2009 Dodge Ram by George Kennedy
A great time to debut a new truck you say? Yea, I had to do a double take too when I heard these words spoken by Dodge’s Senior Manager of Brand Marketing at the Dodge Ram press event in Santa Barbara, CA. For most people looking for a new car at this very moment, a truck would not be the first choice. As a matter of fact, in many places, the pickup is a 4-wheeled pariah: A gas-guzzling vestige of a bygone era of Detroit dominance.
You don’t need me to tell you how expensive gas is, and in the current economy, the fair city of Detroit has hit hard times. The big 3 is oft referred to as the “Big 2 and a half” as of late, hinting at their abysmal sales in the past few months. In a lackluster lineup of cars, without a serious econo-box, or fuel-sipping, game-changing family sedan, the new Ram is a surprising beacon of hope for Chrysler.
What Dodge needed the new Ram to do was a few things. A- it had to improve fuel economy to survive, there’s no way around this. B- it had to bring a lot more features to the table to meet the demands of a truck segment in which buyers use their quad cab F-150 like an oversized Taurus, and C- it had to drastically improve its interiors. These are among the things that any new truck coming out in the next couple of years (next gen F-150) must accomplish in order to be seriously considered.
So how did the new Ram do in these areas? Well before we can get to that, there is one Ace in the hole that Dodge has, and with it can, very possibly change the truck market. Link Coils and springs instead of leafs for the rear suspension. Coils? On a light duty pickup? Somewhere out there, the Marlboro man just turned over in his grave.
(below: leafs on the left, coil link setup on the right)
Chevy had tried coils back in the 70’s and met with little success. Handling on those trucks were poor when under load, and experienced excessive wheel hop when unloaded. So how does this differ and does it work? Well the first answer is simple. Just like their new Challenger, which is bringing a classic icon and fitting it with modern technology, the Ram updates an old idea with a 5-link suspension that you would find on many sedans as opposed to the 3-link setup on the old Chevy trucks.
The result? Blissful. I was fully impressed with the handling and ride quality of the Ram. If people are using this truck like a family sedan (which many in the heartland will) you’ll be happy to know it finally rides like one. Traversing the windy roads of the Santa Ynez Mountains were a synch, and making turns on even ground was even better. On leaf sprung trucks there’s a tendency for the outside wheel of a turn to have a weak connection to the road. It touches the road, but hit a pothole and hello, wheel hop. That’s the other benefit of coils- potholes are no match for this thing. When you go over a pothole with leafs, the truck may bounce a few more times before settling. There is a well-planted firmness to the coil-sprung ride, but not jarringly firm. A fellow writer compared the ride to that of the new Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. A Rolls? What universe did I just arrive in? I’ve driven the Phantom Drophead and while I don’t fully share the writer’s sentiment, I do see where he was coming from, and that’s saying a lot.
So the ride is worthy of the Texas-sized grocery-getter role. But how about those three crucial factors of fuel economy, gear for the dollar, and interior refinement?
FUEL ECONOMY: The engineers have been hard at work on a new 390 horsepower, 5.7L HEMI for this Ram. It features a Multiple Displacement System, which shuts off 4 of the 8 cylinders at cruising speeds. This is one of the best ideas around. The V6 Honda Accord has it, and enjoys Civic-like fuel numbers. But you have to do more than just build a more fuel efficient engine, so they did things like revise the front bumper and grille to channel air around and over the cab. The hood features a lip by the windshield that pushes air over the cab. The top of the tailgate has been widened to incorporate a standard rear spoiler. Apparently, in wind testing, wind would come off the back of the cab and just touch the spoiler before trailing off behind the truck. I don’t have a degree in fluid dynamics, but that sounds better than having the air get sucked into then out of the bed like man trucks do. Overall, the drag coefficient has been improved to .419, compared to .463 for the 2008 model. The coil suspension setup is actually 40 pounds lighter (it also has batter wheel articulation/travel than leafs) So, what does this all mean for fuel economy? 14 MPG city, 20 highway- 1 more MPG in both city and highway driving than last year. That was a letdown for sure. However some food for thought: In response to this, Chevy now offers an XFE trim on the Silverado (Xtra Fuel Economy) and it does a bunch of little things to reduce drag coefficient and improve fuel economy to 15/21. Well you have to special order that sort of stuff. With the Ram, the efforts have been made standard. That’s the right sort of thinking.
FEATURES: This truck needed to have more kit for the dollar. Simply put, it does by a long shot. The new exterior feature being touted is the RamBox. It consists of integrated lockable, drainable storage compartments on either side of the exterior bed walls. In addition to being drainable, they are also waterproof, and according to the Dodge, can hold 120 cans, plus ice, in each box. Hello, next generation of tailgating. For now, the RamBox is only available with the 5’7” short bed crew and quad cab models, however after talking to the head of engineering its totally possible to offer it array of bed/cab configurations in the future.
But wait, there’s more! In the rear row on Quad cab models, the seats fold up without any latches, revealing another sub-derriere storage compartment. The rear seat floor area also has waterproof drainable compartments, that are said to hold 12 cans each, with ice. Who was on their design team? The frat brothers from Omega house? (in some strange way, that’s a compliment)
With all of these storage solutions, the Ram “brought it” in a big way. (1 note: opting for the premium sound system will put a subwoofer in place for 1 of the sub-seat cargo boxes) So this Ram definitely delivers more kit, and starting at $22,170 ($200 less than the outgoing, far less-equipped model), it does for less coin.
INTERIORS: Dodge has had a reputation as of late for falling short in the interior fit and finish department. It has been said that the Challenger’s interior is pretty weak compared to the retro-tastic Camaro. The interior bears a resemblance to that of the Challenger, but it works much better in this application. Most of the test models had center console shifters with a massive cargo box/mega armrest reminiscent of the Ram Charger SUV’s of the 80’s. The chrome and soft leather dash(an industry first) was impressive and the cooled seats ensured I wouldn’t stick to the perforated leather during the 2 hour trip to the test course.
This truck has been surprising me all day in little ways. One such example was the doors, which get wider right just below the sill to the 1-touch power windows. This widening created a true armrest even when the window was up. I found this terrific and the competition should be taking notes!
PROS: Finally gave consideration to the little things. Chrysler is realizing the high demands of buyers and acting on it. Coil setup puts leafs to shame. The only guy who didn’t agree was some crotchety old man from Texas. So it doesn’t count.
CONS: It seems like they went through an awful lot of trouble for meager gains in fuel economy. MDS should’ve translated into much better fuel economy in my mind. The big test is when the Ram Hybrid comes out in the near future. (Its been confirmed)
FINAL THOUGHTS: They should’ve never made the 02-08 Ram. Having ridden in a previous generation Ram, I can honestly say they have come a long way. In terms of styling, ride quality, and fit and finish, this is what the replacement for the first “big rig” RAM should have been from day 1. But we cant live in the past, and as far as the future, buyers will be as scrutinizing as ever to get the most for their buck in these trying economic times. If the RAM can find a way to improve fuel economy, it can call itself the best truck on the market. Going into the test drive, that’s a statement that I did not expect to make!
Tags: 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Hemi Rambox Box Coil Spring Mds
