Unveiled: 2019 Ram 1500

TC

aka TomCat
Joined
Dec 11, 2005
Messages
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The 2019 Crew Cab is as much as 225 pounds lighter than before thanks to careful weight-loss engineering throughout the truck. An aluminum tailgate, for instance, cuts 15 pounds. Another 100 pounds or so came out thanks to more extensive use of high-strength steels (plus a few bits of aluminum) in the frame; it’s now 98 percent high-strength steel. Another 100 pounds or so came out of the cab and box. The majority of the bodywork, however, is still made from various types of steel, not aluminum; Ram is not following the Ford F-Series down the road of all-aluminum bodywork just yet.

“We’ve left steel where we need to deliver the long-term durability that we believe our owners want,” says Jim Morrison, head of the Ram brand.

To complement the reduced weight and improved aero, the Ram 1500 also introduces mild-hybrid powertrains. Standard on the 3.6-liter V6 and optional on the 5.7-liter V8, the “E-Torque” system uses a beefed-up, 48-volt starter-generator to provide extra grunt for low-speed acceleration – similar to the mild-hybrid system on the Jeep Wrangler. A 0.43-kWh lithium-ion battery pack sits in the back wall of the cab, cooled by cabin air.

Ram says the system will offer 90 pound-feet of extra torque during acceleration on the V6 engine, and an extra 130 lb-ft on the V8. The system is said to be able to restart the engine in a third of a second (e.g. after a stop-start situation at a traffic light), and can use the torque assistance to smooth out engine idle. On the V8, it also allows the engine to use its fuel-saving cylinder deactivation mode more frequently by balancing out spikes in engine loading that would otherwise kick the V8 back into eight-cylinder operation.

The V6 engine is rated for 305 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque (identical to the outgoing model), while the V8 boasts 395 hp and 410 lb-ft. An eight-speed automatic remains the only transmission choice, though it’s been updated and now has as many as 40 shift schedules to improve efficiency. At some point after launch, the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 engine will return to the roster.

For off-roaders, there will once again be a Rebel variant, with a one-inch suspension lift, 18-inch wheels with 33-inch tires, Bilstein shocks, functional recovery hooks, a locking rear differential, and a specially designed face to offer a dose of visual toughness. Where the old one was offered only with air suspension, the 2019 Rebel will also be available with steel springs, a nod to enthusiasts who want to modify their trucks. Other Ram 1500 variants will be able to enjoy the 4x4 Off-Road package, which brings many of those upgrades to other trim levels.

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Wow. They've made it uglier than the last one and are getting even further away from the 'drop fender' look of the 1993 New Ram. Ew.
 
I rather like it. Not a fan of the tablet screen but I like the rest of it. Having said this I prefer the previous front design more... So I'd probably get the Rebel since the front is at least partially similar to the outgoing design. The mild-hybrid thing for the V8 should drastically improve highway MPG by being able to keep the engine in 4cyl mode longer before switching over to all 8. The interior of this and the current F150 completely embarrass that ridiculous looking 2019 Silverado's interior.

Spectre;n3544198 said:
Wow. They've made it uglier than the last one and are getting even further away from the 'drop fender' look of the 1993 New Ram. Ew.

You just hate everything about Chrysler products just like I hate everything about GM products. :D
 
I like it too. Not enough to buy one over an F150, but it looks like they put some real effort into it.

Here is one of the lower trim models, but in some sort of black edition.

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TC;n3544215 said:
I like it too. Not enough to buy one over an F150, but it looks like they put some real effort into it.

Here is one of the lower trim models, but in some sort of black edition.

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Now THAT is more like it. Looks a million times better in black. I would get that if we was in the market for a full size truck.
 
JCE;n3544213 said:
You just hate everything about Chrysler products just like I hate everything about GM products. :D

Not so fast. I generally like most Chrysler designs or have until now. The problem with Chryslers is their regular terrible long term durability and often terrible initial quality which Fiat ownership seems to only be making worse - the only Dart on this forum, for example, is legally a lemon.
 
Spectre;n3544229 said:
Not so fast. I generally like most Chrysler designs or have until now. The problem with Chryslers is their regular terrible long term durability and often terrible initial quality which Fiat ownership seems to only be making worse - the only Dart on this forum, for example, is legally a lemon.

Over the radio, it bears clarifying, since on the scale of things it's not quite as serious an issue as the 2.3L EcoBoost video TC posted in the Ranger thread. Still a lemon, and if you want a chuckle the Bluetooth module failed a couple months after warranty expired.

As for this truck, I generally like the outside minus the headlights looking like an Acadia that took off the cat-eye glasses (and that they seem to have dropped the ridiculous RAM on the tailgate), but that whopping tablet in the center really makes me think.
 
Spectre;n3544229 said:
The problem with Chryslers is their regular terrible long term durability and often terrible initial quality which Fiat ownership seems to only be making worse - the only Dart on this forum, for example, is legally a lemon.

