REVVING UP THE DODGE RAM Current Ram is good; new one is much better
For all its many strengths, the 2018 Dodge Ram is shadowed by shortcomings that are answered by an all-new pickup on its way to dealer showrooms. The first clean-sheet Ram redesign in a decade, the 2019 Ram line will bring forth a lighter, stronger, more fuel efficient, more technologically advanced and safer pickup, but it will also provide motivation for dealers to clean out an inventory of what is still the best riding and handling pickup on the road
today.
For buyers in this market, that’s a big deal. Pulling from multiple sources, the Wall Street Journal Friday reported that new vehicle sales have run into headwinds for three reasons. By itself, each would have a marginal effect, but they combine to make it harder to for buyers to afford new cars and trucks. The issues: Interest rates have started to creep up, lenders are tightening credit standards and, for the first time in four years, automakers have trimmed back sales incentives.
This comes when the median new-vehicle monthly payment is more than $525 a month, according to Edmonds. com. Don’t look for manufacturers to re-open the incentives faucet. Most are counting on increased consumer spending later this year as federal tax cuts take hold.
So buyers in the market for a new pickup have two options: scour the used and off-lease market, which may not be a bad idea. A recent surge in preowned inventory is driving down used-vehicle prices, but whether that carries over into trucks, which tend to hold value better, remains to be seen. The other path to an affordable monthly note is to snatch up a great deal on a truck that is about to be replaced by a new and improved version.
Last generation a solid truck That brings us back to the 2018 Ram 1500. Make no mistake, there is still plenty to like about the truck. With class-exclusive multi-link rear suspension and air suspension, Rams are the sweetest riding pickups on the planet. To be sure, they give ground on towing and hauling capacity, but between a Pentastar V-6 and a hold-your-hat Hemi V-8, mated to 8-speed transmissions, there’s probably something that can get your boat to the lake or your trailer to the sale barn.
We recently spent the week in a fully loaded Laramie Limited, which pushed well past $50,000. It was simply delightful. It was as comfortable as a limousine and quiet as a library. The exhaust note and surge of power when one stomped on the gas pedal was reminiscent of a muscle car.
Ram builds some of the nicest interiors around, and they come with an an easy-to-use Uconnect infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
With three cab-and-bed sizes, 11 trims, the choice between AWD and 4WD, and some nice Mopar options, the 2018 Ram 1500 comes in virtually hundreds of combinations.
Regular cab models start at $27,095, Quad cabs at $30,895 and Crew cabs at $33,295. That’s on the low side in the pickup wars. The base model is the Tradesman, and you an upgrade to the Hemi for $1,450. A nice infotainment system will add $700.
The Ram 1500 Sport starts at $36,896 and adds power everything, heated fr, ont seats and an infotainment system with an 8.4-inch screen.
The Laramie, starting at $40,145, gives you dual-zone climate control, ventilated front sears, and a 10-speaker Alpine audio system. Most Laramie buyers will likely opt for the Hemi, navigation ($795), sunroof $1,095 and front and rear parking sensors for $450.
To diesel or not
Ram sold the diesel in 2015-2017 models for an upcharge of around $3,200, but that included a 230-amp alternator, 800-amp battery, max-duty engine cool-
ing, a 26-gallon fuel tank, and a 3.55:1 rear axle.
When we test drove a diesel powered Ram, we were impressed with its quiet, responsiveness, and more than 500-mile ranger. We achieved fuel economies very close to EPA estimates of 19 mpg city and 27 highway. That is sharply better than the 16/23 estimates for a V-6 1500 Crew Cab and 15/21 numbers for the same truck with the 5.7-liter Hemi.
So far, technical materials on the 2019 Ram do not show a diesel, but an upgraded 3.0-L V6 turbodiesel with 442 ft.lb of torque is slated to be available in the new Jeep Wrangler in 2019, and Fiat-Chrysler insiders are hinting it will also make its way into the Ram.
Whether it does or not, there is a big change coming in gas engines in the 2019 models: a hybrid boost for both the V-6 and V-8.
Called eTorque, the system combines a belt-drive motor generator unit with 48-volt battery pack to enable start/stop function, short-term torque assist and brake energy regeneration. It will add up to 90 lb.-ft. of torque to the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 and up to 130 lb.ft. to the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8. So far, Ram has not released fuel economy ratings for the new power system, other than to say it will deliver “significant” gains.
The new Ram also promises to be roomier and quieter inside.
The 2019 Ram weighs 225 lbs. less, rides on a stronger frame and will see maximum payload increase to 2,300 lbs. It will be much smarter than the current Ram, which does not know if there is a vehicle in front, cannot hit the brakes to avoid a collision, and can’t keep itself in its own lane. It can’t even show you if you are in a parking spot; nor does it know to dim the bright lights or to turn on the windshield wipers when the rain starts to fall.
The new Ram will come with a complete suite of safety technologies. Whether those life-saving items will be available on base models—the way Toyota does it—or whether buyers will be forced to climb the trim ladder and then buy pricey option packages—the way most manufacturers are doing it, adding more than $5,000 to the cost— is not clear from the materials Ram has released publicly.
The real deal
Ram is offering a strong set of incentives on remaining 2018 1500s. The basic offer is $5,750 cash or 0 percent financing for 72 months; or $2,500 cash and 0 percent financing for 36 months. Those with higher-than-average FICA scores can bring that monthly payment down to well less than $400 with favorable lease deals.
All of that is on top of whatever cash a dealer is ready to lay on the hood to close the deal.
Is that a fair deal? The tradeoff is in safety, comfort, work capacity and fuel economy. The money and the choice are both yours.