The hillsides of Southern California weren't the only thing on fire this week. Back-to-back south swells had the beaches firing, which meant I needed transport for a 10-foot surfboard. Which meant I needed our long-term Dodge Ram 1500 pickup.
Even though it's a shortbed, it accommodated my longboard just fine. And it received the approval of the locals at the beach. "Cool grille," commented one while walking by with his board. "Bitchin' truck," remarked another while peeling off his wetsuit. "Are you really from Michigan?" another asked after spying the license plate.
But besides having room for my board and getting the thumbs-up from the bros at the beach, I found the Ram's in-cabin tech came in handy. The ParkSense Rear Park Assist System helps avoid bang-ups when backing this beast. Too bad you can't add an extra sensor for a surfboard.
I'm also a fan of Chrysler's UConnect hands-free phone system for its simplicity. Just push a button on the head unit (which should instead be on the steering wheel ... and is one of my few gripes with the system) and it walks you through pairing a phone by voice even while you're driving. But only if you have the passenger do it.
Or at least tell the system that the passenger is doing it.
Doug Newcomb, Senior Editor, Technology, Edmunds.com
firstwagon says:
05:55 PM, 08/28/09
Don't you need to tie a red flag to it with it sticking out that far?
hondacura4 says:
08:16 PM, 08/28/09
Given this truck is executed very well makes me wish that Chrysler would invest a lot more in its compact and midsize offerings while addressing material and build quality issues that unfortunately don't improve with each new generation.
hybris says:
08:20 PM, 08/28/09
Is the sensor system really necessary to park this thing?
kingkhalas says:
09:52 PM, 08/28/09
Too many guys out at that spot.
dougnewcomb says:
07:16 AM, 08/29/09
@ hybris: Maybe not necessary but it certainly helps.
@kinghalas: And that's an uncrowded morning at Malibu ...
kingkhalas says:
09:39 PM, 08/30/09
I know, that's why I surf elsewhere.
kingkhalas says:
09:45 PM, 08/30/09
but, it looks like a fun day out there.
bodyblue says:
08:47 AM, 08/31/09
The more I see the new Ram the more I like it.....I usually like Ford trucks but the front end on the Ram just looks wicked, I love it. I saw one yesterday in Austin Tan and it was a knock out.