New Ram Aims To Please

So the last week at the NAIAS, Dodge had their big press release for their new and improved 2009 Dodge Ram pickup. The approach was subtle: they only had 10 cowboys and 120 longhorn cattle to parade through before the new "grille forward" design was revealed to the public. My first thought upon seeing the 2009 Ram was that Dodge had revised the Charger and put it on steriods. The grille wasn’t the only thing that’s been changed, though. The new Ram comes loaded with cool new features, not the least of which is the "Ram Box" quarter-panel bin that can carry "up to ten cases of 12-ounce beverages, or other gear for work or leisure." Dodge really seems to know who their market is with that one, but they’ve also taken pains to ensure that no one will be chilly after slammin’ back a few cold ones in the woods: every surface you might touch in the cab is heated, including steering wheel and front and rear seats. Good thing, beecause you’ll spend plenty of time glued to those seats with the 5.7 litre HEMI R/T putting out 380 hp and 404 lb-ft of torque. Dodge is claiming a 0-60 time of 6.1 seconds and a 4% greater fuel efficency over the previous model. So, are you still sure you’d rather have an F-150?