Consumer Reports rated the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel above every other
half-ton, full-size pickup in its most recent tests. It scored 82
points out of 100.
The next highest rated pickup was the Ram 1500 with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine, which scored an 81 and was rated as “Recommended.”
Consumer Reports wrote, “The Ram is the most civilized full-sized pickup on sale, yet it’s still plenty capable. Its coil-spring rear suspension helps cushion the ride and the spacious cab is luxury-car quiet.”
While they praised Ram’s fuel economy, eight-speed transmission, ride, quietness, room, and Uconnect telematics, they criticized the Ram’s ease of access (it’s a long way to the cab without the optional side steps), the heavy tailgate, and the $4,000 price tag for the diesel.
Consumer Reports got 20 miles per gallon in overall testing, the same figure Allpar hit in a recent test of the Ram 1500 Outdoorsman equipped with the VM Motori-sourced diesel. A magazine spokesman said these numbers were normally seen in mid-sized SUVs, and pointed out that the Ram was the only diesel full-size half-ton truck.
The next highest scores were from the recently designed Silverado/Sierra pickups, which came close to the Ram Hemi’s score (both were tested with the 5.3 V8). Ford’s F-150 XLT Crew Cab, tested with both the V6 turbo and five-liter V8 engines, scored far below both Ram and GM pickups. The Nissan Titan and Toyota Tundra V8s anchored the bottom of the list.
