2013 Ram 1500
When: Late 2012
How Much: Starting at around $22,000
There is an upside to the game of catch-up Chrysler is playing in so many segments: It gives the company an opportunity to try bold remakes that leap-frog the current benchmarks. We think the automaker chose wisely by doing this to its flagship Dodge pickup.
The Ram was due for a facelift, but rather than giving it a superficial makeover, Chrysler went for so many smart updates that Ford and GM will be chasing for their own answers. Start with aerodynamics, where Chrysler has altered the front wheel openings and given the truck's grille active shutters said to reduce drag by 3 to 5 percent. It added an eight-speed automatic transmission too, tied in electric power steering, and brought in start/stop technology to save gas in traffic.
All of these changes are included with any of the available engines, although the Ram's V-8s—the aging 4.8-liter and the 5.7-liter Hemi—are less noteworthy than the 3.6-liter V-6 that'll punch out 305 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque. Ford's EcoBoost V-6 is still more powerful, pumping out 365 hp and 420 lb-ft in the F-150. But the Pentastar engine, used already in the Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee and now available in the Ram, could be the more fuel-efficient choice, especially when combined with all the other tech Chrysler has brought to bear. And because most of the Ram's torque is available nearly from idle, at just 1800 rpm, load-haulers won't miss the V-8 unless they tow serious weight.
How Much: Starting at around $22,000
There is an upside to the game of catch-up Chrysler is playing in so many segments: It gives the company an opportunity to try bold remakes that leap-frog the current benchmarks. We think the automaker chose wisely by doing this to its flagship Dodge pickup.
The Ram was due for a facelift, but rather than giving it a superficial makeover, Chrysler went for so many smart updates that Ford and GM will be chasing for their own answers. Start with aerodynamics, where Chrysler has altered the front wheel openings and given the truck's grille active shutters said to reduce drag by 3 to 5 percent. It added an eight-speed automatic transmission too, tied in electric power steering, and brought in start/stop technology to save gas in traffic.
All of these changes are included with any of the available engines, although the Ram's V-8s—the aging 4.8-liter and the 5.7-liter Hemi—are less noteworthy than the 3.6-liter V-6 that'll punch out 305 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque. Ford's EcoBoost V-6 is still more powerful, pumping out 365 hp and 420 lb-ft in the F-150. But the Pentastar engine, used already in the Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee and now available in the Ram, could be the more fuel-efficient choice, especially when combined with all the other tech Chrysler has brought to bear. And because most of the Ram's torque is available nearly from idle, at just 1800 rpm, load-haulers won't miss the V-8 unless they tow serious weight.
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