Road test review: Ram 1500 Express Crew Cab
Tuesday, 23 June 2020
RAM 1500 EXPRESS CREW CAB
Base price: $104,990
Powertrain and economy: 5.7-litre petrol V8, 291kW/556Nm, 8-speed automatic, 4WD, combined economy 12.2L/100km, CO2 280g/km (source: RightCar).
Vital statistics: 5833mm long, 2097mm wide, 1917mm high, 3569mm wheelbase, 20-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Big, handsome and comfortable, RamBox is brilliant, awesome stereo, burbly V8.
- We don't like: Parking brake is a pain… parking is a pain.
Is a monstrous piece of V8-powered American iron relevant or even responsible in these environmentally-aware times? That really does depend on how much you need to tow.
So is the Ram 1500 all about the towing then?
Pretty much, but then that's what big American pick-ups have always really been about anyway - simply massive towing ability, even at the expense of payload. With an 830kg payload, this Ram 1500 can't carry as much as one of the one-tonne pick-ups we traditionally buy here.
**READ MORE:
* Ram working on new mid-size ute
* Sunday Drive: Ford Ranger Raptor and Ram 1500
* Yes, HSV does still 'make' a V8-powered four-door
**
But it can haul an impressive 1,000kg more than any Ranger or Hilux on a trailer, with a massive braked towing capacity of 4,500kg. And that is why you see one of these (or the Chev or Ford equivalents) at pretty much every boat builder's yard in the country…
The 1500 is the 'smaller' (it's all relative) sibling of the 2500 that has an even more impressive 6,900kg towing capacity.
Both trucks are bought into Australia in LHD form by American Special Vehicles (a division of the Ateco Group) who then contract Walkinshaw Performance (the outfit behind HSV), to do the remanufacturing into RHD, a feat made easier by the fact that the 1500 and 2500 share the same architecture - the 1500 is 'smaller' by virtue for the fact it is essentially a short-wheelbase version of the 2500.
But the other big difference is what powers it - where the 2500 packs a massive 6.7-litre Cummins turbo diesel inline-six, the 1500 is motivated by Chrysler's iconic 5.7-litre Hemi petrol V8.
So I guess it sucks back massive amounts of fuel?
Actually, it's probably not as bad as you would expect.
Ram claims a combined fuel consumption figure of 12.2L/100km, which might seem like a fantasy, but it is actually ridiculously easy to achieve in reality. Which is deeply impressive for a massive V8-powered truck with a GVM of just under three and a half tonnes…
Of course, start hauling four and a half tonnes around behind it and that figure would soar, but it is still a surprisingly low number.
The big 291kW/556Nm V8 is a relatively muted affair in the Ram, with just a distant rumble to let you know what is under the hood (although you can option up a Mopar exhaust for a bit more aural fruitiness), but it is, however, an effortlessly muscular unit that pushes the big Ram around with a surprising turn of speed when requested.
As you would expect, being an American vehicle, open road cruising is a delight, with the SWB 1500 having a far better ride than its LWB 2500 sibling.
It is also in possession of some proper 'Murican comfort, with massive armchair-like seats and simply massive amounts of cabin space on offer.
Like all American vehicles, the window sill is the perfect height for cocking a suntanned elbow on with the window down and some Skynyrd blasting on the excitingly loud audio system.
Exactly how good is the conversion to right-hand-drive?
Sorry, I think you'll find it isn't a conversion, it is a 're-manufacturing'. At least, that is what everyone involved in the process will stress.
And it is hard to deny their point, because the conversion is startlingly complete, with every Ram stripped back to its bare bones before being comprehensively rebuilt to have the steering wheel on the proper side.
It is such an impressively complete job that if you weren't aware of the Ram's LHD origins you would swear it rolled straight off the factory floor in this form. Except for one thing… the parking brake.
The foot-operated park brake is awkwardly placed to the right of the driver's side footwell, right up next to the door, meaning you have to contort your right foot up so your knee is almost resting against the bottom of the window to operate it. It is awkward, irritating and simply easier to just not use it unless you really have to…
What does the Express Crew Cab bring to the range?
The Express Crew Cab adds extra interior space at the expense of a shorter tray, by being a full double cab (the1500 Express Quad Cab is more of an extra cab) with a still fairly sizable 5ft 7in (1.74m) tray, compared to the Quad Cab's 6ft 4in (1.95m) tray
The 1500 is easier to live with than the 2500, thanks to its shorter length, meaning you can actually park it without having to take up two spaces or block off the road with the rear hanging out.
This means the width is the only real consideration you need to keep in mind - at 2,097mm wide, the 1500 is just over 200mm wider than a 1,860mm Ranger Wildtrak (but only 69mm wider than a Raptor at 2,028mm), so still presents its fair share of parking challenges. Not just for you, but also the poor sod you park next to…
But while it's not massively more impractical than the best-selling vehicle in New Zealand, at $104,990 it is considerably more expensive. But given both the comprehensive remanufacturing process and fairly niche market it is playing in, it isn't particularly exorbitant, even when taking the original US price into account.
We would, however, recommend adding one optional extra on top of that cost - the thoroughly excellent RamBox cargo management system that will set you back a further $5,000 and is worth every cent.
Only available on the 5ft 7in tray version of the 1500, the RamBox adds some incredibly useful lockable side compartments to the Ram's tray which can do duty as a cooler or, yes, gun storage. It is American, after all.
Any other cars I should consider?
Let's be honest here - you aren't going to be considering a Ford Ranger or its kind if you are looking at a Ram.
The price difference is too big, the differences too vast and the chances are, if you are considering a Ram, then either a one tonne ute can't tow as much as you need it too, or you really just want American iron.
Which leaves the Ram's only locally-available competitor with a factory warranty as the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 which is also remanufactured by Walkinshaw and packs similar specs and equipment.