The 2019 RAM 1500 is Fiat Chrysler Automobile’s (FCA’s) latest salvo in the ongoing battle for pickup truck supremacy in the United States. New frame, new sheetmetal, new interiors, updated engines, no stone was left unturned. After a test drive in December of 2018 got me interested, lots of shopping around between then and May of this year resulted in me bringing home the one you see here. Even beyond the badge it’s quite a bit different from the trucks you’ve seen on this site, so let’s do a deep dive into my new ride.
First, a little background. Trucks are big business. A successful redesign and launch of a new truck can feed the rest of an automaker’s business for years to come, so the stakes are high. Buyers of pickup trucks are fiercely loyal, so a new truck has to be quite compelling to get its competitor’s buyers in the showroom. To this end, RAM pulled out all the stops for 2019, changing almost everything. Also, in the last 20 years, the demographic of pickup truck buyer has changed. Trucks are bought more and more by weekend warriors, a lot of which are well-heeled, with other toys to haul and tow. RAM’s trucks have been known to ride smoother than the competition – they are the only full-size truck maker employing air suspension in their trucks – but now they’ve upped their game in the tech and design areas. In addition, the brand which pioneered the “mini 18-wheeler” front-end look has ditched that in favor of a smoother, more sleek appearance, going directly after the luxury car customer.
This leads to a curious omission in the redesign – capability. Because of the aforementioned demographic shift, today’s truck buyers want a do-all vehicle. This involves commuting, toting kids, and doing truck stuff, all with equal importance. Advanced technology, safety, and creature comforts are higher priorities than having the absolute highest towing and payload capacities. By now, you’ve seen the commercials, watched the videos, and read the reviews. But how is the 2019 RAM 1500 to live with? Let’s take it for a spin and find out!
Walking up to the truck, the fun starts with the key fob. There’s a button on it that when clicked twice will employ the 4-corner air suspension to lower the truck to Entry/Exit height – about 2″ lower than Normal ride height. The air suspension is a $1,795 option on lesser trims, but comes standard on the Limited. Once the truck is lowered, push the remote start button twice and hear that 5.7-liter HEMI V8 bark to life, settling into a burbling idle. Take in the wide but narrow chromed grille, flanked by slits of LED headlights. The grille is handsome and bucks the trend of being squared-off and over-sized – it fits the scale of the vehicle. The faux cowl-induction hood slopes steeply down to the grille, and features HEMI callout badges on each side, evoking thoughts of 1970’s Mopar muscle cars. The rest of the truck is curvy, eschewing the traditional truck motif of squared-off sheetmetal. The result is a sedan-like slippery .357 coefficient of drag. The Limited trim level features chrome body moldings which ride a crease low in the body work, and to my eyes, other trim levels look naked without them. With the optional body-color bumpers ($195) replacing the standard chrome ones, the RAM 1500 continues its aping of luxury sedans. The rest of the brightwork is tasteful instead of overpowering.
Around back, the tailgate is power opening, a dampened drop lowering it gently to the end of its tethers. Devoid of any built-in steps and constructed of aluminum, it’s also easy to lift – enough so that RAM’s engineers include a “tailgate ajar” warning light on the dash in case you didn’t close it hard enough to fully latch. That attention to detail will be a recurring theme. As part of the Limited trim level, the bed and tailgate have a spray-on liner installed at the factory, protecting the paint and underlying metal. This is a recent development in the truck industry, negating the need to take your new truck to an aftermarket liner company like Line-X right after purchasing it.
Opening the driver’s door causes the power-deploying running boards to extend, providing a nice, sturdy step to get into the cab of the truck. When the door is closed, they retract into their stored position, visually raising the truck. When lowered into the aforementioned Entry/Exit ride height, the running boards are level with curbs, so park carefully. The power running boards are standard on the Limited trim level, but are a $995 option on other trims. If you go aftermarket, be prepared to spend between $1,500 to do it yourself and $4,000 if you have a shop install them.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, you’re now surrounded by a world class interior. A lot of time was spent by RAM’s designers to make a beautiful, functional, and highly configurable space for the driver and their passengers. From the locking storage boxes underneath the rear floor, to removable cupholders in the door pockets, to a configurable center console featuring sliding cupholders and wireless phone charging. The no-cost Indigo/Frost interior is especially striking, with bronze accents mixed in with the dark blue and cream leather. Sure, there are some cowboy-chic filigrees sewn into the leather in several spots, but they break up what would otherwise be flat panels. Even the speaker surrounds were sweated over, looking like CNC-machined aluminum pieces of art. It really is a nice place to be, whether cruising down the interstate or stuck in traffic.
