Cold air and short ram intakes are some of the many horsepower-boosting upgrades that can be made on a car. They are also among the easiest and the quickest to install, providing only a small boost by themselves.
Cold air intakes bring denser cold air to the engine, providing noticeable increase in power and fuel economy. Short ram intakes bring in air that is warm or even hot from being in the engine compartment, limiting the improvement to just better airflow--giving the overall advantage to cold air intakes.
Cold air intakes are more involved in terms of installation and use, and thus tend to cost more. Short ram kits have fewer materials and are less involved, and so they cost less in general.
Cold air intakes are much larger overall, as they have to reach all the way to the wheel well of the car. Short ram intakes generally just replace the OEM air box and hose, so they are shorter in general.
While both intake types are in the engine compartment out of necessity, cold air intakes go all the way into the upper area of the wheel well of your car in order to ensure that there is cold air to be had. Short rams exist only in the engine compartment.
Short ram kits are considered to be easy to install since they are completely within the engine compartment and are small and easy to work with. Cold air intakes are more involved and can take more time to install, since they have to be lined up and fitted properly.
