2010 Dodge Ram

Dodge Ram

Chrysler is still struggling to emerge from last year's bankruptcy, and one of the vehicles it will lean on to do that is the 2010 Dodge Ram. Redesigned for 2009, the Ram is one of Chrysler's strongest-selling vehicles, and our parent Web site, The Car Connection, put the 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 through its paces. Here's what Marty Padgett, the executive editor, and our other car-review experts had to say.

The Ram 1500 earned an 8.2 rating out of 10 on our scale. High marks were earned for the Ram's styling, its power, its ride quality, and its storage options. The V-6's lack of power and the automatic transmission's lack of an extra gear were pointed out as flaws.

Padgett writes that "the Ram continues to be one of the toughest, most composed pickup trucks on the market." With a price range of $21,000 on the low-end to almost $45,000 on the high end, the Ram competes most closely with the Chevrolet Silverad0 1500 (along with its GMC Sierra 1500) and the Ford F-150.

On the road, Padgett writes, "When it comes to driving and hauling, the 2010 Ram proves to be a marked improvement over the last version, and at least the equal of the Ford and GM trucks. A new stiff chassis and a new rear coil suspension have loosened up the Ram's ride, which now feels better controlled than any of the competitors. This is easily the best-riding truck Dodge has ever produced." But he also notes some flaws: "The steering is quick but rather numb and not as full of feedback as the chassis really deserves. In the full-size pickup numbers game, Dodge claims its 10,450-pound towing rating is the best in its class, but it hasn't really disclosed what's been changed to achieve the new ratings."