1st Drive Impressions

[Dkwatts1522]

Hi Gang - recently joined the forums and am enjoying all the info I'm finding on the site!

I have never owned a FCA product, and frankly never thought I'd be interested in one. My first vehicle was a 1979 Chevy Silverado, and having come from a family that always bought GM (Grandfather worked for GM), it was never a thought to buy a different American vehicle. That changed yesterday!

A couple days ago I test drove the new 2019 GMC Sierra Denali 1500. I left the test drive feeling indifferent. The truck was very handsome, but the interior was nowhere near what I expected for a 67k truck. The drive was very "bouncy" and I just didn't feel connected to the road. I had been eying the new Ram for quite a while but figured I'd end up falling in love with the new Silverado or Sierra and the 'itch' to explore the Ram would fade. Yesterday I decided to go to a dealer and really take a look at the truck and take it for a spin. I test drove the model I would be interested in (Limited 4X4 with Indigo Frost interior). What a truck!!!! Absolutely love the way it drove (especially compared to the GMC), the interior was nicer than my BMW 3 series (no joke), and the overall impression was just "wow".

One question I do have is regarding the 12" touch screen. For those who have it, do you generally like it? I ask because I have also seen several threads where folks have had issues with it (sounds like software but perhaps not in all cases?). From an overall reliability standpoint I am assuming most of you are happy with your decision in going with a new model year?

Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks for your time!

Tony

I switched to Ram from an 09 Sierra. So far mine has been problem free @ 4500 miles. (knock on wood). Even though I have been to the service department 5 times in 2 months LOL. Sliced sidewall and bent rim( debree , rocks in the road) and a major door ding. All has been taken care of and weren’t issues with the truck. I did have driver seat cover loose but it was Literally a 2 minute fix. So far very happy and for the 12” screen I really like it but as others have said it is somewhat glitchy still. I had been hunting down a rattle in my center console but 99% positive I found the issue. Was just a tape measure rattling. Lol. Been trying to figure that one out for weeks.

 

[jschneider910]

Hi @anthtony ,

I'm also a convert! I also never considered an FCA vehicle, but the tech and interior won me over. I had a 2015 Silverado High Country with a 6.2 that let me down in a big way and had a horrible transmission, so I switched to Ford. I loved the Ford but was looking to go down to one vehicle (also had an Audi S4). I also considered holding out for a 2019 Denali, but noticed they STILL do not offer adaptive cruise. The Ram sold me for all the reasons you mentioned so I ordered on June 4th and took delivery August 8th.

My truck has the 12" screen and it has been flawless (knock on wood). Overall the truck has been great- I'm right around 1800 miles right now. It sounds like a lot of the issues are earlier build date trucks. Mine was built July 10.

Enjoy it, I know I'm enjoying mine.

 

[Tommy]

Really enjoy my Laramie so far. Have had it for a week now. Still assessing etorque mated to my hemi. Not up to the gas mileage I am looking for yet - so far about 19 combined. As for the 12 inch screen, there's so many features, I'm still figuring it out. Not as intuitive as I'd like. Have to hunt around to get to the stuff I'm looking for, especially nav. Some settings don't seem to persist. For now I'm going to assume my issues are me and not the device. More to follow.

Forgot to mention that the boot up of

If you’re getting a solid 19 mpg hand calculated now, you probably won’t get much better.

I'm betting it will improve as I learn how it likes to be driven. I have a Fusion hybrid. Took me over a year to develop the right touch for it. MPG improved from an initial 37 to now 42 over that time.

 

[RamCares]

I haven’t had as many issues with the 12” screen as many have, but I do have the steering clunk that has no fix, an oil leak and the unevenly lit gauge cluster. My opinion of this truck so far is that it’s a dog. I’ll be talking to the dealer at my service appointment tomorrow about buyback options and am going to try to get into a 2500. Good luck.

I am sorry to hear this. I can get a case created and escalate to a Case Specialist for further investigation. Send me a direct message with your VIN and any new information since this post.

Jasmine
Ram Social Care Specialist =

 

[Neurobit]

Hi Gang - recently joined the forums and am enjoying all the info I'm finding on the site!

I have never owned a FCA product, and frankly never thought I'd be interested in one. My first vehicle was a 1979 Chevy Silverado, and having come from a family that always bought GM (Grandfather worked for GM), it was never a thought to buy a different American vehicle. That changed yesterday!

