Drove the 2105 F-150

[Kitzy]

Jason is just being ridiculous... a dodge (edit: excuse me... a ram...)  Crazy talk!

Tapatalkin...

[Blown F-150]

The issue is that we (the consumer) are more loyal to the brands than they are to themselves. The all share technology on the back end as well as the marketing teams meet up on a regular basis (I know as I happened to be at a hotel in Miami once while this took place, VERY hush hush, it was kinda funny). We truly get taken advantage of as customers.

For me, I hate to say it but I see benefits in every truck brand out there today. I know it's a pain to deal with an issue when it pops up, but if you have warranty, you have warranty. every brand has there stigma, you just have to weed out the pros and cons for your needs and preferences. I am hoping to really be looking for a new rig in the spring, but the prices really have me thinking I will have to get back into the used market. I will be doing a lot of test driving and out of my buddies, I expect them to have at least 3 of the options below for me to really take and try out.

If money wasn't an issue, here are my top 5 picks in no particular order (all 4x4 of course)

 - 2015 Ecoboost Crew Cab Lariat with the FX4/heavy tow
 - 2015 GMC with the 5.3 LTZ package
 - 2015 Titan with the 5.0 Cummins
 - 2015 Tundra limited with the 5.7
 - 2015 Eco Diesel Ram Laramie
(OK, maybe they are pretty much in order...  )

If I decided against a truck next time around, I would say the only SUV that really grabs my attention is the new Grand Cherokee with the Diesel or 5.7.

[Too Stroked]

The issue is that we (the consumer) are more loyal to the brands than they are to themselves. The all share technology on the back end as well as the marketing teams meet up on a regular basis (I know as I happened to be at a hotel in Miami once while this took place, VERY hush hush, it was kinda funny). We truly get taken advantage of as customers.

For me, I hate to say it but I see benefits in every truck brand out there today. I know it's a pain to deal with an issue when it pops up, but if you have warranty, you have warranty. every brand has there stigma, you just have to weed out the pros and cons for your needs and preferences. I am hoping to really be looking for a new rig in the spring, but the prices really have me thinking I will have to get back into the used market. I will be doing a lot of test driving and out of my buddies, I expect them to have at least 3 of the options below for me to really take and try out.

If money wasn't an issue, here are my top 5 picks in no particular order (all 4x4 of course)

 - 2015 Ecoboost Crew Cab Lariat with the FX4/heavy tow
 - 2015 GMC with the 5.3 LTZ package
 - 2015 Titan with the 5.0 Cummins
 - 2015 Tundra limited with the 5.7
 - 2015 Eco Diesel Ram Laramie
(OK, maybe they are pretty much in order...  )

If I decided against a truck next time around, I would say the only SUV that really grabs my attention is the new Grand Cherokee with the Diesel or 5.7.

I've got to agree with most of what you said. Many customers are so brand loyal that they seem oblivious to problems with "their" brand. For instance, they guy I work for in the winter is as Blue Oval as they come. Nobody else makes anything even worth looking at - in his mind. Of course one member of his fleet is a 2003 F-350 with the brandy- new (then) 6.0 liter Powerstroke. (The absolute worst year for an already problematic motor.) He bought it used after the first owner Lemon Lawed it. (That ought to tell you something.) But he figured we could fix anything and everything wrong with it. I can tell you with absolute certainty that this particular truck has been in the shop much more than any other truck in the fleet. When I suggested that "If that truck were a Chevy, you'd be calling it the biggest POS on the face of the earth," I got an earful about how it wasn't really all that bad. Yup, brand loyalty blindness.

In my humble opinion, almost every major brand of truck out there these days is pretty darn good. If any one of them was clearly superior, why would anybody buy anything else? And if one were clearly junk, why would anybody buy it? Yes, Ford out-sells everybody else and has for years. And, they make a pretty darn good truck. But I really like the way the GM products look and the Dodge / Ram is now a damn good truck too. I think it boils down to what an individual likes and what manufacturer happens to offer something that meets that particular individual's needs. And as most of you know, I moved away from Ford after many, many years after one too many "dumb engineering problems" pushed me away. Someday I may come back, but right now I'm quite happy with my Taco.

[Kitzy]

Pockets, I'm telling you, just go drive one.  Drive all of the other brands.  They're not like women.  They won't get mad at you for testing the waters.  The worst you'll have to deal with is your friends ragging on you for going against your loyalty to a brand.  I know from experience.  I heard a bunch of crap.  Mostly from people who could care less about what they drive.

BTW, my hate for Dodge comes from driving multiple Dodge's daily.  It's not a blind dislike.  My favorite truck out right now is the new Chevy.  I want a High Country so bad.  A big ol Dually would be fantastic.  In white diamond.  Incase anyone has like $70k they don't know what to do with.