You are right your use case doesn't really require a truck and especially one with that kind of power, but I do think the Ford 3.5L Ecoboost is probably the most proven over time along with their 2.7L. It has been out the longest and it seems they have (maybe) finally fixed the cam phaser issues. Obviously with any of these vehicles they might end up a hot mess on the side of the road, but in reality they all have the same crappy electronics and sensors.

The 26 Tundras seem to be OK so far, but given the 2025s have had quite a few spun main bearings, I just wouldn't want to chance it there.

I like the ZF in Rams as they just don't seem to have issues in any of the vehicles they have been in for years, I'm guessing with regular fluid and filter changes they will be very solid. I liked the F150s I drove as well when I was searching for my Ram.

The F150 10 speed seems to have fewer issues than the GM, but that could be due to Ford just doing a better job of having valve bodies on hand to keep people on the road. Upgrading to the NextGen valve body is probably a good idea if you plan to keep it long term, maybe do that after break in so you can also get the benefit of flushing some of the fluid early on.

I personally bought the Ram with Hurricane, but it hasn't been proven as long as the 3.5L Ecoboost, part of why I bought it for the channel as people like seeing new vehicles. I think an Inline 6 with forged components is a great engine setup paired with the ZF.

I would suggest you go drive them all, spend a day and sit in them, feel them, see if any really stands out to you. You'd be surprised at the difference in seating position, vision, suspension, throttle response, cabin noise and various other things that many overlook when doing the spec sheet shopping.

Good luck!

@TheCarGuy, thank you for the thoughtful reply.

I definitely agree that you don't get the whole story from the spec sheet, and I'm glad you pointed that out. Sometimes I don't think about that part enough. Of the range of vehicles I'm looking at, I've driven a 13th Gen F-150 w/3.5, and a late 2nd Gen Tundra w/5.7. I liked both of those, though there was some level of numbness I think I was feeling from the Tundra when I was test driving it. Although I said I wasn't really interested in the V8s, I could potentially be swayed by a 2nd Gen Tundra if the price was right, but they seem to be nearly impossible to find, and the few that I do see for sale cost more than a truck that's 3-4 years newer with half the miles. Maybe it's worth it though, I know it's not an accident that they're holding their value like that.

I've ridden as a passenger in a 2019 RAM 1500 Classic Warlock, and in a 2020 RAM 1500 Laramie. The V8 sounded great on both, and it seemed like they both rode fine. That silly knob shifter on it really bugs me though. I know I shouldn't care, because it works just fine, but I see it, and it just seems dumb to me, just like some of the push button gear selectors. Shifter on the column or on the floor just feels more natural to me. But at the same time, the modern trucks all have a knob or button 4WD selector, and yet that doesn't really bother me. I have no idea why one bothers me and the other doesn't.

Since I'm looking at a lot of trucks that are around +/- 5 years old. I'm just kind of expecting to have to do engine/transmission work on them as they already have a pretty decent amount of miles on them, and whatever truck it is, I'm hoping to keep it for as many years as possible. I'm not planning to trade it in after 3-5 years. I could probably get over the silly knob shifter on the RAM if it meant that the transmission would hold up better, and still be reasonably cost effective to repair. Hearing Next Gen Nate's comments about the ZF transmission in the RAM that It would likely have less problems, but when it does have problems, less parts of it can be repaired and often it has to be replaced, kinda puts me off of the RAM because I'm looking at used trucks, and in my lifetime of ownership of the truck, I feel like I'll be more likely to be in the category of when it breaks, and not if it breaks.

I wish I could be more interested in a GMC Sierra Denali, as I do like so many things about those, and I had always been a Chevy/GM guy most of my life, but it just seems like GM's more recent offerings are a lot of disasters just waiting to happen. But maybe all the modern trucks are just disasters waiting to happen.

I do think the GM 6.0L or 6.2L (before 2020ish) were decent V8s, but the 6.2L might still require top end work with valves/DFM. Pre 2021ish, they weren't spinning main bearings frequently.

Hemis were OK, but the hemi tick is always something to look out for.

