I'd rather they turned up the quality.

Its all about numbers, the more they make the better the price is for you and me.
While Ford is dragging their feet the Ram Dealers are going to be overstocked with Ram's and there will be sales and rebates!
Ram will be the # 1 Best Selling Pickup by this time next year.

Maybe they can improve the quality as well. I love my new Ram but really the dealer shouldn't have to realign the bed because its cocked to one side by almost two inches and their have been paint issues although I only have one slight blemish but some guys have been worse off.

@Tom#3 - You sound like one of the J!had but more passive aggressive. (Just like a white collar degree dude afraid of the blue collar guys with the dirt under their nails that do the real work)

Why do you say Ford is dragging their feet?

The complexity of changing over to a new truck with aluminum panels is extremely complex.

For Ram to be #1 in sales means they have to sell more than 650,000 trucks or Ford stop making 325,000 trucks.
That would mean GM would also have to make less trucks.

Ram is struggling to produce 1/2 that number.

It isn't like Marchionne can pull a billion dollar factory out of his azz.

Tom's assuming Ford doesn't gain marketshare with the introduction of the 2015 F150 and 2016 Super Duty.

@Tom#3

For someone who admittedly says he doesn't know much about vehicles or the truck world, you sure do make a lot of assumptions that are incorrect or half correct. From truck sales to turbos, your statements are clearly incorrect that even a caveman would be able to see. Makes wonder why one would make such remarks when they know they are ignorant on the subject. I can see making wrong comments every now and then because no one is perfect, but not when it is the majority of your comments. Especially when you have no facts or no thought based from real knowledge of the subject to back up what you say. You also contradict what you say A LOT.

@ALL1 - another blogger made the comment that Tom#3 was a Guerilla Marketeer. It has become very common on the net for astroturf style marketing to creep into blogs. One expert went on record saying that at least 1 out of 3 negative blog comments or negative vehicle reviews were from marketeers.

I'd rather believe that then the fact that there may be a self-conscious invertebrate desperately seeking positive reinforcement through his vehicle purchases and is racked with remorse for not buying the "IN" truck in the sheep pasture that he inhabits .

@Alex and Lou_BC
I do see this and I've mentioned it previously.

Ford has the most to lose with the aluminium F-150 and Ram does have the most to gain with Nissan and Toyota with the Titan and Tundra.

I do think the breakdown of pickups sold two years from now will show that Ford will not move the numbers of F Series it is currently moving.

Ford has taken a big risk and it will hit Ford profits. It is well and good to talk about the wiz and become to involved in the fanfare of Ford's aluminium move.

We should look at what is going to be on the market in two years in the US.

Believe it or not and contrary to what the view is on PUTC and TTAC these new midsizers will increase midsize sales. Again, I will point out that midsizers will NOT take over the US pickup market, but will increase markedly in sales.

These sales will and must come from somewhere. The US market has reached or is near saturation. I do think some V6 full size, SUV and CUV customers will take a serious look at these.

Remember I was a potential SUV customer. I couldn't see the reason to spend more on a product that really didn't give any advantage and for more money.

I bought my BT50 only 2 months after it was released, so I was one of the early people to move across to the new midsizers.

It seems the larger pickups too meet CAFE they must make bigger improvements than midsizers do, ie, aluminium and other 'newer' technologies.

It doesn't appear that the midsizers are any more penalised than a full size with CAFE.

I have put a link in on the next Navara which will as sure as sh!t be the next Frontier. It is better than the new Colorado and Canyon.

The next Hilux or Tacoma again will lift the benchmark. These vehicles will make the Ranger and even the Amarok appear old school.

The pricing of the new midsizers and refinement as Mark has pointed out many times in comparison to the more expensive full size 1/2 ton pickups will make them an attractive alternative.

The word is refinement. Midsizer have been refined to the level of a full size. The US manufacturers have been concentrating and protecting pure profit with the full size and all it needed was someone to come out with a midsizer.

The Colorado will be the impetus to change the US pickup market.

@Lou_BC
Also, look at timings.

They work to a schedule, clock on and clock off.

I think, that ford will lose market share with aluminum truck. They are loosing every month already, so new unknown truck will just speed it up.

