New 2017 Platinum Initial Impressions
#1
08-01-2017, 10:54 AM
Join Date: May 2017
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New 2017 Platinum Initial Impressions
This weekend I traded my 2015 Ram 2500 Laramie for a 2017 Platinum (both diesels). Until the Ram, I had always driven Fords (2006, 2008, 2011), but decided to try something else because I was disappointed with Ford in 2015… no prox key/push button start, more restrictive option packaging, and sensor issues that left me stranded in the 2011 that they didn’t admit fault to until a few years later. Plus I wanted to prove I wasn’t some sort of masochist after the 6.0 debacle, the 6.4 debacle, and the 6.7 sensor issues.
Overall, the Ram was a good truck, and I got $40,000 on trade (paid $52,000 new) with 68,000 miles in two years. Worked well as a down payment.
My deal:
$76,125 sticker
$7800 dealer discount
$1500 rebate
$750 private cash offer
$750 FMCC rebate (I will pay off over next 90 days as their rates are terrible)
$40000 trade
Now for some initial impressions:
• Mileage. Only used one tank in the 2017 so far, but mileage seems noticeably worse than the Ram. I get it… more power, worse mileage. Under the same driving conditions (some city, a lot of highway at 80mph) the Ram would stay around 18mpg on the display. So far, the 2017 is stuck on 15mpg. I will investigate further and do some hand calculations. Or maybe not. I’m putting in a 55 gallon Titan tank, and most of the time, I have more important stuff to do than worry about mileage in a four ton truck.
• Steering wheel. Maybe my biggest pet peeve about the Ram and almost the reason I didn’t buy it. I mostly drive with my left hand at the 6 o’clock position. With the Ram, I couldn’t grip the wheel there because of the layout. The Ford has a perfect spot to hold the wheel here. It seems like a little thing, but it was terribly annoying on the Ram.
• Power steps. The Ford came with them from the factory, and I installed Amp steps on the Ram. The Amp steps were noticeably faster than the Ford. I don’t waste a lot of time, and when I open the door, I am already in the process of stepping out. It seems like I have to wait a split second for the Ford to fully lower before I step down. I never noticed anything like this with Amp. Also, I think the Amp steps had a little more drop, but I never put a tape measure to it.
• Sound system. I don’t upgrade stereos, and I’m not an audiophile, but the sound system in the 2017 Platinum sucks. Or I have a defective system. Again, I never put any thought into this stuff when I had the Ram (I listen to Sirius Octane, and sometimes at max volume). But the 2017 Ford cuts back and sounds like garbage in general on most stuff with the volume past 25 out of 30. This is a total disappointment.
• Seats. The seats are really good. Much better than the Ram. I also think they are more comfortable than the Lariat. However, no seats compare to the quality of the 2011 Lariat. Those were the best I have ever experienced in a truck. Not sure I’ll use the massaging feature much if ever on the 2017.
• Seat ventilation. Seat ventilation sucks compared to the Ram, and really just sucks in general. The ventilated seats in my mom’s old 2007 Lincoln MKX were better. I knew of these complaints going in, but it’s one of the crappy trade-offs I had to make to get the best truck out there right now.
• Adaptive cruise. This was a must-have for me and the main reason I went with a Platinum (I didn’t want to order, and there isn’t much selection when it comes to dealer-ordered Lariats with ACC). So far, I don’t really care for it. Maybe I will over some longer trips. If you’re the type that likes to get where you’re going in a hurry (speed limits where I’m from can reach 85mph, so driving 90mph is not uncommon), it’s almost like it forces you to be more attentive. You’re going along at speed and get over in the right lane to cruise and then you find yourself driving 5-10mph less than your target speed because of another vehicle in the distance. Then there is the issue of the ACC jamming on the brakes to maintain its set distance when another car enters your lane. I get that that is the purpose of ACC, but it seems that it tries too hard to get to the preset distance as fast as possible. So in the case of a car crossing your lane up ahead, the system will jam on the brakes for a split second, then completely throttle up to regain lost speed. From my short experience with ACC, I don’t think it will do any favors for fuel mileage.
• Adaptive steering. Maybe it’s good, but I haven’t noticed it. I guess that’s a good thing?
• Wind noise. I might have to go back to the dealership for this one. At 80mph and over, sometimes I get terrible wind howling off of the sunroof. I’ve opened and closed it and checked the seals and didn’t notice anything. The howling is bad enough to overpower the terrible sound system that is blaring hard rock near max volume.
