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Dodge is a great American brand hailed for its cool sports cars and workhorse trucks, being fun to drive, with their high power and perfect acceleration. Ford is famous for patented innovations and design, especially in the F-Series trucks, and also their efforts in producing green vehicles. At Indy Auto Man, you can see and compare Ford and Dodge trucks side by side. You will definitely find your perfect match at our Indianapolis car lot.
If you want to buy a truck from one of these brands in Indianapolis but can’t decide which is more reliable, our Dodge vs. Ford comparison will help you make up your mind.
To find out who will be the winner in the Ford and Dodge competition, we offer you to join us on a test drive of two main rivals: RAM 1500 and Ford F-150.
The Ford F-150 pickup is deservedly the most popular truck in the North American market, with almost one million units sold a year. At the same time, Dodge offers its Ram pickups not so actively, and historically the situation in the USA has developed in such a way that Ford trucks have always had more trust for their reliability. However, the Ram 1500 TRX remains Ford’s only pickup truck competitor. Other manufacturers like Toyota, Chevrolet, and Jeep are still very far from this level.
If we take the characteristics of today’s two heroes, then the advantage of the Ram 1500 is obvious. First, under the hood of this pickup is a 6.2-liter supercharged gasoline engine installed on the Dodge Charger Hellcat and Dodge Challenger Hellcat . This power unit produces the insane 702 hp. Surely, on the go, this engine is able to wake up a couple of blocks. Ford F-150 Raptor in the current generation is equipped with a modest 3.5-liter engine with two turbines with a capacity of 450 hp.
In addition, Dodge and Ford differ in suspension design. If everything is about the same in terms of characteristics: both pickups have a clearance of more than 11 inches and controlled sports shock absorbers with external expansion tanks, there is a difference in the rear suspension design. The Ram 1500 TRX has rear springs and dampers, while the Ford F-150 has prehistoric springs.
Of course, the number of horses under the hood of the Ram 1500 TRX will cost more. The basic equipment of a 2022 pickup truck will start from $78,790, according to the manufacturer . If you add a few optional packages to this price, the cost of an SUV will skyrocket to almost $100,000.
At the same time, the base 2022 Ford F-150 Raptor will set you back $69,905 for the single-cab version. For an additional $7,000, you’ll be offered a five-passenger version of the pickup truck. The cost of this model can also grow to $78,000, but for this money, the buyer will receive the maximum number of options, including a high-quality Bang & Olufsen sound system, all-around cameras, and much more.
If we talk about used Ford and Dodge trucks, the difference in price remains.
To get off-road, you must either live in a dense forest or desert or go to it on public roads. None of the pickups have any problems driving on asphalt: the cars hold the road perfectly, and, thanks to the adaptive suspension and huge tires, you will not feel joints and bumps on the road at all. However, with active steering, Ford starts to have issues. The truck rolls in any existing shock absorber modes, even in the hardest. In addition, the F150 is prone to losing the wheel contact with the road surface due to the rear suspension design. The competitor does not have such difficulties and seems to be more solid and reliable.
The difference in acceleration is obvious: according to the Raptor characteristics, it speeds up from a standstill to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds; to 100 mph in 15 seconds. But the Ram 1500 TRX does the same exercises in 3.7 and 9 .7 seconds, respectively. Just imagine a 6-meter pickup truck on huge off-road wheels that literally catapults its driver from a place.
In dunes, the Raptor performs much better than on a highway. With front and rear diffs, adaptive suspension, and plenty of control electronics, the Ford F-150 feels better on the move and looks more agile than the Ram 1500. In a strange-looking competition to see who can jump the farthest, the Ford doesn’t collapse mid-flight or suffer a suspension blowout on landing. At the same time, the powerful Ram engine pulls the pickup up any hill and on any surface, while the competitor 3.5-liter engine often lacks power and torque.
The Raptor’s 10-speed automatic is worse tuned. It often gets confused in gears and thinks for a long time in some especially tough moments.
At the same time, the RAM 1500 also has several problems. Firstly, the mass: 6,439 lbs against 5,740 lbs. However, in many cases, it is offset by an overly powerful engine and a properly tuned Bilstein suspension. Weight is also no problem for the more powerful braking system compared to the Raptor – the Ram’s stopping distance from 70 mph is 189 feet, while the Ford’s is 195 feet.
The Dodge RAM pickup also does not have modes like driving on sand, snow, and off-road, its electronics allow you to choose from 4WD Auto, 4WD High, and 4WD Low. In addition, the model lacks a real front differential lock: it is imitated by the brakes.
Find out more about the 4×4 pickup trucks for sale in Indianapolis .
If comparing Dodge vs. Ford reliability, the Ford F-150 is considered a more durable option. If you want to buy a used truck that will last 200,000 miles, the chances of making it are better in the F-150.
Read also Ford F150 vs. Toyota Tundra comparison
In 1903, brothers John and Horace Dodge helped Henry Ford with the Ford Motor Company financing and built engines for it. Ford was unable to pay in cash, so he gave the Dodges stock in the company. John Dodge was vice president of Ford until 1913. In 1919, the Dodge brothers sold their stock back to Ford for $25 million and decided to start their own automobile company, so today Dodge and Ford manufacturers are separate businesses.
The settings of the all-wheel-drive system and the indestructible suspension speak in favor of the Ford truck. However, the Ram 1500 TRX impresses with its power, dynamic performance, and more comfortable interior. Decide what is the top priority for you, and make the choice. Or visit Indy Auto Man and get expert advice from our truck-addicted sales consultants to ensure you buy your best vehicle for the years to come.