We drove a $69,000 RAM 1500 pickup truck that rivals the Chevy Silverado and the Ford F-150 — here are its coolest features
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We drove a $69,000 RAM 1500 pickup truck that rivals the Chevy Silverado and the Ford F-150 — here are its coolest features
We drove a $69,000 RAM 1500 pickup truck that rivals the Chevy Silverado and the Ford F-150 — here are its coolest features
Apr 18, 2019 / by Mathew DeBord
We drove a $69,000 RAM 1500 pickup truck that rivals the Chevy Silverado and the Ford F-150 — here are its coolest features
Matthew DeBord
Apr. 18, 2019, 10:23 AM
It's a nice truck! Matthew DeBord/BI
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The 2019 RAM 1500 is the truck maker's all-new entry in the full-size-pickup wars, taking on the mighty Ford F-150 and the Chevy Silverado.
The RAM 1500 I reviewed was a "Laramie Longhorn" edition with a stout Hemi V8.
This luxurious pickup was also packed with cool features.
The all-new RAM 1500 pickup truck recently triumphed in a face-off against another newcomer to the ultra-competitive US scene: the equally all-new Chevy Silverado.
(In case you were wondering, the mighty Ford F-150 was redesigned a few years ago, and we haven't checked it out since then, so stay tuned.)
In my rundown of the RAM's advantages, I noted that we tested a flashy, upmarket "Laramie Longhorn" edition, more than $10,000 costlier than the Chevy. But I also said the RAM 1500 was the best pickup I'd driven in quite a while.
Because our tester was extremely well equipped, verging on a luxury vehicle, it was packed with cool goodies. I played around with all of them. Pickups are already a cornucopia of extras — that's why the automakers can make so much money on them — but our Longhorn RAM 1500 took the matter to a different level.
Here's a rundown of all the awesome features.
The RAM 1500 is Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' all-new entry into the Great American Pickup-Truck Wars.
Matthew DeBord/BI
I tested a Western-themed "Laramie Longhorn" edition, with a genuine four-wheel-drive setup and a short bed. This 5,400-pounder can tow 12,750 pounds.
1. The new Ram has lost none of its aggressive design, so cool feature No. 1 is that bold grille.
2. The RAM logo is equally aggressive.
3. Under the hood we find a stonking 5.7-liter V8 Hemi engine.
A mild hybrid "eTorque" system is coupled to the 5.7-liter V8, making a total of 395 horsepower with 410 pound-feet of torque. The 0-60 mph time is about six seconds. Fuel economy is OK: 17 mpg city/22 highway/19 combined.
5. The four-wheel-drive system is robust ...
... though I didn't get to truly put it through its paces. (I did power through some heavy snowfall.)
6. The RAM has no shifter. Instead, you use a space-saving knob, where you also control the four-wheel-drive setup. The RAM 1500 has an eight-speed automatic transmission.
7. The key fob has a few tricks in store.
If you look closely, you can see the buttons for remote start ...
... and the remote tailgate!
It works like a charm!
8. There's a step bumper for climbing into and out of the bed.
9. The automatically retracting running boards make accessing the crew cab effortless. Plus, the pickup's air suspension can raise and lower the truck.
10. Longhorn touches are spread throughout the pickup ...
... sharing space with textured leather details and some lovely open-grain wood trim.
11. These rear-seat pouches/saddle bags would be over the top in anything but this truck.
12. The RAM 1500 also has abundant storage, such as this dashboard tray ...
... and of course there are cupholders!
13. The panoramic moonroof is a particularly impressive feature. It really lets the light in.
14. The 12-inch center touchscreen is stunning. FCA's Uconnect infotainment system is excellent. GPS navigation is solid, Bluetooth pairing is a snap, and there are USB/AUX ports for device charging.
15. The "mountain brown/light mountain brown" interior was the nicest I've experienced in a pickup in the past few years. Seats are heated and cooled.
The rear seats were a roomy, bench-style design.
All in all, the premium interior of the RAM 1500 in Laramie Longhorn trim made the almost $70,000 price tag seem worth it.
17. The trim on the gauges looks like tooled silver, and the steering wheel — which is heated — has both leather wrapping and wood trim.
The 2019 Ram 1500 is a stupendous truck — and if you opt for the feature-rich Laramie Longhorn package, you're going to be a happy pickup owner.
