RAM 1500 (ICE) vs Lightning?

[Replika]

Long time EV owner here. Been spending the past week in a RAM 1500 5.7. Amazing vehicle, especially for the money. Comfortable, minimal wind noise up to 85 mph. Engine is silent too when cruising, less than 2k RPMs up to 90 mph.

Lightning owners who have owned a RAM 1500 who does it compare? Especially interested in subjective comments on comfort and quietness for long trips. Looking at the ER Lariat Lightning. Thanks!

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[F150ROD]

I’d get the 1500 especially if you plan on being up in the 90 mph range. I it disappointed will come to you with range on the Lariat ER. Ram 1500 is the way to go.

As far and comfort and quietness it’s probably equivalent or better. Whatever the quietness and comfort of the ICE F-150 vs the 1500 is essentially the same if not better in the Lightning.

 

[BennyTheBeaver]

I concur with @F150ROD.

For your particular use case the RAM 1500 would be better suited for you. If you are going 85 often your range on any EV will be decimated.

 

[Replika]

I’m actually good on range. Don’t need to go that far and I’m used to EV life already.

 

[BennyTheBeaver]

I’m actually good on range. Don’t need to go that far and I’m used to EV life already.

If range anxiety won't be an issue...hands down get the Lightning. I drove a mid-tier 2019 RAM 1500 for work. I was planning on buying one for myself until the Lightning got announced. I miss nothing about that truck now that I've owned my base trim Pro Lightning.

 

[bewbie]

The only thing I miss about my Ram was how much I didnt care about coffee spills and work material in the back seat making an absolute mess. Ive been babying my Lightning since I got it!

 

[Replika]

How about ride quality? Most reviewers still put the 1500 above the Lightning as the benchmark for truck ride. I’ve driven the RAM for a week, and the Lightning for 40 minutes in total. Definitely impressed with the Lightning ride, but it usually takes a long road trip for me to get to know a vehicle.

 

[pc500]

How about ride quality? Most reviewers still put the 1500 above the Lightning as the benchmark for truck ride. I’ve driven the RAM for a week, and the Lightning for 40 minutes in total. Definitely impressed with the Lightning ride, but it usually takes a long road trip for me to get to know a vehicle.

F150 lightning has different suspension (and ride) than F150 ICE. Take those reviews with a grain of salt, but the ram is a very nice riding truck.

 

[N0v0w3ls]

I had a 2019 1500 Laramie for a while. Overall the truck was very comfortable, it was great on a long road trip with my family and a wife who likes to overpack. I have an ER Lariat now and overall I liked the interior of the Ram better. Ram did a great job engineering the interior with lots of flexible storage areas. With the rotary shifter the center console is open and massive with a slidable tray area. It seemed like the materials were a little better than my Lightning as well. They also ride quite well, it's been a few years but I don't remember it being much worse than the Lightning and it was quiet as well.

I think if I was in the market for a gas truck, I'd pick the Ram over the F-150, but I really enjoy the EV experience and it's hard not to grin when I floor it! I'm not sure on the REV yet, I think it looks great and has a great interior, I'm just not sure if I trust their electrical reliability considering how much less experience they have there than Ford.

 

[Replika]

I no longer have my Lightning, but I agree with that. I drove the RAM1500 on long road trips back to back with my ER model and would be hard pressed to say which is quieter (dBA) on the highway. I did prefer having the engine note of the V8 though.

The RAM interior was nicer (to me) especially in terms of layout, no giant shifter, etc. I also noticed that the stereo was more balanced than my 8 speaker B&O where all sound seemed to emanate from the center.

 

[mme_and_lightning]

I am sorry to say the Lightning, when I got to see one, was not as expected. I think Ford has a great truck and the concept is awesome. Still, I was disappointed. I have a 2020 RAM 1500 Laramie that is as refined as any luxury auto short of some higher-end Mercedes and BMWs. It is a great family car/truck/hauler.

I drive between Virginia and the Delaware shore many times each year (150 miles one-way). The RAM comfort is outstanding. The interior of the Lightning is beneath my RAM, at half the cost, and I have decided for now, not to buy the Lightning. Unless you buy a platinum, you have no choice but to buy black interior with hard plastics everywhere which is silly for a 90K vehicle. My MME (the Iced White version) is truly luxury end-to-end. No hard plastics and a beautifully finished interior.

I would buy another MME without a second thought. It is truly the EV that sets the standard for EUV.
And as a final sad note: I see some Lightnings on dealer lots exactly, or very close, to the Lightning I have had on order for over 2 years and in "Production" status since February 1, 2023. One of the Lightnings is being sold (new, < 10 miles) for under MSRP. Why would I buy the one I have ordered and still waiting for delivery and pay MSRP.

Ford Lightning: Great truck, great concept. Ford simply blew it thinking a 90K truck was to be used for hauling stuff and forgot about the people inside with families.

