2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab Laramie 4×4: Real truck buyers give their opinions

October 19, 2009

When visiting job sites or potential clients Steve often has to use his truck cab as a temporary office, so the desk-like capabilities of the centre console were immediately evident to him. He felt that the abundance of 12-volt ports, storage compartments and even the 115-volt plug-in would make his work less awkward and tedious.

2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab Laramie 4×4. Click image to enlarge

After spending some time behind the wheel on a variety of roads, Steve seemed impressed by the truck’s handling prowess and performance. I noticed a pretty big grin on his face during much of the driving segment of our interview, so it came as no surprise when he uttered this endorsement.

“I have friends with newer Dodge trucks and the Hemi engines have proven to be reliable. I kind of hate to say it, as I am a Ford guy, but I really do like this truck! When I start shopping for another truck I probably will go check out what Dodge has to offer. If this was the one-ton with the Cummins engine I could see myself being swayed away from Ford.”

Common Hits and Misses

Hits:

High level of luxury and comfort of the Laramie’s passenger compartment
Refined ride, handling and excellent power delivery
More aerodynamic and sculpted shape
Use of reclaimed space provided by the RamBoxes
The simple operation of the dash-mounted dial to activate 4X4 mode

Misses:

Adding the RamBox ($1,695) limits the ability to put on a cap or tonneau cover, as well as some other aftermarket equipment.
The auto-tilt feature of the side mirrors when backing up dips the mirrors too low for shorter drivers. It was suggested that it would be nice to leave the driver’s side mirror upright to monitor traffic.
Three of the five subjects wished that the rear headrests could be quickly folded down (either manually or via a dash switch) as most of the time the rear seats would be unoccupied, and in the raised position they blocked a substantial portion of the window.

Pricing: 2009 Dodge RAM 1500 Crew Cab Laramie 4×4

Base price: $46,690

Price as tested: $49,540 (includes: $1,400 Freight; $100 A/C levy; $1,150 Leather trimmed bucket seats; $200 Protection Group – front tow hooks and skid plates for front suspension and transfer case; $1,695 RamBox Cargo Management System; $925 Media Centre 730N; ($325) ParkView Rear Back-up Camera; $250 Class IV Receiver Hitch.

Real world pricing: $44,540 (with current $5,000 “consumer bonus” incentive)