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| Maximum trailer towing capacity might not be a high as some competitors, but the 2009 Quad Cab Ram 1500 tows with ease when equipped with the proper towing equipment and the Hemi. |
A five-link coil-sprung rear axle, 390-hp Hemi, weatherproof bed side storage, interior refinements akin to a luxury sedan, and retro-aerodynamic body styling, all sound wonderful on paper and look sweet in person. But what determines any new vehicle's true worth is when tires touch ground.
So it is with the regeneration of the Dodge Ram - Chrysler's best-selling vehicle. The 2009 Dodge Ram is the recipient of dozens upon dozens of design changes and improvements from the model it replaces, but no one can appreciate their cumulative effect until you spend a few hours behind the wheel. To say the "new" Dodge Ram 1500 is better than the previous model would be one of the biggest understatements of the decade.
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| Laramie model Rams are plush by any standard. We loved the soft leather and padded center console. Interior comfort and quietness is now among the very best of any pickup on the road. |
The difference between the '08 and the '09 is night and day. Not so much in exterior looks as it is in the package as a whole.
Our first impressions after a day behind the wheel both on and off-pavement, towing and hauling loads, is the Dodge engineers and designers have taken a pickup that was several steps behind its 1/2-ton competitors in comfort, power, fuel economy, styling and utility value and repositioned it as the new class leader. No small feat.
BODY BEAUTIFUL
Dodge needed a fresh look and a sleeker design as the first step to improving fuel economy with the Ram 1500. A tough balancing act as one doesn't want to rile the Ramfaithful.
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| There are 42 storage locations in the new Dodge Ram 1500 including two compartments under the rear floor. |
o the designer's credit the aerodynamics and "retro" frontend styling is what's going to bring back any Dodge owners who strayed from the Ram flock when the previous model came out. The 2009 Dodge Ram features a redesigned aluminum hood with a little bulge and the hood is now separate from the new forward-canted grille that sports a very prominent cross-hair and 3-D Ram emblem at the center. The gaudy Ram badges are a bit much, but otherwise the trim and overall look is very appealing.
The headlights, wipers, mirrors, and bumpers are a new style and positioned to reduce both wind noise and drag. And even a cursory comparison between the old and new Ram will show the body gaps on the latter are dramatically tighter and cleaner.
We liked the way Dodge Frenched-in the dual exhaust tips on the HEMI-equipped models, too. It gives the truck a custom look as does the built-in spoiler on the tailgate.
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| Off-pavement performance is stellar when the new 5-link coil rear suspension is combined with the On-Demand four-wheel-drive system and the 390 hp 5.7L Hemi. |
They even changed the door styling so they no have pull-type handles that accommodate gloved hands and the tops don't wrap into the roof.
Lest we forget the biggest exterior body change: bed side storage boxes. The "Rambox" design is an option (no price set at time of this writing) for the standard 5'7" box found on the Quad Cab/Crew Cab models.
Each box encompasses the entire length of the bed side and opens up to reveal a weatherproof, drainable, lockable storage bin capable of holding tools, tool boxes, Hi-Lift jacks, fishing/camping gear, guns, gear, drinks, whatever it is you need easy access to but don't have room in the cab. A very nifty idea well executed.
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| The "Rambox" is an optional 5'7" bed for the Quad Cab and Crew Cab Rams that has full-length weatherproof storage compartments along the upper bed sides. |
There're also a couple more storage compartments inside the cab under the rear floor, one bin on each side. So there's no lack of space to keep loose items in the new Ram.
SUPERB SUSPENSION
Another very well executed concept in the 2009 Dodge Ram is the one that makes the most dramatic change of all: The coil-sprung solid-axle rear suspension.
The biggest complaint from previous Ram owners - and the brunt of many an auto scribe's jabs toward Dodge - was the stiff rear suspension. No more. Tucked under the rear of an improved frame is the first multi-link coil spring rear suspension in a half-ton pickup.
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| Twisting highways are taken with ease in the new pickup thanks to a very well designed 5-link coil rear suspension. |
We spent hours driving both a Quad Cab and the all-new Crew Cab Ram 1500 4x4 models over fast Interstates, along twisting mountain highways, and had some fast four-wheeling fun on a sandy ranch road along Central California's coastal foothills. We towed a 6,000-pound Airstream travel trailer, equipped of course with the required weight-distributing hitch, and hauled 1,200 pounds in the bed. Not once was there any hint of sloppy handling or any unpleasantness of ride.
In fact we also drove the Quad Cab Ram's rivals - F-150, Tundra and Silverado - back-to-back to refresh our tactile memory. After few minutes on the road in each and you realize Dodge has taken the Ram 1500 4x4 from worst to first in every category related to styling, fit, finish, ride and handling.
