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2019 RAM 1500


bamabonners

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ahopkins22LSV

Dodge and Chrysler have been making cars for a long time. It’s not like they completely branched out from the niche truck and jeep. Plus fiat was supposed to bring the car knowledge right? Ford and GM’s niche are their trucks, yet their cars do very well.

I’m not disagreeing that we could all post for hours about our current jobs and what we don’t like. But I already said I agree that all large companies operate on chaos but it was by far the worse I’ve seen. And fwiw I’ve launched programs with Nissan, GM, Ford, FCA, VW, and Volvo. Additionally I’ve worked on programs with BMW and Mercedes after they have been in production. So I don’t feel it’s fair for people to come on here telling me that it’s just normal for a big company.  

Edited by ahopkinsTXi
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1 hour ago, ahopkinsTXi said:

Dodge and Chrysler have been making cars for a long time. It’s not like they completely branched out from the niche truck and jeep. Plus fiat was supposed to bring the car knowledge right? Ford and GM’s niche are their trucks, yet their cars do very well.

I’m not disagreeing that we could all post for hours about our current jobs and what we don’t like. But I already said I agree that all large companies operate on chaos but it was by far the worse I’ve seen. And fwiw I’ve launched programs with Nissan, GM, Ford, FCA, VW, and Volvo. Additionally I’ve worked on programs with BMW and Mercedes after they have been in production. So I don’t feel it’s fair for people to come on here telling me that it’s just normal for a big company.  

FWIW - A guy  in my procurement organization previously worked for a lot of different car companies (almost identical to your list above), and we had a conversation recently about the new Ram.  His opinion on FCA and Dodge was almost identical to yours.  

Edited by DAI
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Not sure about the 2019 but I am getting my Ram Laramie 2018 4x4 Eco Diesel Crew fully loaded next week and I am pumped. I currently have a 2015 Ford F150 Crew Sport and I love it but they are basically giving these trucks away for lease.  $230Cdn(175usd) monthly on a 2 year lease.  Hard to pass up.

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They had a blacked out Laramie at the auto show and it was the best looking truck there.  New rebel was sweet too.  Only truck that compared looks wise was the raptor and the interior on that thing was laughable compared to the ram.  

 

I loved the hemi in my 2013 ram 1500.  Great motor.  The 17 Duramax diesel that I currently own too.  Both are actually great trucks.   I've had to work out some bugs with the Duramax but it's getting there.  

 

Only truck I wouldn't consider is a Ford.  But that's mainly because I don't like to take it in the butt from Uncle Rick. 

Edited by bamaboy
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Chrysler is a piece of work: 

1979 Bailout, disaster AMC buyout that leads to restructuring, Benz buys them in 98, Cerberus in 07, ANOTHER bailout in 2008, bankrupt in 2009, FCA gives them them lifeline 2009, buys them in 2014 (you know they want to dump it). Here is just hoping that more of my tax money does not go to a 3rd bailout. Just let it die. 

That being said, I like the new RAM truck

Edited by Tims
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My Uhaul is now using Ram's for rental. Had a nice one Friday to finally bring the boat home. Tows well. Didn't Chrysler pay back their bailouts ahead of time, with interest ?

Steve B.

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Just because of the awful experience we had with our dealer and Chrysler, let’s just say it would be very hard for us to get one. You guys will probably disagree but Toyota or chev for the win. 

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Leaving an FCA dealership at the end of this month. Well, kind of. I ran a stand-alone aftermarket accessory shop for them on property. Good dealer, building a new building and making a bunch of changes that don't leave room for me to make what I do now. Lots of platitudes and what ifs, but nothing concrete so time to move on.

Anyway the biggest gripes recently (at the consumer level) from the sales and service guys have been the decision to back out of the Cummins 5.0 for the 1500s, the incredible amount of 9 spd. transmission failures in the small SUVs, and the new 6.4 engines smoking like crazy on startup. 

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3 hours ago, Steve B. said:

My Uhaul is now using Ram's for rental. Had a nice one Friday to finally bring the boat home. Tows well. Didn't Chrysler pay back their bailouts ahead of time, with interest ?

Steve B.

Minus the $1.6 Billion that was written off by Obama. Taxpayers are always getting screwed. 

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22 hours ago, jk13 said:

 

Anyway the biggest gripes recently (at the consumer level) from the sales and service guys have been the decision to back out of the Cummins 5.0 for the 1500s, the incredible amount of 9 spd. transmission failures in the small SUVs, and the new 6.4 engines smoking like crazy on startup. 

Can you elaborate? What diesel is in the 1500s? Curious about the other items also.  Am a 6.7 guy so NMP.

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3.0 ecodiesel is in the 1500...the 5.0 cummins used in the Nissan apparently started out as a project for Ram, before they (apparently) didn't want to pursue, so Nissan and apparently toyota got involved but even toyota hasn't adopted yet.

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25 minutes ago, carguy79ta said:

The 5.0 C in the 1500 would have been great, but I guess they figured they were encroaching on 6.7 territory.