Nice to see RAM gaining again. Exactly like I predicted.
Everybody love the rear coil spring suspension, nice interior , 8 speed and powerful and most reliable HEMI and Cummins and most efficient 3L TD and Pentastar. Something for everybody, except ALL1. RAM doesn't have a truck for his needs.

Ram has no truck for my needs either. Been there and tried them already. Big mistake that won't get made again.

@zviera

" Something for everybody, except ALL1. RAM doesn't have a truck for his needs."

Nope, not one truck that fit my requirements, sad isn't it. Although what if I wanted a midsize truck or may be a class 6 or 7 truck? Does Ram have that?

@All1,

You are talking to a troll or a seminar caller (poster). I'm going with seminar caller hired by Ram. Notice Chevy has Tom Wilkenson who posts here but is not a seminar caller - he is the real deal. Ford has Mike Levine who comments occasionally. Ram? They have Tom#3, a fictional Ford owner, who pretends to own a Ford truck but promotes Ram trucks. He has been proved to be a hoax and seminar caller by suspicious putc posters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seminar_caller

Seminar caller

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A seminar caller is a coined phrase for someone who mainly telephones conservative radio talk shows (or putc) for the purpose of astroturfing, which is the mass promotion of a particular product, service, or opposing political point of view as if it were genuinely spontaneous, or grassroots.

Many of these supposed seminar callers try to portray themselves as regular people, claim to agree with the host's point of view (or be a Ford owner), then begin to read a contrary opinion from an agenda or list of talking points widely circulated by a group or organization who oppose the views of the host.[1]

Seminar callers get their name from the seminars they supposedly attend to learn how to most effectively get their message on the air. There is no evidence that seminar callers actually attend seminars for this purpose. Faxes, e-mails and newsletters are more common modes of disseminating astroturf messages to seminar callers.

Before the 2004 U.S. presidential election, seminar callers began to tell more elaborate stories to establish credibility, behaving as if they were actors playing the role of someone with beliefs opposite of their own, in an attempt to erode the opposing candidate's "base" of political support.

The term "seminar caller" is in wide use among talk show hosts[2] and audiences.

Riiight.

Al, you stated a while back that US trucks would get smaller. Wrong. Sure you chose a midsize, that's all you have available down there. It's getting old with you constantly telling us what we need and what we are getting. Admit it, you actually have no idea, and if you do, what is it based on. I have absolutely no idea what happens in Au. Don't really care. How about you doing the same here.

The new midsize trucks are not going to materially take any sales from full size trucks, CUVs, or SUVs. Unless they receive enormous incentives they are priced well above CUVs and offer no advantage to the typical CUV purchaser. If anything they offer a distinct set of disadvantages.

For the mid size trucks to take sales from full size trucks they need to offer either a bottom of the barrel price, extremely better fuel economy, or both. Currently the mid size trucks offer no price advantage (we will see if this changes in a year) and no fuel economy advantage (which is pathetic and will restrict them to the already extant small truck market).

@zviera

"It must be really sad for you, but don't you worry, some poor sucker will buy your worn out busy bee"

Actually things are pretty good here and not sad at all. Got a great wife, great family, great friends, live in a great state that is in a great country, I have a job, a great truck that has been very dependable for me and that I still love driving every chance I get, and it's 5:00 on Friday and I already have a cold Shiner Bock in my hand. What is there to be sad about? Keep trying little man because you still haven't got to men and are a long way off.

They had a story on Nightly Business Report about this plant and how it was working at full capacity. This is a good thing for the economy but I hope that quality is not sacrificed. I do think that Ram has an opportunity to grab more market share from both GM and Ford but I don't think they will surpass either. I am concerned that the market might become so saturated with trucks that demand will go down, but for now it looks like the demand is exceeding the supply.

Tom#3 works for not Ram, but cars.com to drive up comments. A paid blogger if you will.

@All1--I have some Shiner Bock in my fridge. Until recently you could not find it in N KY. I was raised in Texas so it is nice to be able to get something from Texas. It would be nice to have some Blue Bell ice cream as well.

@BigAlfromOz- I do agree that Ford is taking a big risk but to quote the J!had - No guts, no Glory. Ford took a chance on the EB line and now 1/2 their pickups are sold with V6's. Time will tell if this turns out to be a mistake. That may be why GM got cold feet. Post bankruptcy they were not in a position to take a chance.

