[ Tailgate slamming ]
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>> Don't get to do that very often. Like a lot of you, I'm not a pickup truck person. But drive one of these, and you might just change your opinion, at least a little. Let's go for a run in the Dodge Ram 1500 4X4 Crew Cab Laramie. While we're at it, we'll also check the tech.
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[ Music ]
^M00:00:28
Now up front, our Laramie has a great head unit. It's one of those U-Connect systems from Chrysler that has a hard drive. You can rip your CDs right to that hard disc drive. Now, the capacity listed here is approximately 67 hundred songs, they say, in a 30-gigabyte drive. Oh, by the way, right above the aux jack, the oldest input in human history is one of the newest. There is a USB jack for media as well. But in spite of all of these great source options, the output's not so great. Alpine branded, says so there on that badge, but it doesn't sound real good. But perhaps the most amazing and surprising part of this system is the Bluetooth hands-free. I think you think I'm nuts. Bluetooth hands-free, how surprising is that? But how well it works with the voice recognition system on this car is stunning. Watch as I pair my phone. Phone set-up.
>> Do you want to pair a phone, delete a phone, or list paired phones?
>> Pair a phone.
>> Please say the name of the phone after the beep.
[ Beep ]
>> Treo.
>> Adding...
>> Treo.
>> Pairing complete.
>> Can you believe how fast that thing was? I mean I say something, and it's right there. Now, when I operate the crowd-pleasing motorized screen you're gonna expect to see a couple slots back there, right? One for my CDs and another for my GPS navigation system. But our vehicle doesn't have GPS Nav, it's a relatively low cost ala cart add-on for under a thousand dollars, but it can be had separately or in combination with the very high-end head unit. Most carmakers put GPS Nav and all the other good stuff into one. You get to pick and choose here. I like that. Now the rear compartment on this guy is more than half the fun. First of all, it's spacious. And there's no lack of headroom. We have a drop optional rear seat entertainment system. It'll play DVDs of course, and you've got aux jacks down here. But it'll also get Sirius backseat TV. And of course, they have a pair of wireless headphones and a wireless remote control. This is called a Ram Box. Check it out. Here in each fender, both sides, is a pretty darn big storage area. They say it'll hold 10 cases of 12-ounce beverages. I bet they mean root beer. Now our bed's only about five and half feet long. Yeah, yikes, it's pretty stubby for a workingman's truck. Even with the gate down, we don't even have eight feet here. You got to go a little bit past, but we do have this bed extender, which will hold in bulkier cargo. Let's try it out.
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[ Music ]
^M00:03:05
Now, let's get to the guts of our big truck. Yeah, it's got a Hemi 5.7-liter gas engine, V8, 390 horsepower, about 404 foot-pounds of torque, zero to sixty in less than seven seconds. You will win some drag races in this big guy, but you'll pay for it. 13/18 are your EPA mileage estimates. And in reality, I'm seeing something more like 14 average in a combination. Yikes. One choice of transmission in this guy, it's a heavy-duty five speed automatic, shifted at the column here. But notice this little rocker switch right on the column shifter. That is how you influence what gear you're in. It's the equivalent of paddles in a passenger car. Put it all together, and what have you got? A relative tech showcase, a great big cabin with lots of room, the ability to carry all kinds of cargo, and some really blistering performance, at least in a straight line. This vehicle's an eye opener for me.
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[ Music ]