And then you get to the center infotainment screen. It’s 12″ of vertically-oriented beauty, featuring sharp, full-color graphics, pinch to zoom and swipe controls like a smart phone, and is quick to respond to the slightest touch. It can be split into two, to show two of five “cards”, as FCA calls them. No longer will a passenger’s desire to change the radio station cause the driver to miss his or her turn. (turn-by-turn directions can also be displayed in the instrument cluster, but the map shows you which lane to be in for your next turn) In paying attention to even the tiniest details, even the app icons are smartened up – the climate control icon shows the fan speed and active vents when in manual mode. Details, details, details.
But that’s not the center stack’s only party trick. There are 5 toggle switches beneath the touch screen, which control the ride height, parking sensors, and more. The icons for these toggles are hidden and appear as piano black trim when the truck is off, but light up when the engine start button is pressed. Flanking the touch screen are hard buttons for controlling the climate controls in the truck, as well as volume and tuning knobs for the audio system. Thankfully, the designers recognize that knobs are best for these controls, instead of haptic sliders or up/down buttons.
Everywhere you look – and everything you touch – you find high quality materials. RAM boasts more leather and wood than Ford and Chevy combined, and I’m inclined to believe them. The aesthetic may contain several materials, but they all work together in a cohesive manner to present a truly luxurious space. No seams are visible in the plastics, and there are even hand-sewn leather covers on the front grab handles. The light interior colors lend an airy feel to the truck, combined with the massive panoramic sunroof, the front panel of which tilts up and slides back to allow in plenty of fresh air.
Directly in front of you as the driver is a steering wheel festooned with buttons. In a nod to FCA’s previous owner, Daimler, the audio controls are on the back of the steering wheel, hiding from prying eyes. These controls are easy to use, but necessitate moving the multifunction stalk further away from the steering wheel, which can be hard for drivers with smaller hands. That said, the stalk is solid in feel, detents are sure, and it’s like every control in the truck – easy to use, well-placed, and nice to operate.
Also in front of you is a unique take on the instrument cluster display. Like other high-end vehicles, the screen can display one of many main displays, but unlike any other I’ve experienced, the side bars, top bar, and four corners can be configured to display one of a plethora of data points. It allows for a more set-it-and-forget-it configuration where there’s less need to scroll through multiple screens to see oft-needed information. When towing, one corner can be the transmission temperature, while another can display the oil temperature – early indicators that the truck needs to slow down or risk overheating. The graphics on this screen are super sharp and utilize the full color palette – another nice touch. The one drawback to the instrument cluster is the actual physical gauges. While the tachometer is easily read, the speedometer is too busy, with too many MPH indicators spaced too closely. I have chosen to display the truck’s speed in the top bar of the instrument cluster screen, where it’s much easier to see. It’s a rare misstep in an otherwise very driver-friendly cabin.
The other big misstep is the manual tilt/telescope steering column, a power column being unavailable at any price. The RAM’s competitors offer it, and the pedal position, mirrors, and seats can all be saved to memory, why not the steering column? Those front seats, though? They’re heated, ventilated, and of course offer multiple power adjustments. Auto makers have moved away from advertising their seats as cooled in recent years, opting to remove the cooling function and keep the internal fans, to blow cabin air through them onto the occupant’s back and bottom. They work better than many “cooled” seats I’ve experienced, and on several occasions I’ve had to switch to a lower seat fan setting because my back gets too cold.
It’s not all about the driver though, with heated and ventilated outboard rear seats, which can also be reclined up to 7 degrees and folded up in a 60/40 split. Yep, trucks are evolving quickly, from workhorses to luxury cars with open beds on the back. There are also a bunch of USB ports for charging devices, with 2 pairs of USB/USB-C in the dash, 2 more pairs on the back of the center console, and one USB port in the lid of the center console storage area. There’s even a 400 watt power inverter to run laptop chargers and other small electronics, a plug for which can be found in the back of the center console. Speaking of power – if you run a radar detector or dash cam that requires 12 volt power, there’s a power port on top of the dash, above the infotainment screen. That’s great placement for cable management.
Rotating the gear selector knob from Park through Reverse and Neutral to Drive releases the automatic electronic parking brake and lets the truck move forward. It’s a satisfying motion. With short gearing (my truck is equipped with the $95 3.92 rear axle ratio, as opposed to the standard 3.21 RAR), 395 horses, 410lbft of torque on board, and a 48-volt motor/battery combo connected to the gas V8 via a drive belt, the truck more than gets out of its own way. It’s not the fastest half-ton truck on the market, but it acquits itself nicely in a straight line, producing an addictive V8 growl throughout the rev range. While the engine can easily get the truck motivated, the largest brakes in the segment (manufacturer claim; 14.9″ in diameter) are tasked with hauling 5,600+ lbs of truck down from speed. Unlike some reviewers, I found the brakes more than capable of doing their job, and I enjoy the somewhat soft initial pedal feel as it makes the brakes easy to modulate, leading to smoother but still confident stops.
