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I went to look at the 2011 RAM, but they did not have any at the dealership. However I did learn about them and they seem phenomenal. Online they were designate the best of the 2011 full size trucks and seemingly for good reason. They have an improved suspension, a very good engine (although the 4/6/8/ technology bothers me. Too much to break. I would prefer to give up 2 mpg.) They were said t be very comfortable and well finished inside. The 390 H.P. Hemi engine gets better mileage than the v6 option. They have some very creative storage options which is a huge drawback of pickup trucks in my opinion.
THe only negatives seem to be that the v6 engine is terrible, the transmission is only 5 speed instead of 6 like the others (but still does fine except for very heavy towing) and the side wall storage box covers are very cheaply made and likely to break before too long.
Since they should soon be massively marked down to make room for the new model year, I might consider getting one. If I can find a dealership that has some. I do not see anything coming out in 2012 that woudl make me wish that I had waited.
One odd thing I found online at the "build your vehicle" site was that certain options required that you choose only a white truck (I hate white as a color for vehicles). The dealer said that this is untrue. It also said that I could not have a rear window defroster if I got a sunroof. Dealer said this was also untrue. (I hope they are correct. If not, it would nto be the first time that option limitations dissuaded me from buying a new vehicle).
Does anyone have one; or have you looked at them? Anything to add?
Also it is still a Dodge. Does anyone have any insight on whether they have actually done something to resolve their historic supplier quality problems? Yes, they are now owned by Fiat, but have they stopped squeezing their suppliers down and forcing them to make chintzy parts? Is Chrysler likely to survive? A five year warranty is worthless if the company is gone in two years. I have not heard anything.
Well, I have personally known 3 people with Dodge pickup trucks, onecwith a ram hem, one with a dakota, and one with the Cummins diesel. All 3 have had nothing but headaches with them.
I am a ford truck guy, have you checked out the engine options on the F150s these days?
Since they should soon be massively marked down to make room for the new model year, I might consider getting one. If I can find a dealership that has some. I do not see anything coming out in 2012 that woudl make me wish that I had waited.
Does anyone have one; or have you looked at them? Anything to add?
Also it is still a Dodge. Does anyone have any insight on whether they have actually done something to resolve their historic supplier quality problems? Yes, they are now owned by Fiat, but have they stopped squeezing their suppliers down and forcing them to make chintzy parts? Is Chrysler likely to survive? A five year warranty is worthless if the company is gone in two years. I have not heard anything.
We have about twelve of them in the fleet. We buy new and sell at 100k or four years. We have had one warranty issue in the batch and that was easily resolved by the dealership. That is better than our experience has been with the three Ford F-150s we have had.
And resale has been pretty decent on the vehicle as long as the truck is spec'd correctly (i.e., no purchase of stripped down basic models).
Personally, the only Chrysler vehicles that we avoid are those produced in the Belvidere, IL plant (Neon, Nitro, etc.)
As for the warranty issues, who really knows the financial stability of any of the domestic models. A lot of it depends on whether or not they are going to remain committed to making reliable cars.
For the record, I am not a Chrysler fan. However, the difference between the prices on the Ram 1500 vs. the Ford F150 have been substantial enough for me to purchase the Rams.
By the way, don't deceive yourself that Chrysler is the only OEM that squeezes their suppliers. It was not too long ago that GM walked into each of their suppliers demanding a 20%+ price reduction.
Well, I have personally known 3 people with Dodge pickup trucks, onecwith a ram hem, one with a dakota, and one with the Cummins diesel. All 3 have had nothing but headaches with them.
I am a ford truck guy, have you checked out the engine options on the F150s these days?
Good luck in what you decide.
Ahhh yes, there's always someone that knows someone
Were any of the vehicles the one the OP is posting about, a 2011 Ram?
Ahhh yes, there's always someone that knows someone
Were any of the vehicles the one the OP is posting about, a 2011 Ram?
Of course not all I'm saying is 3 friends of mine who have all various dodge pickup trucks have all have issues with them. Does this mean the OP will have a problem if he buys a 2011 ram, again of course not. Ford does some good options in the new F150s though...
