Ram or Gm /overall build quality

gregus73 · July 8, 2020

I feel the GM will be more reliable than the RAM. Even got the 6 year extended warranty for peace of mind. Absolutely love the truck.

I also have a Jeep Wrangler Sport 2 door with a 7 year warranty. Knock on wood... no issues.

Prior, I have had 2 Tacoma’s which were worry free. Never bothered getting the extended warranties on the Tacomas.

Mikedfw · July 8, 2020

One of the main reasons I bought the sierra was because I expected it to be more reliable, with fewer problems than ram based on what I'd heard, however, I have had nothing but problems with my sierra.

I really like the truck, but way too many issues to enjoy it. I've had to lemon law an f150 also. I really think it is just a crap shoot with american vehicles anymore.

Honestly, I'd say drive them both and get which ever one you like more. I dont personally think gm is really that much better quality than ram.

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superhighsierra · July 8, 2020

22 hours ago, bigRand said:

Have over 170k miles on my 11 Sierra 5.3, good truck. I’ve got tons of faith in GM but

was wanting to upgrade to possibly a Ram Laramie or an LTZ/SLT, both gas, both 4x4. (Don’t need the 6.2L)

i mainly test drove the the Ecodiesel due to the hype (turbo lag is horrendous), just seems like a headache waiting to happen but i know the 5.7/8 speed they offer is a great combo.

any reasons in particular why some of you who shopped both chose the GM twins over the ram?

At the end of the day it comes down to what you like more. Not gonna lie, I would have bought the Ram over the Chevy, but once I saw that I could get a loaded SLT for 42,500 it was a no brainer. To me, the Ram looks cheap/tacky on the interior. Some people like it, I thought it looked like trash with all the branding/stitching. And the exterior there is no comparison. The SLT's are the best looking trucks on the road by a mile (White Frost Tricoat is the way to go if you can find one).

The resale value on a SLT from this generation is also very good and will stay fairly high. The tax value on my 1 1/2 year old SLT 4x4 DC is 2,500 dollars more than what I paid for it. Now that isn't the end all be all but you get the point. Not going to lie though, the LTZ's don't look as good for whatever reason and some of the other trims/colors look weak. I wouldn't have bought any truck, just got to find one that checks all the boxes.

Ram is notorious for electronic/tranny problems as well. Whenever I pull up next to a Ram or see one in the parking lot there is no comparison. Those things are $hitboxes. However there are plenty of Chevy's and even some GMC's that I would be pissed if I paid close to 50k for... Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but don't think you can go wrong with a black/White Frost SLT with the convenience packages...

batman900 · July 8, 2020

When I was looking to upgrade recently I spent a lot of time on the RAM forums comparing issues. Unlike our forums where issues seem to be mostly in a pattern (if A happens, B is the cause) the RAM issues were just all over the place. It felt like if / when I would have a problem with that truck, it would be a new puzzle to put together and figure out for both me and the dealer. As others have said, no one makes a trouble free vehicle. I test drove 2 brand new Tundras a week ago, both had alignments so bad you'd think they were ran into a curb, they also both had a terrible highway vibration. I made a post about it on the Tundra forums and lots of people chimed in with the same issues on their new trucks.

TNTSierra · July 9, 2020

I have always been a GM guy ever since I bought my first 2001 S-10 ZR2 back in 2003. I have had great luck with them also. (knock on wood)

My buddy who owns a tinting business and leased a 2019 Ram last year for 3 years and it has been in the shop 4 times now for various recalls, ect...

I drove it to see how it compared to my 2018 Sierra SLT and though the 8 speed does shift smoothly, I wasn't that impressed with the 5.7L. The fit and finish of the truck is ok, but the doors seem cheap when you close them. I also look at pickuptrucks.com every morning, and Rams are being recalled all of the time it seems like on their website. I would choose a Ram over a Ford any-day though. Step-dad and father in law are Ford guys, and I am not impressed with their trucks. Can't believe they are the sales leader in pickup trucks.

mookdoc6 · July 9, 2020

Ram is bottom barrel crap nuf said! Go get you one and report back in 4-5yrs? Yeah....that's what I thought

Edited July 9, 2020 by mookdoc6

Ultimate 2022 · July 9, 2020

1 hour ago, TNTSilverado said:

I have always been a GM guy ever since I bought my first 2001 S-10 ZR2 back in 2003. I have had great luck with them also. (knock on wood)

My buddy who owns a tinting business and leased a 2019 Ram last year for 3 years and it has been in the shop 4 times now for various recalls, ect...

I drove it to see how it compared to my 2018 Sierra SLT and though the 8 speed does shift smoothly, I wasn't that impressed with the 5.7L. The fit and finish of the truck is ok, but the doors seem cheap when you close them. I also look at pickuptrucks.com every morning, and Rams are being recalled all of the time it seems like on their website. I would choose a Ram over a Ford any-day though. Step-dad and father in law are Ford guys, and I am not impressed with their trucks. Can't believe they are the sales leader in pickup trucks.

I totally get what you are saying here, and I'm not trying to say you're wrong or anything, but I have been to the dealership 3 or 4 times for recalls for my truck, and I have only owned it 5 months. I look at premature failure of key components when comparing. I know that everyone I have known that owns a RAM (or Dodge Ram years ago lol), has had either tranny or electrical issues. But I will admit.... I really considered a RAM before I purchased my Silverado. If anything, we should all send thank you letter to Fiat for really pushing competition to up their interior game.

