New Ram TRX 1500 $50 K markup

[Kev m]

Weren't any of you guys ever teenagers? Or can you just not remember that far back?

When I was a kid (you guys were already old) but the old muscle cars we tried to find and rebuild made a couple hundred hp stock.

When the WRX came out we were in awe - a 200+ hp AWD awesome.

Now family cars have 300+ hp, and the average guy/gal can get monsters with 400, 500, 600, 700 hp.

THAT'S AWESOME.

I don't see me ever buying the 392 Hemi Wrangler - but I LOVE that it exists.

Hell we didn't even buy the Hemi Grand Cherokee almost 10 years ago when Jenn picked up one as the family truckster.

I just got back from a week of skiing/boarding and visiting friends in our new family truckster. A mild 400 hp / 400 ft lbs electric supercharged 4x4 has a great growl when you get on it. Just brilliant to drive even not in anger (no it's not a Miata but it's not meant to be). Yeah, the highway is tempting at times. The OMG RIGHT NOW brakes saved the life of a boxer that jumped over a snow bank into the road one night while I was running to get the family some dinner. I think my fillings are still on the dash, but the 2.5 TON beast stopped about 2' in front of barky there. I can't imagine why the dumb dog had a cast on his rear paw.

Anyway, I'm not about to buy a TRX, or a Raptor...but again, I'm damn glad they exists. What an awesome time to be an enthusiast. We have so many choices on 2 or 4 wheels!

[Canuck750]

  And being a truck, it really isn't a muscle car or sports car.  I suppose it's great fun to have truck that will blow away a Porsche or 'vette for a quarter mile or short distance, so long as the road isn't too long or have curves in it?

I have been tailgated a couple times by an Escalade or similar top end pickup, some truck drivers seem to get aggressive following a European sedan. I will slightly speed up to increase the gap but typically the truck is back on my butt. First serious corner I can speed up, great fun watching the truck take two lanes wallowing to make the corner. They always resume normal driving speed and distance after that. Adding 600+ hp to a truck chassis is silly.

[tommy2cyl]

For my needs, a Ridgeline would fill the bill perfectly.  I owned a Ford Sportrac for 17 years.  It was perfect for 90% of my hauling and towing needs. 
I have test driven a Ridgeline and I couldn't ask for anything more.  Well, actually I could ask for one thing.  That it not cost close to $50 K out the door.
That is my point.  Whether ultra high end or on "trucket"  side like the Ridgeline,  the pricing on new/used trucks to me is hard to comprehend.
 

[Rough Edge racing]

"don't know what the world may need,
But a V8 engine is a good start for me.
Think I'll drive to find a place,
To be surly.".......Cracker

 Kev,  bunch of old ladies here,lol.....In 1964 in HS I had me a 56 Ford with one of them V8 motors, twice pipes and  3 speed floor shift....The feel of the engine in the steering wheel, the cadence of the V8....addiction...I t's what my 96 900 Monster has, that seductive V8 sound...F them electric motors ,rev up your ICE while we still have them.
 Geez, many of us have bikes thatc are faster than most cars....
 Man, like Kev says, it's w great time period for the internal combustion lovers...

[twowheeladdict]

Ridgelines are for folks who have come to the realization you don’t need a 6000 lb vehicle that gets 10 mpg to go to Home Depot to pick up a tube of caulk. How many people who drive pick ups actually use them to carry stuff you can’t put in any other vehicle.

Pete

Been a long time, hasn't it.  Today's "1/2 ton" trucks are getting in the 20s mpg now.

Ridgelines aren't trucks.  They are Honda Pilots with the rear exposed for those that don't need the back enclosed.  I have never seen one towing or hauling anything.

[Kev m]

"don't know what the world may need,
But a V8 engine is a good start for me.
Think I'll drive to find a place,
To be surly.".......Cracker

 Kev,  bunch of old ladies here,lol.....In 1964 in HS I had me a 56 Ford with one of them V8 motors, twice pipes and  3 speed floor shift....The feel of the engine in the steering wheel, the cadence of the V8....addiction...I t's what my 96 900 Monster has, that seductive V8 sound...F them electric motors ,rev up your ICE while we still have them.
 Geez, many of us have bikes thatc are faster than most cars....
 Man, like Kev says, it's w great time period for the internal combustion lovers...

 

Damn I haven't heard that song in years. Now I have to download that song and add it to my and the kids playlists!

[inditx]

Investment? Nope, it’s an expense.

Indeed

[LowRyter]

Been a long time, hasn't it.  Today's "1/2 ton" trucks are getting in the 20s mpg now.

Ridgelines aren't trucks.  They are Honda Pilots with the rear exposed for those that don't need the back enclosed.  I have never seen one towing or hauling anything.

