Mileage to Date: 10,539
Months in Fleet: Two
You'll have to excuse us for not providing any previous updates on our 2009 Dodge Ram during the two months it's been in the Automobile Magazine Four Seasons fleet, but that's because the Ram has been hard to find. According to road test coordinator Mike Ofiara, the truck is booked well into the future: "I'd say the Ram is the most sought-after vehicle in our fleet."
Just a few days after the Dodge arrived, copy editor Rusty Blackwell snagged the keys and headed to Washington, D.C., with some friends to attend the NCAA college hockey tournament. Blackwell pulled a similar maneuver last year when our Chrysler Town & Country arrived, but his destination then was Denver. Four Seasons Chrysler vehicles apparently need to be broken in with a road trip. Blackwell particularly enjoyed the Ram's cruising range on its inaugural adventure: "The optional 32-gallon fuel tank ($75) can easily yield a 400-plus-mile range."
The Ram hardly had a chance to cool down before associate editor Eric Tingwall used it to haul nineteen bicycles and enough gear for the twenty-one Michigan State University triathletes competing at the nationals in Lubbock, Texas. Along the way, the Ram wasn't able to dodge a storm and suffered several dozen dents on the hood and roof during a hail storm. More troubling is the fact that the truck stalled twice, and the navigation system stopped giving directions to the driver on two separate occasions. Despite these problems, Tingwall was impressed: "We were using all of its capabilities--five passengers, a trailer and some gear and bikes in the bed of the truck--and it performed in every area. Passenger comfort was top-notch, towing was easy, and the RamBox is very functional."
Web producer Evan McCausland is enamored with the coil springs in the rear suspension and predicts the staff will "proclaim them as lifesavers." He says the Ram's engine is another strong point: "The 5.7-liter (yes, it's a Hemi) pulls strong. Better yet, it seems to stay in four-cylinder mode longer than either of GM's V-8 engines equipped with active fuel management."
Senior editor Joe Lorio spent a night with the Ram and heaped on the praise for its interior, which can no longer be described as Spartan: "The interior vaults from worst to first; the design and execution are very impressive. It's frankly incredible for a Chrysler product." However, Lorio's love for the interior is a bit dampened by the sheer size of the truck, "The overall scale is so absurd, you'd think it were built by Toll Brothers." Sorry, Joe, that's been the general direction of the truck market for quite some time. ...next page >>