2009
Ram 1500
2009
Ram 1500 TRX4 Quad Cab 4x4 – Inferno Red Crystal Pearl / Light Pebble Beige
Dodge/Ram
has never been one to play by the rules, and the company kicked the rulebook to
the curb again in 2009, when it trotted out the new Ram 1500. The truck had
all-new exterior styling; a new interior with almost double the storage
locations; a new-gen 5.7L Hemi with 10-percent more horsepower; and a new Ram Box
cargo management system on the Crew Cab. But the biggest news was something you
couldn’t even see. It was the first-in-segment coil spring, five- link rear
suspension mated to a solid axle. This suspension system was designed to
improve the ride and handling capabilities, and when we tested a TRX-equipped
truck, we found that rear axle wrap was nonexistent and the suspension soaked
up terrain imperfections like a much smaller and lighter vehicle. When the
flexy new rear suspension was combined with the outstanding performance of the
Ram’s rear limited-slip differential and the vehicle’s traction control, the
Ram crawled over even the roughest terrain, almost never lifting a wheel. Ram continues
to offer the coil spring suspension in the 2014 model ½-ton truck, and in
another major move, Ram is now offering a coil-spring suspension in the rear of
the Ram 2500 truck for the 2014 model year.
2005 Nissan Frontier NISMO
Nismo Nissan Frontier King Cab 2005 08.
If you’re looking for a small pickup, here’s a great choice.
The Frontier was restyled for the 2005 model year and it got larger. The
wheelbase was increased by 9.8 inches and the width and height of the truck
also increased. Some people started calling it a midsize truck, but it was
still noticeably smaller than the redesigned midsize ’05 Toyota Tacoma. We tested
a King Cab model in 2005 and found that the larger size made for a roomy interior
that wasn’t cramped, even for larger testers. But here’s the thing: Even though
the truck had gotten larger it was still easy to maneuver and a lot of fun. Part
of that fun factor was a new V-6 engine that produced 70 more horsepower and 68
lb-ft of torque than its predecessor. This engine was based on the Nissan VQ
engine series, which was used in vehicles like the 350Z. Available on the Frontier
was the NISMO off-road package and it made the truck very capable in the dirt.
The simple package included gas shock absorbers, alloy wheels, and most
importantly, a pushbutton-operated electric locking rear differential. Even
after all these years, we still clearly recall how much fun the Frontier was to
drive. The ‘14 Frontier is similar to the 2005 model and has an impressive
32.6-degree approach angle in PRO-4X trim.
