RAM TAKES 2019 1500 TO A NEW LEVEL
IN FULL-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK SEGMENT
When Ram designers and engineers sat down four years ago or so to create the next generation half-ton 1500 pickup, they were given a blank sheet of paper and the goal of producing a no-compromise truck that, according to Brad Pinter, 1500 brand manager, would be the strongest and most technologically advanced Ram the company had ever built.
One week in it pretty much convinced me they had more than accomplished their goals with the 2019 Ram 1500.
This is a full-size pickup that even a non-truck guy like myself can appreciate — stunning in looks, powerful in performance, and packed with easy-to-use techno features. It's big, but handles more nimbly than you might think as well.
Apparently, consumers like it. Ram 1500 sales were up over 20 percent for October, accounting for more than half of total Ram sales in what was a record for the brand that month.
The Ram 1500 comes in several trims for 2019 starting with the base Tradesman and continuing on up the line with HFE, Big Horn, Rebel, Laramie, Longhorn, and Limited.
As has become customary with pickup trucks, you can get the trims in different cab, bed length, and powertrain combinations. The Quad Cab with a 6-foot, 4-inch bed is standard in Tradesman, HFE, Big Horn, Rebel, and Laramie models, and a Crew Cab with a 5-7 box is standard on the Longhorn and Limited trims. The Crew Cab with a 6-4 bed is optional on some trims as well.
Also, 4X2 configuration is standard across the line with 4X4 as an option on all but HFE trim.
The V6 Pentastar engine mated with an 8-speed automatic transmission and feature what Ram calls “eTorque” mild hybrid system is standard with the V6, but yes, the Ram 1500 also has a HEMI.
The 5.7-liter V8 that pumps horsepower up to 395 and torque to 410 pound-feet from the 305/269 on the V6 is available on all but HFE models. It also comes with an 8-speed automatic transmission.
The eTorque system, which Ram says “combines belt-drive motor generator unit with 48-volt battery pack to enable start/stop function, short-term torque assist and brake energy regeneration,” also is available on the HEMI, adding 130 pound-feet of torque for even more pulling power.
The Ram 1500 I had for the week was the Limited Crew Cab 4X4 which with a base of $56,195 starts at the top of the food chain when it comes to price. But there are 10 models offered with a starting price at under $40,000.
Naturally, the Limited comes with a lot of bells and whistles as standard, including the UConnect 4C Nav system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charging pad, 9-speaker audio system, wood/leather wrapped and heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, rear under-the-seat storage (actually, there are tons of places to store items, including a huge console bin), heated second-row seats, SiriusXM satellite radio with a one-year subscription, 20-inch wheels, power running boards, LED bed lighting, and automatic high beam headlamp control.
If that's not enough, this one came with optional packages that took the 1500 Limited to even greater heights. The Level 1 Equipment Group (Harman Kardon Premium sound system, adaptive cruise control, advance brake assist and full-speed forward collision warning, ventilated rear seats, parking assist, and surround-view camera added $2,695 to the starting MSRP, but the HEMI engine was the only other option over $1,000. The off-road package adds $795.
All that and the $1,695 destination and delivery cost ran the total to $64,800, which is another indication of how far pickups have advanced since the day when they were essentially mechanized workhorses with maybe three riders crowded into the front bench seat.
With generous use of leather trim on the inside, including the bucket seats, the Ram 1500 is right at home sashaying up any country club drive.
Passengers will find it spacious and comfortable. Legroom is a generous 40.9 inches up front in both the Quad and Crew Cab and 39.2/39.8 in the back for the Quad and Crew Cab, respectively.
There are also little touches like an adjustable air suspension, keyless go and remote start, blind-spot and cross-traffic warning, and a remote release for the tailgate. The tailgate, by the way, is one of the areas where aluminum was used in construction in place of high-strength steel to shave about 225 pounds off the previous Ram 1500.
Overall, the time those designers and engineers spent filling up that "clean sheet” handed them has paid off in one fine truck, and I am not alone in thinking so.
Most recently, Motor Trend recognized it as its 2019 Truck of the Year. Earlier, Green Car Journal named it its 2019 Green Truck of the Year, and Texas auto writers chose the Ram 1500 as Texas Truck of the Year.
And last summer, the Southern Automotive Media Association even recognized it for one of its awards at its annual Topless in Miami convertible competition for its dual-pane, panoramic sunroof (standard on Laramie, Longhorn, and Limited editions).
What I liked about the 2018 Ram 1500 Limited Crew Cab 4X4: The infotainment display is, in a word, spectacular. The best thing about the double-screen display is that it is very user friendly. The only issue I had was finding the clock, and that was because somebody had turned it off. The power running boards (standard on Limited trim) are a must, and the power liftgate (also standard on the Limited trim) is a nice feature.
