Yahoo Autos Our 2019 Ram 1500 Limited Spoiled Us with Luxury and Capability
40,000-Mile Wrap-Up
Never mind Cadillac and Lincoln. The best execution of a modern American luxury vehicle comes from Ram, with trucks like this gilded $66,310 pickup. It costs as much as a BMW X5, offers more rear legroom than a Mercedes-Benz S-class, and wears enough leather to dress a Kiss tour. More impressive, it combines a pickup's do-anything capability with the civility of a sedan.
New for 2019, the fifth-generation full-size Ram 1500 adopted a lighter frame, 48-volt hybrid systems, and an optional 12.0-inch touchscreen. Those were merely modernizing updates, though, when compared with the radical 2009 suspension change that still gives the Ram a slight edge over its Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado 1500 rivals. By replacing the traditional rear-axle leaf springs with coils (or optional air springs), the engineers tamed the jostle and bounce that plagues an unloaded pickup. It was the right move for a society that increasingly treats trucks like cars.
Our long-termer was tailor-built for that reality, with a window sticker that prioritized creature comforts. Ours was a four-door crew cab in the top Limited trim with the top engine and—why not?—the long six-foot-four-inch bed. The grocery list of luxuries included height-adjustable air springs at each corner, remote start and passive entry, a wireless phone charger, a quartet of heated and ventilated seats, that 12.0-inch touchscreen, a 19-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system, and the full kit of driver-assistance systems.
For all 40,000 miles, we marveled at the composed ride, the solid body control, and the adept handling of this highly evolved farm tool. While there's no metaphorical shrinking of a vehicle this big, the Ram 1500 tracks straight and steers competently, which makes it easy to place within its lane. If you think for a minute you're not driving a pickup, it's because you've become lost in the Ram's polished road manners. The name "S-class" appeared in the logbook often enough that an outsider might wonder if we were actually reviewing Mercedes's flagship sedan or one of its competitors.
The 1500 never shied from stereotypical truck work, either. We pulled race cars and snowmobiles and side-by-sides, and we hauled soil and mulch and lumber. We rambled down dirt roads and crisscrossed the eastern United States with the determination of a long-haul trucker. Both occupants and truck were equally comfortable in these environments. One editor logged two 720-mile drives in a 10-day window without a single comfort-related complaint.
Back when our truck was new, Ram wanted $2645 for the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 assisted by the new 48-volt hybrid system it calls eTorque. This powertrain makes the same 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque as the $1395 V-8 without eTorque. Buyers were supposed to be enticed to drop the extra $1250 based on the hybridized truck's 19-mpg EPA combined rating, a 2-mpg gain compared with the unassisted Hemi. Apparently few people saw the value in that, because for 2020, the eTorque V-8 got a price cut, the unelectrified version got a price hike, and the spread between them narrowed to just $200.
For the sake of science, we spec'd the pricier engine, and we have to say, even at today's discounted premium, we wouldn't spend our own money on the electrically assisted Hemi. We averaged an underwhelming 14 mpg, a number that we matched during two weeks in a Ram without eTorque. (Our long-termer's fuel economy rises to 15 mpg if we omit our towing.) More disappointing than its performance, the 48-volt system proved just finicky enough for us to lose faith in it. The vast majority of the time, eTorque works exactly as intended, smoothing engine restarts and increasing the amount of time the V-8 is shut down in traffic. But the system periodically stumbled when refiring, and on a handful of occasions, it stalled the engine right as we were expecting the truck to accelerate. This rough behavior was sometimes accompanied by a warning light and an error message indicating that the system wasn't charging properly. And when an editor woke to find the truck's electrical system dead one morning, we couldn't shake the feeling that a leaky 48-volt system was the culprit. We never got an answer, as the Ram recovered with a jump-start and the dealer never identified the cause of the drained battery, the rough restarts, or the intermittent stalling.
At least Chrysler's venerable 5.7-liter V-8 remains boisterous and characterful with electric assistance. None of our editors seemed to mind that Ford's and Chevy's most powerful trucks will easily beat the Ram's 6.1-second run to 60 mph. Backed by a deep speedboat burble, the Hemi's standing wave of torque felt more than adequate for any chore. With the eight-speed automatic shuffling gears fluidly, the Ram 1500 towed our heaviest loads without ever feeling labored.
