Writer says Ram wins showdown with F-150

Posted on Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 at 2:21 PM EDT.

Automobile Magazine writer Jeffrey Jablansky said everyone in his office seemed a little shocked when he, a transplanted New Yorker, expressed interest in driving the two largest vehicles currently in their fleet, the Dodge Ram and Ford F-150. And instead of lugging and towing, he was going to evaluate the trucks as automobiles, Jablansky wrote.

“We reached our Four Seasons Ram Crew Cab Laramie and were relieved by its relatively restrained exterior design,” Jablansky said. “Standing with the posture of a bulldog, the Ram exudes cool machismo without the external fripperies of the F-150. Yes, it has a similarly large chrome grille, but Dodge’s stylists reined in its massiveness through visual tricks. The interior continues the theme of controlled and refined luxury. Though it lacks some of the amenities of the upscale Ford, like air-conditioned seats and perforated leather, it feels of much higher quality. The Ram doesn’t suffer from the feeling of yachtlike mass like the F-150 does, something you begin to feel even while the truck is parked.”

Later in a nearby park filled with F-150 trucks, he said: “Despite the obvious popularity of Ford trucks, we kept finding reasons to like the Ram more. It looked tough, and it felt right. While driving the Ram on the drive back to the office, and lowered the windows to hear the throaty exhaust note that was otherwise muffled by the tightly insulated interior. Though we agreed that both trucks were probably too big for the demands of our daily driving, the Ram was the clear favorite between the two.”

Finally, Jablansky summarized: “So, did these trucks convert me into a salt-of-the-earth truck believer? It’s hard to tell with pickups as refined as these. After a quick jaunt to New York in the Four Seasons Honda Fit, however, I was aching for a smooth, refined ride. The Ram would have footed the bill nicely.” (Automobile Magazine)

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 at 2:21 PM EDT and is filed under Dodge, Industry. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Comments are currently closed.