One of the RAM’s biggest selling points is its smoothness, and in that there is no comparison. The 4-corner air suspension not only levels loads and prevents suspension sag when loaded down or towing, but provides a supremely comfortable ride over even the roughest pavement. Gone are the skyward-pointing headlights of a loaded-down truck. The transmission gets into the game too, an 8-speed ZF-sourced automatic. It’s a nice transmission, with good tuning. It’s easy to kick down 2 or 3 gears when power is needed, and up-shifts are done at the right time to prevent “hunting”. Shifts are further smoothed out by added torque from the eTorque system.
eTorque is RAM’s mild hybrid system, which uses the aforementioned motor and battery combo to assist the gas engine. It’s used to smooth out transmission shifts, provide low-RPM torque to get the truck moving, and allows for one of the best auto stop/start systems I’ve ever seen. At stop lights, with your foot on the brake pedal, the gas engine is shut off with only the slightest of thumps, and once the light turns green, the engine is restarted by the time you move your right foot from the brake to the gas pedal. It’s really unobtrusive, and should be the target for any of RAM’s competitors who are adding it to their own trucks. Even in stop-and-go traffic, the system never hiccups. Pro tip: to maximize engine-off time, turn off the A/C before coming to a stop. I’ve sat for 5-6 minutes at long lights with the engine off, reveling in knowing I just saved myself several ounces of fuel which otherwise would’ve been pure waste.
Handling, on the other hand, is not the RAM 1500’s strong suit. It’s a truck, after all. It wallows through turns on its air suspenders, but never feels out of control. There’s more body roll than in a coil-sprung truck, but that’s the down side of having such a smooth ride, loaded or empty. Traversing railroad tracks and pavement prepped for repaving, you barely know what’s under you. The tires will tell you, though, telegraphing the information through the steering wheel. This is surprising given the tires’ massive size (285/45/22 on optional 22″ wheels) and electronically-aided steering, which typically is numb. I’ve been surprised many times by the communicative nature of the steering.
Given that it’s a new vehicle, we all knew it would accelerate, steer, and stop, but the relative smoothness and solitude the Limited provides, with its laminated glass and active noise cancellation system, really makes it a nice, serene place to soak up the miles. Commutes are less stressful, the vehicle itself less frenetic and anxious to break traffic laws. Instead, it’s a truck that wants to coddle you, your passengers, and your cargo in comfort. The word that comes to mind is, serene. With the HVAC system and radio turned off, there’s only a little bit of wind and exhaust noise that gets into the cabin, and never intrusively. Recently I was driving down a tree-lined road with the windows down and I thought the truck was making a whining noise. Rolling up the windows made the noise completely disappear. When I got out of the truck, with the engine still running, I realized the sound was crickets just off the road. The word that comes to mind is Impressive.
Beyond the physical comforts, the safety and driver assistance technology adds to the peaceful nature of the truck. The adaptive cruise control (ACC), which will pace the car in front of you if they’re going slower than your set speed, takes a more human approach than first-generation systems, allowing your following distance to vary a small amount, and the lane keep assist (LKA) gently nudges the steering wheel to bring the truck back to the center of its lane. These features are just a couple parts of the $2,995 Level 1 Package, which also includes a 19-speaker Harmon/Kardon stereo (most peoples’ response: Seriously?!), forward and reverse collision warning/braking, and both parallel and perpendicular parking assist. In reality, I found the parallel parking a handy helper, but I can perpendicularly park the truck much faster than the computer can.
As for “truck stuff”, the RAM is a good choice for all but the hardest jobs. Loaded up with all the creature comforts, this truck’s payload is a paltry 1,320lbs, or about what a 2017 Audi Q7 can handle (seriously, I test drove one, and was shocked). It’s towing, however, is up there with the best at 11,250lbs. The limiting factor for most half-ton trucks is payload capacity anyway, so realistically, 9,000lbs or less is the sweet spot for the RAM 1500 and most of its competitors – anything higher on a regular basis should warrant a closer look at heavier-duty trucks.
Bed access is another sticking point, with the only option available being a deployable bed step. It’s a smallish step that hides underneath the driver’s side corner of the rear bumper, but in actual use it’s quite handy, and the RAM’s bed features a stake pocket at the rear corner which can be used as a grab handle. Those with bad joints like myself will appreciate the step, even if it’s not as nice as Ford’s tailgate step (which is wider and features an actual grab handle) or GMC’s MultiPro tailgate (which I think is overly complicated and has its own drawbacks). A plus for the RAM though, is that its bed step can be used with the tailgate up or down, with a trailer attached or not. After having used it many times already, I can attest to its usefulness, and despite what my wife says, I like it.
