2011 Dodge Ram 1500 Review and Prices

By Chuck Giametta

Table of Contents
2011 Dodge Ram 1500 Review and Pricing
2010 Dodge Ram 1500
2010 Truck Buying Guide
2010 Dodge Ram 1500 Quote

2011 DODGE RAM 1500 BUYING ADVICE

• The 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 is the best pickup for you if you want to experience how good Chrysler design and engineering can be when it’s really good.

• The 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 will remain a full-size pickup leader, with stand-out styling, plenty of muscle, and a level of refinement no other half-ton quite matches.

• Should you wait for the 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 or buy a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500? Wait for the 2011 Ram 1500 if you think two new powertrain possibilities -- a promising V-6 and a high-tech hybrid – might suit your needs. Buy the 2010 Ram 1500 if you’re inclined to stick with the V-8s -- fine Hemi included -- that have proven their mettle.   

2011 DODGE RAM 1500 CHANGES

• Styling: The 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 styling isn’t expected to change beyond perhaps a minor trim detail or two. That means the 2011 Ram 1500 will return with the buzz-cut, forwarding-leaning grille that gives this truck much of its character and with a surprisingly aerodynamic body that helps reduce wind noise. The 2011 Ram 1500 will repeat three cab styles: a two-door regular cab, an extended-length Quad Cab with two small rear doors, and the longer Crew Cab body with four conventional doors. The regular cab rides a 120.5-inch wheelbase and offers cargo-bed lengths of 6.3 feet and 8 feet. The Quad and Crew use a 140.5-inch wheelbase. The Quad Cab has the 6.3-foot cargo box. The Crew Cab has a 5.6-foot box; all beds are wide enough to hold a 4x8 sheet laid flat. Expect the 2011 Ram 1500 to again offer a broad range of trim levels, from work-truck basic, through lively Sport and R/T models (the latter with 22-inch alloy wheels), to the luxury Laramie.

• Mechanical: The 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 mechanical changes would be highlighted by introduction of Chrysler’s new “Pentastar” V-6 or by the addition of a gas-electric hybrid model. Neither or both development is possible, depending on decisions made by managers of Italy’s Fiat, which controls the post-bankruptcy company now called Chrysler LLC. The Pentastar V-6 is a twin-cam 3.6 rated preliminarily at 280 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. It would replace the Ram 1500’s base engine, a 3.7-liter V-6 (215 horsepower/235 pound-feet) that labors to move this big truck. The hybrid would be a self-recharging powertrain combining the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 with electric-motor drive. It would approximate the 390 horsepower and 407 pound-feet of torque of the gas-only Hemi V-8. Strong and smooth, the conventional Hemi saves gas by automatically deactivating four cylinders in low-demand idle and cruising. Ram’s other V-8 is a 4.7-liter with 310 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. It’s a good basic engine in this truck. The Ram 1500 is the only full-size pickup to use coil-springs instead of leaf springs in conjunction with its solid rear axle. The affect is class-leading ride comfort and chassis control over bumps. For model-year 2010, Dodge addressed a criticism of the design by increasing towing capacity from a subpar 8,950 pounds to a class-competitive 10,450. The Ram 1500 also has been one of only three full-size pickups (the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 /GMC Sierra 1500 are the others) to offer the convenience of full-time four-wheel drive (4WD) that can be left engaged on dry pavement. It’s been confined to the top-line Laramie model, however; other Ram 1500 4x4s use a part-time system designed for use only on slippery surfaces. Spreading availability of full-time 4WD to other models would be a worthwhile advance for the 2011 Ram 1500.        

• Features: Dodge could juggle some features among models, but the 2011 Ram 1500 promises to remain available with an impressive array of cargo and convenience amenities. Foremost is a cargo bed with insulated, drainable, locking plastic bins built into its sides. Called the RamBox, this option has been exclusive to Crew Cab models; expanding it to other bed lengths would be a worthwhile 2011 innovation. A plethora of useful cubbies and pockets makes the Ram 1500 a leader in in-cab storage, but a broader mix of cargo-box lengths – a long-bed Quad Cab, for example – would bring the 2011 model abreast of its Ford F-150 and Silverado/GMC archrivals. The Ram 1500 is already among class leaders in infotainment, with available satellite TV, voice-activated navigation with real-time traffic and weather, USB iPod and Bluetooth cell-phone interface, even mobile WiFi for the truck and its perimeter. The 2011 Ram 1500 could increase its appeal to commercial users by matching Ford’s innovative Tool Link system that uses radio frequency identification (RDF) to inventory and track tools stored aboard the truck. All 2011 Ram 1500s will return with standard safety features that include head-protecting curtain side airbags for both front and rear seating rows and an antiskid system that includes trailer-sway control.   

2011 DODGE RAM 1500 PRICES

• The 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 pricing was not announced in time for this review, but the highly competitive full-size-pickup market means 2011 prices aren’t apt to change much from 2010 levels. That suggests a base price range for the 2011 Ram 1500 of around $22,000-$44,000, before options. (All prices in this review include the manufacturer’s destination fee; Dodge’s fee for the 2010 Ram 1500 was $900.)

• The 2011 Ram 1500 prices will again be influenced by cab style, bed length, trim level, and options. Estimate the 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 regular-cab starting around $22,000 with two-wheel drive (2WD) and $26,500 with 4WD.

• Prices for the 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab should begin around $26,000 with 2WD and $30,500 with 4WD. Crew Cabs account for 50 percent of Ram 1500 sales and base prices for the 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab should begin around $30,500 with 2WD and $33,900 with 4WD.

