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2015 1500 - Advice Please

7K views 31 replies 21 participants last post by  SEW 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey everyone.

Quick background on me: I am currently in the market for a 2015 half-ton truck. I am looking at both the Silverado and Ram. I was leaning towards the Silverado for the longest time, until I really started to research it. There seems to be an awful lot of problems with their redesigned truck. Frame rust, paint peeling, vibration, and the new 8 speed tranny is apparently pretty wonky. So, I started to dig into Ram and read some reviews, build some trucks on ramtruck.ca, and I was surprised! The interior, styling, and power from that Hemi 5.7 is almost parallel with GM's 6.2. Needless to say, I am now leaning towards a Ram.

I really like the Sport and how it looks, but it doesn't come with the interior design and features I want. I am very big on technology and comfort. (heated and cooled everything, comfortable leather, navigation, big screen, adjustable everything, etc.) If I'm paying over 50k for a vehicle, I expect to be extremely comfortable and happy.

So, I am looking at the Laramie, Longhorn, and Limited. If I understand correctly, the Longhorn and Limited are simply appearance packages.

I am wondering, if it's really worth paying the extra for the Longhorn or Limited? I read a lot on here about the leather in the Longhorn and Limited and how amazing it is.

Also, the ram cargo box... does it come with a tonneau cover? Or do you need to buy one aftermarket?

I'm not a huge fan of the two-tone paint on the Laramie and Longhorn. I'm assuming the only way to get one solid color is to aftermarket color match it, correct? Speaking of aftermarket, stuff like intakes, tunes, and exhaust will all fit these top models?

Finally.. what do you guys think is the best time to go in and order one of these? (Of course, I'm going to test drive and think about it more before I decide on Ram over Silverado). If I custom order a truck, I won't have much negotiation in the price, right? Especially a top model?

Thanks guys...
 
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#2 ·
If am not mistaken you can get monotone color on the Laramie. Yes, the Longhorn and Limited are appearance pkgs more than anything else.
 
#3 ·
Yeah, admittedly I did not do enough research before posting this. I watched some videos and really dug into what the difference between the Laramie, Longhorn, and Limited is.

Limited, for being top of the line, is awfully basic. Monotone paint and black interior. Very odd.

Laramie is pretty basic - not enough standard equipment, no real appearance package.

The Longhorn is definitely what I want. The brown two tone paint is actually my favorite, I wasn't a fan of the two tone at first but it's stunning. The interior light brown and black combo is FANTASTIC!!

I think I will be picking up a 2015 Longhorn in the near future... those Ram Boxes are too cool to pass up! Thanks for your post.
 
#4 ·
What interior features were missing in the Sport that you wanted? I don't think the Laramie models offer any interior options that the Sport doesn't, other than some custom design stitching in some of the leather, possibly a different grade of leather in some cases, and those saddle bag storage things on the back of the seats..
But as far as technology goes, no difference at all I don't think.

I'm currently looking at a Sport 1500, they have heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel, nav, rear cam, front and rear sensors, alpine audio, etc.
Oh, and with the Sport, you can also get the 'sport hood', must have! :)
 
#7 ·
Well it doesn't have the premium leather for one, or the two-tone interior and exterior. The Longhorn comes standard with all, and more features than you can add-on to the Sport. The seats in the back are heated and leather. The back seats in the Sport are cloth with leather bolster.

If you add on all the options to get the Sport to be matched with the Longhorn, the Sport actually ends up costing more, and still doesn't look as good or has as many features as the Longhorn.

I guess what it comes down to is what you want in a truck. A more luxurious one or a sportier looking one. Personally, the Sports look a little too "immature", a truck that would never be off pavement. The Longhorn just looks more rugged and premium.

I dunno, it's just personal preference really. But I like to have all the technology and features I can, so stepping up to the Laramie trucks just makes sense.
 
#5 ·
This is what I have to say about that..

I have to say this about that.

