2016 RAM 1500 SLT

MANAGERS NOTES - TOUCHSCREEN RADIO, POWER-SLIDING REAR WINDOW, BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY, QUAD CAB, REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY, POWER ACCESORIES, 17" STEEL WHEELS, DUAL GLOVEBOXES, FIRESTONE TIRES, REARVIEW CAMERA, FRONT PARKING SENSORS ** CLEAN CARFAX ** ** AS PRICED COMES WITH 3 MONTH 4500 MILE SERVICE CONTRACT ** Vehicle overview It's pretty easy to make the case that the Ram is still our favorite light-duty pickup. One of the Ram's biggest strengths is its excellent engine lineup. Its standard engine is a strong-but-efficient V6, but there's also an optional V8 with plenty of towing power and a turbocharged diesel V6 that sets the standard for fuel economy in the class. Once you've picked an engine, there are several different variants available for the Ram, from the bare-bones Tradesman to the top-of-the-line Limited and even the off-road-ready Rebel, a rarity with trucks this large. And, to top it all off, the Ram has plenty of modern interior tech along with its class-exclusive coil-spring rear suspension and available self-leveling air suspension that gives it the smoothest ride on the market. Standard safety equipment on the 2017 Ram 1500 includes four-wheel antilock disc brakes, stability control, hill start assist, trailer-sway control, front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. A fully integrated trailer-brake controller is available, as are a rearview camera and front and rear parking sensors. During testing, in a simulated panic stop, both a Quad Cab 2WD with the gas V6 and a crew cab 4WD with the diesel V6 came to a stop from 60 mph in 128 feet. That distance is average for full-size pickups. In government crash testing, regardless of cab length, the Ram 1500 earned four out of a possible five stars for overall crash protection, with four stars for total front-crash protection and five stars for total side-crash protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Ram 1500 Crew and Extended Cabs its highest rating of Good in the moderate-overlap front-impact and side-impact tests. However, the Ram earned the second-lowest rating of Marginal in the small-overlap front-impact and roof strength tests. Its seat and head restraint design was rated Good for whiplash protection in rear impacts. Perhaps one of the most impressive elements of owning a Ram 1500 is the excellent ride quality. On the highway, it's smooth, quiet and relatively unfazed by even significant bumps. The adjustable air suspension makes the ride even better. It's a unique feature for this class that allows the truck to drop 2 inches to ease liftover and step-in heights when parked. Two off-road settings for the air suspension also allow increases of 1.2 inch and 2 inches above the standard height for extra clearance. That said, if you're not planning to do any towing, sticking with the base gasoline V6 engine will save you a bundle and give you a bit more speed with the pedal pinned to the floor. Gear changes from the eight-speed automatic are smooth and practically imperceptible, so the transmission never feels busy, as you might expect with so many gears. It's also a benefit when towing, as there are more ratios available to achieve an ideal engine rpm, and it could even reduce your need to get a different axle ratio. Interior Regardless of trim level, the Ram 1500's interior is one of our favorites in the segment. Lower trim levels feel well built with quality materials, and upper trim levels are predictably very well executed, with available wood trim and premium leather upholstery that class things up quite a bit. Seat comfort is excellent, especially for long road trips, with soft padding and adequate support in the right places. If you go with the crew cab, there's plenty of legroom in the rear and matching seat comfort. For infotainment controls, the Ram features two available Uconnect systems.