2009 Ram and F-150 arrive with incentives in tow
Click either image for a high-res gallery
When automakers unveiled an all-new, full-size pickup a couple years ago, copious amounts of cash would pour in for months on end. A lousy economy and a flat-lined auto industry has made the launches of the 2009 Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram far less exciting for their perspective owners, and proof can be found in the form of cash on hoods. Both trucks hit the market with substantial incentives to help push the new haulers into the hands of truck-weary Americans.
The F-150 comes with $2,000 in factory rebates regardless of cab configuration, and the Ram 1500 gets $1,000 and the 2500 and 3500 receive $2,000 in OEM assistance. The move comes as little surprise as the construction projects in the US have slowed and this summer's $4 per gallon gasoline has scared thousands of potential buyers out of the truck market. Both Ford and Chrysler (GM?) are hoping monetary assistance will bring those buyers out of hiding and into their local Ford or Dodge dealer.
Gallery: 2009 Ford F-150
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Gallery: 2009 Dodge Ram
[Source: Kicking Tires]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
ojpopjp 6:10PM (10/21/2008)
I saw a dealer in texas giving 40% MSRP.
You can keep your chump change 1000 bucks.
They screwed the pickup truck market when they went from $25,000 trucks to $50,000 trucks with rear DVD and leather seats. Ha! That's not a truck. That's for men with small man syndrome with more money than brains.
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MUSASHI66 6:20PM (10/21/2008)
40% off was on 2008 models, and heavy incentives are fairly common when manufacturers are trying to clear the lots for new models. These incentives are for brand new models, and rebates on those are rare.
tand0g 8:57PM (10/21/2008)
Wait 5 months, they'll be 40% off.
Raptor 6:13PM (10/21/2008)
The Dodge Ram feels so nineties...
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Yaroukh 7:55PM (10/21/2008)
Exactly. I kinda like the looks of that truck but having these two pictures side-by-side it just screams "1995!!!"...
The Luigiian 6:39PM (10/21/2008)
If it weren't for the reliability, Dodge's $1000 rebate might actually work. I was talking to my uncle about one they had at the New Mexico State Fair. I was talking about how beautiful it was, and he reminded me about Dodge reliability.
Well, if Dodge puts a fuel-efficient small engine in either this or the Dakota, I would consider one. Maybe their GM involvement will get them a half-decent engine.
Let's see... Chevy Traverse, with 3.6 Liter V-6, makes 281 hp@6300 rpm. Ram with 3.5 liter, 215@5200 rpm. Chevy makes 266 lb-ft. of torque@3400 rpm. Ram makes 235@4000. Oh, yeah, and the Chevy gets 19 mpg versus the RAM's 16.
YO, CHEVY! Mount that Traverse engine for RWD!
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Brent 6:52PM (10/21/2008)
I am glade your uncle knows about the reliability of the new 2009 Ram. Too bad he isn't here to enlighten us all.
The Luigiian 6:48PM (10/21/2008)
Let me rephrase that...
If Dodge were to put a fuel-efficient small engine in either this or the Dakota, I would give them the benefit of the doubt and consider driving one regardless of reliability quibbles.
The Luigiian 6:59PM (10/21/2008)
Brent, he was speaking generally about Mopar products. Yes, I do realize the '09 Ram hasn't even been out for more than a very little while, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to consider the reputation of former Dodge handiwork to determine the outlook for this Dodge model in the future.
Jason 10:38PM (10/21/2008)
We've owned a 2006 Ram Megacab 3500 (diesel, non-dually) since May 2006 and the only warranty issue we've had with it to date is a broken vent door in the HVAC system (not the blend door though). Overall it's been an excellent truck for us.
We also own a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Unfortunately we've run into about every 'common' problem with that model so far (look them up, there's a bunch). But we also own a 2000 Jeep TJ and a 1995 Jeep XJ, and both of those vehicles have been extremely trouble-free. The XJ never had to be taken in for any warranty work, and the only problems we had with the TJ was an issue with the blower motor and a defective seat belt latch, and both those vehicles get worked over off-road pretty well.
