My Thanksgiving Holiday with a Ram 1500

[MikeNH]

I flew from Detroit to Boston on Tuesday and walked the National lot looking for a 4x4, knowing a strong winter storm was barreling it's way up the east coast. I ended up with a 2014 Ram 1500 Big Horn.

 

 

The exterior styling of Ram pickups has been distinctive for twenty years now and this latest generation is a looker. I'm not usually a fan of chrome trim bits, something the Big Horn trim level specifically adds but it all works very well with this stunning dark blue color. The Big Horn trim also adds the dual exhaust that is cleanly integrated into the rear bumper. The tailgate (which conveniently locks with the doors) is not dampened in any way so when opening and closing it, you are moving the entire weight with no mechanical assists. I suspect the tailgate is not likely heavier than those used on trucks in the past but given that most other trucks do include some sort of mechanical assist device, the weight can be a bit of a surprise.

 

Ram trucks definitely sit up higher than their GM counterparts but thankfully assist handles are included on all four corners (this truck was a "quad", or extended cab) which made getting into the truck easier. The Big Horn trim is about mid-level in the Ram lineup, most similar to a GM truck in LT or SLE trim. It includes the usual power windows, locks and mirrors with the windows offering auto up and down on the front two doors. This truck did have the base gauge cluster which only has physical gauges for the speedometer, tachometer, fuel level and coolant temp. However, a tremendous amount of information is available in the black and white info screen in the center of the cluster, including a nice gauge summary page which shows just about everything you would want to keep an eye on. The infotainment unit is controlled through a 5" touch screen with USB and auxiliary ports located in the flip down center armrest/console. There is no CD player (this is optional). Despite being the smaller of the two UConnect systems Ram offers at this level, the 5" unit works well, displaying album art and making navigation of the music stored on my iPhone quick and simple. The unit was able to quickly index the nearly 2000 songs on my phone. The driver seat is fully power adjustable and it seems like the seat would remain comfortable on long trips.

 

This Ram was equipped with the 5.7 liter Hemi engine and the new 8-speed automatic. Given that it is a rental with minimal additional options, I suspect it has the 3.21 axle gears. This is one of the nicest powertrain combinations I've driven- the 5.7 V8 has extremely strong power off the line and the ZF transmission is quick to shift to a lower gear when needed to provide strong passing power (and an absolutely intoxicating, if not a bit too soft) growl out of the dual tailpipes. Like GM and Ford, the Ram lets you lock out upper gear ratios if desired and in town I do exactly that to keep the engine RPMs up slightly. The 5.7 uses what Ram calls Displacement on Demand, similar to GM's AFM. While not as well masked as the current GM trucks, the Ram does run smoother in 4-cyl mode than my 2011 did before I disabled AFM. The word "ECO" appears on the info center to let you know you're in the fuel-saving mode. It does seem like the Ram is able to stay in this mode under more circumstances than my 2011, similar to the 2014+ GM pickups are able to keep AFM on for longer. As most know, the Ram does use a rotary knob for gear selection and while I still think this interface is a bit strange, I have been able to get used to it and unlike the Chrysler 200 I drove this past fall, I have not accidentally grabbed another knob while blindly reaching for the transmission control. Even at highway speeds, the Ram's interior remains quiet and the coil spring rear suspension does provide a very comfortable ride.

 

Overall I have been quite impressed with the Ram this week, it has proven to be a good foul-weather vehicle while running between my hotel and my parent's home for Thanksgiving and while visiting friends before I fly home tomorrow.

[j-ten-ner]

Thanks for the write up.

Doesn't hurt to experience the competition once in a while...

 

so long

j-ten-ner

[galliher_nc]

I rented the exact same truck (only black) from Enterprise several months ago, I thought it felt incredibly cheap compared to the LT Silverado's I've driven.

[MikeNH]

I rented the exact same truck (only black) from Enterprise several months ago, I thought it felt incredibly cheap compared to the LT Silverado's I've driven.

I can see where you're coming from I guess. The dash top is hard plastic compared to the soft touch material in GMs but I think the same whole trend of soft touch materials is a bit overblown anyhow. The dash looks good still and it's not like I'll be touching it often so to me the soft material seems like an added upkeep headache. I did forget to mention that the otherwise real handy pullout drawer under the radio absolutely does feel cheap and troublesome (it takes a good tug to open).

