Good Truck for New Driver?

[WWJD]

Originally Posted by Phenomenon I've noticed a lot of the cabin's look a hell of a lot different each year they go up. Is it worth spending an extra bit of money for a better cabin considering your riding in it? Also does anyone know what years Dodge made the biggest change to their trucks? I was looking at 2004's... and the cabin looks outdated compared to even the 2006's... 2002-2005 were had a lot in common and 2006-2008 were a lot alike. Alot of the ibfo you are look for can be found on . FYI

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[MontanaRAM]

the only change to the cabin in the '06 and up was a new dash because of a big ass radio as far as i know.

[cheapbeater]

i would avoid a diesel in such a cold climate. unless you have a heated garage. they can be a PITA in the cold, especially if/when you are driving short distances. i would also avoid leather in a cold climate...

[Ice-Forever]

Originally Posted by WWJD

Also think of getting a less flashy color. Will get noticed less by cops and jealous D-bags.

Lol I drive a yellow truck.



Welcome to DF man, you'll find the people here very helpful and friendly. My first car was a POS, but I WANTED a Ram haha. It would be a very nice first vehicle for you.

[nim81]

i recently read somewhere that the dodge ram was one of the most expensive trucks to insure. sounds like canada has my kind of insurance!

[nh5]

being 18 myself, It hurts the wallet. Avoid the new 6.7 Cummins if your gonna be city driving. Otherwise your gonna be clogging the DPF up constantly.

[Got_Hemi44]

Originally Posted by Phenomenon

Okay, first of all I'm a new member to this site, my name is Regan. I'm almost 17 years old and I've had my license for a couple of months now, I figured it's time to start looking for my first vehicle, more or less a truck. I'd consider myself an above average driver, I've been driving a couple years now without any problems and for a couple months now without a supervisor or parent. I got my license the first try with no mistakes in a bigger vehicle, I've driven a truck before so it won't be a big problem handling the vehicle.

Recently I've been looking at cars (sporty coupes) but I've recently started driving my parents truck and I enjoyed driving it a lot. Now I've been looking into trucks and at the moment the only ones that catch my eye are the Dodge Ram 1500 and 2500's and also the Ford F-150's and F-250's. If I get a truck my parents will be paying for half of it and I'll be paying for the other half working a part time job. Anyways I've got a couple of questions about the Dodge Ram, I hope you guys can answer them.

- What model is better for a teenage driver, the 1500 or 2500?
- What are the main differences between them?
- What engine is better for a teenage driver, the 5.7L Hemi or 6.7L Cummins Diesel?
- How nice is the cabin in these two models, how is the noise level from both engines?
- How much should I look at paying for a 1999 to 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 or 2500? How much mileage is too much to consider purchasing the truck?
- How hard is it to handle a truck with a lift kit or bigger tires?
- Do these trucks get stuck in the snow or off roading often, with snow tires or bigger tires of them? I live in Canada, it can snow pretty hard.

Now, how can I convince my parents to let me get a truck? How's the safety ratings on this truck and how does it compare to other vehicles? What are some key points to mention when asking my parents?

I know it's a lot of writing guys, I'm sorry for that. I hope you can answer all my questions and welcome me as a member (sorry if I posted this in the wrong section ). Thanks a lot, Regan.

I bought my truck when i was 18 (19 now) and love it. To answer your questions it depends on what your going to do with the truck. Do you like sport trucks or do you like off roading? Are you buying a truck to tow anything or you just like trucks? There's tons of questions that need to be answered before we can answer yours.

Here's my truck:

2006 5.7l 1500 regular cab 4wd.

And here's why i bought it

I like the 06-08 model better than the 02-05, 5.7l most powerful motor for the 1500s, regular cab because they're lighter which = faster and i don't need a 4door at 19 years old, 4wd because it snows a lot in Ohio.

Originally Posted by Phenomenon

Before I started looking at trucks I was looking at cars, more or less:

- Nissan 300ZX
- Nissan 350Z
- Subaru STI or WRX

Cars like that are begging for tickets, so I know what your talking about.

The STI is a WRX lol

[Phenomenon]

I guess I better do my job and reply to most of the comments now.

So here's what I plan to do with my truck:

- Towing a boat twice a year
- Towing a sea doo and ski doo twice a year each
- Daily driving
- Off roading
- I'll need a cab to pick people up in, my brother always makes him drive him and his friends places... ahh.
- Harsh weather conditions
- Hauling autobody tools and heavy pieces of equipment or cement in the bed.

That's about all I can think off

[WWJD]

either truck will do all of those things. If you want me to tell you exactly what to get then you may not like it.

[Got_Hemi44]

Originally Posted by Phenomenon

I guess I better do my job and reply to most of the comments now.

So here's what I plan to do with my truck:

- Towing a boat twice a year
- Towing a sea doo and ski doo twice a year each
- Daily driving
- Off roading
- I'll need a cab to pick people up in, my brother always makes him drive him and his friends places... ahh.
- Harsh weather conditions
- Hauling autobody tools and heavy pieces of equipment or cement in the bed.

That's about all I can think off

how much are you looking to spend and is the boat heavy?

Depending on boat size and money, I'd look for a 06-08 1500 quad cab with the 5.7l and 4wd.

I'd probably try to get a cummins since you are going to be towing/hauling. The 2500 also has a solid front axle which would make it easy to lift. Only down sides are the cold weather and gas.