From time to time, you climb behind the wheel of a vehicle and within the first few miles, you know it’s a game changer. Such is the case with the all-new 2019 Ram 1500.
Outwardly, the new Ram Laramie Crew Cab 4x4 I am reviewing is a great looking truck. The new front grill and fascia give it a more sleek and modern appearance. The raised hood with emblems verifying that YEP, it’s a Hemi, looks great. 20” polished wheels and factory dual exhaust complete the terrific appearance.
This new 2019 Ram is 4” longer and 255 pounds lighter than the 2018 due to an all-aluminum hood and tailgate, and it has a deeper bed.
The power train remained the same for 2019, the tried-and-true 5.7-liter Hemi V8 and 8-Speed automatic, a great combo. It puts out 395-horses, 410 lb-ft of torque and this package will tow 12,750 pounds. The 8-speed shifts crisply and with determination.
For me, there are two standout things about this truck; The first is the ride. It is the smoothest pickup ride I’ve experienced, thanks to the all-steel frame, a new rear coil suspension system, and new damping shocks. It’s hard to believe you are riding in a pickup, it truly feels like a car.
The second thing that simply stuns you is the interior. Ram put that 4” of extra length all into the cab. For whatever reason, I opened the back door and looked in the back seat first, and thought it was a limo.
Then I got behind the wheel and just went WOW, wouldya look at this! The leather and stitched seats are very comfortable and you get a sense that everything was extremely well thought out by FCA engineers and designers.
The gauges are easy to read, and you can scroll through the 7” driver info center from the steering wheel controls to get an amazing amount of information, including a terrific trailer-towing page and you can easily read the large digital speedometer.
I must remark on the huge, ultra-deep center console. It has sliding cup holders and a dual opening top. At the front of the console are three handy cell phone holders that allow you to actually see your screen when you glance down at it.
Center dash, up high, is an 8.4” display that is bright and vivid and it houses the exceptional Uconnect system. By the way, there is an optional 12” display, but truly the one in my tester is more than adequate.
I often say Uconnect is the easiest to use system I’ve seen to operate your sound system, climate control, a host of apps, navigation, and Bluetooth for your phone. There is also a terrific backup camera that you can zoom to be able to hook up a trailer without leaving the cab. You can put your trailer hitch ball right under the tongue of your trailer easily.
Below the pushbutton start, you’ll find a rotary dial gear-shifter and the controls for the 4-wheel drive system. There are USB ports everywhere in the front and back seats, one in the center console, and there is a 110-volt power outlet.
Moving to the massive back seat, it folds up to give you a huge amount of cargo area. The legroom is amazing and the rear seats even recline for your comfort. Built into the floor are Ram Bins that are hidden and waterproof, so you could make coolers out of them, or hide valuables.
The Ram Laramie comes fully loaded with remote start, keyless entry, power gas and brake pedals, emergency brake assist, heated and cooled front seats, heated steering wheel, Apple Car play and Android auto.
My review truck has $7900 amount of options including a spray-in bed liner, the 20” wheels, trailer hitch, trailer brake controller, and a 3.92 ratio anti-spin rear differential.
It also has the Level 1 group, which is auto high-beam headlights, blind spot monitor, front and rear parking sensors, CD player, and my favorite feature, remote tailgate release from your key fob. One note on the blind spot monitoring, if you are pulling a trailer, it takes the length of the trailer into consideration before you change lanes.
Again, the ride of this truck is silky smooth, and the interior quietness is second to none. Fuel economy is rated at 15 in town, 22 on the highway, but would do better with the standard 3:21 rear axle if you don’t need much towing capacity.
MSRP, as equipped, is $55,235, which is in line with its competitors. Truck buyers, take a test drive in this truck, it will amaze you.
