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Dodge Ram 1500 - What the Auto Press Says

The 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 ranks 3 out of 5 Full Size Pickup Trucks. This ranking is based on our analysis of 20 published reviews and test drives of the Dodge Ram 1500, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.

 With the only coil-over suspension on the full-size truck market, the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram has what some reviewers say is the best ride and handling in the class.

It's a good time to be a full-size truck buyer.  Reviewers say that it's tough to buy a bad truck in this competitive class, and the 2009 Dodge Ram, fresh off a full redesign, manages to keep pace with its toughest competitors. A few reviewers even say the Ram surpasses the competition in many areas.

The 2009 Dodge Ram surprises a lot of reviewers with its car-like (yes, car-like) ride and handling, high-tech interior and useful exterior features. The 2009 Ram won a recent Edmunds  four-way comparison that also included the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado and Toyota Tundra. Explaining the victory, Edmunds says, "The Dodge Ram impresses us with a solid performance, an understated ability to tow the socks off some others, a feature-laden presentation and rugged good looks. Oh, and those coil springs? After this, many of us won't have our truck any other way."  

As for the automotive press, many of them were aleady impressed by the Ram.  The 2009 Dodge Ram has won many awards, including Motor Week's Best Pickup Driver's Choice Award, was an Editor's Choice for Car and Driver, and was named "Best Fullsize Pickup Truck of Texas" by the Texas Auto Writers Association. It was also Truckin' Magazine's Truck of The Year.

However, the current financial situation of Chrysler, Dodge's parent company, may lead some buyers to hesitate before choosing the Ram.  If you're hesitating, keep in mind that the federal government recently announced a special fund to cover Chrysler and GM warranties. While Chrysler has declared bankruptcy, most reviewers report that Chrysler's recent struggles appear to not have affected the quality and capability of the Ram.  In fact, the truck is so well regarded that it is set to be the basis of the 2010 Nissan Titan. If you like the Ram, you may be able to negotiate a great deal on one. 

For 2009, the Ram's suspension has gone from being a leaf-spring to a coil-over set up, making the ride more stable without sacrificing towing or hauling capabilities. Three engines are available, and while most reviewers recommend buyers avoid it, the Ram has one of the only V6 engines available in the class.  As is typical for Dodge, the 2009 Ram sports aggressive, masculine styling, but also comes with a hefty dose of daily-use practicality, thanks to an interior and exterior stuffed with lockable and watertight cubbies. 

• "Dodge now has the most comfortable half-ton on the market, and there's absolutely no trade-off in capability." -- Automobile Magazine
• "We think new Ram owners will find the improved ride comfort and handling a more-than-fair tradeoff for trailering and payload ratings that just equal what the Ram could do in 2008, rather than chasing ever-higher towing and hauling numbers, trying to beat the competition." -- PickupTrucks.com
• "For its part, the 2009 Ram is a significant improvement in every area. And in a few areas, it's a quantum leap forward." -- Orlando Sentinel
• "With the redesigned 2009 Dodge Ram 1500, Chrysler LLC proves that it's quite serious about competing in the full-size pickup segment. This newest Ram is not only the best pickup ever from Dodge, but also one of the best from any automaker. The Texas Autowriters Association has named it the "Texas Truck of the Year" for 2009." -- Fort Worth Star-Telegram
• "The 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie managed to surprise us with its excellent performance and handling, as well as its well-appointed cabin and tech. This is definitely a great option for the sophisticated truck buyer." -- CNET
• "The general excellence of the redesigned-for-2009 Dodge Ram provides a hedge against despair. It proves that, if and when Dodge really wants to build a class-leading vehicle -- if the company's collective heart is really in it, as it certainly wasn't when it designed trash like the Dodge Nitro -- it certainly can. Powerful, well crafted, thought through, completely desirable, the new Ram feels like a huge win for the company, a knockout punch thrown while flat on the canvas. If Chrysler can do it, maybe Detroit itself can do it. Maybe we all can." -- Los Angeles Times
• "The pickup wars just got a lot more interesting.
  Instead of trying to create a truck that is bigger, badder and can tow more manure, Dodge decided to make the 2009 Ram better. It's a lesson in humility that would benefit many carmakers." -- Detroit News

Ram-1500 Performance - 9.0 (Excellent)

Most reviewers are very impressed with the 2009 Dodge Ram's performance, particularly its road manners. That's because the Ram uses a coil spring suspension, while competitors use leaf springs. Consumer Guide  calls the Ram's handling "Best in class. For 2009, Ram becomes the only full-size pickup to use a coil-spring rear suspension instead of the traditional leaf-spring arrangement. The result is a remarkably compliant ride with little of the rear-end hop normally exhibited by unloaded pickups." continue

Ram-1500 Exterior - 9.1 (Excellent)

While the 2009 Dodge Ram has lots of reviewers talking about its large size and in-your-face looks, more reviewers are talking about its innovative RamBox cargo storage system.  In fact, the only reviewer complaint about the system is that it is only available on the shorter bed. "If you need lots of cold beer in order to shoot a solid round of golf, the Ram is your best bet, because the crew-cab Ram 1500's optional dual RamBox compartments can contain a set of clubs alongside one bedrail and up to five cases of beer (or fewer cases with lots of ice) along the other bedrail," says Automobile Magazine continue

Ram-1500 Interior - 9.4 (Excellent)

 The 2009 Dodge Ram's interior wins praise from reviewers, but a very few say competitors still do better. The Detroit News says, "The interior, which has been the nemesis of many Chrysler LLC products, is well planned and executed. The dash is open and clean. Gone are the white-faced gauges, replaced with a five-gauge instrument cluster that is simple, neat and easy to read."  While agreeing that the interior is nice, Automobile Magazine reports, "the interior doesn't beat the likes of the General Motors and Toyota benchmarks." continue

Ram-1500 Safety - 8.8 (Very Good)

The 2009 Dodge Ram receives excellent safety scores, and reviewers report that it has a full complement of safety equipment. continue

Ram-1500 Reliability - 6.0 (Mediocre)

The 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 reliability score shown is the Predicted Reliability rating provided by J.D. Power and Associates. This score is based on trending the past three years of historical initial quality and dependability data from J.D. Power's automotive studies, specifically the Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and the Initial Quality Study (IQS). The 2009 Dodge Ram comes with Chrysler's lifetime powertrain warranty and a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty. continue