Regardless of what Ford does, FCA does not have the capacity to surpass GM or Ford. A J!had attack on one of their plants is the only way Ram would be able to move into #1 in the USA.

The guys who comment on this site do their share of messing with each others favorites.

That said, anybody who loves working with steel, working on motors or designing new ideas has to love what Chrysler's team has done here.

Refurbing and revitalizing places like the sprawling Warren plant is really great.

It's the stuff that made the rest of the world green with envy for almost 100 years. The demand for mass produced goods started right here in America.

@zveria,
Most on this site have been trying to maintain a degree of civility recently.

Why don't you try? Don't blame others. You don't need to respond to some of the blatant trolling by people as bad as yourself at times.

Remember, the guys who like Ford's are baiting you, then use you as an example to reduce your beloved Ram's status.

Don't bite.

If you are doing this then you are very sad.

@ALL1 and Lou_BC just ignore the comments. I have been doing this.

I do know that Lou has stopped responding to my comments. But Lou look at what you are doing as well. I did. My reaction was enticing dissention.

I'm slowly nutting out what is going on, on this site. I think it is quite amazing.

The site has several sock puppets, astroturfers, etc along with a few trolls.

This is why the site has gone the way of the dogs.

I do think the site needs much better moderation and every comment read by a person who is actually interested in the feedback of the comments.

It is work, but it must be done by someone. Someone is needed to facilitate the rabble here.

Guys remember what sock puppetry is. It has been going on on this site for quite some time, read up on it, it can be an illegal activity.

It is estimated that one in three comments in these types of sites are from a paid commenter. Some food for thought.

PUTC is tracking down the sock puppet/s on this site right now who has been causing much grief.

The reality is if PUTC wanted real change on this site many would have been banned already. So whilst we carry on the way we have been then we will reap what we sow.

@zviera

"You started that sadness"

Started the sadness? When did I start any sadness? If you are referring to the phone thing then you got a lot to learn about me if you think something as small as a phone issue would get me down. I have lived with this dyslexia thing all my life and it hasn't stopped me from being happy or having a successful life. Yeah, it was a bit harder to do things, but it didn't bring me down.

"Only unsecured person don't know to say, "I was wrong." And that's you."

Nope, I have said I was wrong on this sit before and on multiple occasions. I have never said it to you because you have never proven me wrong from what I have seen. I know you think you have, but the facts don't say you have.

Look, I know you are trying your damnedest to piss in my Cherios, but I am sorry to inform you that it just isn't going to work. For one, I don't eat Cherios. Two, I learned a long time ago not to give two shnits about what those that are trying to bring you down say. Just feel sorry for them that they let you and their anger control them so much that they would waste a moment of the time they have on this Earth just to try to bring you down to their lowly level.

I'll tell you what. I just opened my second Shiner and haven't taken a swig yet. So here's to you zviera, may you find happiness to fill that hole in your soul that compels you to constantly try and piss in peoples Cherios. Prosit!!!

@Jeff S. - market saturation causes prices to drop. Hmmmm........ would 10-14K rebates be a sign of that?

@Jeff S

PROSIT!

@Lou BC - You sound like one of the Ford J!had but more stupid than most (Just like a Canadian dude afraid of the real American guys that does real work in a real country)

The complexity of changing over to a new truck with aluminum panels is extremely complex. But Ford's got it in the bag with this new aluminum engine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9cK_TMLvjI

@Big Al

"just ignore the comments. I have been doing this."

I do sometimes when I don't feel like arguing with idiots, but other times it is just so much fun. I guess it just depends on how I feel at the time.

@All1

I was referring to this .

Nope, not one truck that fit my requirements, sad isn't it.
Posted by: ALL1 | Sep 26, 2014 4:33:07 PM

I forgot about that phone issue you are having constantly, but I must have strike the nerves, because you won't let it go after 2 days, which is really sad. You better get the third beer quickly. Or what ever it is.

@Lou_BC,
Where can FCA increase sales?

I don't see FCA increasing production in the US, it will move to Mexico. But then that is an expensive gamble on FCA's behalf.

I do think the next Titan/Tundra will take away some of the lustre from Ford and GM.

Look at these figures. If Titan and Tundra sales increase by 100k and the Colorado/Canyon take 150k that's a largish chunk of the full size market.

This doesn't take into account the next Frontier and Taco/Hilux. The only have to increase between them 50k.

