2023 Ram Heavy Duty 2500/3500 vs 2023 Ford Super D

US News and World Report has named Ram the Best Truck Brand for the last three years. Motor Trend has awarded Truck of the Year to Ram six times in the brand’s 13-year history. In 2022, the magazine ranked the Ram 2500 HD at the top of its class.

Meanwhile, Ford claims the best-selling truck brand, and it snagged a Motor Trend Truck of the Year in 2022. How can a person choose when these two trucks are well reviewed and well liked?

1. Style and Size

   The first aspect of any truck is its size. In this case, the two trucks offer regular one-row cabs and two larger cabs. The Ram Crew Cab and Ford Super Cab are somewhat parallel.

   However, the Ram Crew Cab has a remarkable 7 inches of extra second-row legroom. This is useful when you are seating your work crew or when you just need to put a carseat in the back for an infant or toddler. It’s not bad for double dates either!

   

   The Ford Crew Cab and Ram Mega Cab are also meant to be similarly sized. Once again, the Ram passenger volume of 142 cubic feet is quite a bit better than the Ford’s 131 cubic feet. Still the Ford’s back row appears to be just slightly bigger. The two have more than 43 inches of headroom and more than 40 inches of rear legroom.

   With more overall volume in the cabin, It’s easy to understand why the Ram has more space for cargo. The Mega Cab also has a fold-flat second-row floor, making it even with Ford’s similar feature.

2. Bed Sizes

   When looking at the beds, the largest beds are both listed at 8 feet. Ford has a 6.75-foot regular bed, although the Ram bed is almost 6.5 feet long. So we’d say that the bed sizes themselves are not a deal breaker in either direction.

   

   Ram is known for RamBox, the leading organizational tool for truck beds. We’d suggest that this feature, which is available or standard, depending on the trim, is the tiebreaker in this case. It has been upgraded this year with more features, including interior lights for the most important compartments. You can get a quick quote now just to learn about Ram 2500 prices.

3. Strength and Capability

   You can be sure that these trucks are built to even stronger specifications than the Ford F-150 or Ram 1500. They are made to move the biggest loads.

   When it comes to horsepower and torque, Ram and Ford have numbers that show them fender-to-fender when it comes to hard work. The big diesel engines, for instance, give Ford more horsepower while giving Ram trucks more torque.

   Only Ram has an additional, more affordable diesel engine choice that provides a whopping 850 lb-ft of torque. The Ram has a single award-winning V8 which dominates as the standard engine against the Ford’s lower horsepower.

   

   There simply isn’t a single winner in this category, but this critic would argue that Ram’s choice of providing two diesels and one higher horsepower standard gas engine gives you three solid choices over the three provided by Ford F series Super Duty lineup.

   You’ll find top payload and towing numbers at Ram that will match your heavy duty needs. And Ram’s many features and trim series will help make work easier every day. If you are interested in a Ram HD truck, Earnhardt helps with competitive financing. An online application can get you started.

4. Off-Roading Adventures

   You can pick the Ram 2500, Ram 3500, Ford F250 or Ford F350, and you will know you have the strength, height and sheer force to go off-road. But what if you want more?

   Off-roading trim levels are the answer. Ford offers the Tremor off-road package while Ram offers the Power Wagon. For years, the Ram Power Wagon has been the leader in showing what a full size heavy duty truck can do on the trail. For 2023, Ram has added even more strengths to this package.

   If you are a fan of Jeep, then you’ll know that Ram and Jeep benefit from each other’s knowledge of the trail. Furthermore Ram trucks can be upgraded with tried and tested Mopar accessories.

   This is a subjective matter, and so it can be declared a tie between Ford and Ram heavy duty trucks. However, this critic would argue that the Ram-Jeep connection and Mopar upgrades put Ram in front. Plus we’ve witnessed the Power Wagon in action, and we know what it can really do.

5. Infotainment and Connectivity

   Ram and Ford take a slightly different approach to touchscreen technology. At the entry level, you’ll find an LCD display on the Ford and a touchscreen on the Ram. At the first upgrade, Ram again has the bigger touchscreen. Plus the Ford driver display is still at 4.2 inches while Ram’s has jumped to 7 inches.

   At the top, the two have equally large 12-inch touchscreens but Ford maintains the status quo with an 8-inch LCD screen. Ram goes all the way with an exciting 12-inch digital instrument display, giving you 24 inches of configurable screens.

   

   The Ram digital instrumentation lets you choose among five reconfigurable tiles. You can choose analog or digital representations for your main instruments. There are two dozen menus to allow you to keep the information most vital to you front and center. This can include navigational aids. Profiles let different drivers switch to their preference in an instant.

   So while Ford and Ram are both providing good infotainment technology, this critic gives the win to Ram for its larger screens and, most especially, its cool digital instrumentation.

   If you want to check it out, your Earnhardt Ram dealer would be happy to let you try out these different touchscreens and see how they work for your needs. This is where tech geeks meet the road.

6. Watching for Trailer Trouble

   A few years ago Ford introduced a blind spot monitor that watches the trailer. Ram has responded to the challenge with some interesting technology of its own.

   Ram camera systems have been upgraded to include blind spot views and behind-trailer views. Plus an exclusive Digital Rearview Mirror provides live footage of what’s behind the truck. Even better, it features side cameras that provide blind spot views of both sides of the vehicles. With all of that, you’ve got the coverage you need for safe travel.

   Ford introduced a trailer parking system that works with a dial. Ram now has Trailer Reverse Steering Control. With this system, the driver can back up the trailer with the use of a dial. It just rotates in the direction you want the trailer to go. This moves the steering wheel at the right angle to achieve your goal.

   It should be noted that Ram trucks already have the available auto-leveling suspension that can lower or raise the bumper to the perfect height for connecting to the trailer. You won’t believe how much easier this makes the whole process.

   With the new model year, there’s no doubt that Ram and Ford are offering teh same sorts of trailering technologies. So this is not much of a tiebreaker for shoppers. In fact, it just makes it more fun to go shopping for a Ram because you can try out all these new gadgets that make trailering easier.

7. Ride Quality and the Auto Leveling Suspension

   Ride quality is the other aspect of the cabin build. Ford definitely has worked to make its trucks less bouncy and more comfortable. The Ram 2500 continues the advantage of an exclusive five-link suspension that is praised by test drivers as the best for ride quality and handling in large trucks today.

   While it isn’t standard, the auto-leveling air suspension is a major Ram strength. It takes care of passengers by smoothing the road. It takes care of drivers by adjusting weight to improve handling.

   For payload, it can automatically adjust the weight load to even out how the weight is distributed across the suspension and back tires. For an empty bed, it will automatically raise to improve aerodynamics. When you are loading or unloading, you simply push a button to lower it as needed.

Conclusion

While this critic gives the win to Ram, the final analysis is still up to you. Fortunately, there’s a fun way to decide the issue. You’ll want to take a test drive at Earnhardt CDJR dealership. We can promise you that it’s the most fun you’ll have this week!

Give us a call, talk via online chat or drop by our Ram dealership for a closer look at the all new 2023 Ram 2500 and 3500 models.