DodgeForum.com Drives the 2009 Dodge Ram!!

Test One: Chassis Durability / Suspension and Steering Steadiness

Model: 2009 Dodge Ram SLT Quad Cab
Engine: 4.7L Magnum V8

Wheel Option: 17" Base Aluminum Wheel Package

The durability course consisted of two quarter mile stretches of concrete, with texture added via large concrete humps and section of metal beams buried in the concrete.  I took the Ram through the long stretch of jagged rocks then a rough section of washboard road.  We were to maintain a steady speed of 30 miles per hour, and while the backend of the Ram hopped around a bit towards the end of the path, it stayed fairly straight and I was easily able to maintain my speed, safely.  Also, the steering was barely affected by the impact of the front wheels and there wasn't much fighting with the wheel on my part to keep the truck headed in a straight line, and at a steady speed.

We then turned around and went through another section of the same length, which was just washboard and then deep dips in the path and the ride was smooth inside the truck and interior vibration was no where near as rough as it was in the new Chevy Silverado or the Toyota Tundra.  Considering that these road surfaces are far rougher than almost anything the average driver will ever come across on a public road, the Ram still performed very well, and I would consider what vibrations there were to be well within the acceptable range.  The new suspension setup handled the course well, and the steering vibrations communicated through the steering wheel was obvious, but not to the point of being distracting.

Test Two: Handling under heavy payload.

Model: 2009 Dodge Ram SLT (Silver), 2009 Dodge Ram Laramie (Deep Red)
Engine: 4.7L Magnum V8 (Silver, 5.7L Hemi (Deep Red)

Wheel Option: 17" Base Aluminum Wheel Package (Silver), 20" High Gloss Aluminum Wheels (Deep Red)

Our second exercise was on the large open area used for handling tests, and to illustrate the capabilities, the trucks were taken through an autocross course, loaded with 850 pounds of ballast in the bed, along with a driver (obviously) and one passenger.  We started from a stop and went through a series of short, tight S-turns, where we gradually increased our speed, opening up into a straightaway with a series of hard cuts to be taken at 30 miles per hour.  The Ram handled the first two well, but on the third, the back end was sliding a bit and that slide was magnified when I hit the final necessary cut, but I was easily able to make the hard left at the end, after swerving to the right for the last cut.  We then went through a short, 180+ degree left, then heading us through a long, sweeping right hand turn, into a sharper right, where enough throttle would get the trucks to drift a bit, and as we accelerated out of that turn we hit the "sudden lane change" obstacle, at 35 miles per hour, and the Ram was able to negotiate this portion without a problem, once again able to make the hard left at the end, doubling back towards the end of the course, but first a series of rubber strips displayed how the 850lb payload affected the truck over some rough spots, and again, the Ram responded well.  Even with the fairly bulky payload, the Ram did a fine job of handling the hard turns, as well as the long, sweeping turns, and with the larger wheels, there was a distinct improvement in the handling through the tight turns, although both trimlines performed well.

Test Three: Handling and Acceleration During Towing

Model: 2009 Dodge Ram Laramie
Engine:5.7L Hemi (With towing package)

Wheel Option: 20" High Gloss Aluminum Wheels

This test was performed while pulling a 7,000lb enclosed car trailer.  The course was executed both with, and without the tow/haul mode engaged.  I found this test to be the least impressive of the three for the Ram, as from a stop heading up a steep hill, the Ram struggled up the first large hill.  We began from a dig, and were asked to reach a speed of 50 miles per hour, but around 45mph (and 3500rpm) the Ram flattened out until I reached the top of the hill.  The other, smaller hills which were attacked from a roll were much easier on the Ram, and the suspension of the redesigned Ram did handle the turns and downhill portions very well.  Both the higher speed, downhill turns and sweeping uphill turns which were taken at speed showed the benefit of the new suspension setup, even though the 2009 Ram did struggle a bit with the heavy trailer on the largest of the hills. I suspected that the Ram would have performed better on this exercise had we been shifting manually, but all of the trucks were to be driven in the exact same manner for the test.

I was very pleased with the 2009 Dodge Ram, with both the 4.7 Magnum and 5.7L Hemi.  The stock exhaust had a good tone to it (although it could be a little louder, but that's just my opinion), and the interior, along with looking great and being very comfortable, was fairly quiet with the windows up, even during hard acceleration.  These tests showed to me that Ford and Dodge have clearly separated themselves as the top dogs in the quarter ton pick-up market, and with the new F150 offering a towing capacity of over 11,000 pounds, the battle for the top American made truck will certainly be a hard-fought battle between these two companies.  The 2009 Dodge Ram offers a comfortable, styling interior and the new exterior is a step in the right direction, offering a sporty, aggressive new look and the 5.7L Hemi with even more power really sits you back in the seat under hard acceleration, and at the end of the day, my only complaint with the new Dodge Ram is the towing capacity, but Dodge has done an awesome job of improving upon their long history of great trucks.