Ram's 12.0-inch Uconnect infotainment system is a textbook example of how to design big touchscreens. The vertically oriented display is flanked by physical controls, and the digital buttons are rendered so large that you can't miss them. The graphics are simple, the operation is intuitive, and the gimmicks are refreshingly absent.
Unfortunately, that billboard of an infotainment screen proved as fickle as eTorque. Our experience was periodically tainted by sluggish behavior, unresponsive buttons, frozen screens, and a refusal to play any audio. During these episodes, not even cycling the truck's ignition could reliably chase away the ghosts. Instead, we were forced to wait—sometimes several hours—until things started working again. Our dealer could neither diagnose nor solve the issues. An over-the-air update that we downloaded and installed at 33,486 miles appeared to fix the worst of the problems, but our confidence in the system never recovered. We came to wish for Ram's 8.4-inch touchscreen, which offers all the same functionality as the 12.0-incher and has a much better track record in our hands, but that would've required us to choose a less luxurious, lower-trim truck.
We also came to resent our truck's extended bed and stretched wheelbase in city environs. Measuring more than a foot longer than a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado, our Ram was cumbersome in tight confines. "There is one thing that sucks about this Ram: parking it," wrote Buyer's Guide deputy editor Rich Ceppos. "Parking lots, parking garages, street parking—it doesn't matter. They're all anxiety-producing situations in this beast."
Near the end of its tour, our Ram began emitting the staccato tap-tap-tap of an exhaust leak. The dealer replaced the cracked passenger's-side exhaust manifold under warranty only to discover that the driver's-side manifold had also cracked. With the replacement part on back order, we shipped the truck back to its maker unrepaired. It was yet one more nuisance that sullied the ownership experience but didn't spoil it.
After 40,000 miles, we remained as enthusiastic about the Ram's unique blend of utility and luxury as we had been at the start. We treated the headaches as lessons in how to equip a Ram 1500 rather than as a broad cautionary tale. A truck with the nonhybrid V-8, the smaller infotainment screen, and the standard five-foot-seven-inch bed could have provided a very different experience without diluting the Ram's ability to coddle its passengers. A well-equipped 1500 blends the convenience of capability with impeccable road manners and high-end finishes. To truly complete the luxury-car experience, Ram just needs to elevate its reliability.
Rants and Raves
After all those years of Daimler ownership, Chrysler is finally injecting some Mercedes-Benz quiet and comfort into its vehicles. Blindfold your passenger and they'd never know this is a body-on-frame pickup. —K.C. Colwell
I'm over this big infotainment display—at least until it gets a meaningful software upgrade. —David Beard
The ease with which the 1500 deftly consumes highway miles makes it a very capable road-trip companion. —Maxwell B. Mortimer
Chrysler's Hemi 5.7-liter V-8 should be as celebrated as Chevy's small-block 6.2-liter V-8. —Eric Tingwall
It's unfathomable to me to choose something this large as a daily driver and to always have to find a place to park it. —Dave VanderWerp
While my friends were impressed by the leather surfaces and apartment-like back seat, they cursed the infotainment system that left us to talk about our feelings for several uncomfortable minutes when it wouldn't play sound. —Eric Stafford
30,000-Mile Update
For our long-term Ram 1500, winter in Michigan is just another opportunity to flaunt its do-anything capabilities. Six inches of snow? Easy. A mountain of plowed, icy gunk at the base of a driveway? Pfffft. Freezing rain on snow-packed roads? Tougher, but hardly a problem.
It helps that we fit the Ram with winter tires, as we do all of our long-term vehicles. In place of the factory 20-inch wheels and tires, the Ram now wears a set of aftermarket 18-inch Enkei wheels wrapped in 275/65R-18 Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT3 winter tires. Negotiating roads slick with snow and ice is as simple as poking the 4WD Auto button on the dash. In this mode, the truck's transfer case constantly varies the torque distribution between the front and rear axles without ever locking them together. It's the perfect solution for winter weather, when you're frequently moving between slippery side streets and plowed arterial roads with relatively high levels of grip. With prodigious ground clearance, claw-like tires, and a smart four-wheel-drive system, the Ram seems to be capable of handling anything shy of a Newfoundland blizzard.
