2020 Ram Rebel. Talk me out of it !

Hi folks, and Happy Thanksgiving. Soooo, just got back from the San Francisco International Auto Show with my sons. Got to see a lot of awesome vehicles and one in particular had me saying “wow”! Before this afternoon, the TRD pro was my next next vehicle purchase (hopefully spring 2020)! but after hopping in a fully loaded 2020 Ram Rebel, that might change lol. The truck was absolutely gorgeous and with all the amenities I was really blown away. I drove a 1500 BigHorn for a month while my Marauder was in the shop so I’ve had some time driving experience with a Ram and I must say the Hemi pulls hard! Once we got home, I went to the Dodge website to explore more and saw that there is currently a special Employee pricing incentives that that dropped the price from of my build (tried my best to mirror the one I saw today) from $65k to $58k! Pretty awesome when you take into account Toyota NEVER includes their PRO line during any national sales campaigns let alone onsite markdowns from individual dealers ( at least most dealerships). The Tundra TRD Pro is still on top of my list, but that Rebel has me looking over my shoulder just a little bit!

 

Ram is paper Tundra is rock !

 

Chrysler products have been known to be problematic for decades. I agree they look great and have neat tech but they eventually fail.

If you only plan on keeping it while under warranty go for it, if not I would stay away.

 

Ram has many known problems! You want to drive the truck or look at from service window as payment builds up?..

From electrical problems to transmission failure..

New one now for them now crappy firmware..

Do you want me to continue?

Stay American buy Toyota..

 

I recommend going to a Ram forum and seeing what everyone is talking about. Then you will have an idea of what you are buying into.

My personal favorite from when I had the “24 hour Ram flu” was the software issues with the large screen. Dealerships were not even trying to fix it anymore, just telling customers to come back in a few months for the next update.

 

Ram Trucks, stylized as RAM and formally known as the Ram Truck Division, is an American brand of light to mid-weight commercial vehicles established in 2010 as a division of FCA US LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Italian-American corporation Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

 

Tundra = Reliability

 

First picture says enough

 

But paper covers rock. Who is scissors?

 

I wouldn’t try to talk you out of it. They’re making some nice trucks over at RAM these days.

Toyota is falling behind. They did nothing with the new PRO to entice me into buying another one, and that ridiculous scoop makes it even worse.

 

Think of the ram as a lease only vehicle. the tundras as a keepers. I agree that the interiors of the rams,fords,gmc,chevy are light years from the tundra, but I own a tundra. I know it will start and take me where I need to go every time. Tundra is Glock of trucks rams are the Taurus version.

 

All depends on what you prioritize more, and how long you plan on keeping the truck.

If you can live with the lack of tech and poor fuel economy, and plan on keeping the truck for a long time / high mileage, then the reliability of the Tundra is a big point.

If you want more tech / more power / better fuel economy at the expense of long term reliability, or only plan on keeping the truck for a few years, then the Rebel is a GORGEOUS truck. And as long as you purchase the truck during one of their many major promotions you won’t take too big a hit on depreciation.

Personally, if you don’t need a new truck right away, I would suggest holding out for the new redesigned next gen Tundra supposedly in 2021. Should address all the shortcomings of the current Tundra.

 

I have just seen the redesigned RAV4 and Highlander and if Toyota can do anything close to what they did in the redesign of those two vehicles on the new Tundra, it’s going to be awesome. Fingers crossed. (Even though I have a 2019).

 

I was in the same boat a month ago and was so close to buying a Ram Rebel or Limited. But as mentioned above spend some time on the Ram forums and you will quickly see all of the issues owners are having. Yes, there are some that currently have zero but there is a greater number of folks having some kind of issue. What finally did it for me is after my third drive on a blacked out limited the tailgate warning light kept coming on when the tailgate was closed. There is a ton of electronics in this truck and is just ripe for failure. As also mentioned I think if you are ok with more dealer visits for repairs it might be an ok fit for you. I just didn't feel like dealing with that BS plus the Ram dealers in my area are complete trash I would never let them touch a vehicle of mine. On the deals I read many buyers getting 15-20k of msrp it seems they just play the heavy discount game. Personally I would go with the Toyota but the Ram is improving.

