Faults:

Nothing to date, truck is only 3 months old.

General Comments:

I was looking for a full size 4x4 truck to replace my Jeep Liberty diesel. I did a lot of online research, then test drove back to back. To be honest, I never investigated the Nissan Titan, so can't compare that. I did drive the F150, Chevy Siverado Z71, Toyota Tundra, and the Dodge Ram 1500. I think that really there are no bad trucks out there any longer in the full size segment, consumers are too well informed, so all of the full size line up are pretty decent vehicles. It comes down to, are you a strong brand buyer? (I am not), and what particular aspects about the vehicles appeal to you. I liked all of the vehicles I drove, but I didn't love them all. I figure, if I'm paying 34-40K for a new vehicle, I'd better love it.

What made the Ram 1500 stand out to me first was the ride. It has coil springs in the rear end with a panhard bar, and I could feel the difference. Driving down the road it seemed very planted and composed, and I could push it though a corner relatively quickly (for a truck), and it was smooth. Bumpy roads were the same, it seems to ride just the way I like - firm but controlled. The others were good, but felt a bit more cumbersome to me. I just liked the Dodge ride better. So I bought a two tone white/grey off the dealers lot. Also, there were some pretty good discounts (also on Chevy too). MSRP was about 42K, I paid, after rebates/discounts and OEM invoice pricing, 34K + tax. That was a great price according to my online research.

Having owned the Outdoorsman model for 3 months now, I can say I absolutely love the Dodge Rambox cargo system, it totally rocks, and just makes the truck to me. It's in the small things where you notice just how useful those side boxes are, like the first time I bought groceries with it. Where do I put those 2 gallons of milk so they don't spill on my nice new cab floor - hang on, they all fit in the side box. Also, I can fill a box with ice, pull out the drain plugs, and keep a bunch of stuff cool, like beverages, and the fish I just caught. I like fishing, boating, camping and hunting, so that really is useful. The bed divider/extender is well thought out and lockable, and the adjustable tie down points are easy to move around and use. Also, the 115V outlet in the dash is useful for charging electronics.

Driving the truck, wind noise is low, visibility good, and the seats are comfortable cloth. A/C is good, we've had some recent 100+ degree weather and the cab was comfortable. It has a 6 speed auto, but to be honest I think it is really a 5 speed, as there is only about 100 RPM or so difference at freeway speeds. Mileage has been averaging a bit about 15.1 MPG (15.6 liters per 100 km for you metric folk), which is about what my neighbor's Silverado with a 5.3 gets, so I think it is about average. The dash fuel meter is slightly optimistic; it thinks I'm getting 15.6 MPG. Power is really good, it will accelerate quite quickly, has about 390 HP.

Other things the Ram 1500 comes with when you get the Outdoorsman package are, navigation system with CD and Sirius radio, class 3 hitch, 4 and 7 pin towing plugs, electronic trailer braking, 4WD, off road package, skid plates and towing hooks in the front, a 3.92 rear end, storage in the rear cab under the floor, and of course I already mentioned the Rambox system, which is really useful. I'll be adding a Bakflip G2 tonneau cover in a week or so, so I will report back how that goes. I've not taken it off road yet, so can't comment on that, other that it only has a part time (locked) 4WD hi/lo system. My Jeep had full time (unlocked diffs) as well as part time, which was nice for general winter driving in the North.

Anything I wish it had - yes, a telescoping steering wheel column would have been nice, but the power seat adjusts enough. Can't comment on durability yet, but I bought the extended warranty, primarily because of all the electronics.

In general, I think it's a great truck. It has absolutely everything I want with the Outdoorsman package, and so far, I am very happy with it. As I gain time with it, I will report back to update this review.