My neighbor pulls his bass boat with one

[PeteS]

Been a long time, hasn't it.  Today's "1/2 ton" trucks are getting in the 20s mpg now.

Ridgelines aren't trucks.  They are Honda Pilots with the rear exposed for those that don't need the back enclosed.  I have never seen one towing or hauling anything.

I have owned full size pick ups since 1979. Fords Chevys, and last was a Tundra. My definition of a pickup has always been regular cab with an 8 ft bed. All the rest are SUVs. I no longer need to trailer bikes to bike week or track days and a Ridgeline will still haul all the building materials I need for projects.
I don’t consider a Ridgeline as a pickup but it better suits me now. Plus living in the snow belt there are few better vehicles in the snow, with snow tires its a snowmobile. and not having a frame to rust out like my Tundra did is a big plus.

BTW I have always been a horsepower junkie all my life though never owned a really fast vehicle other than my Norton which in 1969 had the quickest 1/4 mile times. The was rumor of a 450 HP blown Ridgeline this year but they only offer the appearance package, a sheep in wolf’s clothing.
Pete

[Perazzimx14]

Been a long time, hasn't it.  Today's "1/2 ton" trucks are getting in the 20s mpg now.

Ridgelines aren't trucks.  They are Honda Pilots with the rear exposed for those that don't need the back enclosed.  I have never seen one towing or hauling anything.

Truck/car hybrids like the Ridgeline never tickled my fancy but  Subaru Brats and the late 60's El Camino's are something I could get on board with

[twowheeladdict]

If you pay 70K for a truck most people arn't not going to dump a load of gravel in the back.

For some reason the tax code helps drive the cost up.  Every Farmer depreciates their $70,000 truck and when done, trades it in on another.  They are indeed using them. This also goes for every successful independent construction business. 

Yes, there are the high paid white collar professionals who buy because they can.

I bought a new 2019 Nissan Titan King Cab for $29,000 that has more than the work trucks from the big 3: V8, Infotainment, power windows, locks, and keyless entry, cruise, etc. For thousands less than their comparably equipped vehicles. It only leaves my garage to haul my toy hauler. 

Looking to spend about the same for my wife's new truck to haul her gooseneck 2 horse weekender trailer.  Hers will be a regular cab long bed V8, tow package.

[twowheeladdict]

My neighbor pulls his bass boat with one

You can pull a bass boat with about anything.   They are less than 2500 lbs with trailer, and aerodynamic.

Most guys here with newer bass boats tow them with crew cab diesel 4x4s.   

[twowheeladdict]

Truck/car hybrids like the Ridgeline never tickled my fancy but  Subaru Brats and the late 60's El Camino's are something I could get on board with

 

They still have El Camino like vehicles down under.

Do a Google search for holden ute ssv.

[Perazzimx14]

You can pull a bass boat with about anything.   They are less than 2500 lbs with trailer, and aerodynamic.

Most guys here with newer bass boats tow them with crew cab diesel 4x4s.   

Around here you need to have a $75,000 4 x 4 crew cab diesel and a $10,000 Alum-lite trailer to haul your $25,000 UTV at the local Sporting clays range so you don't have to spend $5 on a rental golf cart to ride the 1/3 mile course stopping an average of 146 feet between stations.

[Scout63]

Ridgelines are for folks who have come to the realization you don’t need a 6000 lb vehicle that gets 10 mpg to go to Home Depot to pick up a tube of caulk. How many people who drive pick ups actually use them to carry stuff you can’t put in any other vehicle.

Pete

I don’t need to haul a whole lot but there are two things I don’t want inside my car - Fish racks going to the dump and diesel jugs for the boat.  Also anything awkward and sharp. Like our kids.

[LowRyter]

You can pull a bass boat with about anything.   They are less than 2500 lbs with trailer, and aerodynamic.

Most guys here with newer bass boats tow them with crew cab diesel 4x4s.   

   Your point was that the Ridgeline didn't tow anything.   

[PeteS]

Some tow with a Ridgeline but I wouldn’t use it for more than a landscape trailer. You don’t use torque and Ridgeline in the same sentence, except here. I could pull a 14’ enclosed trailer with three street bikes through the West Virginia hills with my Tundra and it would hardly ever downshift once above 65 mph. My Ridgeline downshifts going up the slightest grade running light.

Pete

[twowheeladdict]

   Your point was that the Ridgleing didn't tow anything.

No, my point was that I have never seen one towing anything.  I didn't say they didn't or couldn't tow little things.  With only a 5000lb tow rating, it is no wonder. 

[Scout63]

I wasn’t thrilled with my ‘13 Dodge 1500 5.7 for towing.  It had plenty of power but was always hunting gears.  Our ‘13 Touareg v6 diesel is way better. I wouldn’t want to hang a lot of tongue weight on it but 430 or so foot pounds and a Zurich 8 speed transmission are really nice.