• Lock button on door handle. The exterior lock button and unlock feature are perfectly responsive on the 2017. For some reason, this feature was terrible on my Ram. Sometimes I would have to press the button several times to get it to lock, and sometimes the door handle unlock feature just wouldn’t work. Maybe mine was defective. I never took it in because the value of having that looked at and maybe fixed or not never exceeded my time doing other things. At least Ram offered this option in 2015 when Ford was still scratching around, but the execution was lacking.
• Double honk. Yes, I will fix this with Forescan when I upgrade the tank, but this is seriously retarded. Everyone here keeps saying it’s some sort of legal issue. Apparently Ram is exempt from this legal issue because they had prox keys for their HD trucks literally years before Ford, and they don't do this.
Overall, the Ram was a good truck, and I got $40,000 on trade (paid $52,000 new) with 68,000 miles in two years. Worked well as a down payment.
My deal:
$76,125 sticker
$7800 dealer discount
$1500 rebate
$750 private cash offer
$750 FMCC rebate (I will pay off over next 90 days as their rates are terrible)
$40000 trade
Now for some initial impressions:
• Mileage. Only used one tank in the 2017 so far, but mileage seems noticeably worse than the Ram. I get it… more power, worse mileage. Under the same driving conditions (some city, a lot of highway at 80mph) the Ram would stay around 18mpg on the display. So far, the 2017 is stuck on 15mpg. I will investigate further and do some hand calculations. Or maybe not. I’m putting in a 55 gallon Titan tank, and most of the time, I have more important stuff to do than worry about mileage in a four ton truck.
• Steering wheel. Maybe my biggest pet peeve about the Ram and almost the reason I didn’t buy it. I mostly drive with my left hand at the 6 o’clock position. With the Ram, I couldn’t grip the wheel there because of the layout. The Ford has a perfect spot to hold the wheel here. It seems like a little thing, but it was terribly annoying on the Ram.
• Power steps. The Ford came with them from the factory, and I installed Amp steps on the Ram. The Amp steps were noticeably faster than the Ford. I don’t waste a lot of time, and when I open the door, I am already in the process of stepping out. It seems like I have to wait a split second for the Ford to fully lower before I step down. I never noticed anything like this with Amp. Also, I think the Amp steps had a little more drop, but I never put a tape measure to it.
• Sound system. I don’t upgrade stereos, and I’m not an audiophile, but the sound system in the 2017 Platinum sucks. Or I have a defective system. Again, I never put any thought into this stuff when I had the Ram (I listen to Sirius Octane, and sometimes at max volume). But the 2017 Ford cuts back and sounds like garbage in general on most stuff with the volume past 25 out of 30. This is a total disappointment.
• Seats. The seats are really good. Much better than the Ram. I also think they are more comfortable than the Lariat. However, no seats compare to the quality of the 2011 Lariat. Those were the best I have ever experienced in a truck. Not sure I’ll use the massaging feature much if ever on the 2017.
• Seat ventilation. Seat ventilation sucks compared to the Ram, and really just sucks in general. The ventilated seats in my mom’s old 2007 Lincoln MKX were better. I knew of these complaints going in, but it’s one of the crappy trade-offs I had to make to get the best truck out there right now.
• Adaptive cruise. This was a must-have for me and the main reason I went with a Platinum (I didn’t want to order, and there isn’t much selection when it comes to dealer-ordered Lariats with ACC). So far, I don’t really care for it. Maybe I will over some longer trips. If you’re the type that likes to get where you’re going in a hurry (speed limits where I’m from can reach 85mph, so driving 90mph is not uncommon), it’s almost like it forces you to be more attentive. You’re going along at speed and get over in the right lane to cruise and then you find yourself driving 5-10mph less than your target speed because of another vehicle in the distance. Then there is the issue of the ACC jamming on the brakes to maintain its set distance when another car enters your lane. I get that that is the purpose of ACC, but it seems that it tries too hard to get to the preset distance as fast as possible. So in the case of a car crossing your lane up ahead, the system will jam on the brakes for a split second, then completely throttle up to regain lost speed. From my short experience with ACC, I don’t think it will do any favors for fuel mileage.
• Adaptive steering. Maybe it’s good, but I haven’t noticed it. I guess that’s a good thing?
• Wind noise. I might have to go back to the dealership for this one. At 80mph and over, sometimes I get terrible wind howling off of the sunroof. I’ve opened and closed it and checked the seals and didn’t notice anything. The howling is bad enough to overpower the terrible sound system that is blaring hard rock near max volume.