So other than the WJ, our experience with "Mopar" quality has been a good one overall, FWIW. Oh, and all of those vehicles were purchased new, so I know all their repair histories. Ram's got about 28k miles on it now, WJ has about 68k, TJ only has 34k, and the XJ has 105k.
The Luigiian 11:14PM (10/21/2008)
Thank you for the advice Jason.
I still want them to put the GM engine in the Ram. I mean, if these two companies are going to merge, the least they could do, for me as a consumer, would be to put their best stuff out there. The Ram is light for a full size truck. I think it's ripe to be a fuel-efficient vehicle, even without the costly hybrids/batteries/etceteras that seem to be the typical way for automakers to improve fuel economy these days.
AngeloD 6:41PM (10/21/2008)
Will there be warranty service available past next spring on the Dodge since Chrysler is likely now going away.
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gforce 9:20PM (10/21/2008)
No matter who buys or merges with Chrysler, they will also be taking on Chrysler's liabilities, and that means their warranties as well, so there should be no problem.
Judy Zik 10:30PM (10/21/2008)
Not necessarily. If they go bankrupt then there will be no warranty service. Either way parts are likely to be in short supply and resale value will hit the skids if GM buys them and kills the truck line.
Even if you had your heart set on a Dodge Truck it would be best to wait a couple of weeks to see what is going to happen to them first.
Paul P. 7:20PM (10/21/2008)
This always confused me. If they are willing to give incentives right out of the factory door, then they obviously feel the truck needs to be at a lower price point to sell. Therefore, why don't they just start the truck out at that price point to begin with?
Instead of saying, "our truck is $42,000 msrp, but you get $2,000 back." Just offer the truck at $40,000 msrp. What is the reason for making things more complicated?
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tankd0g 8:57PM (10/21/2008)
They think, and probably correctly, that people will see this as a "limited time offer" and rush to buy. It's a very old trick of the retail business. Take something and jack up the price and then offer a discount, net savings $0 but it brings suckers in the door.
I think they'll be taking a bath on these trucks just like they did in 2008 and 2007 so don't settle for this fake incentive.
jpvbs 9:33PM (10/21/2008)
The 2500/3500 Rams are not new this year. They are carry over from all I have heard.
Has anyone heard when the heavy duty Rams will get a makeover?
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mroverlord 9:19AM (10/22/2008)
As with the last redesign, the 25/35/45/5500s will get their new design next year.
Of course, that is assuming they are still around.
As for reliability, Dodge trucks are FAR more reliable than naysayers give them credit for. The 300hp 4.7 and the hemi both getting very good mileage if driven NORMAL.
Tony 10:17PM (10/21/2008)
Incentives my a$$. When I bought my 2003 Tracker LT it came with 7000.00 off. The MSRP was 29,450.00 Canadian. You had to pay all the taxes on the 29,450.00 then they took off the 7,000.00. The Suzuki version of my truck was only 24,500.00 MSRP They both worked out to be almost the same price. Take the last Chevy Malibu Maxx for another example.
I priced out a Maxx SS at 37,500.00 MSRP. A Nissan Altima 3.5SE 6sp with 270hp verses 240hp and a far better car period was 31,500.00 MSRP. Oh but look at how much money your saving said the Chevy dealer when he told me they were taking off 8,000.00. Wow I said and promptly went out and bought the Nissan which had a 4000.00 dollar incentive. At least my car didn't depreciate by 60 percent in the first year.
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dj 11:07PM (10/21/2008)
The auto companies already know they have dinosaurs on their hands. They realize large incentives are needed so the rednecks can buy them and still have money left to purchase their guns and ammo. I hope the next congress and B.O will put a heavy carbon tax on these and the GM versions to thin the herd, so to speak.
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