Starting at
Starting at
| 14,000 | Max Towing (lbs) | 12,750 |
| 3,315 | Max Payload (lbs) | 2,300 |
| 265-570 | Torque (lb-ft) | 273-480 |
Has it been difficult to find the right pickup truck? To some, the choice of brand and model is easy, while others might look at vehicles like the 2023 Ford F-150 vs 2023 Ram 1500 and wonder which one is truly the best option. Out of the dozens of comparisons you’ll find in the current market, these are two of the most hotly contested models. There’s a lot the 2023 Ram 1500 has to live up to.
The Ford F-150 has been an undisputed champion for years, being the best-selling vehicle in the United States, and many enthusiasts swear by the Blue Oval. The Ram 1500 doesn’t quite match its sales numbers, and the Ram 1500 often falls behind the likes of Ford’s best-selling pickup truck and even the Chevy Silverado 1500. That’s not to say the Ram 1500 lacks any merit, as it still can offer drivers the capability and features they are looking for, but it just doesn't quite reach the value offered by the F-150. The question for many is which one is the better all-rounder, as you’ll only be leaving the dealership with one pickup truck.
Pricing is always the first thing people want to know when comparing one vehicle to another, and there is a wide range of prices spanning the seven F-150 trims and the matching seven Ram 1500 trims. However, drivers trying to save the most money they can and purchase the base trucks––in this case, the Ford F-150 XL and the Ram 1500 Tradesman––will find themselves paying far more for the Ram 1500 than they would with the best-selling truck in America. The 2023 Ram 1500 starts at a rather high MSRP of $37,410 against the F-150’s more modest MSRP of $33,695.[a]
Towing is a specialty of Ford vehicles, and if you’re looking to tow, you already know which model to go with. Ford and Ram's vehicles include some of the most powerful engines available on the consumer market. While the likes of the Ford F-350 tow dozens of thousands of pounds, the F-150 is targeted at those who live an adventurous lifestyle but don't need the most power. Whether you are simply a hobbyist and want the luxury of having such a powerful vehicle or for someone who needs to perform some towing tasks for their professional life, the Ford F-150 is a perfect substitute if you’re looking to save thousands of dollars. Similarly, the Ram 1500 is the starting point for Ram’s most esteemed lineup of trucks, including the Ram 2500 and 3500, and like the F-150, the Ram 1500 starts at a far lower price than its stronger contemporaries and offers enough towing capacity to satisfy those who will only need it occasionally rather than daily.
As for comparing the F-150 to the Ram 1500, the base models provide different towing experiences, with Ford’s flagship truck towing up to 8,200 lbs in its standard configuration, whereas the Ram 1500 maxes out at 7,730 lbs. Some may find this surprising, with the 3.3L V6 engine in the F-150 providing a slightly lesser 290 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque, but its ten-speed automatic transmission is better suited for towing than the eight-speed automatic transmission that comes linked with the 3.6L V6 inside the base Ram 1500 with its 305 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque.
Both pickup trucks offer other available engines. First up is the 2.7L turbocharged V6 engine for the F-150––the first of two available turbocharged engines for Ford, while the Ram 1500 doesn’t offer any. The turbocharged 2.7L V6 engine in the F-150 produces 325 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, with a maximum towing capacity of 10,100 lbs and a top payload of 2,465 lbs, which exceeds the Ram 1500’s maximum payload capacity of 2,300 lbs.
Both trucks also offer V8 engine options. The F-150 has a 5.0L V8 dubbed the “Coyote,” while the 5.7L V8 engine in the Ram 1500 is named “Eagle.” Despite the identical 410 lb-ft of torque, Ford’s V8 engine edges slightly ahead with 400 hp instead of 395 hp in Ram’s V8, and its towing capacity of 13,000 lbs is 250 lbs more than the Ram 1500s 12,750 lbs. This is the engine you need to max out the towing capacity with the ram 1500. If you want to reach the max 14,000 lb towing capacity of the Ford F-150, you are going to need to get the 3.5L turbo V6. This turbocharged engine gives the F-150 400 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque and allows you to reach the 3,315 lb payload capacity.