• Among prices for notable options, figure the RamBox at about $1,900, the navigation system at around $1,900, and rear-seat DVD and satellite-TV video at around $1,700. The Hemi V-8 should continue standard on Sport and top-line Laramie models and add roughly $1,400 to other 2011 Ram 1500s. Load them with options, and prices for top-line Laramie models and upper-level SLT Crew Cabs can easily cross the $50,000 mark.

2011 DODGE RAM 1500 FUEL ECONOMY

• EPA gas-mileage ratings for 2011 models had not been released in time for this review, but 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 fuel-economy estimates shouldn’t change for the V-8 versions. Figure the 2011 Ram 1500 with the 4.7 V-8 to be rated at or slightly above 14/19 mpg (city/highway) with 2WD and 13/18 with 4WD. The 2011 Rams 1500s with the Hemi V-8 should again be rated at or slightly above 14/20 mpg with 2WD and 13/18 with 4WD.

• Dodge recommends mid-grade 89-octane gas for the Hemi. Ram’s other engines use less expensive regular 87-octane. The 4.7 V-8 (and the Pentastar V-6) can also run on E85 ethanol, but fuel economy declines by some 30 percent.

• Dodge might figure a 2011 Ram 1500 with the Pentastar V-6 has enough power to prove compatible with both 2WD and 4WD; for 2010, Rams with the 3.7-liter V-6 were offered only with 2WD. They rated 14/20 mpg. Based on estimates for the Pentastar’s debut in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, figure a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 with the Pentastar V-6 to be rated around 16/23 with 2WD, slightly less with 4WD.  

• Similarly, a possible 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 Hybrid could be rated around 18/19 mpg, based on fuel-economy numbers for this powertrain when used in the now-discontinued Dodge Durango SUV, which actually was a bit heavier than a Ram 1500.

2011 DODGE RAM 1500 RELEASE DATE

• The 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 should be in showrooms my autumn 2010.

• Incidentally, the “1500” tag identifies this pickup as a “half-ton” model. The classification is loosely defined by payload capacity, and Dodge and General Motors designate their half-ton pickups as 1500s, while Ford shortens its ID to “F-150.” Only these domestic-brand carmakers offer heavier-duty pickups in the three-quarter one-ton categories, badging them 2500 or 3500, or in Ford’s case, F-250 and F-350. Aimed at commercial users and serious trailer towers, these heavy-duty models typically have beefier chassis construction and offer diesel engines.     

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE DODGE RAM 1500

• Fiat has already begun to break up the old Chrysler by spinning off Dodge trucks under a separate “Ram Brand.” The most obvious benefit of the strategy is to more easily sell-off Ram engineering and design as a turn-key truck operation. What that would mean for the future of the Ram pickup is speculative, but any new owner would be smart to build on today’s sound foundation with carefully considered evolutionary improvements.     

• In the long-term, any automaker’s full-size pickup strategy will be guided by how much of the customer base returns to businesses, trades people, farmers, ranchers, and heavy-duty trailer-pullers – the core audience that bought these trucks before casual users adopted them as a lifestyle accessory during the 1990s. The core audience has of course become as accustomed as casual users to lots of tech conveniences and creature comforts. But serious truckers would also be more amenable to paying more upfront for a half-ton diesel pickup and realizing fuel-cost savings over the long haul.

• In the short term, odds are probably better that the Ram 1500 will become available with the Pentastar V-6 than with the Hemi hybrid. The Pentastar would be a higher-volume application than the costlier, limited-appeal hybrid. Overall, today’s Ram 1500, which traces its design to the all-new half-ton Ram introduced for model-year 2009, should remain unchanged in basic styling and engineering until model year 2014 or beyond.     

2011 DODGE RAM 1500 COMPETITION

• Chevrolet Silverado 1500/GMC Sierra 1500: Their last redesign was for model-year 2007, making these General Motors corporate cousins the elder statesmen among the most popular big pickups. But a fiercely loyal owner base, a solid basic design, keen pricing, and carefully considered upgrades have kept them second only to the F-Series trucks in sales. A variety of engines, cab and bed choices, and features mean they’re attractive for work and play, and they’re the only full-size pickups to offer a gas-electric hybrid model. Still, Silverado and Sierra are beginning to show their age with fewer leading-edge tech toys and slightly less accommodating crew-cab comfort. The next all-new Silverado/Sierra will likely arrive for model-year 2013 or 2014.

• Ford F-150: America’s best-selling vehicle, car or truck, joined the Doge Ram 1500 with a full redesign for model-year 2009, gaining evolutionary styling and some attractive new features. Cabs were enlarged, cargo beds got compartments and dividers, and the structure was improved for an outstandingly solid feel. The F-150 arguably trails the Ram 1500 for refinement and handling, but Ford seems poised to take a step forward for model-year 2011 with introduction of its twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 – hailed as V-8 power with V-6 fuel economy – and also possibly a strong new base V-8 engine. Look for the next all-new F-150 around model-year 2014.  

• Toyota Tundra: Toyota jumped into the full-size fray with the model-year 2007 redesign of its half-ton pickup. Built in the U.S., Tundra has the size and power to tackle the domestic brands but hasn’t quite won over the serious-user and commercial audience. Tundra can seem more ponderous to drive than the domestic competition. And Ford and Dodge seem to be moving ahead on the infotainment and storage-innovation fronts. But this Toyota fights back with plenty of interior comfort, competitive towing and payload capability, and strong, smooth V-8 powertrains. Don’t expect major Tundra changes before model year 2014.