Mikedfw · July 9, 2020

I have always been a GM guy ever since I bought my first 2001 S-10 ZR2 back in 2003. I have had great luck with them also. (knock on wood)

My buddy who owns a tinting business and leased a 2019 Ram last year for 3 years and it has been in the shop 4 times now for various recalls, ect...

I drove it to see how it compared to my 2018 Sierra SLT and though the 8 speed does shift smoothly, I wasn't that impressed with the 5.7L. The fit and finish of the truck is ok, but the doors seem cheap when you close them. I also look at pickuptrucks.com every morning, and Rams are being recalled all of the time it seems like on their website. I would choose a Ram over a Ford any-day though. Step-dad and father in law are Ford guys, and I am not impressed with their trucks. Can't believe they are the sales leader in pickup trucks.

I've got a 2019 sierra denali and it was in the shop 7 times in the first 3 months. Multiple recalls, lots of TSBs and I still have a lot of issues with it, but most are random or intermittent problems.

I bought the gmc partially because I thought it would be more reliable than ram, but I've never had this many different problems with a new vehicle before. My f150 was crap too, but I had a lemon.

In my opinion, the quality control is lacking for all 3 of the american truck makers.

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econometrics · July 10, 2020

On 7/7/2020 at 8:29 PM, PPK said:

What you have to watch for on RAMs is the depreciation... they really sink like a rock...

This.

Very few people talk about this, but it should be a major consideration when buying a new truck. GM trucks hold their value incredibly well. Mainly because they are dependable vehicles that do what they are meant to do. This is reflective in the interior styling of the T1s, which - IMO - is without question less luxurious than RAM. But it really works well. At the end of the day, you become accustomed to whatever interior you have, no matter if your screen is 8" or 12". It's how well that system works over time that matters, and the GM system is very dependable and user-friendly.

ZDAT4 · July 11, 2020

6.2 won me over. My bro has a ‘19 Laramie and I bought a ‘20 at4. We both like both trucks. I get an “old man” vibe from his but that’s totally just a personal thing. There are features I like from his but overall I liked mine better inside, outside, drive train. I’m not brand loyal so if I didn’t get a 6.2 I’d be in a different brand truck. Neither of us have had any big problems.

Edited July 11, 2020 by ZDAT4

Phatty · July 12, 2020

Came from a 2014 Ram hemi 5.7. Was a great truck. No complaints at all.

Actually wanted a new 2020 Ram. Until I drove the 3.0 dmax. The 3.0 with 10 speed just drives so nice. The GM interior is like years behind the RAM and the ride quality in the ram is so much better. But I am in love with this new dmax and the way it does everything I need efficiently is the reason I snagged it. That and it was about 15k cheaper than the Ram...

the wanderer · July 13, 2020

On 7/7/2020 at 4:03 PM, Fiona said:

Where things went wrong for me was that ridiculously oversized ram's head plastered over everything. Wherever you look, the jarring, shiny animal head is staring at you, and the one on the tailgate is big enough to double as a satellite dish. All of the ersatz cowboy stuff seemed a bit over the top too (fake belt buckles on the map pockets...seriously?). While I tried to convince myself I'd get used to it somehow, the exterior of the truck nagged as well--it made me think of a committee of hipsters arguing over which shade of beige was more vegan friendly.

The Laramie Longhorn is actually the worst offender that way. The limited is better. But yeah, the stupid ram's head is part of the "brand", and I don't mean brand as in "Ram", I mean "target audience", rednecks, cowboys, macho's etc., I hate it with a passion. Not everybody who buys a Ram fits that description, some just want a truck and the pricing is right, but Ram seems to attract that particular group of people far more than either Ford of GM/Chevy.

The 2019 refresh has done a lot in some ways to tone it down. The exterior is more classy than before, but then you still get that oversized ram horn (which grew in physical size). Thankfully my Big Horn is quite civil that way, the price was just too good to pass up. But I won't say I haven't been tempted more than once to grab a chisel and gut the horns off of my steering wheel, it's an abomination.

Fiona · July 15, 2020

On 7/13/2020 at 6:16 PM, the wanderer said:

The Laramie Longhorn is actually the worst offender that way. The limited is better. But yeah, the stupid ram's head is part of the "brand", and I don't mean brand as in "Ram", I mean "target audience", rednecks, cowboys, macho's etc., I hate it with a passion. Not everybody who buys a Ram fits that description, some just want a truck and the pricing is right, but Ram seems to attract that particular group of people far more than either Ford of GM/Chevy.

The 2019 refresh has done a lot in some ways to tone it down. The exterior is more classy than before, but then you still get that oversized ram horn (which grew in physical size). Thankfully my Big Horn is quite civil that way, the price was just too good to pass up. But I won't say I haven't been tempted more than once to grab a chisel and gut the horns off of my steering wheel, it's an abomination.

Now that you mention it, I'm pretty sure it was the Longhorn that I drove, so I guess I got the most animal head centric model as my exposure to the brand.

Interesting too is the availability/dealer selection depending on where you live and how that affects purchasing decisions. Here in Massachusetts, swing a cat in pretty much any direction and you will hit a GMC/Chevy store. Ram places are a bit less common, and their selection at the time was far more limited compared to GM.