Geez, has it been 3 more months already? Yup, so that means it’s time for an update. This time the RAM has been on a good road trip (500+ miles round trip), encountered some inclement weather, driven in the cold, and hauled some good loads. Let’s dive in!
Stats: Time Period: 11/4/2019 – 2/3/2020 Miles Driven: 3,931 / 10,144 (this update / total) (2,907 in previous update) Average MPG: 16.0 mpg (reported by on-board computer)
Costs: Maintenance Costs: $0.00 Repairs: $0.00 Total Cost (non-fuel): $0.00 Services Performed:
- 2/1/2020 – Oil change, tire rotation.
Summary:
Seriously? Another dealership visit that only involved an oil change and tire rotation? Yep – this RAM 1500 is treating me nicely. Sure, the last visit included a recall, but that is a far cry from needing something repaired. This past quarter saw what I believe is the most miles ever recorded for a single update, at a shade under 4,000. The RAM wasn’t sitting still for long, that’s for sure! Shortly after the start of the quarter, it was time for a Thanksgiving road trip. This involved some snow, sleet, rain, and winds so powerful they whistled through the door seals. It was biblical, but the RAM handled it with aplomb. Small steering inputs kept the truck in its lane, despite the crosswinds blowing smaller vehicles across entire lanes on the highway. My gas mileage on that trip got obliterated, which I expected, but overall has increased slightly from new. The truck did its job – it handled everything Mother Nature could throw at us and kept us safe.
Since my last update, the touch screen hasn’t experienced any more hiccups, but the voice recognition continues to be annoying at best and useless at worst. As I reported earlier, it works well for changing satellite radio stations and making phone calls, but the navigation commands still elude me. To be honest, I haven’t had a ton (ok, any) free time to play with it to see what works. That and Android Auto are on my list of things to tinker with, but testing of the latter has been delayed due to a faulty phone cord. Oops.
Recently, I got a chance to really load the truck up with stuff. Dozens of cases of water, sodas, candy bars, and chips. All in all, I guesstimate that there were 800-1,000lbs of stuff in the bed and cab, and the bed itself was packed. The truck simply didn’t care that it was loaded down. The engine showed no signs of stress, the suspension adjusted itself to account for the extra weight, and the brakes worked just fine at slowing the truck. This was a load probably more in-line with what typical luxury truck owners use their trucks for, so it’s a good example of what to expect. About those brakes: reviews I’ve read on the new RAM 1500 deride the brakes for a squishy pedal with too much travel. I’ve found the opposite with my truck. The brakes respond quite well to progressive pressure and it doesn’t take much travel at all before they bite and start slowing you down. As the odometer continues to spin, the brakes seem to be getting better, and it’s the first vehicle I’ve had in a long time that didn’t suffer from warped rotors in the first 10,000 miles.
As the glitz and newness wear off and I settle into daily use of my RAM, more little things pop out at me. The neat trick up the transmission’s sleeve of downshifting with a stab of the brake pedal, for instance. When headed downhill at surface street speeds (read: 30mph), a quick stab of the brakes will cause the truck to downshift, preventing speeding. Do it again, and another downshift occurs. Handy on less-than-ideal surfaces, like the one on my way to pick up my kids from daycare. Some more things that stand out are the sounds, both from the engine and stereo. The V8 rumble is fantastic and not too loud, nor does it drone at highway speeds. The stereo’s speakers have fully broken in now, and sound great. No vehicular sound system beats the one I had on my 2009 Lincoln MKS, but this is a close second. I still don’t know where all the speakers are, but with 19 of them, the sound stage is better than most. The noise cancelling does a great job at keeping unwanted noises at bay, too.
While we’re on the subject of senses, let’s talk sight. Or in this case, how the RAM aids yours. At night, the LED headlights are BRIGHT! Oncoming drivers have flashed their high beams at me several times (something RAM addressed with the 2020 1500s), but really, these headlights are fantastic. The beam is broad enough and lights everything you’d want to see. I’ve even noticed the adaptive headlights a few times – the headlights turn with the steering wheel. It’s a pretty neat feature. The other light-related item is the backup camera. Night vision on backup cameras is typically poor. The 2015+ F-150 has an LED light next to its camera to aid it in low light situations, but the RAM’s camera is simply amazing. Details are easy to pick out and the picture is super clear.
Moving on, the feel of the truck needs some work, but I’m really nitpicking here. A naturally-aspirated engine needs more revs to make power than a turbocharged one, and the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 is no different – it really wakes up north of 4,500 RPMs. Hit those higher numbers and the truck really scoots, but it could use a Sport mode to make wringing it out easier. Everyday acceleration is smooth and adequate, but emergency maneuvers like passing a distracted driver require more of a stab to the go pedal than I’d like. The HEMI seems to spend more time in 4-cylinder mode (MDS – Multiple Displacement System) now that it’s got some more mileage on it, and the auto stop/start system continues to impress me – both good things.
Also on the nitpicking front is the HVAC system. Its programming could use a little refinement – namely the cold-start situation. In colder weather, before the engine has warmed up and is providing hot air for the heater, the HVAC system insists on blowing cold air around the truck’s cabin. My previous truck had this handled – it knew when the engine was warm enough to provide warm air, and didn’t run the blower until then. C’mon RAM, it’s automatic climate control for a reason!
Overall, I’m still loving the new truck, and it continues to serve me well – let’s hope it keeps up! See you all in three more months!
by John Suit