racial remark. I hope that is not the case.
And I don't believe the Dodge Ram vs. Nissan Titan topic is dead, simply because they fill different niches in the market and will compete for some overlapping customers.
Regards,
AGGIE
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True. But is the Avalon or the Altima less a car because they have plastic parts on their wheels?? As to plastic on the wheels, the '99 Lexus did have them and I remember taking the wheels off of a Maxima that had them, but I don't remember the year.
>>>second, the ram DOES offer chrome imitation hub caps. they were on a ram we just traded for...on a titan.<<<
The 2002, 2003, and 2004 Dodge sales information DOES NOT show a "hub cap" for any RAM 1500 series wheel. So maybe Dodge made some for a fleet or utility truck, but maybe they didn't. Since you can buy signature stuff at Autozone, maybe that's exactly where it came from.
If you go back a ways in this thread I think the same sentiment was stated about "Americans," even though that's who assembles all those "beautiful" Titans.
OK, this is Ram vs. Titan. Why are you posting Mazda stuff???? <grin>
i guess even dodge knows how cheap they look...i wouldnt advertis eit either. ;-)
but yes, they are available. WITH the hemi, and even in a crew cab.
I had a 95 Nissan pickup with aluminum wheels that had the same type of plastic cover that had a satin "chrome" finish that inserted into the wheel to cover the lug nuts.
Keep in mind he is a saleman who is pushing his product. Like a politician when the mouth moves it does not necessarily issue facts but rather what he wants you to hear.
As an aside I have the "chrome clad" 20" wheels on my Ram. I would have preferred the polished aluminum wheels when I purchased my Ram but I bought off of the lot and that is what the floor manager saw as selling best. In retrospect I'm glad I got these wheels. They always look bright and shiny, like they were just waxed. I suppose if the finish were to get damaged it would be an issue but it would also be an issue on a polished wheel as well.
Stop in if you can. Heck if we could get enough interest we might even be able to create a Pickups Chat!
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That option is not available with the cheap plastic Nissan interior, just like the one in the Altima. World class cars and trucks with cheap plastic interiors. One of the reasons I did not buy another Altima but the main one was the dealer would not order me a stripped v6 Altima. Based on our experience with our Dodge trucks (which replaces a Ford which replaced the Nissan) we bought a 2002 DODGE NEON R/T. I can hear it now, a NEON!!! However it has been a perfect car with only oil changes and required warranty maintenance for almost 30,000 miles.
That's one reason why I never liked the Ford....never will. I knew there was a reason a lot of people consider them to be junk.
Yeah, Iowa, I hear you. It's amazing how we have learned so much about the product prowess of a Ford-Nissan salesperson. Let's see, first it was the RAM had the same frame from half-ton to full-ton. Wrong. It was the the RAM didn't have drive-by wire. Wrong. RAM didn't have a 5-speed auto (actually, a 6-speed). Wrong. The 5.4 Ford had more torque than the Hemi. Wrong. The Hemi was only "limited availability" and the base RAM was $30K. Wrong. It was........(sigh) never mind.
Well, at least I know now what defines the real "quality" of any car or truck. It's whether they have any plastic anywhere on the wheels.
Give us your retired soup cans and old MacDonald's Happly Meal action figures and we'll make Titans out of them (but we promise not to use any plastic on the wheels!).
Titan. Such a joke!
On another topic, does anybody else hate how the car rag's only test fully loaded, top of the line models in the comparison tests? I was reading Car and Driver's comparison of crew cab p/u's and wishing they would test the base models all the way around. I think that the features included in the base price of a vehicle is the best way to see how much value it offers. So, how does the SL Ram QC compare with a Titan XE? and how much value do you think each offers?
545RFE gear ratios:
1st gear = 3.00:1
2nd gear = 1.67:1 (1)
2nd gear = 1.50:1 (2)
3rd gear = 1.00:1
4th gear = 0.75:1
5th gear = 0.67:1
rev gear = 3.00:1
Anyway, I asked what the "super tough" coating was and the guy told me, "...the same stuff Chrysler uses..." which is a highly clear PVC coating. Like yours, mine looks brand new when washed. No cracks, corrosion or imperfections yet.
Regards,
Dusty
ho-hum no frills work it hard models that used to be the norm to the daily gotta have something to keep those kids quiet family mover that have things like XM and Sirius, DVD players, and Navigation systems. I think most people who buy a vehicle usually go for middle to top model with a few going for a no frills models.
Although with that C/D comparo the Titan did win that one. But still a new model that needs to be seen on how well it holds up in the long run.
1st gear = 3.00:1
2nd gear = 1.67:1 (1)
2nd gear = 1.50:1 (2)
3rd gear = 1.00:1
4th gear = 0.75:1
5th gear = 0.67:1
The subliminal American education issues aside, there are SIX forward gear ratios in the Dodge 545RFE.
Six. There are SIX, yes, SIX, forward gear ratios in the Dodge 545RFE. To repeat, they are:
1st gear = 3.00:1
2nd gear = 1.67:1 (1)
2nd gear = 1.50:1 (2)
3rd gear = 1.00:1
4th gear = 0.75:1
5th gear = 0.67:1
Now let me guess, I think I'm going to hear that the Titan (or Ford) must have seven if the Dodge has six!
I guess the Titan can't stand on it's own merits without trying to denegrate the competition.
Are all car salespeople this insecure?
(Sorry. The question was rhetorical)
Getting Ford & Chevy quality in a Dodge is a thing I hope never happens.