Sooooo at risk of being called a Brian I will post up my experiences with all 3 half tons. 
I am starting to get into the market for a 1500 crew cab and actually went into this with an open mind. My Escape has over 200k and I have a need for a full size truck so I started doing some homework. My previous experience with 1500's is I owned an 06 F150 Lariat and never really liked it. Also I am a complete GM nut hugger and recently purchased a Cherokee Trailhawk for the lady.
My criteria is:
1500 1/2 ton
N/A gas V8
4x4
Crew cab
Short box
Heated seats and steering wheel
Buckets with center console
Large screen in dash
Back up cam
Nicely equipped
This meant no Eco-boost, no Eco-diesel and no V6's of any sort. I test drove 3 2015's (Ram Express Blackout, Ram Sport, Silverado Z71) and 1 2014 (F-150 FX4). I went into this thinking would be buying a 2014 pre-owned and the Ram and Chevy have no huge changes from 2014-2015. The F-150 is a complete redesign for 2015 and is most likely out of my budget.
My first test drive was the Ram. I drove a 15 Express Blackout Quad cab with the Hemi and 8 speed trans. I wouldn't have given Dodge a second thought had they not offered the ZF 8 speed. The reason I drove such a bare bones truck and a quad cab was to get the feel of the drive train. The dealer did not have a Sport on the lot. First off the truck looks bad ass. It was all blacked out with tinted tail lights, black badges and black projector head lights. It was impressive until you stepped inside. It was basically a work truck. Bench seat, small in dash screen the size of a tictac box and all plastic. I reminded myself I was just testing the drive train. This dealer threw me the keys and let us take it out on our own. The truck drove awesome. Power and torque were great, trans was flawless and felt like a truck should. I was able to really hammer on the truck which was awesome. My only grip was that I wished they cut down the width of the console a couple inches and moved the seats in for more shoulder room. I felt a but cramped unless I had my arm on the window sill. Probably not an issue for most people but I have very wide shoulders. This test drive made me want to drive the Sport. MSRP was just a touch over 40k and with incentives it was listed at 35K. Kind of ridiculous for a base model truck albeit it did look bad ass from the outside.
Next up was the FX4. 2014 model, crew cab, leather, sunroof, 5.0, 6AT. I know everyone is going to jump all over me about the eco-boost. Basically I don't want to pay for the head ache. I want a DD that I can tow a boat, car and ATV's so I feel that a 5.0 is my best bet. First thoughts on the ferd is that it looked pretty cool. I hate chrome so the FX4 looked the part. Pretty aggressive yet still more subdued than the Ram. Inside it was, well, an F150. I feel like the interiors have had the same leather wrapped lego look since 2005. Screen was nice, features were nice, heated and cooled seats. I loved the console and I felt very roomy. Off we went on the test drive, with the salesman. I couldn't really get on it but when I did it felt pretty gutless. I am guessing it's the lack of torque or gearing. I was underwhelmed to say the least. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised with the the F-150 as a whole. It felt more like a car than the Ram which wasn't exactly a bad thing. But as I exited the truck I realized that my legs hurt just as they did with my 06. They put a bar across the seat that just irritates me. This in itself is enough for me not to buy the truck. Price point was pretty good though. MSRP was 48K but incentives were plentiful and the truck would have been about 38K. Pretty good deal but my guess is most of the money off is due to a redesign.
The next weekend I was able to locate a Ram Sport crew cab. I was very excited to test drive this as it was exactly what I want and I have been leaning towards the Ram. Appearance was close to the blackout except the badges are chrome and the wheels are silver. It had a black exterior and IMO the Ram just looks right. It is arguably the best looking truck on the market. The interior is where this truck shined. Leather everywhere, supportive buckets and a huge 8.4" in dash screen. The controls were very familiar since it's the same screen and Uconnect that the Cherokee has. On the test drive, with the salesman mind you, it felt a little more sluggish than the express. I couldn't really get on it so maybe it was in my head. The truck still drove awesome but I still felt just a little tight in the drivers seat. Overall though, this seemed to be the one so I spent a little longer at the dealer running numbers. The truck I drove had a couple options I didn't need like rambox, cooled seats and air shocks. After building a new truck the MSRP was 47K and with current incentives I was shocked at the price of 40K even. This is for a 2015 and I imagine incentives will only get better as the year comes to a close. It is possible I could buy brand new. I optioned this truck perfectly for myself with out any fluff I don't need.
Last up was the Silverado. Although my mind was 95% made up I wanted to do my due diligence since I am such a GM swinger. First off I absolutely hate the fact that GM is the only manufacturer that does not offer body colored bumpers and grill. I test drove a 2015 Z71 LTZ 5.3 and to my surprise they don't offer the 8speed with the 5.3 yet. The truck was loaded though, and I mean loaded. It had heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel and mylink. Driving, the truck felt great. The 5.3 had power but not like the Hemi. It also felt more car like, which I did like. The hood seemed huge though. Overall I was impressed with the Silverado until we started talking price. The MSRP on the truck was 50K and in order to get a console I needed a special package and in order to get a heated steering wheel I needed another package which included a bunch of shit I didn't need. That was where I had enough and knew there was a clear cut winner for me.
To not much surprise I decided on the Ram Sport 4x4, Hemi, 8AT. I will be purchasing within 9 months to 1 year from today. My biggest decision will be to order one the way I want it and pay about 5K more or search for a used 2014 with my must haves. There is something to be said for a 0 mile vehicle though since this will be my DD for the long haul. It does all come down to preference though. I think the familiarity with the Jeep swayed my opinion. They were all great trucks. I'm sure the 2015 F-150 is much better than the 2014. So that's just my take.