Well you wont get me to dog the Dodge, I had one for nearly 11 years and put that truck through pure de hell. It did vary well. Imagine my shock, when in the middle of 08, I went to the Dodge dealer, with gas over 4$'s a gallon and the economy about to tank with chrysler about to go bankrupt, and they acted like I was gona pay close to MSRP for a new truck. To make a long story short, I bought a Toyota Tundra made in San Antonio Texas and definitely am not looking back. No 4/6/8 bull the 5,7l is way strong, it's a 200,000 mile truck no problem. No slug 5.4l for sure, give one a test drive, course it's not made in Mexico like a lot of the domestics, the joke is it made by Mexicans in Texas.
If you have any kind of luck like I had with my Dodge ya'll be happy, same said if you pick up the Tundra with the 5.7l.
Ford has got back in the game with decent engines in the last year, but it's still an ugly Ford.
2012 Ram gets a new 6 speed automatic transmission which replaces the old 5 speed.
Here are the 2012 changes from allpar.com:
Quote:
2012 changes: The 545RFE software is updated and becomes the 65RFE (allowing manual access to the “secondary second gear”). The RamBox storage system gets a price drop and is available on both 5'7" and 6'4" beds, on regular and quad cabs, and on heavy duty Rams in all price classes. A new steering wheel has the cruise control onto the front, and monochrome paint will be available on Outdoorsman and Longhorn (on the latter, replacing White Gold running boards with Mopar tubular side steps and polished wheels).
Ram will also gain new power folding trailer towing mirrors and chrome side mouldings. The ST, however, loses its bright grille, reverting to black. [For more, see our 2012 Ram 1500 news item.] Deep Water Blue appears to have been replaced by Patriot Blue; silver has the two-tone effect; and AutoStick is on the steering column shift lever when it’s not on the floor console
I thought that the 6 speed trans was only on the heavy duty and/or diesel versions. Will it be available on the 1500?
Although all companies squeeze their suppliers, only Chrysler has done it to the extent that they developed a horrid and well earned reputation for never ending quality problems.
Dodge has certainly changed their interiors, engines and suspension and this year left the other two in the dust. However only time will tell whether they have done something about the quality problems that have plagued them for so long. Dodge certainly is not revealing whether they did anything.
I thought that the Tundra was a uni-body, not a real truck on a frame. Is it only the Honda that is uni-body?
I looked at and drove a tundra when the first came out. It was cramped and uncomfortable. That is when I learned that simply comparing inches of legroom or head room is meaningless. the Tundra with more inches was cramped while the Ford and Chevy were roomy and comfortable. Dodge was roomy int he front, but absurdly cramped in the back. This was a while ago, they have improved.
Yes, 6 speed is confirmed for Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Durango 5.7. Is it worth the wait? That's debatable. But I believe the gear ratios are better (especially for towing), at least from what people are saying on dodgetalk.
At this point, I would not buy a Dodge. I looked at them several years ago because I especially liked the Cummins diesel engine option. My mechanic, who maintains several sizable truck fleets for various businesses and government agencies in my area, talked me out of it. Dodges generally have the worst bodies of the Big Three manufacturers, especially if the truck is used on any rough roads or for carrying any heavy loads. In real world driving, their gasoline engines have tended to be the thirstiest of the Big Three truck makers.
My mechanic's opinion, which my own experience supports, is that Ford and GM make the best 1/2 ton pickups these days--in terms of reliability, longevity, and fuel economy. The earlier Toyota Tundras were very reliable trucks, but the current version is really no better than the Fords or GM's.
As for 3/4 ton and up trucks, Ford and GM's gasoline models are pretty good--each with its own advantages and disadvantages. As far as diesels go, Ford didn't sell a decent diesel engine after it discontinued the 7.3 Powerstroke until the coming of the current 6.7. The jury is still out on it for me, but it appears that th 6.7 may be a good engine. The Duramax/Allison powertrain in the GM diesels is very good, in my opinion. DEF injection and a revised emission system in the 2011+ models has also gotten their fuel economy back up closer to where it should be after several years of doggy fuel economy.
Finally, both GM and Ford have much more robust dealer networks than does Chrysler. That may not be important if you're in a big metro area, but, if you live in a smaller town, often having to drive 50 or 100 miles to get warranty work done on a Chrysler product when there is a GM or Ford dealer just down the street from you can be important.
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