2016 Ram 1500 Sport

[Jake]

i'm with Taylor here - at 50k miles that's some major componentry to start failing.  i'd understand if you were driving the Dempster Highway everyday or something that just worked the truck over but commuting in DC is nothing.  

that said, you do make a good argument.  what, for the same money, is really better?  short of major powertrain or trans issues (which you're covered for) i'm not sure what's a better deal.  and you already did the F150 thing with equally problematic results.

Yeah, it sounds like the transmission issue was perhaps an over-reaction from the dealership(s) - it shifted fine otherwise so I'm considering it more "preemptively replaced" than anything. And I truly wouldn't say I even commuted with the truck that much... more road trips than anything, some towing and some not. A lot of my "commutes" since last August have been walking distance or I just took Metro. So it gets warmed up, nice long easy highway miles, shut back down.

The only way I'd really be jazzed to replace it would be if the replacement vehicle were more entertaining/fun to drive unloaded. I keep looking at Cayennes - people who tow enclosed trailers of my size RAVE about how well they tow - but the other side of me says "if I get a Porch, it better be a 911" because... of course. 

I've got an official assload of positive equity in the Ram right now and even if COVID car prices soften a bit next year, I'm still sitting pretty. But for ~8k miles/year (maybe less in '21 if I get more press loans) I feel silly having a loan on anything, let alone a Cayenne or something else newish and fancyish. I'd really rather just have something paid off. Still have about $21k to go on this truck so that's not an immediate possibility. And if I were to sell, I don't know what I'd buy for what... $15k? cash that wasn't completely beat to hell or otherwise just crap to sit in or drive.