I am starting to get into the market for a 1500 crew cab and actually went into this with an open mind. My Escape has over 200k and I have a need for a full size truck so I started doing some homework. My previous experience with 1500's is I owned an 06 F150 Lariat and never really liked it. Also I am a complete GM nut hugger and recently purchased a Cherokee Trailhawk for the lady.
My criteria is:
1500 1/2 ton
N/A gas V8
4x4
Crew cab
Short box
Heated seats and steering wheel
Buckets with center console
Large screen in dash
Back up cam
Nicely equipped
This meant no Eco-boost, no Eco-diesel and no V6's of any sort. I test drove 3 2015's (Ram Express Blackout, Ram Sport, Silverado Z71) and 1 2014 (F-150 FX4). I went into this thinking would be buying a 2014 pre-owned and the Ram and Chevy have no huge changes from 2014-2015. The F-150 is a complete redesign for 2015 and is most likely out of my budget.
My first test drive was the Ram. I drove a 15 Express Blackout Quad cab with the Hemi and 8 speed trans. I wouldn't have given Dodge a second thought had they not offered the ZF 8 speed. The reason I drove such a bare bones truck and a quad cab was to get the feel of the drive train. The dealer did not have a Sport on the lot. First off the truck looks bad ass. It was all blacked out with tinted tail lights, black badges and black projector head lights. It was impressive until you stepped inside. It was basically a work truck. Bench seat, small in dash screen the size of a tictac box and all plastic. I reminded myself I was just testing the drive train. This dealer threw me the keys and let us take it out on our own. The truck drove awesome. Power and torque were great, trans was flawless and felt like a truck should. I was able to really hammer on the truck which was awesome. My only grip was that I wished they cut down the width of the console a couple inches and moved the seats in for more shoulder room. I felt a but cramped unless I had my arm on the window sill. Probably not an issue for most people but I have very wide shoulders. This test drive made me want to drive the Sport. MSRP was just a touch over 40k and with incentives it was listed at 35K. Kind of ridiculous for a base model truck albeit it did look bad ass from the outside.
Next up was the FX4. 2014 model, crew cab, leather, sunroof, 5.0, 6AT. I know everyone is going to jump all over me about the eco-boost. Basically I don't want to pay for the head ache. I want a DD that I can tow a boat, car and ATV's so I feel that a 5.0 is my best bet. First thoughts on the ferd is that it looked pretty cool. I hate chrome so the FX4 looked the part. Pretty aggressive yet still more subdued than the Ram. Inside it was, well, an F150. I feel like the interiors have had the same leather wrapped lego look since 2005. Screen was nice, features were nice, heated and cooled seats. I loved the console and I felt very roomy. Off we went on the test drive, with the salesman. I couldn't really get on it but when I did it felt pretty gutless. I am guessing it's the lack of torque or gearing. I was underwhelmed to say the least. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised with the the F-150 as a whole. It felt more like a car than the Ram which wasn't exactly a bad thing. But as I exited the truck I realized that my legs hurt just as they did with my 06. They put a bar across the seat that just irritates me. This in itself is enough for me not to buy the truck. Price point was pretty good though. MSRP was 48K but incentives were plentiful and the truck would have been about 38K. Pretty good deal but my guess is most of the money off is due to a redesign.
The next weekend I was able to locate a Ram Sport crew cab. I was very excited to test drive this as it was exactly what I want and I have been leaning towards the Ram. Appearance was close to the blackout except the badges are chrome and the wheels are silver. It had a black exterior and IMO the Ram just looks right. It is arguably the best looking truck on the market. The interior is where this truck shined. Leather everywhere, supportive buckets and a huge 8.4" in dash screen. The controls were very familiar since it's the same screen and Uconnect that the Cherokee has. On the test drive, with the salesman mind you, it felt a little more sluggish than the express. I couldn't really get on it so maybe it was in my head. The truck still drove awesome but I still felt just a little tight in the drivers seat. Overall though, this seemed to be the one so I spent a little longer at the dealer running numbers. The truck I drove had a couple options I didn't need like rambox, cooled seats and air shocks. After building a new truck the MSRP was 47K and with current incentives I was shocked at the price of 40K even. This is for a 2015 and I imagine incentives will only get better as the year comes to a close. It is possible I could buy brand new. I optioned this truck perfectly for myself with out any fluff I don't need.
Last up was the Silverado. Although my mind was 95% made up I wanted to do my due diligence since I am such a GM swinger. First off I absolutely hate the fact that GM is the only manufacturer that does not offer body colored bumpers and grill. I test drove a 2015 Z71 LTZ 5.3 and to my surprise they don't offer the 8speed with the 5.3 yet. The truck was loaded though, and I mean loaded. It had heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel and mylink. Driving, the truck felt great. The 5.3 had power but not like the Hemi. It also felt more car like, which I did like. The hood seemed huge though. Overall I was impressed with the Silverado until we started talking price. The MSRP on the truck was 50K and in order to get a console I needed a special package and in order to get a heated steering wheel I needed another package which included a bunch of shit I didn't need. That was where I had enough and knew there was a clear cut winner for me.
To not much surprise I decided on the Ram Sport 4x4, Hemi, 8AT. I will be purchasing within 9 months to 1 year from today. My biggest decision will be to order one the way I want it and pay about 5K more or search for a used 2014 with my must haves. There is something to be said for a 0 mile vehicle though since this will be my DD for the long haul. It does all come down to preference though. I think the familiarity with the Jeep swayed my opinion. They were all great trucks. I'm sure the 2015 F-150 is much better than the 2014. So that's just my take.
opcorn:
and everyone else knows. 
