2018 RAM 1500 Technology or Lack Thereof

Valley Chevy - 2018 RAM 1500 Technology or Lack Thereof Featured

Don’t go home with a brand new truck that’s as technologically advanced as its competitor’s trucks from 10 years ago. It may not go over well with your significant other. So don’t buy a new RAM 1500 until you see what it’s lacking.

The 2018 RAM 1500 is living in the past. You can see it everywhere you look on this truck. It’s in the exterior style. It’s in the safety features. It’s in the interior design. Today’s technology is advancing at such an alarming rate that there’s no room to be a late adapter.

Calling the 2018 RAM a late adapter would be putting it lightly. The RAM technology is lagging way behind the rest of the automotive industry. The interface isn’t user friendly, and it’s missing many of the features that have become standard across other brands. These are the main reasons why the RAM keeps losing in side by side comparisons with more up-to-date vehicles, such as the 2018 Silverado 1500.

2018 RAM 1500 Driver Assistance Technology

Valley Chevy - 2018 RAM 1500 Technology or Lack Thereof Featured: Driver Assistance

The biggest downfall of the RAM technology system is in the scariest area: active safety features. The manufacturer seems completely uninterested in leveraging the technology that the rest of the industry values. There’s no RAM forward collision warning or automatic braking. Don't let one of these full-size pickups drive behind you too long... You never know if the driver will be distracted.

The RAM doesn’t have an option for lane departure warnings or blind spot monitoring. A rear cross-traffic monitor isn’t an option either. This is a bad look since the RAM has the lowest amount of rearward visibility in its class. Parking assistance still isn’t even on their radar.

The rest of the pickup segment is doing everything they can to make driving easier and safer, but the RAM misses badly in this area. It doesn’t even have a power-adjustable or telescoping steering column. These things combined with the limited seat adjustment capabilities show a disregard for driver and passenger experience.

Infotainment Technology in the New RAM 1500

Valley Chevy - 2018 RAM 1500 Technology or Lack Thereof: Infotainment System

The audio system struggles to compete with outside noise at highway speeds, and that’s the least of the RAM’s entertainment woes. The touch screen offers only a “Back” button where other systems have more complete controls available.

The RAM’s technology is compatible with neither Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. But if you can get beyond that, the RAM’s Bluetooth connects easily and provides clear sound for phone calls. However, disconnecting from the phone call is another story. Calls don’t transfer back to the handset when the vehicle is turned off mid-conversation. The response time of the Uconnect system is relatively fast, but that may be in part because the missing features create less to bog it down. Mobile WiFi is not an option for the 2018 RAM.

Best Pickup Trucks for Technology

We hope for Dodge fans that the 2019 RAM 1500 will bring some much needed changes, namely upgrades to safety and technology. For now though, the 2018 1500 seems like it wants to stay in the past. Fortunately, there are other trucks on the market that keep their eyes on the future and forge fearlessly ahead. These are the brands that embrace technological advancement and include all the newest features in their vehicles.

Come see a truck on the cutting edge of the automotive industry at your local Chevrolet dealership. Take a test drive in a 2018 Silverado and even try a hands-free phone call by connecting to the Bluetooth enabled Chevrolet MyLink system. Chevy’s connectivity features are so easy to operate that you’ll master the tech scheme before your test drive ends.