Random_Walk
...what's this bolt do? *plink* ...oh.
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2018
- Posts
- 1,168
- Reaction score
- 2,063
- Location
- Out
- Ram Year
- 2017 QC 4WD SLT
- Engine
- Pentastar 3.6
So, it's been a year. Almost exactly 10,000 miles total in the past 12 months - kind of amazing considering that the nearest grocery store (or really, the nearest anything that isn't a house or a barn) is roughly 20 miles off or so, and the office is 50 miles away (glad I work from home...)
The short version? To be honest, this is the best vehicle I've ever owned. I have to reach back to 1989 to find anything that had ever given me more enjoyment just by driving it (and that was an '89 Jeep Wrangler).
To break it down a bit further...
The good:
* Smoothest and most comfortable pickup I've ever been in - even on twisty mountain roads.
* The damned thing corners almost as well as a Formula One racecar.
* Fuel mileage still astounds me. Full-sized pickup trucks should not consistently get an unladen efficiency of 25mpg.
* How the hell did they fit 300hp into a v6, anyway? Whenever I stomp on the gas, **** happens very quickly - I still enjoy that.
* Size does matter. I scared a commuter once - he thought he was going to be rude. But, 3 acres of fire-red sheet metal and chrome completely filling every mirror of his commuterbox put an end to the idea that he can just cut anybody off at will. Before the truck: Every idiot and their dog tried to push/bully/cut-off/shove-aside my previous vehicle (a minivan). Now? I feel like Moses parting the Red Sea in traffic, and aside from the one aforementioned guy, nobody had even thought of trying anything stupid (most other truck owners don't feel like risking their massive investments, so they tend to drive kindly.) Bonus: I have always left a cheap hitch in the receiver in the back - tailgate at your own risk, eh? (funny part is, nobody has.)
* Unlike most every other vehicle I've owned, I don't find myself looking at other vehicles one year later thinking "maybe I should look into one of those..." I still enjoy and prefer what I have - immensely.
* Zero issues outside of a warranty-covered Active Shutter set behind the grille (which amazed me, because I told them point-blank about the owl hitting --and demolishing-- the front grille that I subsequently replaced. They put it under warranty anyway since I'd replaced the grille with a shiny new one. This act leads me to...)
* St. Helens Auto Center (St. Helens, Oregon): Best Friggin' Dealership on the Planet... and I didn't even buy the truck from them (did all my recall work there, though.) These guys know full well how to take care of their customers, period. And yes, if I get to replacing my truck, I know full well where the hell I'm going first.
* My missus has a little Kia Soul. I haven't driven or ridden in it once in an entire year now... and don't intend to if I can help it.
* Glad I have a truck made of steel parts and not aluminum... otherwise that little dent I (accidentally) put onto the front driver-side fender would likely require a lot more to fix.
* They really paid attention to detail. I still find neat little features that I didn't know about (read the manual? Yeah, right.) For instance, I just found out earlier this week that instead of reaching for the touch screen to skip to the next or previous song, I could just turn the tuning knob a notch. Makes doing that way nicer when I need to keep my eyes on the road.
The bad:
* Stock tires. Sure, they're okay I guess, but bleah. They lose air at the slightest drop in temperature. They hold up okay on ice and snow, but not as well as they should.
* I realize the rake is there for a reason, but I'm still finding myself wanting to level things up.
* The headlights... I really, really need to switch them out (mostly for aesthetic and candlepower reasons.)
The irritating:
* TPMs. I *hate* the TPMs. Every time the temperature drops sharply, so does tire pressure, and the damned thing annoys me for the entire 30 miles it takes to get to the nearest gas station (w/ an air pump) on my weekly commute. I have a small air compressor here at home, but it's even more irritating to unlimber the damned thing in the winter just to air up a tire that's 3 lbs down...
* 3.21 gearing. I could likely bump it up and increase towing capacity (well, unofficially), but in all honesty I don't need to - 3,500 lbs is about it for what I tow around. Also, it helps greatly with acceleration and fuel efficiency, soI guess I can't ***** too much...
* My own damned ignorance. I thought I'd researched a lot before buying. However, even though I lucked-out, big-time, I find that there's still a lot that I don't know (and should have known) beforehand.
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So... for those who have reached a milestone, what are your impressions?
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