Ford F-150 vs Ram 1500: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Ford F-150 burns about $2,450 of fuel annually against $2,650 for the Ram 1500. That $200 yearly gap compounds to roughly $1,000 over five years and $1,600 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City versus highway split: the Ford F-150 is the stronger commuter at 25 mpg city, while the Ram 1500 pulls ahead on the interstate at 33 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Ford F-150 is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (SIDI & PFI; Hybrid, 5.2, SIDI & PFI), the Ram 1500 with 4 (Mild Hybrid, SIDI, 5.7). Across 229 recorded Ford F-150 configurations and 142 for the Ram 1500, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Ford F-150 is offered with Rear-Wheel Drive, Part-time 4-Wheel Drive, the Ram 1500 with 4-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD and Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Ford F-150 emits 349 g/mile of CO2 versus 384 g/mile for the Ram 1500. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.