When you think of a half-ton pickup truck, several adjectives jump to mind: rugged, solid, safe.
But after a week of Chattanooga-area commuting in the all-new 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie Quad Cab, only one adjective sufficiently sums up the experience: comfortable.
The interior of the 2019 Ram 1500 is full of soft-touch materials in Mountain Brown and Soft Frost Beige.
FAST FACTS
* Model: 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie Quad Cab 4X2* Exterior color: Delmonico Red Pearl* Interior color: Mountain Brown, Light Frost Beige* Engine: 5.7-liter, V-8, Hemi* Horsepower: 395* Transmission: 8-speed automatic* Fuel economy: 23 mpg highway, 17 mpg city* Local Dealer: Crown Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat* Price (as tested): $54,480
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The Ram 1500, which enters its fifth generation for 2019, has a sumptuous ride and a luxury-level interior unmatched by any other half-ton trucks on the road today. If you need tow a bass across several states, this is your baby. It even sucked the stress out of our afternoon commutes, and easily out-ran an 18-wheeler which was determined not to let us merge on U.S. Highway 127.
Other pickups may have more raw power and/or towing capacity, but none have the Ram 1500's absorbent suspension and Lexus-like cabin isolation. Indeed riding in the 2019 Ram 1500 combines SUV-like comfort with the utility of a pickup.
In Quad Cab and Crew Cab configurations, you can even make the case that the Ram 1500 is a do-everything vehicle for small families - especially for those with children who don't yet require reclining second-row seats.
Locally, the Crown Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat dealership at 2120 Chapman Road, had 53 Ram 1500s in stock late this week, including an ample supply of mid-trim Laramie models like our tester.
WHAT IS IT? Our tester is a rear-wheel-drive 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie Quad Cab pickup truck with a 5.7-liter, V-8 Hemi engine making 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. With room for up to five passengers, the Ram 1500 can also tow more than 12,000 pounds.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? Our tester includes such upgrades as advanced safety tech features, extra chrome bits, LED bed lights, heated seats, a tri-fold tonneau cover, a 33-gallon fuel tank and a Tesla-like, 12-inch display screen. The MSRP for all this is $54,480. A base Ram 1500, on the other hand, starts at $33,340.
WHAT WE LIKED: The smooth ride, plush interior, powerful V-8 Hemi engine, side steps and 70s-style earth tone color palate inside.
WHAT WE'D HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE WITH: Tricky parking, church-pew like back seats and a pricey $1,695 destination charge.
WORTHWHILE OPTIONS: For $1,095 you get factory navigation and that vertically-mounted, 12-inch display screen that makes the Ram look positively futuristic.
FUEL ECONOMY: The V-8 power-plant gets 23 mpg highway and 17 mpg city. An optional 33-gallon fuel tank ($445) helps stretch the distance between fill-ups.
BOTTOM LINE: The Ram 1500 has the market cornered on comfort. If you want a creature-comfort filled pickup truck that rides like a dream, go no further than your local Ram dealer.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.