[KMGZ400]

They are nice trucks. The big horn interior (or whatever the top line one is) way nicer then the plasticy midlevel interor or. I personally don't like the styling or interiors and would never buy one but after being around a few for a while I can't say they are bad

[2017SierraSLT]

I'd get one over a Ford, but they leave me unimpressed as a whole. However, they have come a LONG way from the previous generation, with the exception of the coil spring rear suspension.

[blackout07]

Good write up. They're nice enough trucks but I can't get past that front end enough to even consider looking inside.

[kstruckcountry]

Laramie is the high end trim, big horn is middle of the line. To me the Dodge diesels are great work trucks, they don't look too bad, but aren't nice enough that you feel bad about beating them up.

[Mike-1000]

I have co-worker who just bought a '14 Dodge Tradesman (lowest trim) RCLB that has a few options. I'm pretty surprised you did not have the tailgate assist as his does as well as the fob locking tailgate. If you open the tailgate and feel along the back edge (bottom edge if up) you will find an access hole near where the wiring goes into the tailgate. If you feel around in there you should feel a torsion rod running lengthwise. If it's not there you don't have assist and if it is there, it's not working. With the assist, the tailgate feels very light going up or down.

 

He also has the Hemi and it moves pretty well. He did have it in the shop for an ABS system code an got a top level trim loaner. His truck has the same dash as you described with an XM radio but the loaner did have all four gauges in the cluster (around the speedo and tach) along with the nav head unit. His truck is much quieter (road noise) than my '13 2500 HD 4x but since his is 2wd I'll be the one pulling him out of the ditch when the snow flies.;-)

 

Mike

[Big Whiskey]

Thanks for an unbiased write up. It's nice to know what GM's competition has to offer. They're nice trucks.

[Colossus]

Leave it to Dodge to name their top of the line package in a truck after a crappy city in Wyoming. At least Chevy named their bottom/base package in their trucks the "Cheyenne" trim for many years. Very fitting of that city as well. Bottom of the line.

[MikeNH]

Leave it to Dodge to name their top of the line package in a truck after a crappy city in Wyoming. At least Chevy named their bottom/base package in their trucks the "Cheyenne" trim for many years. Very fitting of that city as well. Bottom of the line.

 

How it it any different than Ford using Lariat as their top trim for years? That's a fancy name for a rope lasso. Or on the SUVs the name of a wanna-be outdoors outfitter (Eddie Bauer)? Or Chevy, for using Silverado (silver being second tier to gold and yes, I do realize Caddy already had dips on Elderado). It's all marketing fluff. People see western themes as rugged/tough/whatever and that stuff sells.

 

But the winner here has to be the Tundra with the 1794 Edition. 1794 was the year a ranch that once was on the factory's land was founded. Maybe "Sorry About Your Ranch Edition" wouldn't fit on the tailgate?

[galliher_nc]

They are nice trucks. The big horn interior (or whatever the top line one is) way nicer then the plasticy midlevel interor or. I personally don't like the styling or interiors and would never buy one but after being around a few for a while I can't say they are bad

Laramie Longhorn is their High Country/King Ranch/1794 competitor and Laramie Limited is their Denali/Platinum competitor.

Leave it to Dodge to name their top of the line package in a truck after a crappy city in Wyoming. At least Chevy named their bottom/base package in their trucks the "Cheyenne" trim for many years. Very fitting of that city as well. Bottom of the line.

What have you got against Wyoming?

[f8l vnm]

Another happy 8 speed story. I can't wait to get rid of my 6 speed for a new sierra 8 speed.

[MikeNH]

Another happy 8 speed story. I can't wait to get rid of my 6 speed for a new sierra 8 speed.

 

 

Honestly for the past few months I have rolled my eyes at the people clamoring for the 8-speed as this spring I drove a Ram in Alberta that was a crew cab SLT but otherwise similar for the powertrain and it did not drive well at all. It was a monster off the line but it seemed to stumble on the limited amount of highway driving I did. And I also learned a fullsize pickup was a horrible rental choice for a tight downtown hotel parking lot. But running to visit family and friends last week I put about 500 miles on this one and I was blown away. Granted the weather ended up sucking for a good portion of the visit (the northeast got hit by a decent snow storm) but merging onto the highways or romping on it from a stop was a blast. The transmission shifted extremely quick yet still smooth (personally I don't mind being shoved around a bit by a firm shift but I know a production vehicle can't do such things, it'll upset the customers who are appliance-buyers) and the exhaust sounds fantastic on top of it. I did manage to get bested by the shifter knob a couple times but I suspect it's one of those things you'd get used to. Thankfully it's not like the Chrysler 200 rental I had- it's rotary shifter is up with the radio and heater controls. The Ram one is off by itself.