kBy Lloyd Frazier
Like it or not, Americans are crazy about their trucks. Light-duty trucks have been the mainstay for domestic manufacturers for the last couple of decades. They are very profitable and have been best sellers for Ford, GM, and Dodge. GM rolled out the newly redesigned Chevy Silverado for 2007. Toyota completely took the country by storm when it released the Tundra for the 2007 model year…and it is assembled deep in the heart Texas. For 2009, Ford and Dodge have redesigns as well. The new Ford F150 is refinement deluxe. A beautiful specimen to behold indeed. Ford has outshone GM and Chrysler in the light-duty truck sales arena for the last 31 years. Now they have upped the ante again with more towing and payload capacity. Some other cool refinements include a capless fuel system. No more leaving your gas cap behind or scratching the paint. Box side steps are available so that you can step up to the side of the cargo bed. A tailgate step helps when stepping up into the bed. Tailgate assist is now standard on the Styleside model. Ford has stiffened and lightened the frame. Taking a move from GM’s playbook, Ford now offers a flexible fuel 5.4L V8. A six-speed transmission is now available to boost fuel economy. Ford 4X4 models include electronic locking differentials for the first time for better traction control. Seven different models along with a plethora of choices makes the all new Ford F150 stand out from the crowd again. The restyled exterior with the trade mark 3 bar grille is a big improvement over the model it replaces. Good job Ford.
The new 2009 Dodge is no patsy. In my opinion, this new Dodge Ram is probably the best looking truck that Chrysler has ever put together. I hope to see this one at the Denver Auto Show. This is an all new design with a much cleaner, sleeker look than the model it will replace. Don’t get me wrong, the outgoing model is a decent looking truck. But, Chrysler really put together something nice when it designed this toned down exterior. It is said to have class leading aerodynamics. The trademark big grille is tilted slightly forward and slightly smaller. The tailgate is flared and the dual exhaust placement is excellent. The dual
exhaust exits from round notches in the rear bumper. This gives a very clean, high performance look to the rear of the truck. As Chrysler has promised, interiors of all their vehicles are getting much more attention. No more cheap plastic ice chest look and feel. That was one of the draw backs of most all of Chrysler’s products. This new Dodge Ram gets better plastics with a more refined soft touch. Improved leather seats and improved center console finish this Ram off nicely. A redesigned suspension, improvements to the popular 5.7L Hemi, and stiffened chassis round out the changes. Not to be outdone by Ford, Dodge has put together a very unique feature called the RamBox. This option is available on the Crew Cab models. The RamBox is a storage bin that runs the full length of the cargo bed, one on each side and the width of the wheel wells. The storage bins contain 8.6 cubic feet of space, are lighted, lockable, and can be drained of water. These weatherproof bins can hold a lot of beer, a set of golf clubs or whatever. Perfect for the football fan that wants to have a tail gate party. This leaves plenty of room for the 4′ wide sheet of plywood or plaster board. Why didn’t someone figure this out a long time ago. It is always awkward loading things around the wheel well. This puts good use to wasted space, in my opinion. Well done Chrysler!
This kind of ingenuity has come at a time when gas prices have spiked to all time highs. Even with the little bit of gas mileage improvements in these new trucks, it may be too little, too late. Truck sales have begun to slide. Families are flocking to CUV’s and smaller cars to hedge their gas dollars. With all of the car-like amenities that the newer trucks now provide, they still come at the price of lower gas mileage. The American love affair for light-duty trucks may be waning for good. Trucks may permanently be relegated to work status. Especially with the new CAFE mandates kicking in in 2020. Is that enough time for manufacturers to innovate a high mileage light-duty truck and keep the American love affair alive?
Exciting times, indeed….
Here is an interesting list from BankRate.com. This is based on units sold, not units manufactured, like so many lists out there.
