#RAM SAVER PROFESSIONAL 2019 REVIEWS FULL#

#RAM SAVER PROFESSIONAL 2019 REVIEWS FULL#

In a recent comparison test at the drag strip, our Ram wasn’t the fastest from zero-to-60 mph, a fact we chalk up to the loaded truck’s prodigious weight - 5,920 pounds, or nearly 500 pounds more than a loaded Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country with a bigger, more powerful engine that beat the Ram to 60 mph by nearly a full second. There are three final drive ratios available, with an optional limited-slip differential or electronic locking differential on certain 4×4 models. If I paid more than $2,600 for this optional system meant to save me money on fuel, I’d like to know when it’s working and what it’s doing beyond just having to do some calculations whenever I fill up the tank at the gas pump.Īll of the engines are mated to Ram’s standard eight-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission, a robust unit that gets a few internal upgrades when you move from the V-6 to the V-8 option. Ram insists otherwise, but our experience with truck buyers is such that more information is always better, especially on how the powertrain is performing. The Ram’s Hemi doesn’t have the endless deep well of torque that the GM twins’ big 6.2-liter V-8 brings to the party, sporting 420 hp and 460 pounds-feet of torque, but it’s plenty to get the truck moving quickly and feels largely unaffected by either loading the truck to maximum payload or pulling an average-size trailer.Īs with the V-6, the eTorque system is invisible in daily operation, which is a good thing compared with the clunky operation of most “full” gasoline-electric hybrids - but in the case of the V-8, where you have to pay more to get eTorque, it might leave you wondering what you paid for. The operative word for the Ram V-8 is smooth - it’s an amazingly smooth, refined, luxurious driving experience. This powertrain moves the big Ram much more smartly than the V-6 thanks to that boost in torque, but the advantage starts to slip as you move up in the trim levels and add weight and equipment. The model I’ve spent the most time behind the wheel of is the four-wheel-drive Limited crew-cab model featuring the eTorque Hemi V-8, optional 3.92 final drive ratio and electronic locking rear axle, so performance comments from here forward will deal with that model. Ram doesn’t provide system power specifications for the eTorque treatment but says the electric motor contributes up to 130 pounds-feet of torque to the V-8 and 90 pounds-feet to the V-6. This engine comes with much more grunt - 395 hp and 410 pounds-feet of torque, accompanied by a delicious burble from the dual exhaust pipes.

Your other options for powertrains are two versions of the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, with or without the optional eTorque system. My only wish is that the hybrid system’s operation was reflected in the gauges or multimedia system to let you know that it’s doing anything, as it’s almost invisible in its operation. The Pentastar always has been a solid engine, and when augmented by a bit of electric boost, it’s only gotten better. The gas-electric pairing makes 305 horsepower and 269 pounds-feet of torque that’s competitive for a base powertrain, providing decent acceleration in an empty pickup (which is how I tested it, in a low-spec Tradesman crew-cab model). It operates seamlessly in the V-6, providing a little extra grunt when called for and greater efficiency when cruising. It’s a 48-volt integrated starter/generator/motor that is fed from a battery pack located in the rear of the cabin wall. The base engine is a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 that features a standard mild-hybrid system called eTorque. Initially, there’s a choice of three powertrains for the new Ram 1500. This review focuses on the redesigned 1500. Complicating matters somewhat is the continuation of the previous-generation 1500 in limited trim levels as the 20 Classic. GM delivered the new 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra half-ton trucks, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has given us this, the new 20.

It’s rare that we get one fully redone new pickup truck in a given model year, but this year we got two automakers introducing all-new pickups. Versus the competition: No other pickup truck (or American luxury vehicle of any type) can hold a candle to the Ram’s interior, but 2019 GM pickups equipped with the 6.2-liter V-8 outgun the Ram’s 5.7-liter V-8 in power and payload abilities, while the lightweight Fords tend to handle better and have superior trailering aids. The verdict: Equipped with perhaps the nicest interior of any American vehicle made today, the new 20 works great as a luxury vehicle or as a work truck - but not both.

Ram saver professional 2019 reviews