Dodge Ram 1500 - 2009 Review

I've been driving a 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 for most of the past week. I'm very impressed by the improvements Dodge has made to this truck for '09, but it's still a huge gas hog that's hard to park, handles miserably, isn't particularly safe, and has human factors engineering that's a few years behind state of the art.

Styling is the Ram's strong point this year. The new front end is very slick and very macho. The inset effect almost gives it the look of a shark getting ready to take a chomp out of the little SmartCar driving econo-misers. 17" alloy wheels look good and capable, and I think the 6 foot bed is usable for most work truck applications (though 8 foot is definitely preferred by any real working man).

Inside, the ride is stone silent quiet. You hardly hear the engine and the ride is practically Cadillac smooth. This bears testament to Dodge's catering to a family market that has no honest need for a truck but that doesn't mind irresponsible driving while it's still possible.

The seats are a bit rough on the texture but it the quad cab can seat 6 with ease (and a fair amount of comfort). Leg room is somewhat tight in the back, but it's adequate if the front seat passengers move the seat up just a squidge. Comort features are good in the front seat and poor in the back seat (not even an AC power adapter in back?!?)

Ergonomics are fairly poor. The instrument cluster is much too busy and lacks usable labeling. Placement is thoughtless and the central info panel annoying any time, but downright dangerously so at night when it seems to light up in neon blue. The steering wheel controls are badly labeled, and to be honest, I never did figure out what they do: they didn't seem to control either the stereo nor the cruise control. Cruise controls are placed in just about the silliest, most inconsiderate place possible --- there's a little lever at the lower right segment of the steering wheel, actually mounted TO the wheel so it moves around the dial as you turn the wheel. Getting the cruise to engage is extremely difficult and to work the accelerate or decelerate lever requires taking your hand off the wheel for unacceptably long periods. Interior materials are not very high quality, though the fit and finish is noticeably better than past Dodge vehicles I've driven.

I'm unimpressed with the safety features on this truck. No center seat shoulder straps, front or rear. NHTSA rates this vehicle only 3 stars for side impact (most pickups have poor body integrity in a collision, and this seems to be one that isn't as strong as a passenger car with a unibody construction). Also, rear visibility is extremely poor when backing up and while many SUVs nowadays have backup cameras, this pickup does not (though the same child backover risk exists with pickups as with SUVs).

Overall, the Dodge Ram is a very comfortable, capable pickup truck. It's no fun to drive though, handling like a giant log. It's hard to park and it gets terrible gas mileage.

I was glad for the chance to drive Dodge's newest, and best Ram ever. Don't want one though...