Something separating the two pickup trucks is the hybrid powertrain available to Ford’s truck and the diesel-powered engine available to the Ram 1500. Diesel enthusiasts will likely flock to the ecodiesel 3.0L V6 engine in the Ram 1500, but its 260 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque with a maximum towing capacity of 9,600 lbs is shorted by the turbocharged 3.5L hybrid V6 engine in the Ford F-150. This hybrid model generates 430 hp and 570 lb-ft of torque, which brings your max towing capacity to 12,700 lbs––a respectable number for a vehicle with electric power components.
Making a pickup truck versatile is something manufacturers know doesn’t come down to any one thing. For example, a capable pickup truck must tow and be powerful, but capability stretches far beyond what powers your vehicle under the hood. Capability is found in many areas of the trucking experience, and one area that you should never overlook is cargo space and other dimensions. When you’re leaving the house, you don’t want to have to need any extra accessories or spend time setting up a trailer if you’re placing cargo in your truck bed, so bed size is an important thing to allow a pickup truck to excel amongst its competition.
2023 F-150 and Ram 1500 models both provide generous bed sizes, but the problem with the Ram 1500 is that its two available bed sizes don’t come close to the longest F-150 bed. The F-150 is available with a trio of bed sizes. The only advantage the Ram 1500 has over the F-150 is a small difference in the smallest bed size––the F-150 bed size is 5.5 ft long, and the Ram 1500’s standard bed size is 5.6 ft long. What this equates to is 52.8 cu.ft. of space for Ford’s truck, and the Ram 1500 has a 2% advantage with 53.9 cu.ft. of space. The second bed size for the F-150 is a 6.5-ft bed with 62.3 cu.ft. of space, while in comparison, the second and final Ram 1500 bed size is 6.4 ft long with 61.5 cu.ft. of space.
The Ram 1500 has decent cargo space, but the third F-150 bed size is in a league of its own. While the Ram 1500 caps out with a 6.4-ft long bed, the F-150’s longest bed is eight ft long. Your F-150’s eight-foot long bed will grace you with 77.4 cu.ft. of space, which is nearly 26% more than the Ram 1500's largest bed size.
It's the available features that help make the F-150 and Ram 1500 stand out amongst the crowd, especially compared to more entry-level options, where the F-150 and Ram 1500 are leagues ahead. The F-150 has an advantage over the Ram 1500 in its starting price, so the base trim levels are the best two to compare. However, stepping up to a pricier model, such as the F-150 Limited or Ram 1500 Limited, you’ll be paying a similar price, so the differences in features are similarly impactful. For example, the priciest F-150 and Ram 1500 models show Ford’s truck coming standard with features like a ten-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and a Bang & Olufsen premium audio system with 18 speakers compared to the eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and an audio system with ten speakers found in the Ram.
The lower price of the F-150 XL makes the Ford CoPilot360 safety suite an excellent inclusion, meaning you don’t have to pay Ram 1500 prices to get reliable driver-assist features. For example, Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, Post-Collision Braking, Dynamic Hitch Assist for your trailers through the rear-view camera, and more come standard while staying at a lower cost than the Ram 1500, regardless of its comparable feature set.
Both trucks can be fitted with an available 12-inch infotainment center, but the base models are a different story. Although Ram 1500 shoppers can opt for an 8.4-inch touchscreen, an eight-inch screen comes standard with the F-150, while a five-inch screen comes with the Ram 1500. The Ram 1500’s five-inch screen is lacking in certain features like Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto––instead relying on wired capability––while the SYNC 4 infotainment center in every Ford F-150 includes these features and more with a larger screen to boot.
Today is the day that you get yourself a vehicle from the most popular automotive manufacturer. You can buy a Ford vehicle from a plethora of dealerships, but if you’re in the greater area of Upstate NY, you should undoubtedly pick DePaula Ford as your go-to dealership. At DePaula Ford, we’re one of the highest-rated dealerships in and around Albany, and every customer is treated with our undivided attention, so you can guarantee you’ll be getting all the time you need to make your decision.
Additionally, here at DePaula Ford, you may ask any question about any of our available automobiles, services, or deals. If there are one or more vehicles that catch your eye, don’t be afraid to ask our sales associates for a test drive because we’ll be glad to accommodate you along the way. DePaula Ford is here to change the dealership game with the best dealership experience ever in New York, and you’ll find our vehicles and the incredible staff at 799 Central Ave in Albany.
*Images, fuel economy, and other stats, may reflect higher trim levels, options, or features that may result in a higher cost from the starting MSRP.
MSRP excludes tax, license, registration, additional options, and possible destination charges. Dealers set own prices.