 

If you want a RAM, get a RAM. I wouldn’t own one outside of the lease/finance/warranty period because of the transmission, rusting, and various other build quality problems. Otherwise, go for it.

I’ve had to have a few recalls worked on for my 18’ Tundra. No vehicle is immune to recalls. Tundras still have problems with bed shake/bounce. There have been several reports lately of leaks especially at the CAM towers and a few at the rear main seal.

Tundras are old. You’re buying a 2007 truck with minor interior and exterior changes. If you’re okay with that then you have a truck that still outperforms many and is more reliable than all of them (including the newer diesels!).

In my opinion the RAM rebel is overpriced for what you get. The RAM Powerwagon gets you way more stuff and it’s a beast off-road (if you can find a trail that’s as wide as a house).

They’re having some killer sales right now at Dodge so now is the time to buy if you want one. The Dodge dealership around here is filled with assholes and from what I’ve heard it’s rather common... so not a fan of the dealerships but you may be there a lot with various problems throughout your ownership.

 

Heres my take on it, from some one that drove Dodge trucks from 1994 to 2013 and took more shit from people than a man should have to deal with. My god those fuckers were relentless of course they all drove chevys, but fuck what a bunch of verbal crap. So if you work around a bunch of die hard chevy guys, prepare yourself. Now on to the trucks.

The 1994 ram I had was good truck, only "repeat" problem was the water pump, it ate 3 of them in the 150,000 miles I owned it.
3 water pumps, 1 starter, 1 cab mounted brake light assembly, 1 head light, 1 set of brake pads, lots of oil changes, 1 set of plugs, 1 transmission fluid and filter change and several sets of tires. Other than that I drive the heck out it from 1994 to 2002. Great truck should have kept it as a beater, hunting/fishing rig.

2002 thru 2007, was a ok truck, had the 4.7 engine, the Hemi had not been released yet, it was about 3 months after I bought it the hemi came out, I gave my sales guy a ass chewing about not telling me about the hemi, I would have waited. Only big problem was the dash busted all to hell at 38,000 and I did not have a extended warranty, tried to get dodge to cover half they refused, so I bought a dash mat for it. Other than that and oil changes, no problems in the time frame I had it, IIRC about 50,000 miles.

2007 thru 2011, loved the truck, Had a gremin of sorts, there were time when I would try to start it but it never would engine would just crank. Turn off the key wait a few seconds, turn the key and bam it would start the dealer never could replicate the issue. Other than that no issues.

2011 thru 2013, first crew cab 4wd pickup. Only problem I had was a month in the transmission started to act up, had to have the torque convertor replaced. Never really trusted it after that. The ride was freaking amazing tho.

Traded the 2011 in on a SR5 2013 tundra in July of 2013.
My first Toyota been here since. I do mis the extras that the dodge bighorn package had that the sr5 tundras do not have even to this day.

Just my .02 worth and personal experience with the ram trucks. Good luck in whatever you choose. Keep in mind every manufacture puts out a bad vehicle from time to time, even Toyota. But I believe the odds are less of that with Toyota than other manufacture,thats one reason I have stayed with Toyota.

 

I had one of the very first RAM Limited's ever made. It was a 2012, now two generations ago. I kept it for 6 years and 120k. The only "mechanical issure that I had was at about 110K and 5.and 1/2 years the AC needed to be recharged. It continued to be ice cold and work just fine until I traded it in on my 2018 Platinum.

It had two issues that I would classify as significant nuisances. First, the A-pillar leaked in heavy rain and would drip on the passenger side. My best theory was that the drain that extended from just below the sunroof down the A- pillar could not handle heavy rain. IT really pissed me off, then Id half to take out the floor mat and allow the carpet to dry so it wouldn't smell. Really pissed me off.

