Ram 1500 expected to remain a top seller

The first of the 2020 models are just starting to reach dealer lots, and the first two new Jeep Gladiators for 2020 did not stay on the lot for long at Liberty-Dayton Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram.

Owner and General Manager David Leonard said Jeep’s mid-size truck appeals to a niche market and is available only as a 4-wheel drive, but it looks like it will be a popular vehicle within that market.

The most popular seller at the Liberty-Dayton dealership this year has been the Ram  1500 pickup. Leonard is impressed himself with the smoothness of its ride, far more like that of a nice car than what anyone might expect in a pickup.

Last May, the 2019 Ram 1500 was named “Best Family Truck” of the year by Edmunds, and it took the 2019 “Editors’ Choice Award” from Edmunds, too, along with Cars.com's “Best Pickup Truck of the Year” and Motor Trend’s “2019 Truck of the Year.”

“A truck as a family car makes sense when you drive the Ram 1500 – especially if your family is outdoorsy and has lots of toys," said Alistair Weaver, editor-in-chief at Edmunds. “With reclining rear seats, class-leading legroom and an exclusive coil-spring rear suspension, the Ram 1500 outclasses many traditional SUVs in comfort and luxury.”

Leonard was nice enough to take a reporter for a ride in the Ram 1500 Longhorn with its 12-inch touchscreen Uconnect, that looks like a dash-mounted iPad, apps and all, plus rearview camera, and its longhorn embossed leather seats.

The “2019 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn is a no-compromise luxury truck that delivers what buyers want most: strength, durability, technology and efficiency,” said Mike Manley, head of Ram brand. “Wherever you look, whatever you touch, the Laramie Longhorn is filled with more craftsman-like details, including wood surfaces and 100 percent full-grain leather seats, than any other truck in the segment.”

Pickups have become far more popular in recent years, in part, Leonard says, because of the growing interest women now have in pickups. A pickup’s functionality is appealing, and locally, pickups giving drivers a better chance of making it through high water has become important.

Anyone interested in learning more about both 2019 and 2020 models of Dodge, Jeep, and other brands should keep an eye out for The Vindicator’s Car Buying Guide scheduled for the July 25 edition.