2011 Dodge Ram 1500
Dodge’s designers had updated the Ram 1500 for 2011, they managed to make improvements to an already-impressive truck. The result is a full-size pickup truck that many in the auto press say is the best in its class. The Full Size Pickup Truck 2011 Dodge Ram 1500’s smooth, car-like ride, well-designed and comfortable interior and powerful V-8 engines make it a top pick in its class.
The Dodge Ram 1500 comes with one of few V-6 engines in its class. You can upgrade to a 4.7 liter V-8 Flex Fuel engine or a 5.7 liter HEMI V-8. The 1500 is available in Regular, Quad, and Crew Cabs, and bed lengths vary from 5 feet 7 inches to eight feet. Dodge offers five different trims on its full-size truck, ranging from the base ST to the middle-of-the-road Outdoorsman and Sport to the new, ultra-premium Laramie Longhorn trim.
For 2011, the Ram 1500 remains essentially the same, with a few more paint color options and two more trims. The Outdoorsman trim replaces the TRX, and includes features geared towards campers, hunters, and fishermen, including available fishing rod and rifle racks, standard four-wheel-drive, and undercarriage protection. Reviewers rave about the new Laramie Longhorn trim. Other minor additions include available spray-in bedliner for all models and optional power folding rearview mirrors.
Reviewers love the Dodge Ram’s ride, handling, power, and interior, even on less expensive trim levels. The Ram 1500 offers many convenient cargo solutions, such as storage cubbies underneath the rear seats on Crew Cab models. Other models offer the RamBox, lockable storage containers built into the truck bed above the wheel housings. Many say the backseat is roomy, and the cabin offers high-tech features like a Wi-fi hotspot and a hard drive for music storage built into the dashboard. Edmunds says, “The Ram 1500′s interior is as good as it gets in the pickup segment.”
If you value excellent interior comfort, quality features, good towing performance, a great ride and macho styling, the 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 may be right for you. With so many well-rounded full-size trucks on the market, it’s easy to make a good choice. The Ford F-150 is one of these well-rounded options. It has a higher towing capacity than the Dodge Ram and a better reputation for reliability. The Ford F-150′s Work Solutions and SYNC infotainment systems offer similar capabilities to the Ram’s uconnect multimedia system. However, the F-150 does cost about $1,500 more than the Ram.
Chrysler says that it plans to begin limited production of plug-in hybrid Ram 1500s later this year, and rumor has it they’re also working on adding a diesel V-8 to the lineup. However, if you don’t want to wait and are willing to sacrifice some interior comfort and ride quality, you may want to check out the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500. Both trucks start at the same price as the Ram 1500, and they offer hybrid options for the eco-minded consumer. However, in most cases the extra $18,000 for the hybrids won’t be worth the relatively meager improvements in gas mileage, especially if you intend on spending a lot of time on the highway, where the fuel economy differences are small.