Inside, the Ram's heated seats and heated steering wheel take the bite out of the coldest winter days. These are just small ways that the Ram impersonates a luxury car. We're so convinced that the Ram 1500 represents the modern American luxury vehicle that our drivers repeatedly invoke the Mercedes-Benz S-class, the standard bearer of large and opulent sedans. One editor who used the Ram for two 720-mile round-trip treks in a 10-day span called the Ram a cross between an S-class and a Freightliner. Another staffer drew the parallel to the S-class using our truck's capacious rear-seat. "The legroom beats an S-class's, as well as just about anything else on the market," vehicle testing director Dave VanderWerp said.
We remain smitten with the Ram's dynamics, too, which make it drive with almost car-like manners. Notice that Ram's trophy case is shining brighter since our 20,000-mile update. The Ram 1500 earned a spot on Car and Driver's 2020 10Best list for the second year running and the refreshed Ram 1500 EcoDiesel model won a recent comparison test against diesel models of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Ford F-150. Every modern Ram we've driven is easy to place in its lane—despite its size—thanks to confident straight-line tracking and easy placement through curves. Body control is also remarkably flat for how high you sit in the truck.
But all of that maneuverability disappears the moment you attempt to park it. "Parking lots, parking garages, street parking—it doesn't matter. They're all anxiety producing situations in this beast," senior editor Rich Ceppos wrote. We partly brought this on ourselves by ordering our crew-cab truck with the longer 6-foot-4-inch bed, which stretches the wheelbase by 8.9 inches over the short-bed version. The only solution, then, is to leave the truck farther away from store entrances where adjacent empty spots make it possible to park without multiple back-and-forth maneuvers—and embrace its remote-start feature, especially in the depths of winter.
We've only parked our Ram at the dealer once since our last update. The scheduled 30,000-mile service included an oil change, tire rotation, and cabin air filter replacement for $119. During that visit, the dealer also verified that our truck is running the latest infotainment software, which confirms that the infrequent but recurring hiccups aren't going away anytime soon. The 12.0-inch Uconnect system continues to be plagued by general sluggishness, occasional reboots, and—this one is new for us—a backup-camera display that refuses to disappear long after you've pulled away in Drive. These glitches mostly amount to annoyances rather than problems, but their consistency is beginning to wear down our staff's tolerance. One editor pointed out that the big screen offers few functional advantages over the standard 8.4-inch touchscreen, which has been more reliable in our experience. If we were buying a Ram 1500 with our own money, we'd strongly consider skipping the flashy, new vertical screen for the smaller, time-tested display.
Months in Fleet: 10 months Current Mileage: 31,344 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 15 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 33.0 gal Observed Fuel Range: 490 miles
Service: $283 Normal Wear: $62 Repair: $20
Damage and Destruction: $50
20,000-Mile Update
With 23,000 miles on the odometer of our long-term 2019 Ram 1500, we remain convinced that this is the ultimate truck for a world where pickups are used as commuters and family haulers. This Cowboy Cadillac continues to impress us with its lavish interior, polished road manners, and do-it-all abilities. "I feel as if I'm driving my couch to work. It's so big and comfy and offers such a safe feeling on Interstate 94 among all the semis," wrote copy chief Carolyn Pavia-Rauchman in the Ram's logbook.
On a trip from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Chicago and back, another editor noted that the Ram is nimble for its size, saying that maneuvering the 20-foot-long truck was no more challenging than piloting a three-row crossover. That editor also praised the Ram's lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control for making light work of the four-hour drive to the Windy City.
Unfortunately, the electronic issues that we've previously mentioned haven't abated. As we pass the halfway point in the Ram's stay, it's becoming clear that the glitches with its 12.0-inch Uconnect infotainment touchscreen aren't going away on their own. While the system works far more often than it doesn't, the hiccups come with enough frequency that they're starting to draw the ire of our editors.
In addition to an unresponsive screen, we've experienced several episodes where the Ram's sound system won't play any audio. While the sound eventually comes back, we haven't figured out what triggers the silence or what fixes it. One driver tried changing the audio sources, hitting the mute button, and turning off the system's power. He then turned the truck off, opened the driver's door, waited 10 seconds, and turned it back on. Still no sound. The audio returned only after the Ram was driven 15 miles, at which point the driver flipped through the sources again and landed on AM radio.
"While my friends were impressed by the leather surfaces and apartment-like back seat, they cursed the infotainment system that refused to respond to inputs and even left us to talk about our feelings for several uncomfortable minutes when it wouldn't play sound," said assistant buyer's guide editor Eric Stafford.
