Motor Trend Names Ram 1500 Truck Of The Year For 2019

[Gorehamj]

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
11-28-2018

 

This one hurts, but we saw it coming a mile away. In a year that GM has introduced a great new generation of trucks, Ram seems to be taking home the lion's share of awards. The latest is Motor Trend's Truck of the Year Award. Before you assume Motor Trend is biased toward one brand or another, let us tell you we looked back and GM trucks have won the TOTY award in 2016, 2015, 2011, 2008, 2002, 2001, 1999, 1996, 1995 and 1979. The long list and varied winners indicted to us that what Motor Trend primarily looks for is a change agent type of vehicle. Something that stands out from the norm, not necessarily just the best overall brand of trucks. 

MT says about this year's award, "Our 2019 Truck of the Year should give pause to prospective Blue Oval loyalists (or buyers of any truck, for that matter) because there isn't a truck out there that so precisely hits the diverse needs of the segment better than the 2019 Ram 1500." This particular introduction to the award hit home for the GM-Trucks.com staff. Last week, we attended an event set up by Ram for the New England Auto Press Association. Ram's outstanding support team brought out the new 2019 Ram Limited and also a North Edition (a Big Horn Trim). Ram did this so that they could show us the North Edition, which was developed after Ram specifically listened to the needs of truck testers who live in the snow belt. Folts like Zane and Josh at GM-Trucks.com who live in the white stuff and own truck and know trucks. 

Contrast this with GM skipping the Texas Truck Rodeo this year. How could they skip the biggest truck testing event in North America in a year they launch an all-new truck? You have to play in order to win, as they say. GM's support for the media and testers seems to have diminished in the recent few years to the point where members looking for trucks to test are pretty much on their own and need to rent or test drive vehicles at dealerships. Meanwhile, Ford has provided NEMPA with two Raptors in the past six months.  

Enough inside baseball. Ram is deserving of praise for many reasons. One is its air suspension ride. Simply put, it is the most comfortable truck ride we have ever experienced. Next up, novel engine options that add both torque and fuel economy. Finally, the ginormous infotainment screen available in the Ram. In a class of vehicles where everything from the HVAC knobs to the tires are big for the sake of being big, Ram seems to get that bigger is better. And the Ram is a looker too. "Best-in-class: sophisticated without going over the top," editor-in-chief of MT Ed Loh says. "I love the styling," road test editor Chris Walton said, eyeing the Ram 1500 Rebel. "It's like the Viper of Rams." MT's Features Editor, Scott Evans, said. "This is a luxury interior. Look at this wood! This leather! The metal, stitching, design, attention to detail! The leather on the grab handles! Cadillac could learn a thing or two by spending an afternoon in this cabin."

We are GM fans here, and we are not saying we agree with MT's pick, but the reasons that other brands are taking home so many trophies are apparent to us from both a product and also a support perspective. Ram deserves congratulations for hitting both sides of the coin. 

 

You can check out the full Motor Trend story on the Ram 1500 Truck of the Year win at this link.

[Sierra Dan]

Good O'le Truck of the year from FCA.....

 

 

[pickmeup]

Good old Ram taking all the awards and accolades. Mean while GM comes out with all new look and materials and gets kicked in the teeth. These journalists are brutal on GM.

[Colossus]

5 hours ago, Gorehamj said:

This one hurts

Respectfully, no it does not hurt at all.  GM built a piece of shit with the 2019 compared to the others and they have work to do.  Let's hope they swallow their pride and get down to doing the work before GM sinks any further into the crap bowl that they are in right now. 

[PhantomSierra16]

7 hours ago, Sierra Dan said:

Good O'le Truck of the year from FCA.....

 

 

LMAO as If GM doesn't have bucket kickers themselves 

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2018/11/2019-chevrolet-silverado-trail-boss-breaks-down-at-detroit-red-wings-game/

[Sierra Dan]

Of course they do, but GM did not win Truck of the Year.

I posted this Redwings game Trail Boss breakdown on it's own thread yesterday.

The truck probably ran out of gas.

[Chevyguy85]

2200+ miles and counting in my rental 1500 Ram Tradesman and no major problems.  Gas mileage is a lot less than I expected though, I was also surprised the Hemi isn't flex fuel.  GM has been slacking for a while now.  I despise the shifter knob thingie in the Ram.

