How a Ram Truck Saved My Life One Fateful Morning
Ram 1500 trucks are built here in the United States. These trucks are built by folks who take pride in their work, and it shows. In my first eight months owning this truck, I drove more then 10,000 miles over every terrain imaginable. From the coast of California, through the deserts of Arizona, to the snow in the northern U.S., I drove this 2016 Ram 1500 everywhere. I bought the truck new in January 2017, with 26 miles on the clock.
My 2016 Ram 1500 after it was hit by a drunk driver. [Photos: Omeed T.]
This all came to a crashing halt in September 2017. While driving home, just leaving work at 6 A.M. on a Saturday morning, a drunk driver smashed into the truck. At the time, he was driving about 80 MPH in a 45 MPH zone. He hit me in the rear at a slight angle, which caused my truck to slide sideways, roll three times, and rotate 180 degrees before flying into a seven-feet-deep canal.
Despite all the damage the drunk driver caused to my truck, I was able to basically walk away from it. Well, technically I swam away since I couldn’t touch the floor in the water.
I honestly don’t think I would be here today if this 2016 Ram 1500 wasn’t engineered and built so well. My brother, an avid Chevy guy, even said that he would never speak ill of Ram again after seen what took place that morning.
What Made The 2016 Ram 1500: The engine
I felt confident in the power the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 in my 2016 Ram 1500 produced. It could haul a load of bricks or pull a trailer with the best of them. That being said, I do wish that Ram would make the 6.4-liter SRT engine an option on the 1500. That way, those who wanted some more power could get it without stepping up to the 3/4 ton segment.
The 5.7-liter engine, at any rate, gives you on-demand power when you need it, and just runs on four cylinders when you don’t. As good as that is for fuel economy, I think Ram should have included an option to override the Multi-Displacement in the settings. By doing so, they would allow those who prefer to run on all eight cylinders deactivate the system without shifting manually or putting the truck in tow/haul mode. Another thing that struck me as odd: why doesn’t the system activate when you’re just idling, and the engine isn’t under any load?
2016 Ram 1500: Air Suspension and 4-Wheel Drive
Ram went with four-corner coil suspension as standard equipment on the 1500 series in this generation. That offers a more car-like feel on the road, but it limits the truck’s payload capacity in the process. The 2016 Ram 1500’s ride felt better than its competitors, I believe. That made a big difference, knowing the truck made a good family hauler, but was still capable when you did want to put it to work. This generation Ram also offered four-corner air suspension – a class-exclusive feature.
The 2016 Ram 1500 came with two different transfer cases. There was an on-demand version, which has 4-Auto that will engage the front wheels when they start to slip. The other system offers an on-the-fly case, which allows you to shift into 4-High while on move. The on-demand system I had was nice and fluid, with the added perk of being able to set and forget it. 4×4 models came with some extra ground clearance from the factory, which helps when off-road driving. There was a flaw, however – the lack of at least a rear locker. None of the 1500s come with a locker, which is something that I missed in my truck.
Editor’s Note: To see how the fourth-generation Ram 1500 performs on the Ike Gauntlet, check out the video below:
