Thinking of getting a 1500 Truck...again! Opinions?
 

So, I seem to always go through this vicious cycle every few years....I want a Camaro, I want a truck, I want a Camaro, I want a truck. It’s relentless! And no, unfortunately, I can’t afford to have both! So needless to say, the “truck bug” has bitten me again, and I’m considering putting my ‘16 Camaro SS up for sale.
Now, I’ve always been a Chevrolet/GMC fan my whole life, and have always tried to remain brand loyal. But recently, I’ve been looking at the Ram Trucks and they’re pretty darn nice! I especially like this new huge 12” touchscreen they have! And those storage compartments built into the rear sides of the bed are pretty cool too! Plus, they’re coming out with another eco-diesel next year too! Not that i really need it for towing anything, just thinking about fuel economy. I’ve come to the conclusion that each of the brands have their own pros/cons, and I think I’m just too old to play the “I MUST drive a Chevy” game anymore.
So, what opinions do y’all have when it comes to trucks? I know, I know, opinions are like @$$holes.... But just let me know your thoughts. I’m thinking about a 1/2 ton 2WD crew cab, short bed, leather, with lots of bells/whistles. Don’t need 4WD...don’t really ever go off road, and live in FL, so... Considering a smaller Diesel engine just for fuel economy....is it worth the extra upfront cost to go diesel?

Since you asked, here's my opinion...
I work as a driver/parts getter at a diesel repair shop. I see around 60 trucks a week come in and out of the shop. Unless you are going to do a lot of towing of pretty heavy loads, don't get a diesel. The emission control systems start causing troubles before the warranty expires, and the problems just don't quit. EGR, DEF systems... One bad tank of bad fuel will trash you fuel system - pumps, injectors and lines.
The owner of the shop has told many customers the same thing, if not towing or hauling heavy loads, stick with gas.
Diesel fuel costs more than gas (in the midwest anyway), and repairs are way more expensive. Try to get informed as much as you can before making a decision. Stop in at a local diesel repair shop and talk to the owner to get his advice. It might really open your eyes!

I really appreciate that! That’s the kind of advice I’m looking for! I will reconsider the possibility of getting a diesel.

Before getting my 6th Gen, I had a 2016 Canyon with the 2.7L diesel. It got great gas mileage, but I probably didn’t own it long enough to see any issues with it.

Any opinions on brand, or doesn’t really matter?

Make sure the VIN starts with a 1, 4, 5....Good luck.

https://uaw.org/uaw-made/

For a 1500 truck, you really can't go wrong with a GM Ford or Ram. Best advice would be to drive them all, and see what you like best. My brother in law not a huge car guy but was a GM guy. He always had good luck with GM so he bought Chevys. When he went to replace his Silverado he went and test drove an F-150 just to compare it to his Chevy and bought the F-150 that day. So definitely make sure you drive all of them in comparable trims to see what you like best.

The 2020 models of GM fullsize will expand the availability of the 6.2L engine to other less expensive trim levels. Other than that, nothing much will change.

I am feeling the itch for a full size as well, and I looked at diesels... and as mentioned above the new emissions really just make the diesel not palatable unless you want to delete the emissions equipment (which restores mileage and longevity) and gets you in trouble with the EPA and car inspections.

I think my next truck will either be a GMC with the 6.2L or a Ram Rebel.

I've got a Colorado ZR2 diesel and I'm super happy with it.
My brother's got a 1500 with the 3.0 diesel on order after driving mine.
No, it's not the fastest thing by any means, but the MPG, even the way I drive, is surprisingly good.
That being said, I can't wait to delete the emissions garbage that's prone to failure. I'll increase power, reliability, and MPG by doing that.

I went to a Dodge dealership today. I felt so out of place! Like it was some shameful dark secret that I shouldn't tell anyone about! But I wanted to look at the new Ram 1500's. The salesman asked if I had a trade-in, and I told him I have a car, but doubt that I would trade it in, probably just sell it outright. He wanted to go look at it, so we went out to the parking lot to look at my '16 Camaro SS (I didn't tell him what it was). The first thing he said is, "Wow, you're going from a Corvette to a truck, huh"?!?!?!?! I knew right then and there that he was a dumb-ass!!! LOL!!!
Anyway, he showed me several trucks, but none were what I was really looking for. Like Expunge said above, I wanted to see the "Rebel", and they didn't have any on the lot. He said the Rebels were a "hot" seller, and they have a hard time keeping them on hand. But he showed me plenty of really nice trucks, most of which were over $60k!!!! That's just crazy! My neighbor bought a new Dodge truck a few months ago, it stickered at $70k!!! Seems silly for a pick-up truck, but that's what is in demand these days, and I know those crazy prices are just as easily obtained on the Chevy's or GMC's too! I actually found a Rebel online that's close to me, that has most of the bells & whistles I want. It stickers for $54k, but the dealership has it marked down to $43k. Seems like a good deal to me, but of course the Wife doesn't seem to agree with me! FUDGE!!!

I've had 3 Ram 1500's over the years and they are the best out of the 3 IMO. I would suggest you look at the Ram 1500 Sport editions and you need to get adaptive cruise control. Trust me. The big screen is neat and all but ACC is mandatory if you ask me. They got a Hemi and a solid 4x4 system. The interiors of the Ram top notch as well. When I had my Camaro, I often preferred driving the Laramie I had at the time. My only mistake was selling it. I needed to go down to one vehicle. The sports have the painted bumpers, a really cool sport hood and you can get it with the Laramie package which is a real nice package.

Best advice on the whole page.

Go out and drive them all and buy the one you like the most and/or get the best deal on.

I sold my 2016 F150 about a week and a half ago and put about 28k miles on it in the 32 months a I had it. I didn't drive a Silverado or a RAM at the time as the best deal I could get was on the F150.

Overall a solid feeling truck out on the road. I had the XLT and think the F150 is a bit rough around the edges as far as refinement goes no matter what the mags say. 6 speed doesn't shift great (I'm sure 10 speed is an improvement), whistling noise under acceleration around 1,800-2,000 RPM which seems to be a common complaint, and my driver's seat moved a bit in turns. Best I could get on the freeway was about 19.5 and mine has 3.31 rear end, while I know people with the GM trucks and they can achieve the highway rating on the freeway. I really don't have any other negatives to mention besides that.

Again, just try to get the best deal you can (obviously). I bought a leftover 2016 model in October of 2016. Picked it up for 36.5-37k and sold it for 32k almost 3 years later. Not a big loss to drive a brand new truck.

i got a old 1500 and did a 5.3 swap with a flowmaster 40 single in duel out and it sounds better than my 6.2 with magnaflows i am kinda bias get a 90's 1500....

I can vouch for this. Have a 2015 Ram Laramie 4x4, I love this truck. 28-mpg on the highway.

But there is a problem at 60,000 mile my DEF tank/pump went bad, truck was out of warranty which covers this system. The cost was nearly $3,000.00. After voicing my displeasure to Dodge Customer Service they gave me a $1,500.00 refund.

Now the Ecodiesel was tagged by the EPA for tweaking the emmissions system, a fine was issued and Dodge had to refund $3,075.00 in exchange for me receiving a computer update. Warranty period is now extended to 120,000 miles.

Thankfully the warranty period has been extended should I experience further emission issues, but it is a concern.

Thanks for all the advice! I went and did a test drive yesterday on a ‘19 Dodge Ram Rebel 4x2 with a 5.7 Hemi. I was thoroughly impressed. The interior was so much nicer than Chevy/GMC. Will most likely be putting my Camaro up for sale soon.