Pop's first "big" truck in 11 years is a great one

I have to admit it: I am in love with my father's truck.

What's not to love about a roomy, comfortable truck that gets 24 miles per gallon on road trips?

Very little.

"Pop" bought his Ram SXT regular cab, short bed pickup new in April 2003 to replace his 1997 Ford Ranger XLT SuperCab. The salesman tried to convince Pop to step up to a Hemi, but Pop had driven nothing but four-cylinder Rangers for 11 years, so a V6 was enough for him.

In fact, after driving the truck extensively, unless you're doing a lot of towing, I can't imagine anyone needing more than the V6.

And the five-speed transmission has always shifted smoothly, even today as the truck nears the 140,000-mile mark. The clutch is still light and the shifter is easy to maneuver.

The dashboard is broad and fitted with easy-to-use controls and legible gauges. Thankfully, Chrysler did not eliminate the oil pressure and voltage gauges on the Ram, as they did in the rest of their model line. That information is important and should not be monitored only by idiot lights.

Pop's truck came with the regular AM-FM-CD stereo system, which is similar to the unit in our Grand Caravan. It delivers good sound quality and is easy to use, with nice, large buttons and a real volume knob. I do wish the tuning was likewise knob-controlled, but the toggle control is not bad.

Seats, even after 140,000 miles of Pop's hard use (yes, he uses it as a truck) still look good and are very supportive and comfortable. The SXT package included cloth upholstery. It's a little stiff, but considerably more comfortable than vinyl. It's nearly black though, so it does show every bit of "truck dirt." Pop cleans it regularly, so it's not so bad.

The rubber floor covering has held up well and is much easier to clean than carpet would be, particularly when used as Pop uses his.

Door panels are hard plastic -- easy to keep clean -- and contain numerous cubbies for maps, tools, flashlights, drink bottles, or just about anything else you want to keep in there. I've seen less storage space in some cars' trunks!

And if that's not enough storage, the SXT and higher models include modular storage bins behind the seat. All I can say is "Wow!" My wife and I used the truck for one trip and put our suitcases behind the seat. She was still able to recline the seat for napping. That's amazing. If you carry a lot of tools, you'll have plenty of room, that is for sure.

So how does it drive?

Like a much smaller truck!

If I didn't know it was so much larger than the Ranger, I'd swear I was driving the same truck. It handles beautifully, and emergency maneuvers aren't at all dramatic. The only downside to the Ram is that it is very wide, which makes parking at the grocery store a little bit difficult. Doable, but difficult.

Ride quality, despite being a short-bed truck, is very comfortable. Coupled with the comfortable interior, large bumps are shrugged off by the driver and passengers. Sure, long-bed models ride more smoothly, but for most folks, this will do just fine.

The V6 engine, rated at 210 horsepower, is more than adequate for all purposes. We've used the truck to pull a medium-sized pop-up camper, and it did very well. Could I say that if I was towing something larger, like a travel trailer? Probably not, but if we were doing that on a regular basis, we'd probably step up to a larger truck anyway.

The Ram (and other big pickups) get a bad reputation for gas mileage, but in the case of this truck, that reputation is certainly undeserved. Pop reports that he gets high teens around town and as much as 25 MPG on trips (OK, maybe he's a little easier on the pedal than I am!).

The truck's durability can't be faulted, either. Other than to fix an intermittent check engine light, the truck has required only routine maintenance. Tires, due to the truck's 17-inch wheels, are not too cheap, but that's to be expected these days. But other than that and front brake pads, it's been trouble-free. Oh, Pop did have to replace the power steering pump, but that was because he got stuck in the "Blizzard of 2004" and ripped a hose loose, spilling the fluid and damaging the original pump. Not the truck's fault. But I did note that the dealer relocated the hoses (out of harm's way, one presumes) when they replaced the pump.

If you're in the market for a truck at all, do not pass a V6, manual-shift Ram by. Give it a good, hard look. I think you'll be glad you did.

UPDATE OCTOBER 15, 2008: Not even the remnants of Hurricane Ike (prolonged straight-line winds that left tens of thousands without power and damaged many homes and businesses) that passed through the Ohio Valley could stop Pop's Ram.

The storm took out the top of a tulip poplar tree that was about 25 feet up. Said tree top fell on the Ram; in photos, all you could actually see of the truck was the driver's mirror.

Much to our surprise, once the tree was reduced to firewood, the truck had four dents, none bigger around than my fist nor deeper than a quarter of an inch. Just about every body panel was deeply scratched, but the insurance adjuster said it wasn't bad enough to total it out.

Therefore, this week, the Ram is getting a new paint job. Pop was looking into buying a new truck prior to the storm, but I somehow think that'll get put off for a while. The shop which is painting the truck is well known for quality work, so I have a good feeling that the Ram will look even better than new.

Mechanically, there hasn't been any change in the truck; it's still as reliable as the sunrise and so easy on gas it's hard to believe.