 

[Kman]

Owned a 2019 RAM 1500 lImited the last 4-years, just sold it for the Lightning Lariat ER, which I’ve been driving for a month.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the RAM interior, which is far superior and more luxurious. Ride quality of the Lightning is superior though, heavier and handles bumps better, low CG so turns and corners are way smoother (Ram tends to roll a lot on turns) and EV acceleration cannot be duplicated in any ICE vehicle. RAM is fairly quiet on the Highway, but the Lightning is near silent.
Things I miss about my Ram interior:

• Power steps retract out AND DOWN making egress in and out of the vehicle much more comfortable. Ford goes out but NOT down, making them almost useless.
• Rear view mirrors are slightly larger, and have the convex mirror in one corner.
• Ford has the God awful gear shifter in the most prime real estate in the whole vehicle. Ram puts it as a knob and out of the way.
• Ram's entire center console is waaaay better. Ford has two cup holders, a thin slot, and the gear shifter. Ram's can slide back and forth giving multiple positions, and more bins for change and small items.
• Storage under the armrest, Ram has two bins, a small one on top for small items, and a large one on the bottom. Ford has no small bin as it folds into a table (useless for my needs) and only the large bin.
• Ram wireless phone charger is visible while driving, and easy to slide your phone in and out. Ford's setup is terrible. It's very hard to get your phone through the small opening and above the little lip where the phone goes, and it sits horizontal so not clearly visible while driving.
• Steering wheel - Ram's wheel, the top 1/3 of the wheel (from 10oclock to 2oclock position) is a wood trim. This is ideal if you ever have to drive with dirty hands. Ford's is all leather, and will get messed up (I permanently messed up the leather on an old Nissan I had because of this).
• Manual buttons for AC control. Ram has physical buttons on the left of the touch screen. Ford you have to use the touchscreen to hit the tiny little fan button, then use the dial to turn fan speed up and down. Very annoying!
• Ram touchscreen is dual screen, so you can have navigation on top, with radio or phone on the bottom, or customize to how you want it. Ford has no dual screen option, so you have a massive screen of only one thing at a time.
• Ram floor mats - Awesome design with carpeted floor mats, but also have rubber mats that snap into the carpeted ones, so you can add or remove them easily, they look premium, and you get the best of both worlds. The Ford has carpeted, I also ordered the rubber mats, but they look like crap. The driver side rubber mat, the corners are all bent and look dingy, I ended up trimming them slightly but still looks like crap, and it slides around.
• In the back seat, the fold down armrest/cup holder, Ram's is really nice with a wide armrest, two nice cupholders and a storage bin. Ford is dinky with just two small cup holders.
• Dashboard is completely wrapped with leather, there is leather everywhere you look, and its a far more premium finish.

Overall I think Ram puts more thought and detail into their vehicles, especially the interior, and are trying to make a luxury vehicle.
Of course the acceleration, handling and frunk storage of the Lightning completely blows the Ram away.

 

[flrsb62]

Kman is right on all his points. I have a 2105 RAM BIg Horn with 250K on the clock. My Lightning is a toy compared to the RAM. The leather in the RAM is far superior. It is thicker with better stitching. Much more comfortable to drive and ride as passenger in. The Lightning is more fun, but the RAM is more comfortable. It sucks because I have always had Ford trucks, (still have a 1974 F-100) but they are missing the Luxury truck market. I am playing with the Lighting until after the first of the year. At that point I will be forced to look at the RAM again before buying another Ford..

 

[River Rat]

Can't comment on the Rams other than they sound like Harleys on the Highway. I have a2013 F150 Ecoboost 245Km and a 2023 Lariat. Hands down best truck I ever owned also best vehicle. Love one pedal driving. Also have Mach E Premium, fun ride but truck is smoother.

 

[DanielM92563]

I had a 2019 Ram 1500 Limited and a 2022 Ram 1500 Laramie, now a 2022 Lightning Lariat. I much prefer the Lightning over the Laramie, the Ram Limited on the other hand is a different story- it has air suspension, the large Ram infotainment screen has physical buttons that are well laid out, and the interior was comparable if not better than my wife’s Mercedes GLS at the time (definitely much nicer interior than the Lightning).

At the end of the day, I still prefer the Lightning over the Ram Limited because:
- I like having a full tank of electrons in the morning, no need to stop off for gas 1-2 times a week on my way to work.
- To match the Lightning’s acceleration, you would need a Ram TRX which is loud, obnoxious, expensive, and thirsty.
- The main reason I prefer EVs over Ice, when I accelerate I prefer hearing only the wind and tire noise and not an ice engine screaming. The Hemi is quiet and will purr me to sleep at idle but it’s still noisy during acceleration.
- The power frunk, I use it almost every day.
- Bluecruise; makes bumper to bumper traffic more bearable during my commute.
- Lightning also replaced my gas generator which I used for portable power.
- IMO the Lightning drives better than the Ram Limited (very close though).

Different people have different needs, in my case, the Lightning has been by far my favorite truck. If I needed to tow more than 100 miles regularly then I would go back to Ram.

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