Rented a new Hemi Dodge truck

[lloyd3]

Enterprise ponied up a brand-spanking new 1500 5.7 4X4 for me to drive last week at work. The 2020 models have resolved a few issues that I found to be ridiculous in the 2019 models, such as sensors that stopped you for even a tall blade of grass(!).  Lots of Ma Mopar tan plastic in the interior and a brite white exterior didn't make for anything that looked fancy but... this one was fun. Nice ride, comfy seats, XM radio, and almost twice the horsepower of my 2001 rig.  An 8-speed automatic and power everything added to the package. Drove it all week and was surprised that I didn't get a speeding ticket in it as it was always begging to go a little faster. Very long legs on this unit and incredibly stable at speed. The big four door cab makes for a really tanky overall size, and parking it was never seamless, but I was impressed none-the-less. Trucks are simply too-big anymore to be entirely practical IMHO, and this unit absolutely swilled gasoline (partly my fault, I loved how it launched and sounded).  I can't imagine how well all that technology will age and I'm sure that the cheesy plastic interior will have problems before too-long, but...I liked it.  If I absolutely had to buy a new truck I'd be forced to consider a Dodge again.

[white]

I had similar results renting a 3/4 ton 2019 dodge 4 door truck with the 392 in it, Wow the power was amazing, I was pulling 8,500lbs and did not even feel like I was towing anything. But trying to drive without trailer in normal traffic was not fun, forget trying Mall parking or grocery store parking it's to big to get into a spot the way people park. I looked at buying one after I returned the truck and was floored on how much it was. It was fun driving

[lloyd3]

Yes, I just went through the Dodge program on my cellphone for ordering one. $50k minimum to get what I might want, and we're not talking loaded with options.  My current truck is more than adequate for my needs and has served me faithfully and well for almost 20-years now.  Hard to get past that fact.

[RallyeMike]

I know your temptation. I've been drooling over the new warlock. All the gadgetry is cool, but it makes me think what does it take to maintain it all in working order? ... especially for those of us that like to hang onto our rigs for a long time?

I think I have decided to just keep driving my fleet 05 Hemi Ram with it manual roll up windows and rubber floor mats, but its fun to dream.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

I rented one a couple years ago & overall I liked it, but what I ABSOLUTELY HATED was the transmission shift knob on the dashboard. Have they gotten rid of that yet?

[70 sublime]

I am in Canada and just started looking at pricing out a 2020 hemi quad cab 4x4
I have a 2018 now and thinking about trading for the same truck a couple years newer
The price you get on the computer is nothing like they will sell you at the dealership with all the discounts they have going on now

If you have some time to waste go talk to a sales man at a couple different Ram dealerships and see how low you can really get them down
it is worth the time 

[krops cars]

I like all the safety options now days. That is sarcasm. No one has to drive their vehicles any more. I still think anti lock brakes are the worst invention ever. In Wisconsin hit a patch of snow at a stop sign and the pedal fights you and you hear all of the anti lock noise. The traction button. I would like to tell some one where to stick that. I have to go up A ridge every snow storm. If you do not have the button pushed it goes into limp mod. Not good when you are on a hill like that.

[HANDM]

I've got a 2017 Big Horn Ram 2500 crew cab 8' bed with the cummins and believe me it's huge and powerfull.
I have zero problems parking it up front of places as I usually back it in.....

When I want easier parking I drive my wifes 18 Challenger T/A 

[lloyd3]

They still have the button shifter on the dash. I hated it when I first saw it too. Now I'm less concerned (not sure why). In a country setting , parking would be no problem.  In a more city/urban setting,  it's the biggest thing in the parking lot. Not a big deal, just a pain.

[70 sublime]

Yes I am always aware of parking say when we order a pizza from main street place in town I have to take the car or else walk 5 blocks cause that is the first spot I could find that the truck would fit

[Kern Dog]

My 2007 Ram 1500 has 343,000 miles on it. I love the idea of getting a new truck but I like CD players. Column shifters. NO huge center screen to control everything either! Our Challenger had a radio go out and everything is controlled through the display. You could change channels but never know what you were getting. The A/C and heater are the same way. It was covered under warranty but what a pisser.
Ideally, I'd love to find a super low mile 2007 Ram exactly like my current one!

