The 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 versus the 2009 Ford F150

This year brought about complete redesigns for both the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 and the 2009 Ford F150.  The Dodge Ram and the Ford F150 were improved in almost every way, and they each staked their claim as the best new truck on the market thanks to positive reviews.  We traveled to the Ford Proving Grounds to put the new Dodge Ram and Ford F150 head to head to see which is truly the best truck of 2009.

Powertrain
The 2009 Dodge Ram and 2009 Ford F150 both have improved engine lineups, but even with the changes to the F150, the Ram still has a definite advantage in power.  The Dodge Ram options begin with a 3.7L V6 making 210 horsepower, followed by a 310 horsepower 4.7L V8, and the premium engine is the 390 horsepower Hemi.  The 2009 F150 boasts an entry level 4.6L V8 engine that offers 248 horsepower but still gets over 20mpg, and the next level is another 4.6L V8, this one making 292 horsepower.  The Ford F150’s premium engine option is their Triton 5.4L. While the 310 horsepower is an increase over the previous models, it falls short of the Hemi.  

The advantage of the Dodge engines was evident during the hauling exercise, where we drove two 2009 Dodge Ram 1500s and two 2009 Ford F150s through an autocross course.  We tested the Dodge 4.7L and 5.7L Hemi alongside the Ford 4.6L 3V and the Triton 5.4, all of which were loaded with 800 pounds of ballast and sent through a collection of s-turns, hairpin turns, and straightaways.  We launched from the starting line, and the Ram’s strength was evident right away, easily climbing to the target speed before hitting the first series of turns.  Through the longer sweeping turns, the power was a bit overwhelming for the rear wheels, causing the truck to drift a bit under hard acceleration.  Both trucks felt strong going through the autocross course, but like the basic road test, the Dodge Ram was clearly more powerful more fun to drive.

Surprisingly, the Dodge Ram’s power advantage wasn’t as evident in the towing exercise.  The 2009 Dodge Ram 5.7L Hemi was matched against the 2009 Ford F150 5.4L Triton, both with the available towing packages.  The Dodge Ram and Ford F150 were each hitched to a 7000lb trailer and taken through a two mile road course.  The Dodge Ram had no problems pulling the trailer on the flat portions, but from a stop heading up a large hill, the Dodge struggled to reach the target speed of 50mph, where the 5.4L powered F150 easily reached 50.  The Dodge Ram’s transmission allowed the RPMs to sit at a point where it was not pulling strongly, nor would it downshift, causing the truck to slow towards the top of the hill.  There was little to separate the vehicles in towing with the exception of the “big hill” portion of the exercise, but that alone gave the 2009 F150 the advantage in the towing category.  Even with the power advantage of the Dodge Ram, the Ford F150 is the better tow vehicle, boasting a towing capacity 2000 pounds more than the Ram.

Ride Quality and Handling
The 2009 Dodge Ram has made a huge departure from the conventional half ton truck rear suspension with coil springs, whereas the 2009 Ford F150 has focused on perfecting the leaf spring.  During the basic road test, the two trucks performed equally well across all types of road surfaces, but when the trucks went taken down the Ford Proving Grounds Silver Creek Test Track, the Ford F150 suspension provided a smoother ride.  Silver Creek is a quarter mile recreating the roughest roads imaginable.  Even Ford’s test drivers are only permitted to drive it a few times a day, due to the impact to their body during test sessions. We were instructed to drive each length of the track, trying to maintain 30mph while keeping the truck on the brutal path.  The Dodge Ram was smooth but did display some rear wheel hop.  The Ford F150 showed less bounce in the rear end, and had less vibration through the steering wheel and less rattle throughout the interior.  The Dodge Ram’s vibration was not excessive but it was obvious that Ford put a tremendous amount of effort into ride quality, and that helped to give Ford the edge in this comparison.

The hauling exercise on the autocross course also showed the improvements made to the suspension setups of the 2009 Dodge Ram and 2009 Ford F150.  Both trucks were very nimble, handling the s-turns and tight hairpins very well. The exercise would have been more fun had we been permitted to turn off the traction control systems.  The bends through the long course were taken easily by both the Dodge Ram and the Ford F150.  The rear end of the Dodge Ram squatted when it was loaded with the 7000lb trailer, but the sport inspired coil suspension of the Dodge Ram never felt like it was pushed beyond its abilities with the 800lbs of ballast loaded up for the autocross exercise.  The two trucks each make a great case for their respective suspension systems, but overall the 2009 Dodge Ram offers a more nimble feel and was more fun to drive.  

Exterior And Interior
While the exterior styling comes down to a matter of opinion, both Dodge and Ford have come up with a handful of additions to the truck to make the trucks more functional.  Dodge has focused on storage, with the new RamBox Cargo Management System.  This adds weatherproof, lockable storage compartments to the top of both bedsides, and the inside of the Dodge Ram’s bed features ribs to control the integrated bed divider/extender.  The 2009 Ford F150 also offers a bed divider system, but the key additions to the new F150 stress accessibility.  The 2009 F150 offers an integrated tailgate step and handle (previous found on Ford’s heavy duty lineup), and in front of the rear wheels they offer their new bed-side steps.  These spring loaded steps pop from under the vehicle with a light kick to the button on each step, and make for easy access to the front of the bed.

Both the 2009 Dodge Ram and 2009 Ford F150 feature all of the basic amenities that you would expect such as climate control and state of the art sound systems.  The 2009 Ram 1500 offers some accessibility with their on-board Wi-Fi connection that works with devices like laptops of PDA within 100 feet of the truck.  The Ram also offers Sirius Radio and Backseat TV service with their navigation system. 

Ford has taken the functionality of a truck interior to the next level with the 2009 F150.  Ford recognized how many F150 buyers were using their truck for work, so they have allowed a handful of high tech options to turn the ’09 F150 into a rolling office.  The center console opens to reveal a large hanging file storage space, and the new Ford Work Solutions computer system puts the internet in your truck and at your fingertips.  From the Ford Tool Link System, to the Crew Chief vehicle location system, to the Microsoft windows vehicle application, there is little that the on-board computer of the F150 cannot do.  For the businessman who spends a great deal of time on the road, working from his truck, the F150 offers accessibility like no other truck on the road, and when compared to the Dodge Ram, there is little comparison to Dodge’s run-of-the-mill navigation screen.

Summary
The 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 and the 2009 Ford F150 have both made vast improvements to put themselves atop of the half-ton truck class.  The 2009 Ram’s 390 horsepower Hemi and coil suspension make the truck more exciting to drive than the Ford, but the 2009 F150 features more accessibility items to create the ideal work truck.  In the end, if you are looking for a half ton truck with the towing capacity of many heavy duty models, as well as the features of your office, the 2009 Ford F150 may be the truck for you.  On the other hand, if you don’t need to tow 11,000lbs and you are more interested in performance than your truck’s ability to print Word files, the 2009 Dodge Ram is the truck for you.

Which is the truck for you?  Has Ford improved this new F150 enough for you to consider buying it, or is the Dodge performance still the top dog?

2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Specs

2009 Ford F150 Specs

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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