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October 9, 2008 11:45 AM PDT
2009 Dodge Ram is tough outside, tech inside
Read the full 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 review.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)When we first laid eyes on the Dodge Ram, a few words came to mind: gargantuan, behemoth, colossal. The words that didn't immediately come to mind when the big ol' truck rolled into the CNET garage were "high" or "tech." However, after--literally--climbing into the Ram's cab and spending some time behind the wheel, we found a surprising amount of drive-train tech and, more surprisingly, some very sophisticated cabin tech.
Satellite TV, a hard drive-based audio system, and in-vehicle Wi-Fi are just some of the ambitious, if unrefined, tricks the Dodge Ram has up its sleeve.
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You can't tell farmers and construction workers and people living in mountainous woodsy areas to go get a Prius.
They should have 6 to 10 things they can do quickly to shift the balance: 1) Pull pounds out through better alloys or lighter sound deadener 2) Re-gear the axles to favor mileage over power 3) Re-valve for Atkinson cycle gas 4) Quick approval for Euro spec vehicles including diesels 5) Lower rolling resistance tires 5) Gear skip in the transmission - like the 'Vette 6 speed going up faster to keep rpm down.
That's my quick take without any nuanced thought. I'm sure they can do better.
They have themselves to blame for being caught unawares. They are paid the big bucks to anticipate this and having happened twice already - it's real hard to feel sorry for them.
I know it makes little to no sense to shell out big bucks for a new truck unless it's well into the 20's or more on economy. I'd be asking for trouble to be stuck with a new expensive guzzler when it happens again -- and gas prices shoot up. Besides how many dollars do I really want to give to the Middle East?
The problem isn't so much that the truck exists, because it exists to serve a purpose. The problem is that people want to buy a honkin' huge truck with a big ol' HEMI and use it as a commuter vehicle. There is someone who needs this engine--I used the example of a contractor in my review--but most people aren't contractors, farmers, or yacht owners.
We as consumers need to be more realistic about our actual needs in a vehicle and not let our eyes get bigger than our checkbooks.