2006 vs 2016

[Herman8r]

I am thinking about buying a new CTD Ram. Tax man says it's time but I really like my 2006. My 2006 runs great and the front end issues have been resolved.

I would like to hear the pros & cons.

Also, I get to purchase at employee cost so that a plus.

Thanks for your advise

HJR

 

[Newsa]

I am thinking about buying a new CTD Ram. Tax man says it's time but I really like my 2006. My 2006 runs great and the front end issues have been resolved.

I would like to hear the pros & cons.

Also, I get to purchase at employee cost so that a plus.

Thanks for your advise

HJR

It appears you have alot of aftermarket upgrades on your 2006. If your employee discount will be good in 2 years, I'd wait until 2018 to see if they get rid of the EGR.

What do you use it for (towing/offroad)? And how many miles per year do put on it per year?

15,000 mile oil changes are nice, so is the exhaust brake. There are 2 fuel filters now, and they also get changed ever 15,000 miles. Def is new, but not costly compared to fuel filters and not problematic. Fuel mileage is improved.

There is a new automatic transmission if you get a 3500.

 

[Herman8r]

Newsa, Truck is used as a daily driver. Work (construction), hunting, fishing.
The discount is good for the foreseeable future. Mileage is less than 20k per year as I recently "simi retired". Towing is minimal.
I like my 2006 as it has been very dependable. No oil leaks, runs great, solid running truck. I have no problem driving cross country to my summer home in MI every year. Oh ---one more thing----no Michigan Rust as it has never been in the salt.

It's a tough decision to buy or keep what I have. Been thinking of keeping the 2006 & leaving it in Michigan as my "fish car"

 

[996Pilot]

I went from a 2006 MegaCab 2500 to a 2015 MegaCab 3500. I cringed at first but after getting used to all of the new features and creature comforts of the 2015, I am beyond satisfied. I love the built-in trailer brake, can't express my enjoyment of the exhaust braking (automatic is amazing for my loaded camper), love all of the advanced electronics, love the programmable gauge package that lets me put my trans temp on the screen, and I can go on and on. Just seems like a huge upgrade from my 2006. YMMV

 

[dfb]

Better mpg, great exhaust brake and gobs of nail u to the seat power! Back up cam, cargo cam, leveling air suspensions. Just a total different animal.

 

[Herman8r]

Thanks for all the info. I will have to get my butt in gear and do further research. Sounds like it's time to call the in-laws for my family discount pass for a new Dodge!!

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

I went from an '06 to a '14. I had a lot of upgrades on my '06 just like you. That truck ran great and during my ownership of it, it had very few problems. Well, I bought into the hype of all the modern electronics, amenities and comfort of the new trucks. Don't get me wrong, some are nice, but others have been nothing but problematic.
Someone mentioned above about def not being problematic. That's complete garbage. I've gone thru two def injectors, one pump and some sensor. My def tested good every time so that was not the problem. It was all covered under warranty, but the truck still has to get to the dealer somehow/sometime and they aren't open on weekends so that costs time and missing work. Also, I don't know what kind of mileage your '06 get's, but mine was 18-21 on the highway, depending on the weather conditions. My '14 is right around 16 on its best day in perfect conditions. My radio has gone out twice, a couple other sensors replaced and the cat replaced.
My recommendation to you would be to wait and see if they do eliminate the def system and work out a few more bugs. If I could go back to the day I got rid of my perfectly good '06 and bought this '14 I'd slap myself across the face.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I'll add that the A/C in my 16 kicks the pants off my 3rd gen. It actually blows cold air to the passenger vents.........

 

[996Pilot]

Oh yeah -- I'll chime back in on the comments on mileage of '06 vs. '15 megacab. '06 2500 megacab highway mileage was 20.5 avg. with a Quadzilla mileage module installed. '15 3500 Megacab highway mileage is 20.5 avg. stock (even though the '15 weighs in at 400 lbs. more). The '15 3.42 rear end and six speed show about 1500 RPM at 70MPH whereas the '06 with the 3.73 rear end and four speed showed about 1950 RPM at 70MPH.

'15 Air Conditioner is far superior to my '06 on its best day. The '06 A/C got much better after I ripped the entire dash structure apart/out to cut out the diverter screen in the megacab. Afterward though I had a blend door failure to deal with.

Upholstery better in the '15 ('06 had the driver seat cushion failure, seat motor failure, lumbar knob disintegrated).

Better fuel filtering in the '15 vs. the '06 -- the '06 I had added a frame mounted filter and water separator.

I'm sure there are exceptions to all of the "perfect" vehicle models and years (there are always lemons or Monday/Friday assembled vehicles). My experience shows the '15 to be a much better thought out package than the '06.

YMMV

 

[BILLUA]

My 05 had the worst seats of any of the Generations that I have owned.

I put an aftermarket turbo, injectors and exhaust. I think it was around 700 ft/lbs of toruqe. The truck got the job done...

Then I went to a 2012. lets just say that after some parts were taken off, it ran great but got terrible fuel mileage....Seats were way improved over my 3rd gen.

Now I have a 2016 and it is a magnitude in smoothness and nicer than the 2012 in every way.

It also have 900 ft/lbs of torque stock! I have had zero def related issues.

You will not be disappointed upgrading.

Also, don't forget the $1,000 USAA manufactures coupon if you are a member...It's free for the printing. I used it for my 2016....

 

[Herman8r]

What are the common concerns about the DEF? I haven't had to deal with that yet.
Yes, I had to get my drivers side seat rebuilt too.
My only problems with the 06 was the front end. I put big tires on that caused me huge problems with the linkage. Went thru many steering boxes too because of it.
Took off the tires. Dealer installed a new updated linkage set up (recalled), tightened up my Borgeson Steering Box, put on Carli Ball Joints and it is fine know.

 

[Herman8r]

I forgot to mention my A/C clutch went out a few years ago. New compressor & works great since.

 

[JDean]

What are the common concerns about the DEF? I haven't had to deal with that yet.

I like def. Whatever inconvenience it causes is more than made up for with an engine that doesn't have to be detuned to meet current emission standards. When I upgraded from my '07 to a '14 I was a little apprehensive about the def but I got a truck that is better in every category. And that's after modifying the '07 with some Banks stuff, including an exhaust brake, and rebuilding the transmission. Anyway, as to your question, here are some of the def issues I've encountered:
You have to put the def in the def tank and not in the fuel tank. Seems simple enough, but screwing this up is catastrophic, so I still worry about it.
The truck will threaten to cripple itself if it detects a problem with the emissions system, which includes the def. I had a problem with the SCR that caused this. The SCR was replaced under warranty and I haven't had any problems since. The new SCR doesn't have an ammonia sensor, and I'm guessing the newer trucks won't have this problem.
Def has a shelf life. Using expired def might trigger an emissions shutdown, but I haven't had any problems with this. Def is readily available. I buy Blue Def at Walmart.
Def costs money. So it's one more thing but it's not much. I pay about $12 for a 2.5 gallon jug. You'll use about one gallon of def for every 50 gallons of fuel.
- John D