Ford F-250 vs Ram 1500: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (August 2026), the Ford F-250 typically lists for $65,260 against $42,256 for the Ram 1500 (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Ram 1500 takes fuel economy (19 MPG combined vs 14 MPG). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the XLT at $55,911 vs the SLT at $29,699; see the trim-by-trim tables for a fair match. Every figure below is live market data, not book values.
Head to head
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-250 XLT ($55,911) faces the Ram 1500 SLT ($29,699); the most common trims on the market are the LARIAT (48.7% of Ford F-250 listings) and the BIG HORN/LONESTAR (26.5% of Ram 1500 listings); at the top of the market, the PLATINUM ($93,974) faces the LIMITED ($53,894). 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-250 | Ram 1500 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| XL SUPERCAB LB | $35,995 | 0.6% | SLTCheapest | $29,699 | 3.0% |
| XL LB | $42,340 | 1.0% | TRADESMAN | $34,950 | 8.8% |
| XL CREW CAB LB | $43,220 | 1.4% | BIG HORN | $35,306 | 14.5% |
| XLTCheapest | $55,911 | 24.8% | BIG HORN/LONESTARMost popular | $43,145 | 26.5% |
| XL | $56,129 | 19.5% | LARAMIE | $43,597 | 24.5% |
| LARIATMost popular | $69,999 | 48.7% | REBEL | $48,459 | 10.2% |
| PLATINUMPriciest | $93,974 | 4.1% | LIMITEDPriciest | $53,894 | 6.5% |
| — | RHO | $70,237 | 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-250 prices · Ram 1500 prices.
Used price by model year
| Year | Ford F-250 typical | Ram 1500 typical | Difference | Ford F-250 MPG | Ram 1500 MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $72,793 | $53,759 | Ford F-250 +$19,034 | — | 12–22 MPG |
| 2025 | $63,299 | $42,256 | Ford F-250 +$21,043 | — | 15–23 MPG |
| 2024 | $65,260 | $34,190 | Ford F-250 +$31,070 | — | 12–23 MPG |
| 2023 | $57,999 | $36,772 | Ford F-250 +$21,227 | — | 12–24 MPG |
| 2022 | $49,919 | $33,941 | Ford F-250 +$15,978 | — | 12–26 MPG |
| 2021 | $47,899 | $30,598 | Ford F-250 +$17,301 | — | 12–26 MPG |
| 2020 | $41,847 | $28,593 | Ford F-250 +$13,254 | — | 17–26 MPG |
| 2019 | $36,693 | $24,908 | Ford F-250 +$11,785 | — | 17–23 MPG |
| 2018 | $35,047 | $19,995 | Ford F-250 +$15,052 | — | 14–23 MPG |
| 2017 | $33,000 | $18,999 | Ford F-250 +$14,001 | — | 15–23 MPG |
| 2016 | $25,996 | $17,500 | Ford F-250 +$8,496 | — | 15–24 MPG |
| 2015 | $23,993 | $15,990 | Ford F-250 +$8,003 | — | 15–24 MPG |
| 2014 | $23,090 | $14,900 | Ford F-250 +$8,190 | — | 15–23 MPG |
| 2013 | $21,950 | $13,500 | Ford F-250 +$8,450 | — | 15–21 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (August 2026); MPG = EPA combined range across rated versions.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper to buy used — Ford F-250 or Ram 1500?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Ram 1500 is cheaper: it typically lists for $42,256 versus $65,260 for the Ford F-250 (national medians, August 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Ford F-250 or Ram 1500?
The Ram 1500: its typical rated version returns 19 MPG combined versus 14 MPG for the Ford F-250 (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).
Which is more reliable — Ford F-250 or Ram 1500?
NHTSA lists an average of 2.2 recalls per model year for the Ford F-250 and 14.0 for the Ram 1500 — an edge for the Ford F-250. 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-250 XLT typically lists for $55,911 vs $29,699 for a Ram 1500 SLT; the most common trims on the market are the LARIAT ($69,999, 48.7% of Ford F-250 listings) and the BIG HORN/LONESTAR ($43,145, 26.5% of Ram 1500 listings); at the top of the market, the PLATINUM ($93,974) faces the LIMITED ($53,894). 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.
https://vehisales.com/research/compare/ford/f-250/vs/ram/1500.
Dig deeper
Ford F-250 — live listings & specs Ram 1500 — live listings & specs Ford F-250 prices by year Ram 1500 prices by year Ford F-250 MPG by year Ram 1500 MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.