...and my family's '13 500 and '13 500L have still yet to have any issues. Fiat has significantly improved reliability and initial quality from anything Daimler tried to do. If it makes you feel better, FCA had very little part in designing the new Hurricane turbo-4s, nearly the entire development of the engine was done by FEV.
 
Spectre;n3544229 said:
Not so fast. I generally like most Chrysler designs or have until now. The problem with Chryslers is their regular terrible long term durability and often terrible initial quality which Fiat ownership seems to only be making worse - the only Dart on this forum, for example, is legally a lemon.

I understand your point. :)

Both of my Chargers are/were brilliant as was my buddy's RAM that had a ton of miles The Renegade not so much (in the shop as we speak for warranty work). I think it depends on the product with what reliability you get. I have supreme confidence in anything not touched by Italians. As for the designs, regular Cherokee aside, I like almost everything's style with a Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and RAM. For example I rode in a new Pacifica lad week and came out impressed.
 
Cellos88GT;n3544321 said:
...and my family's '13 500 and '13 500L have still yet to have any issues. Fiat has significantly improved reliability and initial quality from anything Daimler tried to do. If it makes you feel better, FCA had very little part in designing the new Hurricane turbo-4s, nearly the entire development of the engine was done by FEV.

Which is all very fine and good - but for all we know, that 500 and 500L may be some of the few good ones they made. The statistics say that the 500's pretty bad and the 500L is abysmal in terms of reliability. JD Power doesn't *have* a lower reliability ranking to give out to the 500L (their ratings start at 2/5) and the 500 is only a half point better.

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/fiat/500/2013
https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/fiat/500l

The sales numbers have tanked as consumers are reminded why Fiat got booted off USDM island in the first place:
http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2011/01...sales-figures/
http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2013/07...es-usa-canada/

JCE;n3544366 said:
I understand your point. :)

Both of my Chargers are/were brilliant as was my buddy's RAM that had a ton of miles The Renegade not so much (in the shop as we speak for warranty work). I think it depends on the product with what reliability you get. I have supreme confidence in anything not touched by Italians. As for the designs, regular Cherokee aside, I like almost everything's style with a Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and RAM. For example I rode in a new Pacifica lad week and came out impressed.

The problem here is that the Italians are increasingly touching more and more things.
 
I see they still have this guy making the front end.

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Spectre said:
The problem here is that the Italians are increasingly touching more and more things.

Well that's not a good thing...
 
Spectre;n3544371 said:
Which is all very fine and good - but for all we know, that 500 and 500L may be some of the few good ones they made. The statistics say that the 500's pretty bad and the 500L is abysmal in terms of reliability. JD Power doesn't *have* a lower reliability ranking to give out to the 500L (their ratings start at 2/5) and the 500 is only a half point better.

It's odd that the statistics only say that cars are "bad" here in the US, yet in Europe they're "decent" per JD Power. JD power relies on consumer data and is largely a bloviating survey that has become increasingly irrelevant. Americans on the whole are dumb when it comes to cars as exhibited by the SUV craze. For many of them, if a car doesn't have the monotony of a Toyota, they think it's "broken." [/QUOTE]

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/fiat/500/2013
https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/fiat/500l


The sales numbers have tanked as consumers are reminded why Fiat got booted off USDM island in the first place:
http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2011/01...sales-figures/
http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2013/07...es-usa-canada/

Sales numbers have tanked because no one is buying small vehicles, look what happened to Scion, they don't even exist as a brand anymore. The Mazda stopped selling the Mazda 2, the Fiesta is hanging by a thread, and MINI is attempting to bleed BMW dry. FCA isn't particularly interested in pushing FIATs because the small car trend has faded out, the profit margins simply aren't there. That being said, its in FCA's best interest to keep it in their back pocket when gas prices eventually become volatile again. Perosnally, I hope they make another 500e, at the time of its debut, it was the only electric car worth considering but in this day and age, it's range needs a bit of a boost.

The problem here is that the Italians are increasingly touching more and more things.

Yeah, thanks to them they have made Mopar relevant again. I would rather have an Italian touching things than a German.
 
Cellos88GT;n3544390 said:
It's odd that the statistics only say that cars are "bad" here in the US, yet in Europe they're "decent" per JD Power. JD power relies on consumer data and is largely a bloviating survey that has become increasingly irrelevant. Americans on the whole are dumb when it comes to cars as exhibited by the SUV craze. For many of them, if a car doesn't have the monotony of a Toyota, they think it's "broken."

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/fiat/500/2013
https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/fiat/500l

I love how you continue to ignore the fact that the US is the toughest driving environment outside of the third world. Things disintegrate and fall apart here that don't in Europe or Asia.

It's more than just "I feel like it's broken" too - go check the WarrantyDirect aftermarket warranty pricing for the Fiat 500 versus the competition. This is actuarially derived from actual repairs they've had to pay for and service visits to dealers. Be sitting down when you are.