If it weren't for that grating annoyance, our Ram 1500's ownership experience would be entirely positive so far. Since the last update, we patched a puncture in a rear tire for $20. We also paid the dealership $62 to replace the worn windshield wipers at 21,804 miles. The Ram's 20,000-mile scheduled service, which consisted of an oil change, a tire rotation, an engine air filter replacement, and various inspections, cost $103. If that flashy vertical touchscreen were as reliable as our truck's eTorqe-assisted Hemi 5.7-liter V-8, it would practically be faultless.
Months in Fleet: 8 months Current Mileage: 23,694 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 15 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 33.0 gal Observed Fuel Range: 490 miles
Service: $164 Normal Wear: $62 Repair: $20
Damage and Destruction: $50
10,000-Mile Update
With almost 14,000 miles on the odometer, our long-term 2019 Ram 1500 has logged 13 percent of its travels with a trailer hitched to it. The Ram takes on this hard labor with near indifference. Even with a few tons in tow, it inspires confidence in the way it handles and provides comfort with its controlled ride. The truck is unfazed by our towing demands.
Admittedly, those needs are well below the Ram 1500's capabilities. Our Limited-trim truck is a crew cab 4x4 model with a six-foot, four-inch bed; a Hemi 5.7-liter V-8 assisted by the eTorque 48-volt motor/generator; and a 3.92:1 final-drive ratio. That combination is good for an 11,120-pound towing capacity, significantly higher than any of our staffers' toys.
Towing Trials
The Ram's first haul came at the hands of technical editor David Beard, who finally pulled the plug on snowmobile season in early May. He brought two sleds home from northern Michigan in an enclosed V-nose trailer that weighs roughly 3500 pounds when loaded and plows through the air like a Peterbilt. The Ram's integrated trailer-brake controller (part of the $400 Trailer-Tow package) and the engine braking that's activated with the Tow/Haul mode gave Beard the confidence to tow at speeds up to 75 mph. Predictably, that pace meant he had to slow more frequently for gas stops: one tankful dropped to 8 mpg, with the Ram drinking nearly 30 gallons of gas to cover 250 miles. Overall, though, our Ram's average fuel economy has climbed with the odometer, rising from 13 to 15 mpg. That's still a 4-mpg deficit compared with the EPA's combined estimate, but that testing doesn't factor in towing.
A few weeks later, the Ram towed a brand-spankin'-new 2020 Toyota Supra from our Michigan home base to Virginia International Raceway, where we conduct our annual Lightning Lap track event. It pulled the 5600 pounds of car and open trailer easily and with sure-footed confidence, even as Ohio's arrow-straight highways gave way to West Virginia's meandering rollers. "The transmission performed very well," assistant technical editor Maxwell B. Mortimer reported. "The shifts were smooth and imperceptible. It really seemed unhindered."
Just miles from the track, Mortimer lowered the Ram on its air springs and loaded the bed with nearly 20 cases of water and sports drinks. Adding the H2O to the bed exceeded our Ram's 1335-pound payload rating (remember, trailer tongue weight needs to be accounted for in terms of payload). As Mortimer tried to return the Ram to its normal ride height, the instrument cluster displayed a warning: "Selected Ride Height Not Permitted Due to Payload." He drove it back to the track in its lowered state with no issues.
Hiccups and Dealer Maintenance
Speaking of issues, the unexplained dead battery that we reported in our long-termer's introduction is now just a distant memory. Thankfully, it hasn't repeated. We do continue to experience less serious issues with the 12.0-inch Uconnect infotainment touchscreen. Our drivers have noted slow response times, unresponsive icons, and periodic program failures when using Apple CarPlay, all of which are usually resolved when the system reboots, either on its own or with an ignition cycle.
While our Ram 1500 Limited is priced like a luxury vehicle, at $66,310, and trimmed like one, with its leather-and-wood trappings, the maintenance at our local dealership is priced for the proletariat. Our first service, at 10,000 miles, cost just $61 for a multipoint inspection, tire rotation, and oil change. During that visit, the dealer also addressed a recall for a condition where the airbags and seatbelt pretensioners could fail to fire during a crash. The free fix involved reprogramming the occupant-restraint controller.
As our Ram 1500 rolls on toward 40,000 miles, our staff remains impressed by its unparalleled combination of comfort and capability.
