Maybe more than any other category of automotive consumers, truck owners have their favourite brand, and getting them to change can be a monumental challenge. Still, if you’re hesitating between a Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and RAM 1500, say, we’ve explored each of those models at length in a number of reviews and technical specifications that should help you in your decision-making.
Here we look at the RAM truck. As you may already know, the all-new 2019 RAM 1500 will be unveiled next January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and is set to hit the market a few months after that. Should you wait? Are you getting a good deal by picking up a 2017 model now? We give you five solid reasons to consider the current 2017 RAM 1500 truck:
1. Bold styling and colours
The RAM 1500 is a truck that makes its statement loud and clear through its styling and the available colour schemes. For 2017, Fiat-Chrysler added more of the latter with the Mojave Sand and Sport Orange versions, then Sublime Green and Blue Streak editions and a Copper Sport version, in addition to offering buyers other customization possibilities.
2. A suspension meeting the height of expectations
The rear multi-link suspension with coiled springs (standard in the RAM 1500) and the 4-wheel Active Level air suspension (standard with the Rebel and Laramie Limited models) are both exclusive in the category. The latter maintains the truck bed at a stable height and can be adjusted depending on towing, transportation or off-roading needs, with five different settings to choose from.
3. A standard V8
Instead of the 3.6L Pentastar V6, buyers of the 2017 RAM 1500 get as a standard engine the legendary 5.7L V8 HEMI, which is frankly pretty awesome. You get 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. This powertrain produces enormous power to transport and tow heavy cargo, and thanks to the multi-displacement system, reasonable fuel consumption (11.5L/100 km on the highway with the 8-speed automatic gearbox).
4. Canada’s most fuel-efficient truck
When fitted with the 3.0L V6 EcoDiesel (the only diesel engine currently offered on a light-duty full-size pickup), the RAM 1500 burns as little as 8.0L/100 km (highway) and 11.3L/100 km (city), which is unprecedented in the segment. All the while, it generates more torque (420 lb-ft) than the aforementioned V8 HEMI.
5. It’s a champion!
For the third consecutive year, the RAM 1500 took home top honours during the Canadian Truck King Challenge. A group of experts placed it ahead of 10 competitors at the end of a series of grueling evaluations carried out over nearly 4,000 km.