Nope, they decided to use FCA's existing VM Motori 3.0 to save on up front developmental monies and pull out of both partnerships--one with Cummins on the then-unfinished 5.0, and one with Nissan to supply them with Ram trucks to be face-lifted and branded as Titans. Freaked a lot of people out that it may strain the relationship to the point of losing Cummins in the HDs as well, but lucky so far.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a9692/the-5-0-liter-cummins-that-will-power-the-next-nissan-titan-16187945/

https://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/27/nissan-titan-cummins-diesel-originally-meant-for-ram/

 

Edited by jk13
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I would say that FCA's decision on using the 3.0 VM Motori over the 5.0 Cummins was a very bright one.  The 5.0 has been getting less than stellar reviews.  It is in a very gray area where it is not big enough to compete at all with the bigger diesels, but too big to have any advantage in MPG.  In addition, it would eat up payload in the RAM, where they are already at a disadvantage to Ford and Chevy.

In short, the 5.0 Cummins won't really out-pull any of the top gassers in a 1500 series, and it has no advantage in MPG.  At least in the 3.0, you get best in class MPG.

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19 minutes ago, RyanB said:

I would say that FCA's decision on using the 3.0 VM Motori over the 5.0 Cummins was a very bright one.  The 5.0 has been getting less than stellar reviews.  It is in a very gray area where it is not big enough to compete at all with the bigger diesels, but too big to have any advantage in MPG.  In addition, it would eat up payload in the RAM, where they are already at a disadvantage to Ford and Chevy.

In short, the 5.0 Cummins won't really out-pull any of the top gassers in a 1500 series, and it has no advantage in MPG.  At least in the 3.0, you get best in class MPG.

Fair points. I think the name recognition of not being able to put that big 'C' on the truck and straining the relationship with Cummins were the biggest gripes. 

 

Edited by jk13
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On 4/14/2018 at 8:27 PM, IXFE said:

3C2E8A96-CBBA-481C-9456-FA1D380BDAC3.jpeg

Because ford and others never had any failed cars.... they’ve all had their issues.  

All 3 took government money.

Personally, I think fca is doing great.  Really improving the quality and improving brand image.   I would have not thought of them 15 years ago, but now I’ve owned a new grand cherokee and ram...wife looking a charger scat pack.  

I’m Im not defending any of them.  They’ve all had ups and downs.  

Edited by bamabonners
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If any one of them were bad they would not be around today. And Ford did take a low interest loan but they were in quite good shape at that time. Ford had finished rebuilding the Co. after some very very poor management. I have not been paying much attention to Ford's release date for the F-150 diesel but I think I saw one on a truck heading north Friday evening. It did not look like a F-250 / 350 and had Power Stroke name plate on the body. All the other truck were F-150's

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3 minutes ago, Sixball said:

If any one of them were bad they would not be around today. And Ford did take a low interest loan but they were in quite good shape at that time. Ford had finished rebuilding the Co. after some very very poor management. I have not been paying much attention to Ford's release date for the F-150 diesel but I think I saw one on a truck heading north Friday evening. It did not look like a F-250 / 350 and had Power Stroke name plate on the body. All the other truck were F-150's

Yep, good memory on Ford. They bet the company, leveraged EVERYTHING, including their brand!

Read this book if you haven’t. It’s awesome!

9F481B9C-AB76-4BF7-AB5C-06071144F5E6.jpeg

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2 minutes ago, IXFE said:

Yep, good memory on Ford. They bet the company, leveraged EVERYTHING, including their brand!

Read this book if you haven’t. It’s awesome!

9F481B9C-AB76-4BF7-AB5C-06071144F5E6.jpeg

I saw it from the inside. But I may have a look at the book I did not see it before.  I was so pi$$ed I nearly left the Co. If I would not have had so much time in I might very well done so. Got a nice offer from one of the German Co. Would also had to do six months a year in Germany. Not bad but I was starting a family and had also just bought a new home. 

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Hey @bamabonners

I was thinking... about those two failed cars. We’re talking about the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200... built to compete with Cruz/Malibu, Focus/Fusion, Corola/Camry, Civic/Accord, etc. How’d that work out?  These are not obscure segments either.  This is bread and butter stuff.

Yes they have all cancelled cars but the Dart and 200 were BRAND new cars that flopped after years of R&D, setup, all new tooling and factories. Gone within four years... 

Within the last decade... name a Ford or GM car that has been a ground up design, launched and subsequently scrapped within the first four years of production. 

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5 minutes ago, IXFE said:

Hey @bamabonners

I was thinking... about those two failed cars. We’re talking about the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200... built to compete with Cruz/Malibu, Focus/Fusion, Corola/Camry, Civic/Accord, etc. How’d that work out?  These are not obscure segments either.  This is bread and butter stuff.

Yes they have all cancelled cars but the Dart and 200 were BRAND new cars that flopped after years of R&D, setup, all new tooling and factories. Gone within four years... 

Within the last decade... name a Ford or GM car that has been a ground up design, launched and subsequently scrapped within the first four years of production. 

Chevy ssr and ford thunderbird, cadillac elr? 

Edited by oldjeep
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I really don't get why people are pushing back so hard on the Dart/200 plant.  I am almost certain that the reason that Chrysler went forward with those cars was because it was a requirement of them leaving bankruptcy.  

But, for arguments sake, lets say it wasn't.  The cars didn't succeed.  So, what is your argument?  That FCA should double down, and try again?  Or should they focus on what they are good at, what is selling, and what is a much higher profit margin, and build trucks?  What would you do if it were your money?

And as far as first hand experience in a company, at the risk of @ahopkinsTXi taking personal offense, I am not sure that a disgruntled former employee, posting anonymously on an online forum, is the best, most unbiased source of info.  Maybe he is, but I am willing to say that might not be the case.  I know if you ask me about my last employer, I would be biased in my assessment.  Nothing personal.

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