With the air suspension in Entry/Exit mode, the tailgate isn’t much more than 2 feet off the ground, making for a crossover-like load height. This makes lifting heavy objects into the truck’s bed even easier, helping to fight the trend of ever-taller trucks. It also makes it easier to hook up to a trailer. Simply back up the hitch to the trailer, lower the truck, get your hitch ball underneath the coupler, and raise the truck to get the ball into the coupler. No more shifting the trailer to get it to drop onto the ball. This and the included backup camera with a center hitch line really aid in one-person towing. No need for a spotter or tennis balls on poles to help line everything up.
OK, so I’ve listed half the spec sheet and gushed over the niceties of this truck, but is there anything that’s not to like about it? Like almost all trucks, its EPA-rated mileage could be more accurate for the bed/cab/drivetrain/trim level, since only certain configurations are tested. In the case of this truck, the EPA rates it at 17/22/19 combined, but with the shorter gearing and loaded-down Limited trim, I expect to get 17 MPGs combined once the engine and drivetrain are broken in. I’ll report back in my quarterly updates as to what I’m really getting, as per usual.
There’s also the quirks found in the electronics, as usual. Today’s vehicles are more and more computer-driven, which leads to automakers playing software company and issuing periodic updates. Sometimes the air suspension forgets that you lowered it from the key fob, so it doesn’t automatically raise itself to Normal ride height as you speed up, and there’s an intermittent bug in the Navigation display that when the touch screen is in split-screen mode, the map is displayed like it’s in full-screen mode. Using the on-screen icon to swap the screens and then back again, the map is displayed properly. These are quite easy to forgive, but the voice commands are not. At least half the time, it fails to recognize my voice or command, the worst performance I’ve had from any vehicle I’ve owned. The voice commands themselves are partially to blame since they’re less intuitive than in competitors’ systems.
Then there’s the online forums. For most vehicles, there’s at least one active online community of owners. There’s a mix of uses for these web sites, from showing off pictures of your ride, to what modifications you have planned or have made, and of course, complaints. In that last regard, there are a few. Early-build trucks suffered from problems with the eTorque system and glitchy 12″ touch screens, but the overall biggest complaint is the A/C performance, or lack thereof. Without getting into all of the technical details here, suffice it to say that a number of 2019 RAM 1500 owners feel let down by their trucks’ A/C, going so far as to do home remedies to get the temperatures in their cabins to a comfortable level. I can thankfully say that my truck’s A/C works fine for me and seems no worse or better than my previous two trucks.
At the end of the day, what RAM’s engineers and designers have done is create a world-class truck aimed squarely at the rising demographic of the 1/2-ton truck buyer – the person who wants it all – and paid attention to all the little details that matter. Simultaneously, they’re snubbing their noses at the numbers game trend of having the biggest numbers, whether they be horsepower, torque, towing, or hauling. All this at a price that while seemingly ridiculous at $69,585 as tested, including $1,695 for destination, is right in line or even cheaper than its competition while offering better amenities and a much nicer interior. Styling is subjective, of course, but to my eyes it’s a handsome wrapper and just icing on the cake. The truck world is on notice. By looking at the sales numbers, buyers are noticing too, even ones as loyal as myself to competitors’ products. Check back quarterly to see how my stewardship of this RAM 1500 Limited is going. In the mean time, I’ll be doing my best to test this truck in all of its roles, from commuter and road-tripper to tower to hauler. I am continuously impressed by the interior and driving comfort of the RAM.
As-Tested:
Year: 2019
Make: RAM
Model: 1500 4×4 Crew Cab Limited
EPA Fuel Mileage: 17/22/19 City/Highway/Combined
Base Price: $56,740
Options:
$200: Billet Silver exterior paint
$195: Body-color bumper group
$2,995: Level 1 Equipment group (19–Speaker Harman Kardon® Premium Sound; Adaptive Cruise Control w/Stop & Go; Advanced Brake Assist; Full–Speed Forward Collision Warning Plus; Lane Keep Assist; Parallel & Perpendicular Park–Assist w/Stop; Ventilated Rear Seats; Surround–View Camera (N/A w/Trailer–Tow Mirrors) )
$95: 3.92 Rear Axle Ratio
$495: Anti-spin Differential Rear Axle
$2,645: 5.7–Liter V8 HEMI® MDS VVT eTorque Engine
$1,495: Panoramic Sunroof
$195: Deployable Bed Step
$445: 33-gallon Fuel Tank
$2,095: 22–Inch x 9–Inch Polished Painted Wheels w/Inserts; 285/45R22XL BSW All–Season Tires
$295: Trailer Brake Control
No-cost options:
Indigo/Frost Interior
Destination: $1,695
Total As-Tested Price: $69,585
by John Suit