The Tundra 5.7L paired with the 6 speed is usually very reliable compared to most but you already know that, the prices are almost unjustified at this point. If buying high mileage used 5.7L I always look for coolant flushes/diff/transfer case/trans fluid swaps on carfax or ask the seller if it's private, but given the years you are looking at you should be fine even without flushes. The Toyota 5.7 is the most trouble free/reliable 1/2 ton ever made IMO, but you pay for it.

Well, for what it's worth, I ended up going with a 2020 RAM 1500 Longhorn 5.7L HEMI e-Torque w/87,000 miles. It rides good, transmission shifts smoothly (for now), interior is gorgeous, no rust yet, and at least for the time being everything works. By all appearances, it's a really nice truck.

The service records were pretty immaculate on it, but it looks like one of the first things that will need to be done is servicing the transmission. Looks like it is overdue for a fluid swap.

With any other vehicle I've bought in the past, I was always at least somewhat excited about having something new to me. This is the first time I've bought a vehicle, and can't really find a way to get excited about it at all. I want to be, but I'm just filled with dread instead. I feel like I just bought a rolling box of headaches, and just like real headaches, you never know when they're gonna come.

Well, it didn't take long. 4,000 miles in and the eTorque MGU is failing. So far, this appears to be a single source part from Mopar, from what I'm hearing, it's been on national backorder for months, and if the dealer were to order a new one today, there is no ETA on when the part will come off of backorder, and there's like 580-something orders in front of me.

In the interest of not making a bad situation worse, I've parked the truck, because I don't want to keep driving it, and have the MGU completely fail while running, because I assume doing so would cause a lot of collateral damage. Right now, the bearings are just starting to go, and I'd like to try and keep as many options open as possible.

I'm already looking into the alternatives like Ebay, junkyards, and some electric motor shops say they can rebuild the unit with new bearings. Just trying to find one that is less than 800 miles away.

Until then, I'm enjoying my 5,500lb paperweight.

This is my first experience with RAM/Stellantis. So far, not great if you can't even get parts to repair your vehicle.

So, I found a starter/alternator rebuild shop in Erie, PA that was willing to press new bearings into the eTorque MGU. Between the rebuild shop and my mechanic, the work ended up being around $400. The repair seems to be holding. The noise is pretty much gone. I'm grateful that a rebuild was possible, because it doesn't look like eTorque MGUs are going to be available anywhere anytime soon except on Ebay at scalper prices.

Since I already had it in the shop, I had also asked my mechanic to do a transmission fluid swap, which also requires replacing the transmission pan if you didn't install one of the aftermarket metal pans. They had trouble sourcing the transmission fluid, and the transmission pan. They can get them, but it's gonna take a week to two weeks for it all to come in. None of the local Chrysler dealers, or the vendors my mechanic regularly works with had the transmission fluid or the transmission pan...... Amazing.

I'm starting to see a pattern that I don't really like. One of the more popular vehicles on the road, and at least so far, anytime I've wanted to do anything with it maintenance-wise, it's difficult to get what I need. Never had this problem with any other vehicle I've ever owned.

Glad you were able to save it with new bearings. That's a much better outcome than waiting months for a backordered replacement and hopefully it helps other owners know there's a viable repair option.

The parts availability is the most concerning part of your story. Mechanical failures happen with every manufacturer but when a common repair leaves a truck parked for months because a replacement part doesn't exist that's a bigger concern. Hopefully Stellantis gets production caught up, because these trucks are too common for owners to be relying on eBay or rebuild shops just to get back on the road.

Thanks for coming back and posting the resolution. Too many threads end without the fix, and your update may save someone else a lot of time and money.

@TheCarGuy, absolutely. I definitely wanted to provide the resolution, and an ending to at least that part of the story. Hopefully others are helped. Unfortunately, from what I'm hearing, the backorder situation with the eTorque MGU has been bad for a long time, and getting worse. I think the dealer backorder list for this part is in the thousands now, and for anyone who actually does get the part, it's $2,300+ new right now from the dealer.

That's a lot of people who are probably making payments on a vehicle that they can't drive because it's sitting in a dealer lot un-driveable. I feel fortunate that I had an alternative. I hope other RAM owners will be able to do the same thing, though I'm sure several ended up with a complete part failure that couldn't get away with a rebuild.