I rented the Chevy and the Dodge for a couple of days each before pulling the trigger on a new truck. Let’s face it, these things cost a lot of money and we spend a lot of time in them. We want to make the right choice. Spending a few hundred to really drive them for a few days made a lot of sense to me.
Now when I see a new Chevy I think to myself, " They didn’t drive the Dodge" The Chevy was nice, but it didn’t have any bottom end power. It needed almost 3000 RPM to get the power out of the engine. The Dodge has power everywhere in the RPM range. Lots of power. The seats in the Ram a far better than the Chevy. The ride is more in contact with the road in the Ram, The Chevy felt like I was driving a couch or a Cadillac. Soft and fluffy. The Dodge goes over bumps and you feel the road. The styling of both are very nice but the Chevy had this really short bed, it wasn’t even 6 foot long. Now I don’t like the short bed of the Ram it’s any a few inches longer, but that made a difference to me.

From a history point of view I would say I was a Ford guy and basically I drive a truck until the wheels fall off. A handful of years back I had killed my Ford and was looking for a new truck. I found a 2004 Ram with the HEMI and the price was too good to pass up. I had never had owned a Dodge, so I got the 2004 Quad cab with 105 K on it. I drove that truck for 100K miles pulling and hauling almost the entire time. I would brag that there was nothing wrong with it and there wasn’t. But I got the opportunity to rent a 2013 Ram for a few days and it was so nice I started convincing myself I needed a new truck. I took a few months, but I was able to convince myself that a 2014 Ram was required to continue breathing another day. I rented the extended test drive and I might have had a slight preference already having a Dodge. Now every day I pat myself on the back for getting the new truck. It gets great mileage sometimes I get over 20 on the highway doing 75 or 80. The 2004 would get 10 with the wind at her back. It was realistically getting 8 and 9 and sometimes 12, but it was always bad. This truck is solid, fast, very strong and comfortable. I’m 6’4” and it fits me well.

My point of all of this is drive both trucks for a couple of days, you’re going to drop 50K on your next truck, spend a few hundred and get a better idea of what you are getting.. I think you will laugh at the Chevy every time you see one while you are loving every minute behind the wheel of the Ram.

One thing I forgot to mention that is very important, The 8 speed transmission is incredible! Hands down the best transmission I have ever had and it shifts so well and you are always in the correct gear. I love the 8 speed Trany, Flat out Love it.

This is my second Dodge I have loved them both. I had a bunch of Fords and they were really good to me, every Chevy I ever had tickie tacked me to death. The door handle would break the knob would break on the AC, the switch for the light on the rear door didn’t work. It was always something small that drove me nuts about my Chevy’s. Both of these Dodges are built really well.

Get the truck you want, I didn’t get the bucket seats with the center console and the floor shifter. I really wanted it but it was a lot more money and I wanted to be smart in my purchase. I don’t regret that very often, but the file folder holder pocket on the sides of the console are really cool. I do wish that I had gotten the highest level radio with the real time traffic. It was a lot more money and I thought I would better spend that money elsewhere, but the integration with the onboard systems is very cool and the configurable gauges and software integration with the dash is awesome.. if you are gonna get everything on the truck, good for you, If you have to choose this over that, choose the best radio you can get and get the spray on bed liner, the drop in ones just make everything you place in the back slide around. For god sakes get the 8 speed tranny and drive that truck until the wheels fall off.

That’s what I have to say about that.
JoeyDBabe
 
#6 ·
So JoeyD, tell me how you really really really feel about your Ram. lol. Am right there with you, I love my Ram too, great truck.
 
#16 ·
Not quite, The Lone Star is the Texas edition and is the same as the Big Horn. Longhorn and Lone Star both begin with L, it confuses people. My dad talks about my "Longhorn" sometimes.