What I didn’t like about the 2018 Ram 1500 Limited Crew Cab 4X4: Frankly, there’s nothing not to like here when it comes to a pickup truck.
Would I buy the about the 2018 Ram 1500 Limited Crew Cab 4X4? I have no real need for a pickup truck, especially a full-size one, but if you need one, you’re making a mistake if you don’t stop by a Ram showroom and take one out for a test drive. It is a remarkable truck.
PICKUP TRUCK BUYERS MAY BE MAKING A MISTAKE IF THEY OVERLOOK 2018 RAM 1500
One afternoon some time back I was sitting in an establishment enjoying an adult beverage and happened to be overhear a couple of guys discussing pickup trucks.
For the record, it wasn’t that I was eavesdropping. It’s just that we were the only people there save for the bartender, and it wasn’t a very big bar.
Anyway, one of them was a Chevy guy and the other was a Ford backer. Though not a participant in the debate, at one point I threw out a comment asking if either had considered a Dodge Ram. (That ought to date the conversation since it was announced in 2009 that Ram was being launched as a stand-alone division under the Fiat-Chrysler umbrella.)
The Chevy guy laughed, scornfully, You would have thought I had asked him to take Ford’s side and the Ford guy to pledge his loyalty to the bow tie. Or worse.
So I dropped out of the discussion and went back to more relevant issues, like should I have another adult beverage before leaving.
I shouldn’t have been surprised by that reaction. According to a recent survey by Edmunds.com, a leading auto website, 74 percent of those buyers who purchased a new pickup last year bought the same type of vehicle, if not the same model, they had previously owned.
Only SUV buyers (75 percent) were more loyal in sticking to the same type/model that they were trading in.
Chances are, you may feel the same way, and I’m not going to try to persuade you otherwise. I’m not a car salesman, just a car reviewer. But I will say that you might want to do yourself a favor and check out what you may be missing by expanding your shopping horizon beyond the traditional segment leaders Ford and Chevy.
The Ram 1500 is a very capable vehicle, especially the 2019 model which gets some serious upgrades especially in the way of technology and driver assistance features that included a new 12-inch touchscreen with two displays to operate infotainment functions and such safety systems as a surround-view camera, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring.
But if you can live without techno-gadgets, you can get many of a pickup’s basic benefits and capabilities from the current 2018 Ram 1500 and perhaps even get a better deal.
Certainly there is enough to choose from.
The 2018 Ram 1500 is offered in 11 different trims from the base Tradesman to a new top-of-the-line Limited Tungsten with MSRP running from just over $27,000 to just under $54,000.
Three engines are offered with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 as standard. A 5.7-liter HEMI V8 and a 2.0-liter turbodiesel V6 also are available. All are mated to one of two 8-speed automatic transmissions shiftable via buttons on the steering wheel cross bar, and four-wheel-drive models have a low-range transfer case for off-road excursions.
Only one size bed (6-feet-4) is offered on Quad Cab models, but you can choose from two beds for regular cab models (8-feet and 6-4) and Crew Cab (5-7 and 6-4).
I recently spent a week in the Ram 1500 Sport Crew Cab 4X2 with the HEMI V8 and several stand-alone options and optional packages that ran the total cost from the base MSRP of $40,795 to $53,690.
Those extras included with leather-trimmed bucket seats, heated and ventilated front seats, keyless entry and push-button start, automatic high beam control, rain-sensitive windshield wipers, power sunroof, rear defroster, UConnect 4C Navigation with an 8.4-inch display, 22-inch wheels, and a parking assist program.
Included in standard equipment are a rear backup camera, rotary shifter, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power adjustable pedals, 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support, second-row storage bins, LED bed lighting, and fog lights.
In addition to the quietness and ride, the cabin is very roomy with a big storage bin on the console. Front riders get 41 inches of legroom in all trims, including Regular Cab, while second-row occupants get 34.7 inches in Quad Cabs and 40.3 in Crew Cabs.
Essentially, it makes the Ram 1500 an SUV with a open bed for hauling stuff.
What I liked about the 2018 Ram 1500 Sport Crew Cab 4X2: The technology is very user-friendly, and the ride is exceptionally smooth for a pickup. The rear seats flip up to provide an expanded, flat-floor stowage area.
What I didn’t like about the 2018 RAM 1500 Sport Crew Cab 4X2: With no running boards (available only as options on a couple of models for 2018 and a few more for 2019) getting up into the cabin can be a chore. Grips on the A-pillars help, but running boards would be a big plus.
Would I buy the 2018 Ram 1500 Sport Crew Cab 4X2? Well, I’m not a truck guy, so not for me. But if you are one, don’t be like the guys in the Ford-Chevy debate and limit yourself. You may stick with a Ford or Chevy, but you should do yourself a favor and give the Ram a look.
