2014 Ram Trucks 1500 Outdoorsman 5.7 Hemi from North America
Summary:
Awesome truck, some things could be better, but can live with them and would definitely buy again
Faults:
Absolutely nothing. Have had a couple of recalls to recalibrate the airbag sensors and adjust a wiring harness location, and some optional software updates. Other than that I have never needed it serviced beyond the basic maintenance.
General Comments:
I love this truck. It has been extremely reliable and I have never worried about getting stranded driving it long distances. It's taken my wife and I to 25 states in the last 18 months. The most recent trip included towing a 7000 lb cargo trailer from Chicago to Austin and back (return trip was empty trailer at 2300 lb) which it did without any problems even on Oklahoma's god awful roads.
The truck has plenty of power, the seats are extremely comfortable for long distance driving, the highway fuel economy is 20 MPG, interior and exterior styling is top notch, there's really not much to complain about. The only 3 downsides are city fuel economy of 12-13 MPG, which is much lower than the EPA rated 15 MPG, the soft rear suspension, and the low seating position. They put a really soft suspension to give it a smooth ride, but now the truck struggles to do work, and the rear end sags a lot under loads that it should be able to handle. I've considered getting aftermarket air-bag spring assists. And the dash is set too high in the cab, I'm short at 5'8" and have the seat height adjustment maxed out just to see out over the hood the way I'd like.
I do think they should have done something differently regarding the transmission tunnel hump in the cab, there is a huge space for the transfer case that eats into the area in the passenger footwell and restricts your ability to move around and get more comfortable during a long trip.
I like the upgraded dashboard option, it's large and can be set up to give you all the information you'd want (coolant, oil and transmission temps, tire pressures, oil life, odometers, fuel economy, etc...). The auto-dimming mirrors are a must have too, they work really well. Backup camera is very useful in tight quarters, but parking sensors are annoying. I leave them turned off otherwise they beep constantly entering/exiting my garage, in the drive thru, in front of a pedestrian crosswalk, pretty much anywhere that something passes within 8 feet of the bumper.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 21st July, 2016