The Longhorn is available everywhere, and while the flair of the interior is decidedly western, it is not state specific
 
#9 ·
We have the Longhorn up in the north as the middle tier of the three Laramie packages. The Bighorn being a medium equipped version often in QC, a bench seat and seat and lesser electronics....at least that's how I seen them when I was looking on the lots and we have one in the family (the truck not the animal). Being that I am in both locals; there is a Texas badged RAM, I think its the Lone Star and a higher package then the Bighorn. The big three all having some TX badge being it is a huge pickup market.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Here in Canada, the Longhorn is the middle of the 3 Laramies as well. There is only one higher trim level in a Ram, and that's the Limited. But as I've said, for being the top of the line Ram, it's so boring. Monotone interior and exterior. I seen one at my local dealership and thought it was the base model until I seen the badging.

Again, it all comes down to personal opinion and what you're willing to spend. For me, the Longhorn has everything you can possibly get in a Ram, and looks the best, and is pretty darn affordable considering what you get.

Here's a question I've just thought of, hopefully someone can help me out: When I get my Ram, I will be doing a lift kit on it, either 4 or 6 inches. With that in mind, getting the air suspension would be completely pointless, right? I'm thinking that having the air suspension would make getting a lift kit impossible too?
 
#11 · (Edited)
Hard to say Islander, do you have a boat?
Not sure if your educating the forum or we are educating you. Its obvious you did the homework and made some conclusions.
I would say no on the air bags, assume nothing is with tonneau and the ram box is a product differentiation or feature you do not care about. Buy off the lot, and buy what you want to these rules: Everything you want will be there tomorrow and next year. That's just the way it is. In the market heads (Ford, Chevy, Ram) and redesign misalignment; I bet late Q2/2015 on the Ford redesign will likely force discounts/incentives far greater then what is being currently offered on the Ram.
 
#13 ·
Hey everyone.

If I understand correctly, the Longhorn and Limited are simply appearance packages.

I am wondering, if it's really worth paying the extra for the Longhorn or Limited? I read a lot on here about the leather in the Longhorn and Limited and how amazing it is.

Also, the ram cargo box... does it come with a tonneau cover? Or do you need to buy one aftermarket?

I'm not a huge fan of the two-tone paint on the Laramie and Longhorn. I'm assuming the only way to get one solid color is to aftermarket color match it, correct? Speaking of aftermarket, stuff like intakes, tunes, and exhaust will all fit these top models?

Finally.. what do you guys think is the best time to go in and order one of these? (Of course, I'm going to test drive and think about it more before I decide on Ram over Silverado). If I custom order a truck, I won't have much negotiation in the price, right? Especially a top model?

Thanks guys...
1) I have a '14 CC Laramie and did not feel either the Longhorn or Limited trims were worth the extra money, especially since I felt the Longhorn's "cowboy" theme was garish. (No offense to anyone who has a Longhorn and likes it - different strokes for different folks.) Also, the font on the Laramie gauge cluster is different and reminded me of a 1980's Buick LeSabre. I also found it much harder to read at night and it turned me off every time I test drove the Limited.

2) Ram box does *NOT* come with a tonneau cover standard. Be careful on this one and look very carefully at your hauling needs. I really, really wanted a Rambox but as luck would have it, no trucks w/ Rambox were available in AZ when I bought. I look at the decreased bed width now and it would have been a deal killer for my recent hauling jobs.

3) You can get monotone paint on all Laramie trims.

4) RE aftermarket intakes, tunes, and exhausts, I believe there are *NOT* any issues fitting Longhorn/Laramie.

5) Best time to order, IMO is at the end of the month that coincides with the end of the quarter. Best of all is end of year, when they're clearing out model inventory to make room for next year but it doesn't seem like you're going to wait that long. RE negotiation, I highly recommend using TrueCar; the dealer was very upfront and offered to match the TrueCar build price, even on an ordered vehicle.

