Toyota Vs. Ford Vs. RAM Pickup Truck Comparison

Toyota Vs. Ford Vs. RAM: Comparison of the Most Impressive Trucks

Ford, RAM, and Toyota are long-time competitors in the US pickup truck market, and their assortment in Indianapolis is really large. If you want to buy one of these powerful working trucks, Indy Auto Man dealer can offer you plenty of options at a good price.

Today we prepared a comparison of three particularly outstanding models from each manufacturer: the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Ford F-150 PowerBoost, and Ram 1500.

Toyota Tundra Vs. Ford F-150 Vs. RAM 1500: Which Truck Is the Best to Buy in Indianapolis

Today we compare three trucks – Toyota, Ford, and RAM – with batteries that power electric motors, which, in turn, help the main engine.

• Toyota Tundra TRD Pro under the hood has a six-cylinder twin-turbo engine that develops 389 hp. It is accompanied by a 48-horsepower electric motor that develops 249 Nm of torque.
• The Ford F-150 Lariat PowerBoost is powered by a 400-hp six-cylinder twin-turbo engine paired with an electric motor for 47 horses with a torque of 300 N∙m.
• A 16-horsepower electric motor producing 176 Nm of torque assists the Ram 1500 Limited’s eight-cylinder 395-horsepower engine.

Ford and Toyota can run on pure electric power. The Ram 1500 only needs an electric motor to increase torque and start the gasoline engine smoothly and quickly.

Tundra TRD Pro: Are Toyota Trucks Better Than Ford and RAM?

• Pros: high power and torque, good suspension, spacious interior.
• Cons: no permanent all-wheel drive, the battery takes up some space in the back row, and high weight eliminates all the advantages of a powerful engine.

The Tundra TRD Pro truck uses a nickel-metal hydride battery and takes up almost all of the space under the rear seats. The transfer case does not have full-time AWD, which means that under normal road conditions, the Tundra TRD Pro is driven by the rear wheels, and 790 Nm of torque is transmitted to a free differential under the cargo area. The TRD Pro faster than the other two competitors – RAM and Ford. The Tundra’s fuel economy is 18 city/20 highway MPG.

The Tundra TRD Pro is a joy to drive around Indianapolis. The spring suspension at the rear does a good job of controlling vibrations and keeping the wheels from losing traction, while Fox shocks with an internal wastegate and remote reservoir do a great job of smoothing out road bumps.

Despite the highest power and torque, the Tundra is also the heaviest pickup truck, so in terms of acceleration, it is not the fastest. A 2.8-ton pickup accelerates to 60 miles in 5.9 seconds, which is 0.6 seconds. slower than the Ford F-150. The non-hybrid Tundra Limited shows a similar result, but the hybrid model still has the advantage of lower fuel consumption.

The interior of the TRD Pro is hard to compare with the RAM 1500 and Ford F-150. There are a few features that are characteristic of all Tundra trim levels. For example, the panoramic sunroof and opening rear window make the Tundra feel like the most spacious cabin ever. Touchscreen displays, whether 8 or 14-inch, are not equipped with pucks for easier menu navigation, and the floor in the back row is separated by a hump of the transmission tunnel. In Ram and Ford, the floor in the back row is flat.

The previous generation Tundra, introduced in 2007, was head and shoulders above the competition in many ways, but it still didn’t help Toyota beat American pickup trucks in the Indiana market. The Tundra TRD Pro is not bad in itself, just that there are better options for this money.

F-150 Lariat PowerBoost 4×4: Is Ford Better Than RAM?

• Pros: fast, good fuel economy, can be used as a generator, cruise control works without having to keep your hands on the wheel.
• Cons: poor control of body vibrations, the rear suspension on leaf springs, and an abundance of plastic in the interior trim.

The F150 PowerBoost combines modern and old solutions. Its hybrid power plant produces 430 hp and 773 N∙m of torque, the body is made of aluminum, the BlueCruise system allows you to drive along the highway without holding the steering wheel, and a pickup truck can also act as a generator. On the other hand, while driving on country roads in Indiana, its spring-suspended rear end jumps like in some old truck, which is not typical of a modern and high-tech car. The F-150 is more like an old classic pickup truck, which has been endowed with some modern features. The F-150 is the fastest pickup in the Ford vs. RAM vs. Toyota comparison, but it also had the worst body roll control.