[John Croucher]

I have been driving pickups for decades.  I buy them because they are trucks, not a people hauler or a luxury vehicle. Only two people can ride in the truck because the first thing I did was took the center seat out and built a real console that holds my junk.   I have found that waiting until the end of the year, Fall time will get me the best value with the biggest discount on a new truck purchase.  I drove off in a very a very nice truck a few months ago for $17,000 and traded in an 11 y.o. truck with 250,000 plus miles and blown head gasket.  I get lots of complements on the truck for that ego boost people like to pay a lot for. 

I believe this will be the last new ICE vehicle I will buy.  In 10-12 years, ICE is going to be the alternative choice in power plants and electric will be the standard.  Motor vehicles as we all know depreciate in value significantly.  With the rapid increase in the availability of electric vehicles, ICE will drop even faster.  The resale market will not place much value on ICE's.   

[Bulldog9]

Toyota can't touch the full size truck market..They sell about 100k Tundras a year compared to roughly 1.5 million Fords, GM and Dodge..It's got nothing to do with performance, Toyota simply does't offer what the other trucks do....

Not yet, and likely not ever based on their marketing and manufacturing plans, and I don't think they are interested, though they have mostly owned the midsize market for the last decade with the Tacoma. Will be interesting to see what happens with the new 2022 Tundra. Is amazing to me that the basic chassis of the current truck goes back to 2007, and the motor is still more 'advanced' (subjective) than the others with dual VVT OHC's, outstanding brakes, and though 'just' a 6 speed is completely bullet proof. The truck though dated still holds its own with the exception of the 'bells and whistles' and IMO the 4WD/traction systems though very capable is mostly dated. It doesn't even have a rear locker, just an auto ESLD. It works well, but uses the ABS to balance power to the rear tires 'simulating' a posi rear.

My 2017 was the last before all the 'driver assist' and 'safety' nonsense, and the gauges are ancient. 2019 saw a new digital dash that is much nicer. The chassis, carrier bearings, differentials, etc are all way overbuilt, and is a shame they didn't build the suspension and frame for HD ratings. Some of the guys over in the Tundra threads have upgraded the truck to F350/3500 capability with suspension and frame enhancements and are piling the miles on with few issues. Lot's of hope and speculation that they will do a 2500 or HD model with the 2022. Doesn't matter, I'll be keeping it till I'm worm food.

Ford sells more F 1-50's a month than Toyota does in a year, staggering numbers. It is great to have so many options and as said before welcome the Ram TRX to the mix. I looked long and hard, and love my truck. Toyota has it's own fanbase, and commands the best reliability and resale values, but will never displace the top 3. Ram is coming on strong and looks to soon de-throne the GM twins, but Ford is still king.

I generally dislike Jalopnik, but this was a decent article. https://jalopnik.com/the-2017-toyota-tundra-trd-pro-is-the-best-version-of-a-1820821578

And let's NOT forget this...... Talk about how 'dated' the current Tundra is, but how advanced it was in 2007. https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=XpOVjgx0W98
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi79PK73yjk

IMNSHO, the Tundra is the Guzzi of modern full size trucks..........

[twowheeladdict]

I have been driving pickups for decades.  I buy them because they are trucks, not a people hauler or a luxury vehicle. Only two people can ride in the truck because the first thing I did was took the center seat out and built a real console that holds my junk.   I have found that waiting until the end of the year, Fall time will get me the best value with the biggest discount on a new truck purchase.  I drove off in a very a very nice truck a few months ago for $17,000 and traded in an 11 y.o. truck with 250,000 plus miles and blown head gasket.  I get lots of complements on the truck for that ego boost people like to pay a lot for. 

I believe this will be the last new ICE vehicle I will buy.  In 10-12 years, ICE is going to be the alternative choice in power plants and electric will be the standard.  Motor vehicles as we all know depreciate in value significantly.  With the rapid increase in the availability of electric vehicles, ICE will drop even faster.  The resale market will not place much value on ICE's.

I sure would like to know what new truck you bought for $17,000.  Is it a mid size, or base W/T with 6 cylinder?

[PeteS]

Not yet, and likely not ever based on their marketing and manufacturing plans, and I don't think they are interested, though they have mostly owned the midsize market for the last decade with the Tacoma. Will be interesting to see what happens with the new 2022 Tundra. Is amazing to me that the basic chassis of the current truck goes back to 2007, and the motor is still more 'advanced' (subjective) than the others with dual VVT OHC's, outstanding brakes, and though 'just' a 6 speed is completely bullet proof. The truck though dated still holds its own with the exception of the 'bells and whistles' and IMO the 4WD/traction systems though very capable is mostly dated. It doesn't even have a rear locker, just an auto ESLD. It works well, but uses the ABS to balance power to the rear tires 'simulating' a posi rear.