The US market can't absorb many more vehicle sales. What is going to happen when interest rates increase? Combine that with the possible and I would imagine feasible improvements in other pickup sale these sales must come from somewhere.

I see figures between manufacturers and pickup classes, ie, midsize, full size, HD, etc adjusting by between 300k to 500k.

There is going to be a monumental shift by industry standards.

Remember the Transit/Ducato will also have an impact on some pickup sales. At 25mpg+ the Transit will be attractive.

You then still have the CUV pressure on pickups.

I don't foresee Ram actually reducing in numbers, the improvement from now and in two years will be relatively static. So I do think it would be a stupid idea by Ram to start up another factory until after 2018. Because by then it might not be needed.

That's why I do see Ford as the biggest loser. If the Colorado is a raging success, what will Ford do?

It will bring in the Ranger, this will increase the cost of the F Series per unit as sales slide over to the Ranger.

As I've always stated I do find the US pickup market very interesting.

@All1 - "You better get the third beer quickly."

All1 speaking of getting a beer quickly, Lou BC and I will be at Numbers Club in Vancouver...come on buy if you have a chance.

@zviera

"I was referring to this "

Oh, I did mean that was sad for me because I got the truck I wanted. I meant isn't it sad for you since you keep bringing it up all the time.

The reason why I thought it was the phone thing because that was the last time you tried to be "helpful" if you want to call it that.

That darn auto correct again. ...

Correction:

Oh, I DIDN'T mean that was sad for me because I got the truck I wanted. 

@Tom#3 - You sound like one of the J!had but more passive aggressive. (Just like a white collar degree dude afraid of the blue collar guys with the dirt under their nails that do the real work)

Why do you say Ford is dragging their feet?

The complexity of changing over to a new truck with aluminum panels is extremely complex.

For Ram to be #1 in sales means they have to sell more than 650,000 trucks or Ford stop making 325,000 trucks.
That would mean GM would also have to make less trucks.

Ram is struggling to produce 1/2 that number.

It isn't like Marchionne can pull a billion dollar factory out of his azz.

Posted by: Lou_BC | Sep 26, 2014 3:40:41 PM

---------------------------------------------------------

@BigAlfromOz- I do agree that Ford is taking a big risk but to quote the J!had - No guts, no Glory. Ford took a chance on the EB line and now 1/2 their pickups are sold with V6's. Time will tell if this turns out to be a mistake. That may be why GM got cold feet. Post bankruptcy they were not in a position to take a chance.

Regardless of what Ford does, FCA does not have the capacity to surpass GM or Ford. A J!had attack on one of their plants is the only way Ram would be able to move into #1 in the USA.

Posted by: Lou_BC | Sep 26, 2014 5:36:19 PM

--------------------------------------------------------

Knock off the muslim bull crap Lou_BC.

The "The PumpJack" is an example of sock puppetry.

@Lou BC--The discount is good for the consumer and temporarily gains market share but a glut of inventory becomes reminiscent of the late 70's. Hopefully History does not repeat itself with a glut of vehicles and high interest rates. If that happens then will the pet rock and disco come back? Shudder the thought. "Staying Alive, Staying Alive."

@zviera

Are you still trying to piss in my Cherios. I told you already, I don't eat Cherios. Man, you are more persistent that a horny jack rabbit in a field of doe's. Although I do find it rather intriguing that I have that much power over you to control your emotions this much. Let me guess, next you are going to say that don't control your emotions so much. Well from your posts and bringing me up so much it sure doesn't look like it.

@Lou BC--It looks like you got someone's goat. Rambos are not a sheepish bunch. Pardon the puns, I couldn't resist.

Man I think zviera has a man crush on me. He just cannot stop. He sounds more obsessed than a Belieber. Sorry man, I am not into bromances.

I do think Ram is wise to wait going to the aluminum body. Ford is having delays in getting their plants ready and there will be some initial problems. Meanwhile Ram will producing a lot of trucks and can take advantage of this time to gain market share. Ram and GM will learn from some of Ford's problems in setting up a plant to produce aluminum body trucks. In the case of aluminum bodies on trucks it might be better not to be first, but in the long run Ford will become much better at manufacturing vehicles with aluminum.