HTH
 
#14 ·
:wavey:Hey Islander, I can only speak to what I've got so here goes. It's a 2015 Laramie Limited, silver paint (monotone), fender flares, black leather, air suspension, navigation, just fully loaded with the exception of a sunroof. On the outside I've got the Ram Boxes and spray in bed liner with the cargo management system. I've opted for the eco diesel motor and the eight speed tranny is standard.
This is my first RAM, previously had a GMC Denali 2500 & a Ford F-250, both diesel powered and great trucks. I was somewhat reluctant to make the switch to Ram but I likes the ideal of a 1500 diesel powered truck & I no longer needed the 3 quarter ton version.
Being a truck guy as we all are I'm impressed beyond belief with this Ram, I now know why RAM is the fastest growing brand. Going down the road I feel like I'm behind the wheel of an air suspended motor home, it just floats & if pushed it becomes a big sports car.
I congratulate myself every day for being so smart & buying this RAM...
 
#15 ·
One of the reasons I went with Longhorn is the wheels. I did not care for the chrome clad on the other models. There are different versions of seats for the Longhorn. Some have more bling depending on the color you go with. I was interested in the ram box but now I am happy I did not get it as I ended up putting a cab high cap on the back so now I have a supersized trunk. I did opt for the air suspension and have not had any problems with it but I am pretty sure you could not put a lift kit on as the suspension is different with the air suspension.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Might want to pick up a brochure from dealer and go over it closely. You will see some little differences in equipment and options available from model to model.

I ended up ordering a Laramie - partly because it had a few things the lower models did not. Specifically - memory seats (I use them a lot - I'm short, and in and out of my truck probably 40 times a day at work - I set mem 2 for way back to get out easy), projector headlights ( a bit disappointed in these - they're pretty good, but not outstanding), dual zone climate control.

Am quite sure the Longhorm and Limited have all the stuff on Laramie plus more.


Which one you like most comes down to your personal preferences, which is great.

In defense of the Limited - it's got a real classy interior, maybe even nicer leather than Longhorn, and real wood trim not fake (so I hear) - definitely not quite as showy as a Longhorn, but some people will prefer that. And the blacked out look is something someone at Ram thinks is popular and some people do prefer - same as for the Sport. Comes standard with Air Ride too - which I recommend.

Longhorn won't disappoint if you like what you see. I think the leather may be the best quality - I have upgraded leather (with bucket seat option) in my Laramie but am sure its not as good as whats used in Longhorn or Limited.

I love the ramboxes - I ordered the 6-4 box so the boxes are even longer, hold a lot of stuff. Lock with the doors, lights inside, really easy to get to even for short people. The top of the box also has a much wider flat surface than a non rambox box, and it's covered in durable plastic. I use this a lot to set stuff on when putzing about the truck. A little thing, but I like it. Also you get the box divider/bed extender with ramboxes - adjustable front to back in about 8 to 10" steps. Another little thing, but I use it a lot. Keeps stuff from bouncing around.

I have a Truxedo LoPro QT roll up tonneau cover which works beautifully with ramboxes. There probably are others out there - but after trying a couple others, I much prefer the simple Truxedo. And it's cheap too.
 
#18 ·
Thanks everyone for your help and input. Believe it or not, I am STILL debating between Chev and Ram. They are both such great trucks! It's so difficult because each truck has ups and downs compared to the other. However, the Ram does seem to out-do the Chev overall.

The Longhorn is definitely my pick.. just a matter of deciding 100%. I've already bought a new vehicle and instantly regretted it, so I am taking my time on this purchase haha.

The interior of the Rams is just astounding. Absolutely miles ahead of ANY other truck out there.
 
#19 ·
Same situation here, except I'm between the longhorn crew and the F150 2015 Lariat. I love the extra space in the back of the crew cab on the F150, and prefer the exterior somewhat as well. The Longhorn has the beautiful wood on the steering wheel, very high quality leather, and happens to be about 5-6k cheaper when considering purchase price, interest rates, etc. (The RAM is a much lower purchase price with their current sales, but the interest rate is almost double that of Ford..).
 
#23 ·
Islander....I am in the same position as you...trying to decide between Chevy and Dodge. I am a long term owner of a Chevy Avalanche ('04 model) and have absolutely loved this truck...but it is getting a little long in the tooth.

