2016 Laramie Limited: Competition for Ford’s F-150 Limited?

There was a time when trucks were made for one, simple purpose: work. Those days are long gone, however, and now there’s a luxury truck market that’s just as competitive as the luxury sedan market. Now, seeing a luxury-oriented truck like a 2016 Ram 1500 in Miami is just as common as seeing a Mercedes cruising down the beachside. In this new market, companies have adapted their star-child trucks to survive; Ford took their 2016 F-150 truck-line and introduced a Limited edition that is chromed to the max, and Chevy made their 2016 Silverado High Country even more luxurious. So, where does that leave Ram? Well, it appears they decided to jump right over Chevy and butt heads with Ford by releasing the 2016 Ram Laramie Limited.

Lots of Chrome…

There may not be as much chrome as the F-150 Limited, and that’s a good thing. The F-150 has chrome everything (even the paint is a satin chrome) whereas the Laramie has chrome accents just… everywhere. Even the raised RAM letters on the tailgate are chrome; defiantly standing out against the F-150 Limited’s lettering on the front of their truck.

It has chrome accents from the mirror caps to the rocker panels, but it looks good. Even with the abundance of chrome on the Laramie Limited, the chrome isn’t all consuming like on the F-150. The chrome and glossy paint actually work in unison to make each other pop, creating one handsome looking truck.

Sweet, Sweet, Darkness

The Laramie Limited is the definition of night and day. Where the outside is shiny and eye-popping, the inside is dark and relaxing. The primary material on the inside is premium black leather accompanied by a blackish argento wood trim. The chrome accent stays on the outside , unlike with the F-150 Limited. Instead , the Laramie’s interior has silvery highlights that subtly dance across the upholstery, and form pinstripes in the argento wood.

The contrast between the outside and inside is a nice touch, and the interior’s atmosphere is one of relaxation and comfort. Whereas the F-150 Limited’s interior is just as flashy and gaudy as the outside of the vehicle, and provides no relief or relaxation.

It Still Puts Out Ponies!

Even though the Laramie Limited is obviously focused on luxury, it’s still a truck, and performance is important. The 1500 Laramie Limited has a couple engine options: the standard 5.7-liter HEMI V8 and a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6. Both these engines put out some serious horsepower, but the HEMI is the one focused on performance. The HEMI puts out 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. Where the EcoDiesel provides 240 ponies and 420 pound-feet of torque and focuses more on fuel economy.

The F-150 Limited has a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 that puts out 365 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, and since the Limited is only offered in the F-150, that’s the only engine it will have. Unlike the Laramie, which will get more engine options for the Heavy Duty 2500 and 3500 trucks.

Ram Just Does it Better

Ram obviously knows the luxury truck market is a lucrative and competitive one, or they wouldn’t have made their Laramie Limited available on the 1500 base and the 2500/3500 Heavy Duty series. This gives Ram more options when it comes to selling their Limited edition, options that Ford is lacking (their Limited is only available for the F-150).

The Laramie Limited starts at $50,675 while the F-150 Limited starts at $58,480. Ram was able to beat the price of the F-150 Limited probably because the Laramie doesn’t have a gaudy and expensive satin-chrome paint job… and the Laramie still looks better.

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