Are you looking at used full-size half-ton pickup trucks? With an available HEMI V8 and four-corner coil suspension, a used Ram 1500 is an excellent choice. But it is far from your only option. Here are four alternatives to buying a used Ram 1500 pickup truck.
Nissan Titan
2019 Nissan Titan | Nissan
The Nissan Titan is an excellent bargain on the used pickup truck market. On one hand, Nissan only offers one drivetrain: A 390 horsepower 5.7-liter V8 with an automatic transmission. On the other hand, Nissan engineers have had years to work out any mechanical problem areas. The result is that the 2019 Nissan Titan earned a segment-leading predicted reliability score of 89/100 from J.D. Power.
According to U.S. News, The Titan tends to lag behind its full-size competitors when it comes to technology and interior comfort. For example, a 2019 Nissan Titan only came with a seven-inch infotainment touchscreen, and some trucks still shipped with a two-door regular cab. But you can find some trims with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto as early as 2019. You can also find used trucks with the larger club cab or even the “King Cab.”
Finally, if you need a larger payload, you can hunt down a heavy-duty Titan XD with its beefier rear springs and available Cummins V8 diesel engine–the same brand you’d find in a used heavy-duty Ram pickup truck.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71 | General Motors
One of the most popular Ram 1500 alternatives is General Motors’ half-ton Chevrolet Silverado 1500/GMC Sierra 1500. Though you can find this truck with either a GMC or Chevy badge, the mechanical underpinnings are identical. The GM truck is immensely popular with commercial fleet operators. This means you can find virtually any configuration on the used market, lots of mechanics experienced working on them, and readily available spare parts.
The experts over at MotorTrend named the 2014-2018 Silverado/Sierra as the sweet spot for affordable reliability. This would be the third generaiton of the Silverado nameplate, and the fourth generation of the Sierra. I’d add that upper trims of the 2016 and later trucks–which featured an eight-inch touchscreen–also came with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, which goes a long way towards making a used truck feel more modern.
Toyota Tundra
2013 Toyota Tundra | Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Toyota has built a bulletproof reputation for reliable pickup trucks. One reason why is how long Toyota uses its drivetrains. Similar to Nissan, Toyota has plenty of time to work out any mechanical issues between model years. Toyota built the second generation of the Tundra from 2007 through 2021.
If you opt for a pre-facelift second-gen Toyota Tundra (2007-2013), you may be able to find an undervalued full-size pickup truck with a relatively modern drivetrain. You could order every year of the second-generation Tundra with the 380 horsepower, 5.7-liter V8, and six-speed automatic transmission Toyota continued offering until 2021. If these numbers sound familiar, it may be because they are very similar to the HEMI drivetrain you’ll find in used Ram 1500 pickup trucks.
Find out which used Toyota Tundra received the lowest reliability score.
Ford F-150
2014 Ford F-150 | Ford
If you are interested in a used full-size pickup truck from Detroit, the Ford F-150 is worth looking into. As the most popular pickup model, you can find most any configuration on the used truck market–from efficient turbocharged EcoBoost engines to traditional V8s. For the 2015 model year, Ford split from Ram when it chose to begin building its truck bodies out of aluminum.
While an aluminum body helped the 2015-present F-150 shed hundreds of pounds, some used truck buyers are still waiting to see how it holds up to corrosion long-term. If you want a more traditional, steel-bodied F-150, consider the 2009-2014 (12th generation) trucks.
Learn what’s high-mileage for a Ford F-250.
Keyword: 4 Alternatives to a Used Ram 1500 Pickup Truck