A few weeks ago, I wrote about the early stages of deciding which tow vehicle to get. The original timeline I had in mind was to get the vehicle in about a year. In typical fashion for my wife and I, that timeline was greatly accelerated.
In that post, I discussed the classes of vehicles I was looking at: full-size SUV, full-size pickup, or mid-size diesel SUV. Any of these would provide enough towing capacity, but I also needed to consider how it would physically fit in our townhouse.
I quickly eliminated a full-size SUV. The size-to-tow ratio didn’t really make sense. Something like a Tahoe is much bigger than a Touareg and quite a bit smaller than an F-150. But, this class of SUV tows around 6,500 pounds, while the Touareg tows 7,700 and, of course, trucks tow way more. If I wanted something that towed 7,000 pounds, I would get the Touareg TDI for its compact size and interior luxury.
With the full-size gone, I focused on the mid-size and pickup. The two diesels I was considering were the VW Touareg TDI and Audi Q7 TDI. These were high on my list partly because I work at Volkswagen, and I could get a good price on the beloved diesels. Beyond that, they are very capable tow vehicles that you’ll find at any HPDE (along with the sister Cayenne diesel).
I narrowed the pickups down to the Ford F-150 and the redesigned 2019 Ram 1500. Every truck in this class is capable of towing, especially a tiny Miata. So, the decision really came down to design and features for me, and these two were the front-runners for which tow vehicle to get.
In general, I liked the SUV’s due to manageable size, but I wasn’t too keen on (eventually) piling a bunch of dirty tires, gear, tools, etc. into the main cabin of a luxury SUV, regardless of its age. But the large size of the pickup was a big concern since we live in a townhouse community. Luckily, we live a few miles from a Ford dealer, so one weekend my wife and I went for a test drive in the F-150. The salesman was nice enough to let us abandon the usual test drive route, and we took the truck to our house. I was impressed with how easy it was to drive such a large vehicle. More importantly, the truck fit just fine in our small driveway! Size was no longer a big concern.
The test drive was enough for me to settle on a truck. I really liked the Touareg and Q7, but the truck would be newer (the TDI’s would be 2015), much more versatile, and could potentially grow with my hobby.
F-150 vs. Ram 1500
It took a couple of weeks to decide between the Ford and the Ram. We took several trips to dealerships to talk to salesmen and look at the different trims, colors, and options available. For me, it came down to a few major categories.
Towing features
The whole reason to get a truck is to tow. Not only did I want strong towing capability, but I also wanted helpful towing features. Having never towed before, I placed value on any ways the truck could help. The F-150 trims I was looking at had the 3.5 liter twin-turbo V6 engine with 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque with a minimum towing capacity of 10,700 lbs. The Ram came with a 5.7 liter Hemi V8 with 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque and towed a minimum 10,170 lbs .
Ford won this comparison. While the 600-lb towing difference was negligible considering what I’ll be towing, it did speak to the capability of the truck itself. Furthermore, the Ford had much more torque, which meant it would be much less taxing to tow a given load with it than the Ram.
Most importantly for me, though, was all the options available with the F-150. Depending on your options, the F-150 could be spec’d to tow up to 12,700 lbs. From what I could tell, the Ram had no opportunity to increase the tow rating.
Sealing the deal for the Ford in this comparison were the tow assist features. The Ford had the optional Tow Trailer Backup Assist. This allows you to back up a trailer just by turning a dial on the dashboard – no steering input needed from you. The F-150 also had a subtle feature in the backup camera that showed a dotted center line to help you line up the trailer hitch while backing up to connect it. Ram did not have a Backup Assist-like feature, and I don’t believe it had a center line in the camera. I know people have been towing for decades without stuff like this, but it was huge for me.
Interior
When deciding which tow vehicle to get, I wanted one that would be comfortable to drive home after a day or weekend at the track. Whatever truck I ended up with would also be my daily driver, so it needed to be enjoyable to use every day. Ram pretty much swept this category for me. The redesigned 2019 model was stunning. It had an optional 12-inch touchscreen that really made the truck look high tech. In addition, the Ram gearshift was located on the dashboard, which freed up tons of space in the center console for storage. Cavernous is the only way to describe the Ram’s storage capacity.
Although more of an exterior feature, the Ram also had an optional air suspension. We test drove a model with this, and it made a noticeable difference in ride quality. Trucks are not necessarily known for a cloud-like ride, but the air suspension gave that feel. The suspension could also be lowered by up to 4 inches to make entry/exit way easier for passengers.
Ram also had a reclining back seat. I, of course, would have little use for it, but I could realistically see myself lying back there in between sessions to relax. It would be magical.
By contrast, the Ford infotainment system, while responsive, seemed outdated next to the Ram’s. The interior, overall, did not feel as innovative in the F-150, but it was definitely comfortable. We also liked the fit and finish details of the Ford a little better. Again, these things would not be important for a single-purpose truck. However, since I would be commuting in it most days, creature comforts and details went a long way.
Value
Of course, no car buying decision would be complete without comparison of price and value. At this point, my wife and I were looking at top trims of both trucks, basically loaded with features. The MSRP’s were similar, but the tow assist features and fit and finish of the Ford nudged the comparison in its favor.
The biggest deciding factor, however, came down to the deal offered. The Ram was a brand new redesign, whereas this F-150 style had been around for some time. We were looking at the 2018 F-150, which had ended production while Ford ramped up for the 2019’s. This meant that there were hefty discounts on the 2018 F-150 that couldn’t be matched by the 2019 Ram.
The Decision
Deciding which tow vehicle to get came down to these three categories. We were actually sold on the Ram throughout most of the process. It looked amazing, was comfortable, and had the latest technology. Once we sat down to talk numbers, though, it was clear that the Ford was the rational decision. The F-150 had helpful features, was nearly as comfortable, and had a great deal. I also really liked the exterior design of the Ford, but in a different way. The Ram looked more sleek and sophisticated, while the Ford looked tougher, but not in a farm kind of way, and I liked that.
We ended up with the F-150 and couldn’t be happier. The Ram may have had slightly better tech, but the Ford is no slouch in that department. I’ve been thoroughly impressed by the F-150. It’s easy to drive and looks great. I consider myself a driving enthusiast, so how a car drives is extremely important. I would call the F-150 fun to drive. You can’t carve corners in it, but it’s such a relaxing vehicle to drive, and that makes it “fun” on a whole different level.
And, without further ado, here is our new Blue Jeans F-150 Platinum Supercrew! We call him Big Blue. Now to learn how to tow…