Months in Fleet: 5 months Current Mileage: 13,879 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 15 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 33.0 gal Observed Fuel Range: 490 miles
Service: $61 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $50
Introduction
We want our trucks to do it all, from tugging boats and hauling mulch to fetching groceries and schlepping kids. In a world where pickups often perform the work of minivans, sedans, and crossovers, no full-size truck is as domesticated as the 2019 Ram 1500. Redesigned for this year, the Ram 1500 rides on a new frame and features a 48-volt hybrid system (standard on the V-6 and optional on the V-8) and a towering 12.0-inch touchscreen. But the traits that truly set it apart—an untrucklike ride quality and a lavish interior—will be familiar to anyone who drove the last-generation model. With its rare blend of civility and capability, the new Ram has already scored a comparison-test victory and a 10Best Trucks and SUVs nod. Now, we've started the odometer on a 40,000-mile long-term evaluation to determine whether the Ram holds up to our accelerated real-world durability testing and our drivers' sustained scrutiny.
Among Ram 1500s, few are as richly equipped as our long-termer, a four-door crew cab Limited 4x4 model with the longer, six-foot, four-inch bed. With a base price of $58,735, the Limited 4x4 carries a long list of standard equipment, including height-adjustable air springs at each corner, front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, remote start and passive entry, a wireless phone charger, heated and ventilated front seats with 12-way power adjustability, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, and a steering wheel wrapped in leather and wood. Our truck builds on that comfort, luxury, and tech with the $2795 Level 1 Equipment Group, which adds a 19-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and automatic parking. In addition, we added a trifold tonneau cover ($550), a locking rear differential ($545), a 33.0-gallon fuel tank ($445, up from the standard 25.9-gal unit), a 3.92:1 final-drive ratio ($95), tasty Delmonico Red paint ($100), and a towing package ($400) with larger mirrors and a trailer-brake controller. The total outlay came to $66,310.
Getting to Work
Between its sumptuous comforts and Herculean capabilities, this truck is a pair of velvet-lined work gloves. It will carry up to 1335 pounds in its spray-lined bed or tug as much as 11,120 pounds of trailer. Assisted by the new eTorque hybrid system, the optional Hemi V-8 bumps the price $2645 over the standard hybrid 3.6-liter V-6. (Alternatively, the nonhybrid 5.7-liter V-8 can be had for $1395.) The hybrid system also raises the EPA combined fuel economy from 17 to 19 mpg, but our observed figure of 13 mpg is off the mark by 32 percent; admittedly, we have done some towing. At least the 48-volt system makes for buttery-smooth engine stop-start events.
Our Ram notched 60 mph in 6.1 seconds, stopped from 70 mph in 186 feet, and circled the skidpad at 0.73 g at the test track. Those numbers, while respectable enough for a 5765-pound pickup, can't match the wildly impressive performances posted by the Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado with their most powerful engines. Maybe we're getting soft in old age (Car and Driver turns 64 in July, after all), but we'll happily reach 60 mph a half-second later in exchange for the Ram's calming cabin and soothing ride that define the experience, whether you're flying solo or hauling a half ton of manure in the bed and three bickering kids in the back seat. "No other truck comes close in ride quality," wrote reviews editor Josh Jacquot. "Blindfold someone, and they'd never know this is a body-on-frame pickup," praised testing director K. C. Colwell.
Early Hiccups
It's not all sunshine and expertly tuned damping, though. Multiple drivers have skewered the Ram's overly cautious automated emergency braking when the truck is in reverse. Easily spooked by soft shrubs, low curbs, and completely empty spaces, the system frequently slams the brakes—for no obvious reason—hard enough to startle anyone in the truck, no matter how many times it's happened to them. Even more alarming, associate managing editor Juli Burke woke one morning to find the Ram's 12-volt battery so depleted that it would neither start nor power into accessory mode. After Burke jump-started the truck, sundry electrical warnings steadily blinked out until the only sign that anything was amiss was the darkened infotainment screen. It came back to life later that day. Almost a month later, Burke faced similar frustrations when the touchscreen froze with the seat controls displayed, denying access to the navigation system, the radio, the climate controls, and the backup camera. It all came back after the Ram was restarted four times.
It should be easy to love a truck that is simultaneously as comfortable and capable as this Ram 1500. Whether that proves to be the case will come down to whether those electrical gremlins are passing flukes or recurring faults. This Ram has 34,000 miles left to prove itself.
Months in Fleet: 2 months Current Mileage: 5746 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 13 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 33.0 gal Observed Fuel Range: 429 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $50
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