Aluminum expands and contracts MORE than steel.
Why don't they use aluminum siding for houses anymore?
Cause it comes loose and falls off or blows off from the wind.
Why does it come loose?
Cause the force of it expanding and contracting from the different temps causes the nails to pull out.
What's going to happen to your glued together aluminum body truck when its outside below freezing then sits in the sun and warms up into the 80's?

COME ON PEOPLE! WAKE UP !
DING-DING-DING!
A load of BS is being forced down your throats!

ok, I got another one:
Ford is making up from its failure of making a fuel efficient engine by making the truck lighter using aluminum.
Chevy and Ram made a fuel efficient V8 and don't need to reduce weight to get good gas mileage.
Ford's Chief Truck Engineer stuck AKA foot in mouth by saying engine deactivation is the wrong way to go so instead of admitting he was wrong they save face by sticking to the failed eco-boost and making the new truck lighter in weight.

Ford would have been better off if they stuck with the 5.4 V8 and transformed that engine to engine deactivation like Chevy and Ram did.

All the $$$ Billions Ford invested in tooling manufacture of the eco-boost engine they are forced to continue producing it even if it is a failure.
They have you guys fooled!

Ford seems really quiet about the 2015 F-150 when its going to hit the dealers in a few months.
I think Ford is in a panic where they are not seeing the gas mileage numbers they were expecting from the weight reduction aluminum and the 2.7 eco-boost.
They are doing the huckly-buck doing last minute fuel map and transmission programing.
Remember back in 2010 how they were promoting the eco-boost saying 22-24 MPG more than a year before it came out?
I say the new F-150 with the 2.7 EB will have dismal MPG numbers in the low 20's never exceeding 24 MPG and the worst part is lackluster engine performance matched with poor gas mileage.
I predict by this time next year F-150 sales will fall flat.

Lou BC, I gave up trying to impress you but I bet those big boys at GM and Ram are reading my posts and agreeing with me.

If I was in the market for a new truck, I would seriously choose the Ram over the Silverado or Sierra. While I am a Chevy guy, I really don't care for the new GM trucks; seems like they just get more square and boxy with every new redesign. Atleast the Ram has some shape to it.

Still, the man crush he has continues.

@zviera

Will saying I don't swing that way get through to you. I figured saying I am not into bromances would have been subtle enough.

Next time your flying at 35000 feet take a look out the window at that 30 year old aluminum skin holding that 500,000+lbs jet in the air that took off of the Tarmac in 90 degree weather and 10 minutes later it is sub zero temperatures and has done this 1000's of time. Aluminum will do just fine in the mass auto market and comparing it to aluminum siding on a house is idiotic!!!

"You are not my type anyway. I like real man."

Wow, just wow, and I was just joking. But hey, not that there is anything wrong with that. For once you have me speechless.

Ram has certainly done a good job on marketing their trucks in recent years. I think in many ways, their sales growth has gone above and beyond expectations and has taken them by surprise.

The other aspect to Ram's success, and one that hasn't been discussed much, I think is simply a matter of timing and luck. The 2009 redesign that coincide with going through bankruptcy gave Chrysler the means to get back up on their feet almost immediately.

It is important to realized that because Ram's redesign occurred 2 years after the GM 2007 redesign, they were able to leap ahead of GM and it gave them a big advantage in that they have had a marketable well-selling truck for 5 years now. I mean, GM was just catching up 1 year and a half ago. Ram has also been making constant improvements over the last few years.

Certainly timing had a crucial roles in things, but I don't think it was very much deliberate. Things just worked out in their favor. Going forward, Ram has things they need to improve on and they also need to stay ahead of the game. Luck can strike anytime, but what matters is if you make the best of the opportunities that are presented.

You weren't joking about RAM 3500 rear coil suspension . I don't trust you anymore. You sound like women.
I knew I will shut you ^somehow.

@HEMIMONSTER
What you stated is part of the equation to Ram's recent success.

GM did have cash flow issues after the GFC which would have retarded R&D. This was the case as I found out with the Colorado.

But, FCA have a very aggressive pricing strategy. I do think this is what is attracting many over to Ram.

Combine that with the novel and innovative ideas that has gone into Ram and the clever marketing has done wonders.

I really don't consider one pickup better than the other. I do know some of you guys live and breathe this stuff. But to me it's just plastic and metal.

They are all competitive.