2009 Dodge Ram:

By Connie Keane KEANE ON WHEELS
Dodge set out redefine the truck segment with the all-new 2009 Ram. The changes are from head to toe, inside and outside and have gotten noticed. For Dodge it’s a feather in their cap to be honored with “Interior of the Year” by Ward’s magazine. After all, the Dodge Ram is all about hard brawn and honest work performance for the “Git R Done” trucker. So to be recognized for building the most compelling interior in the truck segment shows how deep Dodge went when rethinking the entire Dodge Ram for the all-new 2009 model. The all-new Ram is the first model to come out of the automaker’s new Advance Interior Design Studio, which focused on craftsmanship for the 2009 truck with an emphasis in premium interior appointments, as well as seating with bolsters and twotone upholstery. In honoring the Ram with the Interior of the Year, Ward cites, “The saddle stitching on the seats and instrument panel make a wonderful styling statement, as do the upscale instrument gauges.” The all-new Ram has also been named by Consumer Guide magazine as a “Best Buy for 2009,” citing the truck’s “composed ride, impressively comfortable and quiet cabin and unique cargo storage features.” For example, the 2009 Dodge Ram pickup meets an unmet demand in the truck owner’s life: the ability to hold 240 cans of his favorite 12ounce beverages. Kidding aside (but it does hold that many cans), the new RamBox is a dry, lockable storage unit integrated into the sidewall of the pickup bed. Dodge truck development executives say the 2009 pickup features the RamBox to secure — and safely carry — the work and hobby possessions of tradesmen, craftsmen, sportsmen, fitness enthusiasts and outdoorsmen. The RamBox can carry fishing rods, golf clubs, kayak paddles, and of course tool boxes and chain saws. The RamBox features two storage bins that run the
length of the pickup bed and are weatherproof, lockable, drainable and illuminated.

VEHICLE TYPE: 5/6-passenger 4WD full-size pickup BASE PRICE: $34,850 (as tested: $47,330) ENGINE TYPE: 16-valve OHV V-8 Hemi w/SMPFI HORSEPOWER (net): 390 at 5600 rpm TORQUE (lb.-ft.): 407 at 4000 rpm TRANSMISSION: 5-speed automatic FUEL CAPACITY: 26 gal. EPA MILEAGE RATING: 13 mpg city, 18 mpg highway