• Lock button on door handle. The exterior lock button and unlock feature are perfectly responsive on the 2017. For some reason, this feature was terrible on my Ram. Sometimes I would have to press the button several times to get it to lock, and sometimes the door handle unlock feature just wouldn’t work. Maybe mine was defective. I never took it in because the value of having that looked at and maybe fixed or not never exceeded my time doing other things. At least Ram offered this option in 2015 when Ford was still scratching around, but the execution was lacking.
• Double honk. Yes, I will fix this with Forescan when I upgrade the tank, but this is seriously retarded. Everyone here keeps saying it’s some sort of legal issue. Apparently Ram is exempt from this legal issue because they had prox keys for their HD trucks literally years before Ford, and they don't do this.
#2
08-01-2017, 01:27 PM
Hotshot
Sounds like you got a great deal on the truck.
Most of us have noticed the mileage on the 2017 is a little worse than the 2011-2016 trucks. Possibly due to the added torque, who knows. Now that mine has over 10k miles on it, the mileage seems a little better. Typically, the Cummins engine has always been very easy on fuel.
The Ford power steps are actually made by Amp Research. But who knows how Ford spec'd them.
Most of us also don't think the sound system is very good; in fact the Sony system on the previous generation with MyFord Touch 2 seemed to have better sound quality, or at least played louder w/o distortion. Satellite radio is hardly hi-fidelity, but my stereo can't get much past volume level 15 without performing the "soft clipping" you describe. Its "OK" but that's it.
In terms of seats, I agree with you. The 2011-2016 trucks had some of the best seats I've ever sat in, even the cloth XLT seats. Right on par with or better than the seats I've had in various Audi / BMW / Mercedes / Land Rover vehicles. The cooling is poor, for sure...and the heating isn't great. It's pretty sad when the rear heated seats are much hotter than the fronts. I would add that the steering wheel heater is very nice.
If Adaptive Cruise was a "must have" for you why do you hate it? The way you describe it is exactly how ALL adaptive cruise systems work. Had you never experienced it before? I ordered my truck specifically without it. We have it in our Lincoln and I'm aware of all its pros and cons.
Most of us have noticed the mileage on the 2017 is a little worse than the 2011-2016 trucks. Possibly due to the added torque, who knows. Now that mine has over 10k miles on it, the mileage seems a little better. Typically, the Cummins engine has always been very easy on fuel.
The Ford power steps are actually made by Amp Research. But who knows how Ford spec'd them.
Most of us also don't think the sound system is very good; in fact the Sony system on the previous generation with MyFord Touch 2 seemed to have better sound quality, or at least played louder w/o distortion. Satellite radio is hardly hi-fidelity, but my stereo can't get much past volume level 15 without performing the "soft clipping" you describe. Its "OK" but that's it.
In terms of seats, I agree with you. The 2011-2016 trucks had some of the best seats I've ever sat in, even the cloth XLT seats. Right on par with or better than the seats I've had in various Audi / BMW / Mercedes / Land Rover vehicles. The cooling is poor, for sure...and the heating isn't great. It's pretty sad when the rear heated seats are much hotter than the fronts. I would add that the steering wheel heater is very nice.
If Adaptive Cruise was a "must have" for you why do you hate it? The way you describe it is exactly how ALL adaptive cruise systems work. Had you never experienced it before? I ordered my truck specifically without it. We have it in our Lincoln and I'm aware of all its pros and cons.
#3
08-01-2017, 02:24 PM
Join Date: May 2017
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I know the review seems more negative than positive, and I don't mean for that to be the case. This is a wonderful truck, but I just wanted to add some real insight without all the sunshine pumping.
As for the adaptive cruise, this is my first vehicle with it so I didn't have any experience. I didn't think it would "fight" so hard to keep its preset distance. Oh well.
As for the adaptive cruise, this is my first vehicle with it so I didn't have any experience. I didn't think it would "fight" so hard to keep its preset distance. Oh well.
#4
08-01-2017, 03:00 PM
Senior User
#5
08-01-2017, 10:01 PM
Solid review.
Yes, the audio is terrible. I've noticed this problem in all Ford cars with Sirius. I bet their head unit is just not designed well, as the sound is terribly "mono" and has no mid or highs. The bass is fine. It's not the speakers because MP3 via phone sound great.
the Sirius in my chevy silverado sounds 10x better, and I drove the two trucks back to back today, and it made me realize how bad the Ford system truly is.
Yes, the audio is terrible. I've noticed this problem in all Ford cars with Sirius. I bet their head unit is just not designed well, as the sound is terribly "mono" and has no mid or highs. The bass is fine. It's not the speakers because MP3 via phone sound great.
the Sirius in my chevy silverado sounds 10x better, and I drove the two trucks back to back today, and it made me realize how bad the Ford system truly is.
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