Post by RTShadow on Oct 1, 2009 17:11:44 GMT -5
Not that those in the know didn't already realize this
Lead By Stampede
REDESIGNED 09' DODGE RAM CHARGES TO THE FRONT OF THE FULL-SIZE TRUCK HERD
The Dodge Ram fullsize pickup doesn't outsell its Ford and Chevrolet counterparts, but it should. The redesigned 2009 truck is that good. That's not intended to take anything away from the outrageously good Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado but, rather, to give credit to the Chrysler folks who decided good enough wasn't good enough anymore.
Although the 09' Ram has been out since fall 08', our exposure was limited to short hops and light duty. But more than a week of hauling, towing, packing and repacking for getting groceries, hauling baseball gear and deepwoods camping finally let us put it through its paces.
A controversial decision on the 09' Ram was replacing the tradictional truck rear leaf springs with coil springs. Engineers said they were striving for better unladen handling without diminishing payload and towing strength. After a week on the road, we think they hit their mark. With a driver onboard and an empty bed (typical commuter use) the Ram was steady and planted, even on pockmarked pavement. With passengers, a bed full of gear, a rack of bicycles, and a 2700 lb camping trailer on the hitch, the truck was unflappable. we saw no undue suspension squat, and with trailer sway control, we detected no softness or side to side movement in the rear suspension. And once we offloaded the gear and headed onto sandy backwoods trails, the big truck retained its smooth driving persona.
Inside the truck was well equipped, handsomely trimmed, and set up for miles of easy comfortable travel. The strong pulling 5.7 liter, 390 horsepower, 407 lb ft V8 produced a respectable 13.8 mpg during 1400 miles of driving, despite towing a trailer and hauling a load of stuff for at least half of those miles. Credit the Hemi's Multi Displacement System, which cuts out half of the cylinders under lower-load conditions, and wind drag cheating styling.
REDESIGNED 09' DODGE RAM CHARGES TO THE FRONT OF THE FULL-SIZE TRUCK HERD
The Dodge Ram fullsize pickup doesn't outsell its Ford and Chevrolet counterparts, but it should. The redesigned 2009 truck is that good. That's not intended to take anything away from the outrageously good Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado but, rather, to give credit to the Chrysler folks who decided good enough wasn't good enough anymore.
Although the 09' Ram has been out since fall 08', our exposure was limited to short hops and light duty. But more than a week of hauling, towing, packing and repacking for getting groceries, hauling baseball gear and deepwoods camping finally let us put it through its paces.
A controversial decision on the 09' Ram was replacing the tradictional truck rear leaf springs with coil springs. Engineers said they were striving for better unladen handling without diminishing payload and towing strength. After a week on the road, we think they hit their mark. With a driver onboard and an empty bed (typical commuter use) the Ram was steady and planted, even on pockmarked pavement. With passengers, a bed full of gear, a rack of bicycles, and a 2700 lb camping trailer on the hitch, the truck was unflappable. we saw no undue suspension squat, and with trailer sway control, we detected no softness or side to side movement in the rear suspension. And once we offloaded the gear and headed onto sandy backwoods trails, the big truck retained its smooth driving persona.
Inside the truck was well equipped, handsomely trimmed, and set up for miles of easy comfortable travel. The strong pulling 5.7 liter, 390 horsepower, 407 lb ft V8 produced a respectable 13.8 mpg during 1400 miles of driving, despite towing a trailer and hauling a load of stuff for at least half of those miles. Credit the Hemi's Multi Displacement System, which cuts out half of the cylinders under lower-load conditions, and wind drag cheating styling.