I recently rented a '14 Dodge with the Hemi engine and 8 spd tranny in it. I drove from it from Knoxville, TN to Little Rock, AR, 530 miles each way over I-40. On the way over I got 24.6 MPG according to the EVIC!!! This was with the cruise set right at 72 miles per hour. On the way back I got 22.5 MPG with the cruise set at 74 miles per hour and headed into a fairly strong cross wind the last few hours. I was amazed. The 8 speed tranny is wonderful. This truck had a 3.21 ratio rear end and I would recommend it unless you like to hot rod around. It is a good combo with the engine and tranny in my opinion.

My only complaint was this truck had cloth seats with no power adjustments. After 5 or 6 hours my butt was killing me and the last couple hours were painful! If you drive long distances the leather interior (better padding in my opinion) and the power seats is a must. This truck also had the 17 inch tires on it and it handled the bumps and potholes pretty good. The 20 inch tires might be a little rougher ride, but I have not driven them yet so I can't say for sure.

I plan on driving a Chevy rental truck too just to see how it compares, but I cannot imagine it being any more pleasing to me than the Ram truck I rented. I would like to drive a Chevy with the 6.2L engine and the new 8 speed tranny just for comparison purposes but they are so hard to find that I am not sure this is going to happen.

Good luck with your new truck and let us know how it works out....:smileup:
 
#24 ·
You made a good choice. I had a Silverado and traded it in for the Ram after testing driving both. I thought I wanted the 2014 Silverado for the 6.2L engine but GM does not have a descent stereo system and no heated rear seats. So RAM it was. Plus the Ram can run on regular and the HP difference was not that much.
 
#25 ·
Did you actually test drive the Silverado with the 6.2L engine? The Bose system that GM used to have in their trucks with the subwoofer in the center console was a great system. Was the one you listened to a Bose system with the subwoofer...just wondering. The complaints I have read about the Chevy is that the ride is very jiggly compared to the Ram...
 
#26 ·
I test drove both the Sierra and the Ram, I personally don't like the square looks of the Silverado but looks are a personal thing. The Sierra has a big lag in power and you really have to put your foot in it to get it to move. It handled pretty good but the seats are smaller and if you get the quad cab its smaller then the Ram quad cab in the back seat.
 
#27 ·
I test drove both the Sierra and the Ram, I personally don't like the square looks of the Silverado but looks are a personal thing.
That's how I feel. I'm a lifelong GM owner and fan, but after I think 2002, the Silverado styling has lost me more and more with each restyle, with this latest one having lost me completely. Those square wheel wells are hideous. Meanwhile the Ram kept getting more and more refined, especially the interior, which is just as nice as any luxury car IMO.

I feel the 6.2L is the only thing that GM has that might have kept me looking for more than the 45 minutes I spent at Chevrolet, but being how limited that engine is, they're really limiting potential sales. I've been super happy with the 5.7L Hemi though, actually the whole truck for that matter... especially the 8 speed.
 
#29 ·
Well my cousin and I both bought our trucks me with 10 RAM and him in his 13 Silverado. We both drove each others trucks at the hunting cabin and had a drink and chat conversion about the trucks. Both ended up liking the RAM better. Quieter cab, more power from the seat of our pants and styling. Good luck hope you are happy.
 
#30 ·
Hey everyone.

I'm not a huge fan of the two-tone paint on the Laramie and Longhorn. I'm assuming the only way to get one solid color is to aftermarket color match it, correct? Speaking of aftermarket, stuff like intakes, tunes, and exhaust will all fit these top models?

QUOTE]

I have a 2014 Laramie, it's got monotone paint with chrome bumpers/grille....
 
#31 ·
Hey everyone.

I'm not a huge fan of the two-tone paint on the Laramie and Longhorn. I'm assuming the only way to get one solid color is to aftermarket color match it, correct? Speaking of aftermarket, stuff like intakes, tunes, and exhaust will all fit these top models?

QUOTE]

I have a 2014 Laramie, it's got monotone paint with chrome bumpers/grille....
They can be ordered with the "monotone paint" option......
 
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