The hybrid F-150 shows excellent results in acceleration: 5.3 seconds to 60 miles. In addition, Ford demonstrates the best fuel economy – 24 MPG combined, and has the best sound insulation of the cabin (64 dB at a speed of 70mph.) And has the best towing capacity. So why it can’t win the Ford vs. RAM vs. Toyota competition?

It’s all about the chassis. Disabling lane-keeping assist does little to help reduce vibrations in the steering wheel. If you compare the Ram 1500 to the Ford F-150, the 1500 rides confidently like a train on rails, while the latter bobs like a thatched camper rushing down the road in windy conditions. Of the three pickups, the F-150 has the most comfortable seats, but its driving performance is not far from a typical old truck.

The interior design is pleasant, but there is too much plastic, which they tried to pass off as other materials. The digital instrument panel has no settings for the information displayed on it and always shows large numbers. Of course, the Lariat is not one of the top trims like Platinum or King Ranch, but the pickup cost is still considerable. The F-150 gets credit for the fact that Ford cleverly hides the battery under the cargo area, thus saving space in the cabin.

The Ford F-150 feels futuristic when you drive it with just an electric motor on the Indianapolis streets or activate BlueCruise and take your hands off the wheel, but as soon as you hit a pothole, all the magic collapses. The F-150 feels like a reliable working tool and is distinguished by its speed, relatively low fuel consumption, and the ability to use it as a backup power source.

Ram 1500 Limited Crew Cab 4×4: Is Ram More Reliable Than Ford?

• Pros: dynamics and handling similar to a premium SUV, excellent interior design.
• Cons: weak hybrid power plant, high cost, not the fastest from the start.

In this Toyota vs. Ford vs. RAM comparison, the RAM is the slowest and most expensive pickup truck, but these are perhaps its only drawbacks. Of course, this is not the most expensive and slowest pickup of all trucks in general, and against the background of the other two competitors, it is not so far behind in these aspects.

The 1500 Limited hits 60mph in 6.4 seconds, half a second slower than the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. The Ram is in the same price bracket as both other pickups, but when it comes to its interior and driving dynamics, it’s far above the competition. The Ram 1500 Limited is, in essence, a luxury SUV that also has a pickup-like cargo bed.

And while the Ram 1500 Limited is not a hybrid, the pickup managed to post the second-best result in fuel economy – 21 MPG city / 29 MPG highway. Air suspension on all four wheels allows the RAM pickup to reduce ground clearance when driving at high speed on the highway. It also gives it excellent driving performance. The Ram 1500 glides on the road and perfectly smooths out all the bumps on the surface. The Ford and Toyota do not offer such a suspension: the Tundra has air suspension only on the rear wheels and not in the TRD Pro configuration, and the F-150 does not have any kind of air suspension at all.

Of the three pickup trucks, the Ram 1500 Limited has the weakest engine, but sitting behind the wheel, one gets the impression that it would overtake the F-150 and Tundra. With the lowest weight (2.64 tons), the Ram 1500 Limited showed the best grip, withstanding side g-forces up to 0.78 g. This pickup truck has the largest brakes and the shortest stopping distance. What it lacks in horsepower, it makes up for in a fast and reliable ZF 8HP automatic, which gets the Ram 1500 Limited from 30 to 50 mph in 3.2 seconds, the best of the three pickups.

But most of all, compared to the Ford and Toyota pickups, the Ram 1500 Limited differs in interior design. Usually, manufacturers add leather and wood to more expensive trim levels, but Ram is luxurious everywhere you look. The woven floor mats look like they’ve been borrowed from Rolls-Royce, and the ceiling is trimmed in faux suede. The rear-row seats have reclining backs, heating, and ventilation.

The Ram 1500 Limited is also good as a work pickup truck . Air suspension allows the body to be lowered, making it easier to hitch a trailer and load heavy items. For off-road riders, the Ram 1500 Limited has the highest ground clearance compared to Toyota and Ford.

The Ram 1500 Limited may seem expensive, but for the money, you get a premium car that’s great for hauling cargo, comfortable commuting with the family, and off-road driving.

If you want to learn more about any used pickup from our car lot or take a Ford, Toyota, or RAM truck for a test drive in Indianapolis, fill in the contact form, and our sales consultants will call you back in the shortest time.