Ninjak

Interesting. I picked up a 2012 F150 not so long ago, #.5 Eco and I would have to say it drives nice. A lot better than I thought it would. Now perhaps its because I have 35's on it..or maybe I tuned it, but honestly it drives vastly better than my old Ranger and the Chevy Zr2 I had...though they were older vehicles. The interior, well my seats are comfy but the hard plastic ? Well it's a truck. I did not buy a Escalade, I bought a pick-up truck. I don's know...but you have to buy what you like. I'm happy with my F150 so no worries with me. Maybe you should take a look at the Toyota ?

bassJAM

I can agree with a lot of what the OP said. That being said, the interior of an XLT is much different than a Lariat. And you get used to the way the Ecoboost behaves very quickly, once your right foot adjusts its a non-issue. And it's not quite fair to judge the 5.0 after immediately getting out of a 3.5eb, you probably need to drive something in between to clean your palate.

But the ride of the 13th gen is certainly more rough than the Rams and Silverado/Sierra's I drove. The 12th gen is a little more smooth than the 13th gen, but still not to the level of the Ram and Chevy. The Ram does seem to have the best laid out interior and manages to do everything a nicely equipped F150 can do with about 1/4 of the buttons. But you've got Ram quality too, which seems to have a 3 year shelf life.

Everything in the truck world is a compromise, but you're best bet might be to check out a 2018 SLT nicer Sierra with the 6.2. If found the interior quality comparable to a 13th gen Lariat, and the ride is much smoother. In spite of that, the handling seemed to be at least as good as the Ford too, if not a touch better.

I guess you could check out the new Titan, but based on my Nissan experience they tend to have much more utilitarian interiors, and have a more sporty ride which means a more stiff suspension.

CIPHER

This is a huge difference in truck brands. I had a Tahoe and a couple of Silverados. Cushy and comfortable. When it came time to replace the last Silverado, I decided to test a Ford. I love the Ecoboost engine and it feels fast and nimble compared to the Silverado, especially in Sport mode. The first thing I noticed getting in the old truck was how 'heavy' it seemed after driving the Ford. There are things I like about both, but in the end I chose the Ford and I'm glad I did.

The OP is definitely doing his homework and hopefully he finds something to satisfy his taste.

Joe Friday

I think part of this is that I am coming from driving a Toyota Highlander Limited AWD..... so, yes, it is like stepping out of a limo-like experience into a tank. hehe. I have owned two trucks before: Bought a brand new Chevy Z71 Extended Cab in 2002, and then a Chevy Crew Cab Z71 in 2004. The first one I 'Lemon-Law'd' and received compensation from GM.... and then bought the Crew Cab which actually had a supporting pillar between the doors and didn't rattle like can of coins. The Crew Cab was decent. Both rode smoother than today's F150 in my opinion, although I am not a real fan of GM. Honestly hate the looks of the current breed of GM trucks... and think the 2019 Chevy is a horrible look. The 2019 GMC, does appeal to me from an 'outer-skin' perspective.

In any event.... I am 57 years old, so maybe that plays into it as well..... I guess ride comfort *is* more important to me than it used to be for age-related reasons such as creaky joints and arthritis in the spine, etc.... ah the joys of becoming an 'old fart.' :-)

Listen - I expected a little 'blow-back'.... from writing this candid post about *my* impressions of having an extended drive in a new F150. I love the look, and like I stated before; I was mildly disheartened at a conclusion that I just could not gloss over at the price point I was about to embark on. I really wanted to like it - and the convenience of having a truck to toss large items into the back of, haul around my collapsible mitre saw for projects on the kid's homes, rare hauling of my sub-compact tractor, etc was mentally appealing to me.... but maybe at my stage in life, I best stick to my super-smooth riding SUV..... which, by the way, is rated to tow 5,000 pounds and does have a tow package on it. I was using my 5 X 8 utility trailer for hauling the occasional item around.... and that will still work in most instances, but it would be nice not to have to drag the trailer around the front of the house and hook up, etc.

I am vert happy that most of you enjoy your trucks - sincerely. I wouldn't want it any other way. Just thought I would share an unbiased, if opposing, viewpoint. I guess that is why there are so many automotive brands in the world - something to meet every individual's needs.

I do feel like I am out of options..... Love the 2019 RAM.... wow! It drives SO smooth (not quite Cadillac smooth - - but it definitely leads the pack by at least a 2:1 factor in ride quality - it is worth a test drive)..... but in the end, there seems to be a never ending supply of horror stories regarding the ticking hemi engine.... just not prepared to become another victim. GM ? Meh....Toyota? Outdated and HORRIBLE gas mileage to boot. Nissan? hahaha. Eeeba Eeeba .... That's All Folks!

I will mention a thought did cross my mind: Since I am skeptical about the RAM.... but love everything about it upon initial review.... maybe I should do a short-term lease. If I don't care for it, I just turn it in after 24 months. Don't personally take a depreciation hit. Rolling that one around in my head.

Although, I stopped by the RAM dealer after limping home with my tail between my legs from dropping off the Ford..... and I had a salesman grab two sets of car keys to random 2019 RAM trucks.... started both up and they both rattled for about 5 seconds upon start-up before the rattle disappeared..... oh yes, there it is - the infamous Hemi Tick. Trouble is, it won't get better according to many ....it will get worse. something about the 'bleed down valve' design? I dunno.

I was pretty blunt in my post, but I figured truck owners are a pretty straight-forward crowd. Sorry if I upset anyone. The relationship between vehicles' and a guy's ego/self worth can be stronger in some than others.

Have a great day - and keep on trucking!

Ryan_2020

I think it is more of a 'you are on a truck forum but you want a truck that doesn't have truck characteristics'...... maybe check out the Honda Ridgeline if that is what you are looking for lol

But on a serious note, based on all your posts I would be looking at an SUV that has the towing capacity you need and call it a day. As for worrying about defects, the defect rate in the automotive world is minor, like 0.01%. These forums have a much higher rate of people with defects because they are here for solutions or to complain. The odds of you having a lemon are incredibly small.

Joe Friday

You must feel pretty foolish for having read every one of them.... there is therapy available for.....

Joe Friday

Thank you Ryan - good points.

Ricktwuhk

Oh, I didn't. After a while when I saw you had posted I read the title of the thread and usually skipped it. I could have written the conclusion for you though when I a dozen threads asking questions commonly answered on the forum.




I know you read threads about how the transmission learns and that takes a while, how high tire pressure from the factory affects ride (as well as tires needing a few hundred miles to break in), sport mode, etc.

When we were looking for a new car recently we drove the hybrid version, then the 1.5 liter turbo version, then the 2.0 liter turbo version (and NOT the 2.7 liter turbo because it's a rocket and gets crappy mileage...). I KNEW I would hate the 1.5 and I did, as did the wife. She accepted the hybrid (actually Energi electric and hybrid) for what she wants, way better MPG than the 2.0. We did that BEFORE opening the trunk and finding a 14" deep trunk (which we knew would be there).

1sharphook

I'm confident folks over on the GM or Nissan truck forums will love to have you posting your complaints there.

bassJAM

You sound like a perfect candidate for a Ridgeline. And I'm not saying that in jest, a lot of folks on here joke about them but they are a great misized truck that perfectly suite the needs of 90% of ALL truck owners, whether they admit it or not.