The second issue was the squeaky brakes. I like to drive around with windows down and sunroof open in good weather. The squeaky sound of the brakes at every stop was more than annoying. It caused me to keep the stereo up and windows closed so I didn't have to listen to that nails on a chalkboard sound.

As far as driving, the Hemi was awesome and the coil springs gave it a phenomenal ride. Although the throttle response isn't as great and the handling is a little sluggish by comparison, my Platinum is an extraordinarily comfortable ride.

The advantages that I see in the Rebel:
1. Better Fuel Economy
2. More responsive engine
3. Better Tech *(f you're into that sort of the thing)
4. That hemi exhaust sounds as good as the pro to me

Advantages that I see in the TRD Pro:
1. More reliability
2. 50% more towing capacity 9200lbs in PRO vs 6800lbs in Rebel 4x4.
3. Better gearing 4.30 rear axle makes a big difference if you tow
4. Better off-road capability (if you are into that sort of thing)
5. Value, value, value. My 6 year old RAM with 120k and in excellent condition had a book value of about 39% of its original purchase price. My tundra which I put . similar numbers on should have a book value closer to about 60 -65% of its original purchase price at that point. We're talking about $15-17k more after 6 years and 120k. Easy decision for me.

 

As someone who has recently left the Toyota fold I will offer my opinion. Last week I went from a 16 SR5 to a 19 F150 Lariat. The SR5 was a good truck. It did what it should, when it should. I thought the brakes sucked and the integrated brake controller was terrible. The local dealers were no help with either. The Ford out-techs and out-conveniences the SR5 at a similar price point after current incentives. You can get a good anything or a bad anything. In my opinion the Toyota is a good truck. I have had many Dodges and Ford's in the past. One other Toyota. Two GM's. All have had something that made me move on to the next one. The perfect truck for me always seems to be the next one. Life is short, buy what makes you happy. If you don't end up loving it, get something else. It is just a truck after all.

 

Spaghetti western and now....a spaghetti truck...! The Rebel got great reviews when it came out but what about long term issues?

 

My butcher has a 17 Power Wagon and was impressed actually. Very capable 4X4.

 

The Ram is trash....you shouldn’t even consider it if it was free...
My father in law had one for 6 months...was in the shop twice in that time frame and he got rid of it right after that

 

I've said it here before. The Woman's uncle is a sales manager at a Ram dealership. He flat out refuses to sell a Ram truck to family or friends. That says alot.

 

I came from a Ram, they always have offers of 10k+ off and lots of deals. With that comes lots of recalls and terrible resale. I had nothing but trouble with all the electronic features and sensors on my ‘18 Laramie. My ‘19 pro is a huge sense of relief for me, I’m over all the sensors and problems I had in the ram.

 

I’m a snow belt guy. I looked at rams when I was shopping for my tundra.

Just driving around I noticed the following:

gen 1 tundra had rust spots (10-15 year old
Trucks). Spots. Spots only. Newer tundras had some rust on frames. Nothing on body or bumpers.

5 yr old Rams had totally blown out rear wheel wells. Salt-rusted and flapping in the wind.

That was all I needed.

 

Dodge Dodge, thats may car!! Last night I pushed it real real far. There I talked you out of it. My job is done!

 

I just came from a ram 1500. I traded it in at 85k miles and when the toyota dealership offered me 15k trade in value I took it and ran with my new tundra. The ram was a turd and the service was terrible at the various ram dealerships that I visited in an attempt to get a long running check-engine issue resolved (was never resolved). The new rams look great, they are very quick on acceleration (which i do miss) and they come with a ton of great features, but... I could not stomach buying another one that might begin to fail at under 100k miles.

 

Not popular opinion these days cuz most people want the latest gadgets or tech, sounds like you want a RAM for attention but I am perfectly fine with my tundra, good ol reliable truck. I’ve had a taste of new tech being in other people’s new cars and trucks, nothing that makes me want it in my tundra. I’d rather have a reliable truck than something shitty they keep putting “fancy” things in just to make some money but the more serious issues haven’t been fixed.

 

Fiat also owns Ferrari...has since 1969