Ford F-150 vs Ram 1500: Which Used Buy Wins?

As used buys (October 2026), the Ford F-150 typically lists for $43,901 against $41,098 for the Ram 1500 (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Ram 1500 takes fuel economy (19 MPG combined vs 17 MPG); the Ford F-150 leads on NCAP safety (4.8★ vs 4.4★ average). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the SUPERCREW at $39,998 vs the BIG HORN at $34,179; see the trim-by-trim tables for a fair match. Every figure below is live market data, not book values.

Head to head

Typical used price (2024–2026)Ram 1500
Ford F-150$43,901
Ram 1500$41,098
EPA combined (typical version)Ram 1500
Ford F-15017 MPG
Ram 150019 MPG
NCAP overall (avg of rated years)Ford F-150
Ford F-1504.8★
Ram 15004.4★
NHTSA recalls / model yearFord F-150
Ford F-1505.9
Ram 150014.2
For sale on VehiSales now
Ford F-15096,061
Ram 150044,400

Trim-by-trim prices (last 4 model years)

A fair comparison matches equivalent trims, not overall medians. Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, the Ford F-150 SUPERCREW ($39,998) faces the Ram 1500 BIG HORN ($34,179); the most common trims on the market are the SUPERCREW (37.2% of Ford F-150 listings) and the BIG HORN/LONESTAR (28.0% of Ram 1500 listings); at the top of the market, the RAPTOR ($79,594) faces the LIMITED ($53,000). Share = portion of the model's trim-labeled used listings (a supply-side popularity signal: what the market actually stocks and sells most). “Cheapest”/“Priciest” mark the ends of the quotable trim range — trim ladders don't map one-to-one across brands, so this is not a factory base-model claim.

Ford F-150 Ram 1500
TrimTypical priceShare TrimTypical priceShare
SUPERCREWMost popularCheapest $39,998 37.2% SLT $29,324 2.7%
STX $41,590 7.5% BIG HORNCheapest $34,179 13.6%
XLT $42,506 30.2% TRADESMAN $35,038 9.3%
LARIAT $56,000 8.9% LARAMIE $43,240 24.5%
TREMOR $58,669 2.6% BIG HORN/LONESTARMost popular $43,648 28.0%
PLATINUM $62,998 2.4% REBEL $46,927 9.2%
SUPERCREW-RAPTOR $66,276 2.1% LIMITEDPriciest $53,000 6.0%
RAPTORPriciest $79,594 3.4% RHO $69,872 2.5%

Rows are aligned by price position (both sides sorted cheapest-first), not by equivalent equipment — trim names never map one-to-one across brands. Full per-trim detail (price ranges, mileage) is on each model's price page: Ford F-150 prices · Ram 1500 prices.

Used price by model year

YearFord F-150 typicalRam 1500 typicalDifferenceFord F-150 MPGRam 1500 MPG
2026 $58,298 $50,888 Ford F-150 +$7,410 12–24 MPG 12–22 MPG
2025 $43,901 $41,098 Ford F-150 +$2,803 12–23 MPG 15–23 MPG
2024 $43,199 $33,998 Ford F-150 +$9,201 12–23 MPG 12–23 MPG
2023 $39,992 $35,332 Ford F-150 +$4,660 12–25 MPG 12–24 MPG
2022 $35,990 $32,627 Ford F-150 +$3,363 15–25 MPG 12–26 MPG
2021 $31,943 $29,935 Ford F-150 +$2,008 15–25 MPG 12–26 MPG
2020 $27,157 $27,557 Ram 1500 +$400 16–24 MPG 17–26 MPG
2019 $25,099 $23,950 Ford F-150 +$1,149 16–25 MPG 17–23 MPG
2018 $23,125 $19,794 Ford F-150 +$3,331 16–25 MPG 14–23 MPG
2017 $20,566 $18,860 Ford F-150 +$1,706 16–22 MPG 15–23 MPG
2016 $18,590 $17,340 Ford F-150 +$1,250 16–21 MPG 15–24 MPG
2015 $17,483 $15,758 Ford F-150 +$1,725 17–22 MPG 15–24 MPG
2014 $14,995 $14,500 Ford F-150 +$495 13–19 MPG 15–23 MPG
2013 $13,850 $13,366 Ford F-150 +$484 13–19 MPG 15–21 MPG

Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (October 2026); MPG = EPA combined range across rated versions.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper to buy used — Ford F-150 or Ram 1500?

Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Ram 1500 is cheaper: it typically lists for $41,098 versus $43,901 for the Ford F-150 (national medians, October 2026).

Which gets better fuel economy — Ford F-150 or Ram 1500?

The Ram 1500: its typical rated version returns 19 MPG combined versus 17 MPG for the Ford F-150 (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).

Which is safer — Ford F-150 or Ram 1500?

By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Ford F-150 averages 4.8 of 5 stars across rated years versus 4.4 for the Ram 1500. Always check the specific model year's rating in the table above.

Which is more reliable — Ford F-150 or Ram 1500?

NHTSA lists an average of 5.9 recalls per model year for the Ford F-150 and 14.2 for the Ram 1500 — an edge for the Ford F-150. Recall and complaint counts scale with sales volume, so treat them as context and check any specific car's VIN history.

Which trims should I actually compare?

Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, a Ford F-150 SUPERCREW typically lists for $39,998 vs $34,179 for a Ram 1500 BIG HORN; the most common trims on the market are the SUPERCREW ($39,998, 37.2% of Ford F-150 listings) and the BIG HORN/LONESTAR ($43,648, 28.0% of Ram 1500 listings); at the top of the market, the RAPTOR ($79,594) faces the LIMITED ($53,000). Overall medians hide this trim mix — use the trim tables above for a fair match. Trim names never map one-to-one across brands, so "cheapest" means the least expensive trim with a real market share, not the factory base.

About this data: prices and availability are national aggregates of live VehiSales inventory (October 2026), refreshed daily. Fuel economy: U.S. EPA/DOE (fueleconomy.gov). Safety & recalls: NHTSA. How to cite: “VehiSales Research, Ford F-150 vs Ram 1500” with a link to https://vehisales.com/research/compare/ford/f-150/vs/ram/1500.

Dig deeper

See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.

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