A couple days ago I test drove the new 2019 GMC Sierra Denali 1500. I left the test drive feeling indifferent. The truck was very handsome, but the interior was nowhere near what I expected for a 67k truck. The drive was very "bouncy" and I just didn't feel connected to the road. I had been eying the new Ram for quite a while but figured I'd end up falling in love with the new Silverado or Sierra and the 'itch' to explore the Ram would fade. Yesterday I decided to go to a dealer and really take a look at the truck and take it for a spin. I test drove the model I would be interested in (Limited 4X4 with Indigo Frost interior). What a truck!!!! Absolutely love the way it drove (especially compared to the GMC), the interior was nicer than my BMW 3 series (no joke), and the overall impression was just "wow".

One question I do have is regarding the 12" touch screen. For those who have it, do you generally like it? I ask because I have also seen several threads where folks have had issues with it (sounds like software but perhaps not in all cases?). From an overall reliability standpoint I am assuming most of you are happy with your decision in going with a new model year?

Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks for your time!

Tony

I totally love my 12" infotainment. Can't see myself going back to anything smaller. It's that awesome.

I did have some minor issues a couple of times with the screen going blank, which has since been resolved by a software update a few weeks ago.
There is another issue where it does not remember the setting of the "home" mode, so selecting media or nav or whatever you set it to, it forgets. next time you turn the engine on, but again, that's minor and I'm sure will be resolved in a future software update.

Cheers,
Neurobit

 

[Tommy]

I am sorry to hear this. I can get a case created and escalate to a Case Specialist for further investigation. Send me a direct message with your VIN and any new information since this post.

Jasmine
Ram Social Care Specialist =

Jasmine

It's awesome that you monitor and respond to concerns in this forum. My VIN is 1C6–SRFRT9KN–621460. Since my post, my primary concerns are:

1. Transmission hesitates and is a bit jerky in lower gears. This seems to go away once it warms up sufficiently. Service department at Safford in Winchester says it's probably because I'm not used to driving it. That's kinda silly. For a vehicle this expensive, gear shifts should always be smooth.
2. Engine shuts down properly at most traffic lights. But it restarts within 5 seconds if it's hot out and within 15 seconds even if I have the AC off. I expect the eTorque battery should be able to hold the load for much longer than that.
3. Navigation features should include ability for passenger to enter destination information when vehicle is moving. VERY frustrating to have to use phone navigation app while in motion - especially when on interstate or turnpike. Also, it's hard to believe this navigation system doesn't have an auto-complete feature.

Aside from these concerns, I am quite pleased with my RAM.

Tom

 

[edrclark]

On number 3, I totally agree, but how would the truck know if it was the driver or passenger doing the entry? Distracted driving laws are very strict and getting stricter. Here in Oregon, they have outlawed watching a dvd in the front seat, even if the truck is in park

 

[Tommy]

On number 3, I totally agree, but how would the truck know if it was the driver or passenger doing the entry? Distracted driving laws are very strict and getting stricter. Here in Oregon, they have outlawed watching a dvd in the front seat, even if the truck is in park

I get that distracted driving is a deadly problem, but this doesn't help. I figure it can use the passenger seat weight sensor to confirm that it's occupied. Or just do what the Waze app does and let the passenger click yes, she is the passenger and then display an appropriate disclaimer. I doubt Chrysler lawyers see it this way, but I'll bet this little annoyance will simply cause folks to use their phones instead. Intuitively I'd guess that's even more dangerous than using the vehicle interface. I have to admit, though, that I've done no research to back up my intuition.

 

[anthtony]

Pretty excited to report that I just put down a deposit on a '19 Limited (Black with Sunroof, 22" Wheels, Bumper matched Paint Color, Level 1 Equipment)!!! The wait now begins!!

 

[edrclark]

Unfortunately, checking to see if a a passenger is in the seat does not mean they are the one playing with the navigation system. Am playing devils advocate here, I would like them to change this as well

 

[Tommy]

Unfortunately, checking to see if a a passenger is in the seat does not mean they are the one playing with the navigation system. Am playing devils advocate here, I would like them to change this as well

I agree. But, like I suggestec, the Waze app simply asks the user to confirm he's the passenger in the vehicle. Certainly not foolproof, but it works.

 

[mikemcfarland]

Pretty excited to report that I just put down a deposit on a '19 Limited (Black with Sunroof, 22" Wheels, Bumper matched Paint Color, Level 1 Equipment)!!! The wait now begins!!

now comes the VERY hard part.... add your order to your signature line.

 

[John]

I agree. But, like I suggestec, the Waze app simply asks the user to confirm he's the passenger in the vehicle. Certainly not foolproof, but it works.

Obviously, FCA cares more about your life than Waze does!! FWIW, my '14 BMW and '14 Silverado won't allow the navigation to be used once the vehicle is in motion either!!!

John