Sales numbers have tanked because no one is buying small vehicles, look what happened to Scion, they don't even exist as a brand anymore. The Mazda stopped selling the Mazda 2, the Fiesta is hanging by a thread, and MINI is attempting to bleed BMW dry. FCA isn't particularly interested in pushing FIATs because the small car trend has faded out, the profit margins simply aren't there. That being said, its in FCA's best interest to keep it in their back pocket when gas prices eventually become volatile again. Perosnally, I hope they make another 500e, at the time of its debut, it was the only electric car worth considering but in this day and age, it's range needs a bit of a boost.

Yes, they should make another electric car they have to sell at a huge loss so they go bankrupt faster... :rolleyes:

Even allowing for the downturn in ecocrapbox sales, Fiat sales tanked. It should be noted that the sales were already tanking before gas prices dropped to current levels.

Yeah, thanks to them they have made Mopar relevant again. I would rather have an Italian touching things than a German.

Dunno about that, it depends on the German. I have yet to see an Italian design that didn't have electrical issues caused by stupidity.
 
The Fiesta is fated to be scrapped soon, it isn't even hanging by a thread.

I wouldn't even look at a Fiat Chrysler vehicle if I was in the market. My XJ was a giant pile of fail and I've seen too many of FCA vehicles begin a spontaneous self-disassembly at an untimely young age. The sad thing is that I want to like them, FCA makes vehicles that look fun and exciting, the Jeep Wrangler is distilled fun in car form, the Hellcat is ridiculous and speaks to the 12 year old me who doodled burnouts in the margins of notebooks. The 500 is adorable and I want to adopt one and bring it home.

The problem is that I'm a grownup and if I'm going to lay down some serious coin for a car, I want it to last and not keep nibbling at my wallet every few months with repairs and shop time. I want it to have passion, sure, but I also want it to not be on fire.
 
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Maybe the auto Italians should consult the industrial controls Italians. Shit don?t make sense but, it does work... I have to intergrate my German equipment to it often.

It doesn?t seem like they know how to do a full redesign for visuals on the outside. I mean, it kind of looks different but, not that much.

Can you still get the golf club storage cubbies on the side of the bed?
 
Blind_Io;n3544392 said:
I wouldn't even look at a Fiat Chrysler vehicle if I was in the market. My XJ was a giant pile of fail and I've seen too many of FCA vehicles begin a spontaneous self-disassembly at an untimely young age. The sad thing is that I want to like them, FCA makes vehicles that look fun and exciting, the Jeep Wrangler is distilled fun in car form, the Hellcat is ridiculous and speaks to the 12 year old me who doodled burnouts in the margins of notebooks. The 500 is adorable and I want to adopt one and bring it home.

I strongly think everyone who has this opinion needs to specify which part of FCA because frankly the Dodge, Chrysler, and RAM portions of the company are pretty awesome for design and build quality. ;) Jeep is hit or miss (Renegade for the loss...) and we all know Fiat is worthless for build quality. Between my neighbor, a buddy of mine, a couple of family members, and myself none of us have had an issue with the stuff we have that has a Dodge or RAM badge. Now once the Italians force that ridiculous Alfa platform for the next generation Charger/Challenger my opinion will likely change. :(
 
Dodge trucks have long been notorious for interiors that fall apart and rattle before the competition. Chrysler interiors are a bit better on cars like the 300, but the 200 is pretty cheap and junky. Even the 300 doesn't do as well as the Taurus in my opinion. They are visually nice, but there are lots of little corners that get cut and it starts to add up.

I've just never been impressed with the interior quality of Chrysler vehicles. GM is nearly as bad, I remember a few years ago sitting in a CTS-V, their halo car designed to go up against M-works and AMG. The headliner looked like it was out of a 1995 S10 pickup, there was no trim around the hole for the sun roof, the door cards had sharp edges along the inside of the window, and the seat trim was made of the same hard plastic as a fleet-spec Silverado. Yours for only $70,000.
 
Blind_Io;n3544514 said:
Dodge trucks have long been notorious for interiors that fall apart and rattle before the competition. Chrysler interiors are a bit better on cars like the 300, but the 200 is pretty cheap and junky. Even the 300 doesn't do as well as the Taurus in my opinion. They are visually nice, but there are lots of little corners that get cut and it starts to add up.

I've just never been impressed with the interior quality of Chrysler vehicles. GM is nearly as bad, I remember a few years ago sitting in a CTS-V, their halo car designed to go up against M-works and AMG. The headliner looked like it was out of a 1995 S10 pickup, there was no trim around the hole for the sun roof, the door cards had sharp edges along the inside of the window, and the seat trim was made of the same hard plastic as a fleet-spec Silverado. Yours for only $70,000.

Agree to disagree mate! :D Around 2011 is when Dodge/Chrysler started getting better at making a quality interior with most of their line up so hopefully your 'notorious" information was before that time which I would agree with. And to expand that pretty much most American automaker interiors were subpar quality before 2010.

And for the record there is no manufacturer without a RR or Bentley badge that has a spotless track record with build quality--that's the nature of manufactured goods. When I sold cars I got just as many Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, Mercedes, and BMW with interior build quality issues on the vehicles traded in. I believe it is an industry problem not a specific manufacturer problem. :D But I digress.
 
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