Safety

Both the Ram 1500 and the F‑150 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, available four-wheel drive and rearview cameras.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Ram 1500 is safer than the Ford F‑150:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better.
Lower test results = Better.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Ram 1500 has a standard 730-amp battery (800 HFE/Diesel). The F‑150's 610-amp battery isn't as powerful.

Engine

The Ram 1500 has more powerful engines than the F‑150:

The Ram 1500's 3.0 turbo V6 diesel produces 167 lbs.-ft. more torque (420 vs. 253) than the F‑150's standard 3.5 DOHC V6. The Ram 1500's 3.0 turbo V6 diesel produces 45 lbs.-ft. more torque (420 vs. 375) than the F‑150's optional 2.7 turbo V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Ram 1500 gets better fuel mileage than the F‑150:

An engine control system that can shut down half of the engine's cylinders helps improve the Ram 1500 V8's fuel efficiency. The F‑150 doesn't offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Ram 1500's standard fuel tank has 3 gallons more fuel capacity than the F‑150 122" WB's standard fuel tank (26 vs. 23 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Ram 1500, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the F‑150.

Brakes and Stopping

The Ram 1500 stops shorter than the F‑150:

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Ram 1500 has larger standard tires than the F‑150 (265/70R17 vs. 245/70R17). The Ram 1500 Sport's tires are larger than the largest tires available on the F‑150 (285/45R22 vs. 275/55R20).

The Ram 1500 Sport's tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the F‑150's optional 55 series tires.

For better load carrying, ride, handling and brake cooling the Ram 1500 Sport has standard 22-inch wheels. The F‑150's largest wheels are only 20-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The Ram 1500 has front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Ram 1500 flat and controlled during cornering. The F‑150's suspension doesn't offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The front and rear suspension of the Ram 1500 uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the F‑150, which uses leaf springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The Ram 1500 has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The F‑150 doesn't offer a load leveling suspension.

The Ram 1500 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The F‑150 doesn't offer variable-assist power steering.

The Ram 1500's drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions that would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The F‑150 doesn't offer drift compensation steering.

The Ram 1500 standard bed Sport Quad Cab 4x4 handles at .77 G's, while the F‑150 6.5 ft. bed SuperCab 4x4 pulls only .75 G's of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Ram 1500's turning circle is tighter than the F‑150's:

Chassis

The Ram 1500 is shorter than the F‑150, making the Ram 1500 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces:

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Ram 1500 short bed Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4x4 is quieter than the F‑150 5.5 ft. bed Platinum SuperCrew 4x4 (72 vs. 73 dB).

Passenger Space

The Ram 1500 Quad Cab has .2 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front hip room and 1.2 inches more rear legroom than the F‑150 SuperCab.

The Ram 1500 Crew Cab has .2 inches more front headroom and .7 inches more front hip room than the F‑150 SuperCrew.

Cargo Capacity

The Ram 1500's cargo box is larger than the F‑150's in almost every dimension:

The Ram 1500 has a standard tailgate assist feature, which prevents the heavy tailgate from falling with a crash and causing injury. It allows adults and children to easily open and close the tailgate with one hand to better facilitate loading and unloading. Tailgate assist costs extra on the Ford F‑150.

The Ram 1500 has an all welded cargo box to eliminate possible corrosion spots and to provide better chassis stiffness. The cargo box in the F‑150 is bolted through the bed to the frame with large bolts. These bolts are a prime area for corrosion to start as the normal flexing of the truck's chassis causes them to eat through the finish; they can also snag cargo as it slides in and out.

Payload and Towing

The Ram 1500 has a higher standard payload capacity than the F‑150:

Servicing Ease

The Ram 1500 offers an optional under hood light to help in making nighttime maintenance checks, adding fluids, etc. The F-150 doesn't offer an under hood light.

Ergonomics