Ian Harwood

Ian Harwood

2018 Ram 1500 – Automotive Review

The 2018 Ram 1500 now referred to as the “Classic.” The fourth generation of the pickup that was first introduced in 2009, and to this day has done very well in Canada.

Many special edition trucks are available that provide a customized look directly from the factory floor.

A few examples are:

  • Express Blackout and Big Horn black appearance package offer to match body-color with the grille and ram head badging on front and rear of the truck, along with 20” semi-gloss aluminum wheels.
  • Hydro Blue Sport uses a Hydro blue pearl paint with a performance hood and 20” polished forged aluminum wheels.
  • The Longhorn special edition features a 2-tone paint with a striking interior. Light Greystone suede headliner, canyon brown/frost leather seats with brown piping and ruby red accent stitching. The wood accents are walnut ash and are made from real wood. The interior cabin features an electronic rotary dial shifter that allows you to go from park to reverse and drive. This was one thing I did not like, and maybe I am alone with this, but as a truck owner, I want a shifter that you can grab onto and put it into gear whether it’s in the center console or on the steering column, so it feels more like a true classic truck. Nothing worse than quickly turning up the radio only to find you just put it into gear.
2018 Ram 1500 Laramie Limited Crew Cab 4x4
2018 Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport
2018 Ram 1500 Laramie Limited Crew Cab 4x4
2018 Ram 1500 RamBox with Mopar holster system
2018 Ram 1500 Rebel Crew Cab 4x4 Black

The available Rambox cargo management system is a great idea, as it keeps your everyday use items safely locked away and available for quick access. When this box was first introduced it did not feature remote locking capabilities and it was only lockable with the key. I brought this up with the designer when I was invited to the launch of this truck in Santa Barbara, California back in 2008. He said they could not do it because it was cost prohibited due to the many parts such as actuators and wiring, and besides, he thought truck owners wouldn’t mind having to use the key. I told him that this was a big miss and 6 months later they made the change to remote locking with the key fob. For all those who have enjoyed this feature, your welcome!

I have driven the fourth generation 1500 truck when it was first introduced to the press in 2008 and every year since then. The drive is exceptionally smooth and the fit and finish are superb in all trim levels.  If you are driving on road or off-road the captain chairs keep you in place and in control. I was a little worried when they first introduced the coil spring five-link rear suspension, but it reduced the wheel hop that was common with the previous generation and was quite surprised on out how it handled trailer weight.

2018 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn Southfork
2018 Ram 1500 Laramie Limited
2018 Ram 1500 Limited Tungsten Edition
2018 Ram 1500 Hydro Blue Sport

Key Features:

  • 3 engines to choose from
    • 3.6 L Pentastar VVT V6 delivering up to 305 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque
    • 5.7 L Hemi VVT V8 produces 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque
    • 3.0 L Ecodiesel V6 which produces 204 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque.
  • Fuel economy
    • 3.6L V6 Engine – 9.6L/100km highway
    • 5.7L V8 Hemi Engine – 11.0L/100km highway
  •  Warranty
    • 3-year, 60,000 km basic warranty
    • 5-year, 100,000 km powertrain limited warranty
    • 24-hour roadside assistance
  • Configurations in 2WD and 4WD:
    • Regular Cab 8-ft. bed
    • Regular Cab 6-ft. 4-in. bed
    • Quad Cab 6-ft. 4-in. bed
    • Crew Cab 5-ft. 7-in. bed
    • Crew Cab 6-ft. 4-in. bed
  • Towing up to 10,640 lbs. and payload of 1880 lbs.
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