[BigBlueLB756]

It looks a hell of a lot better than the previous "issue".

[Colossus]

For every issue we point out about the other brands, they can turn around and laugh at GM for likewise issues. 

[Jsdirt]

On 11/29/2018 at 1:04 PM, Gorehamj said:

 

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
11-28-2018

 

This one hurts, but we saw it coming a mile away. .....

I called this one quite some time ago. 

[Doug_Scott]

On 11/29/2018 at 2:30 PM, Sierra Dan said:

Good O'le Truck of the year from FCA.....

 

 

Wonder what happens if you turn the knob slower. Perhaps the way he is flicking the know is creating the issue.  Many decades ago my father was a salesman for a manufacturer of programmable controllers on small size manufacturers.  There was one process that would load 16ft long 10" diameter ABS pipes into a heating cabinet that would heat about a foot of the pipe then expand it.  Problem was the machine would try to double load the cabinet.  It was a Saturday so I went in with my father just out of interest sake.  I stood at the back of the machine, near the pipes, watching them load.  The jaw that grabbed the pipe was supposed to hit a micro switch that signaled it was ready to load.  Whoever set it up initially had the tab not just trip the switch, it went past the micros witch completely, and that was like someone flicking the switch with their fingertip, causing it to double trigger.  A simple adjustment fixed it.  I realize this is not ever going to be seen by the guy in the video, but you would be surprised how some things can be so simple to fix. 

 

I have had so many quick fix for what was supposed to be major issues I wouldn't be able to count them.  This the main reason I don't let internet bashing impact my decisions. 

[Nargg]

I sat in one of these at a car show a month or so ago.  It is VERY impressive interior wise.  That back seat is better than any luxury back seat I've ever sat in.  GM should take note, both on seats AND on technology.  I was afraid the 12" screen would be overkill, but it's really not.  The side buttons save it from being a mess.  While you can control everything on screen, you don't have to as most high use items have a button beside the screen.  Lots of thought on the design here.  Small things too like plugs, and room in the console is far better than GM or Ford.  However, quality complaints are already showing RAM is still far behind the other 2 on build quality.  This video cracks me up.  Check out the window trim issues:  

 

[Lgetz]

Irrespective of quality/build issues on the Ram their interiors are in a different league altogether.  WTF was GM's design team thinking?  Interior styling is tepid and material quality on higher trims looks Cheapo Repo in comparison.  Get with the effing program and poach the persons responsible for either Volvo, Audi, Hyundai, Mercedes Benz, BMW, or RAM interiors and have them rework the Silverado/Sierra ASAP.  

Don't expect Truck of The Year voting to be any kinder to next year's redesigned HD trucks.

[SteveC]

I am struggling with what I will get in the next 6 months or so. I like my 2017 White GMC Sierra SLE Crew Cab. I would like a little more interior style and quality. My wife's 2016 Charger has a nicer interior than most GM products. Leather, heated/ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, etc. which many have, but also nice ambient lighting, a nicer radio with things like favorite artist alert. Displays album cover, little things like that. To my knowledge, even the Denali doesn't do things like that. The interior looks the same from my 2017 to the new 2019. 

 

I am not in love with the new wheel well shape. I just don't know that I want a new GMC or even Silverado. I am not a Ford fan (except for Mustangs) so that's not an option at this point. I know Dodge as QC issues, but my wife's 2016 Charger has been a great car. Fun to drive, looks sexy for her and has some get up and go. Once they get the "kinks" that any new model has worked out, I may have to look at a Ram. I want a nice interior. 

 

Honestly, if I didn't need to haul kids and stuff, I'd just bu a Mustang and deal with the 15-20 days a year where I can't drive until later in the day because of snow and waiting for streets to get plowed.

[Jsdirt]

I don't think there's a vehicle manufactured in the 21st Century that DOESN'T have QC issues. Things get missed by the manufacturers, AND the dealers quite often these days. 

 

Right off the showroom floor - 40 MILES on the clock - my '07 Silverado lost half it's right side door trim, and had brakes that pulsated like a 300k beater. My brother's '16 Ram has had rusty bumpers, leaking differential seals, leaking struts, and an e-brake that was so far out of adjustment, the cable was hanging below the frame rail! I noticed all this on MY lift  - the day prior it was in for warranty work, and a "35-point inspection".

 

I guess all 35 points were on someone else's vehicle ...