IMNSHO, the Tundra is the Guzzi of modern full size trucks..........

I had two 2WD Fords before getting my 07 Tundra. Both with conventional limited slip. Tundra's ABS limited slip computer reacts much to slowly to be effective. By the time its starts applying the brake on the spinning wheel you are buried 4 inches in the snow. It was one of the many disapointments I had in that truck. Had great sucess with their cars but the Tundra not so much.

Pete

[Bulldog9]

I had two 2WD Fords before getting my 07 Tundra. Both with conventional limited slip. Tundra's ABS limited slip computer reacts much to slowly to be effective. By the time its starts applying the brake on the spinning wheel you are buried 4 inches in the snow. It was one of the many disapointments I had in that truck. Had great sucess with their cars but the Tundra not so much.

Pete

The later ATRAC systems were better, my 17 performs well, but nothing beats a proper LSD or locker.

[LowRyter]

Some tow with a Ridgeline but I wouldn’t use it for more than a landscape trailer. You don’t use torque and Ridgeline in the same sentence, except here. I could pull a 14’ enclosed trailer with three street bikes through the West Virginia hills with my Tundra and it would hardly ever downshift once above 65 mph. My Ridgeline downshifts going up the slightest grade running light.

Pete

I know a couple of guys with Tundras and they are totally sold on them.  I haven't driven one but it must be a good ride.  They seem to be really popular in the half ton segment.

[LowRyter]

No, my point was that I have never seen one towing anything.  I didn't say they didn't or couldn't tow little things.  With only a 5000lb tow rating, it is no wonder.

Pulling my light 5th Wheel Toy Hauler, I'm much happier with my Duramax than I am with my old gas powered 3/4 ton pick up. 

6 mpg vs 11.  RPMs at less than 2k vs extended times at 4k. 

[Rough Edge racing]

Pulling my light 5th Wheel Toy Hauler, I'm much happier with my Duramax than I am with my old gas powered 3/4 ton pick up. 

6 mpg vs 11.  RPMs at less than 2k vs extended times at 4k.

Becase of the 8000 buck premium on full size truck Diesels, Ford   and GM have introduced larger more powerful gas engines. How much gas can you buy for 8 grand? And Diesels that once were about  minimal maintenance, reasonable power and fuel economy are now complicated things that aren't so economical and brutal maintenance costs..Ask any Diesel owner that had the CP4 pressure pump failure that spread debris in the fuel system...A truck just out of warranty with $4-6 grand repair bill. In my opinion, unless you're pulling heavy loads every day, a gas engine will do...

[LowRyter]

Becase of the 8000 buck premium on full size truck Diesels, Ford   and GM have introduced larger more powerful gas engines. How much gas can you buy for 8 grand? And Diesels that once were about  minimal maintenance, reasonable power and fuel economy are now complicated things that aren't so economical and brutal maintenance costs..Ask any Diesel owner that had the CP4 pressure pump failure that spread debris in the fuel system...A truck just out of warranty with $4-6 grand repair bill. In my opinion, unless you're pulling heavy loads every day, a gas engine will do...

I bought my Duramax used and it was set up for towing.  I sold my used gas truck for about what I had into it (not counting maintenance cost for a broken exhaust manifold stud).   But for comfort reasons, it's no contest.  The gas engine may go on for 20 minutes at a time screaming at 4k and that can be gradual rises for an extended run, not just in the hills or mountains.  And emptying a full tank in 120 miles can be pretty annoying as well and drag out a trip.  So for sheer comfort and travel enjoyment, diesel have lots to offer in addition to the fuel mileage.

So if you can swing a diesel, it's worth it for those reasons.  It took me a few years to find the right one at a good price.  It's also worth your while to shop around and another good reason to consider a good used one.  There have been a few diesels that were absolute bombs that would blow $20k engine with 60k miles.  I wouldn't purchase a new one from any brand given given the possibility that it's a bomb and you're stuck with a real headache.  I'll mention that one of the "big 3" has a history of stiffing the customer once the warranty is gone and that company built some horrendous diesels in the mid '00s. 

[bigbikerrick]

My son bought a 2011 Raptor in 2014 for 51K with less that 20K miles on it. He has kept it  in real nice shape ,and garaged. Currently he has been offered $50K for the truck, with around 40K miles on it. It has retained its value very well, I imagine due to the 6.2 L V8, folks are not too happy with the  current V6 "ego boost" Raptor.
Rick.

[John Croucher]

I sure would like to know what new truck you bought for $17,000.  Is it a mcrid size, or base W/T with 6 cylinder?

2020 F150SWB V6 XL with X plan discount, end of year rebate, trade in.  Has all the add on including chrome and aluminum wheels, except carpet.  To much electronics though.

SWB trucks with regular cabs do not sell well. The one I bought set at dealer for 6 months.