[alfaitalia]

What are some of these really high tech IT based cars going to be worth in a few years time...next to nothing would be my guess. Everyone will be too scared to buy them if something ecu/IT/ software wise fails it could cost more than you will pay for the car. My 09 Alfa has a,lot of advanced kit for it's day (Bluetooth, voice recognition, keyless start etc)...but it's already nearly impossible to find most of the ecus that run the thing...and if you find them they cost not far off what my 159 is worth. Also main dealers don't even have the hardware to update my systems software anymore....after just 7 years since the 159 creased production. As the cars get more advanced I can only see the used values getting lower and lower...especially past about 5 years old. What makes used values even worse (and we are really starting to notice it here) is how cheap is it's to lease a new one. A few hundred a month...all servicing and repairs covered...ave at the end of three or four years hand it back and get another. Real worry free motoring and you always have the latest kit. Why would anyone want to buy a used car for roughly the same payment and then have the potential of expensive business of maintaining it.

[Kern Dog]

I agree with you on the "tech doesn't age well" . My 2007 is right on the edge of when stuff started getting more complex.
The suspension is traditional coils up front and leaf springs out back, No air bag suspension, no traction control. The radio is a traditional AM/FM 6 disc CD player. The heater and A/C controls are knobs, not all integrated into that massive screen that may new cars and trucks have. NO navigation.
I am tempted to swap in a lower mile engine when mine wears out.

[odcics2]

Seriously, that's a good looking truck.
It has the new "nascar wheels" on it, too!   

[lloyd3]

Well, I must be the darling of the moment with Enterprise.  My latest vehicle is a brand-spank'en new Platinum edition 2020 F150 4x4 EcoBoost V6, 10-speed auto. Leather and power everything. Very different animal from the Ram.  At $75k (minimally) one would expect that. Nowhere near the power, but....very nice. Rides like a limo. Hard to call it a truck. It's really going to be tough to get back into my beater 2001 after this. This truck does everything but fellate you. Posh....

[odcics2]

Well, I must be the darling of the moment with Enterprise.  My latest vehicle is a brand-spank'en new Platinum edition 2020 F150 4x4. EcoBoost v6, 10 speed auto. Leather and power everything. Very different animal from the Ram.  At $75k (minimally) one would expect that. Nowhere near the power, but....very nice. Rides like a limo. Hard to call it a truck. It's  really going to be hard to get back into my 2001 after this. This truck does everything but fellate you. Posh....

75K 
Almost twice the price of my first house!   

[lloyd3]

Yea...crazy money. I feel bad climbing in and out of it with muddy & snowy boots.

[TexasStroker]

I like what they have done with them recently, but still prefer the previous body style.  Maybe this one will grow on me, but for now the styling of the 94-18 reigns supreme, particularly 2nd Gens 

[lloyd3]

God! I finally figured out how to use the remote-start feature on this 2020 Ford this morning. It let me stay inside a bit longer and finish my coffee before running out the door at 6:30 AM. When I climbed-in the windows were all clear (no ice scraper needed!), the seat heat was on and the steering wheel was toasty warm.  Talk about culture shock, my living room isn't any more comfortable (!). I even tried the "sport mode" out on the way out to the job site.  It disables the "environmentally sensitive" features on the truck, alters the suspension, and hold the shift points lower and longer. Properly utilized, a twin-turbo six is nothing to sneeze at. Four hundred horses at the rear wheels is an unmistakable sensation to any old hotrodder.

I've rented literally hundreds of cars and trucks over the 40-years or so I've worked and traveled all over this country and...clearly there were some I've liked better than others. This truck is a revelation to me. I'm not normally a Ford guy but... I'll have to seriously consider getting one of these units. IMHO Ford has hit a significant home-run here. The all-aluminum body (which is almost 750 lbs lighter than a steel-bodied truck) allows for a level of performance, comfort, and fuel-efficiency that really changes the game. I can replace several vehicles in my fleet with just this one truck.  None of the technology being used here is very new, so the beta-testing has largely already been done.  How well it will age is always a concern, but heck(!!!)....I'll be 62 in just two short weeks. How long does it really have to last anyway?