Don’t let the big size fool you. Dodge Ram 1500 packs a lot of power, but it provides a very comfortable and silent ride. Although it tends to fall short with hauling and towing compared to its rivals, it makes up for its downside with its excellent safety rating, fuel economy, luxurious cabin, price, and technology.
Performance
There’s a good reason why Dodge Ram 1500 is considered to be one of the best full-size pickup trucks for the past few years by various auto experts and reviewers: it is steady, quiet, yet powerful.
The 2-door truck can already be likened to a muscle car with its rear wheel that provides an easy handling and smooth ride. The hood features a 3.6-liter V6 engine, which gives 305 horsepower. This is then fully supported by the 8-speed automatic transmission.
When it comes to fuel efficiency, Dodge Ram 1500 has an estimated 17 miles per gas (mpg) on city driving and 25 mpg on highway, which are pretty decent numbers especially when you consider its size and weight.
One of its best features is the air suspension, which comes in handy when the truck already has a payload. This technology helps maintain the balance of the vehicle and even lets you lower the vehicle for an easy, convenient climb.
However, it also has an issue, which is its towing capacity: it has a maximum payload of 1,500. As expected, the extra weight can drag the vehicle. To remedy that, you can just upgrade your V6 engine to V8, which may then generate as much as 400 horsepower. Nevertheless, this may also sacrifice your fuel economy per mileage.
Interiors and Trims
The interior of Dodge Ram 1500 is certainly not shabby. Rather, it feels rich and luxurious, which sounds like a good deal considering its starting price of less than $28,000. It features a beautiful leather finish for the seats, complemented by the authentic wood panels that serve as accents.
It seems to never run out of extra space and storage as well. It’s one of the few vehicles that come with an in-floor storage, where you can store all your car tools. Aside from the glove compartment, there’s another glove box on the dashboard, which can be accessed quickly. There are also bins near the car doors, including that of the driver.
The truck, which can seat three to five people (depending on the number of doors), has enough leg room and a great support for the back. This is helpful when one uses the truck for a long-distance drive. Such support and storage are present whether you choose the crew, quad, or regular cab.
There are nine different trims for the pickup truck. These are Tradesman, Big Horn, Express, Rebel, Sport, Night, Laramie, Laramie Longhorn, and Limited. Of the nine, the first one is considered to be the basic or standard.
The Express is equipped with 17-inch wheels painted with aluminum to give it a real sleek finish, which then gives a nice contrast to the monochromatic color of the exterior or the body.
The Big Horn, meanwhile, has an upgraded cloth quality and advanced driver assistance system namely Park Sense and Rear Park Assist. The V8 engine is fitted in the Rebel trim, along with an active-level air suspension system. This is also a tall trim with a ground clearance of almost 10 inches at the front axle.
Technology
Dodge Ram 1500 is a modern-day truck equipped with useful technologies necessary for easy and comfortable driving. The truck has an 8.4-inch touch screen interface loaded with UConnect NAV. This transforms the display into a command center for driving information and entertainment. With it, you can now already play Sirius radio while you can use your phone hands-free. It also possesses a voice recognition system, as well as a GPS that produces very detailed 3D maps. If you want to know the status of the traffic, just go to SiriusXM Traffic for the details.
If you wish to buy the Tradesman, you have the option to install a rear backup camera. This is already standard in other trims. Further, to make sure you can reduce the likelihood of having a broken-down car in the middle of a highway, all trims have a pressure monitoring display.
As expected, some tech features are found only in certain trims. For example, the Big Horn already includes a remote all-secure keyless entry system. You can also transform the vehicle into a WiFi hotspot.
Safety
The pickup truck is durable and has scored well in different crash tests, with a minimum score of four stars. Some of the more expensive trims already have strong grilles that help reduce the possible effects of a front collision.
Furthermore, the trims of the 2017 model have electronic stability control, advanced multistage front airbags, a theft deterrent system from Sentry Key, speed control, and supplemental airbags in various parts of the car.
In the end, Dodge Ram 1500 gives an excellent return for money. Although its towing and hauling capabilities need improvement, all its other aspects are enough and satisfactory, especially when you consider the price tag.
Get a Dodge Ram 1500 ASAP
Would you like a brawn of a truck with a luxurious interior, fancy exterior, superb performance, and good mileage whether you’re driving in the city or highway? Then you should get the Dodge Ram 1500.
This full-size truck is affordable considering its category and brand, but if you want to save more money, buy a used one, preferably a 2016 model. The 2016 and 2017 models are very similar in important aspects like the engine, ride feel, and handling, to name a few.
You can get the best deals for used cars by joining auto auctions, where car costs can be around 30 percent lower than its book value. Subscribe to an auto auction listing and find out the hundreds of auctions you can join in and which of them can give you the ideal bargain for a used Dodge Ram 1500.
