Surprising many who thought that Chrysler LLC cannot build a quality vehicle, the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 ranks at the top of the full-size truck segment in the 2009 Total Quality Index (TQI) by an outfit called Strategic Vision Incorporated. According to the survey released today, the Dodge Ram leads the way with the highest Total Quality score of any truck in the 15-year history of the study. Customers specifically noted that the Ram has the best added storage capability along with the best truck interior ever rated by customers.
The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram features the industry’s first-and-only RamBox cargo management system that includes versatile, weatherproof, lockable, illuminated, drainable storage bins; pickup bed dividers; a two-foot bed extender and a cargo rail system with sliding adjustable cleats.
The 2009 Ram also includes the first-in-segment coil-spring five-link rear suspension fitted to a solid rear axle that provides ride and handling not found on any other pickup truck. A new 5.7L HEMI V8 engine with fuel-saving MDS technology provides more horsepower, 390 hp, and torque, 407 lb-ft, while its best-in-class aerodynamics (.387 Cd) improve fuel economy and performance.
The Total Quality Index apparently asks buyers to rate all aspects of the ownership experience from buying and owning to performance and driving, rather than simply counting issues. Results from studies that measure the number of issues or the overall satisfaction of a vehicle do not measure the customers’ commitment to, advocacy for or loyalty to their vehicles accurately, according to Strategic Vision. In addition, Chrysler Group LLC improved 15 points over 2008.
The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Regular, Quad and Crew Cab models recently earned Five Star ratings for driver- and front-passenger protection in a frontal crash, the highest ratings in the U.S. government’s safety crash test program. The U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 is $22,170 (including $900 destination).
Other key awards for the Dodge Ram that Chrysler LLC is bragging about include:
* ICOTY – 2009 International Truck of the Year
* Texas Auto Writer’s Association – 2009 Full-Size Pickup Truck of Texas
* MotorWeek – Best Pickup Truck
* Maxim – Achievement in Party-Enabling Technology (RamBox)
* Edmunds’ Inside Line– A 2009 Editor’s Most Wanted
* Edmunds’ Inside Line – Best Full-size Pickup Truck
* Consumer Guide – Large Pickup – Best Buy for 2009
* Cars.com – Work Truck of the Year
* Truckin’ magazine – Truck of the Year
* Autobytel.com – 2009 MyRide/Autobytel Editors’ Choice – Truck of the Year
* Ward’s AutoWorld – Interior of the Year
* Rocky Mountain Automotive Press Association – Truck of the Year
* New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) – Best-in-Class Pickup Award
* Ward’s AutoWorld – Ward’s 10 Best Engines of 2009 (2009 Dodge Ram 5.7L HEMI)
* Automobile Journalists Association of Canada – Best New Pickup
* AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award
* Sobre Ruedas – Sobre Ruedas Best Pickup Truck for ’08
