Top 10 Features for Half-Ton Pickups in 2009
The latest crop of half-tons includes some very interesting and useful new features that extend pickup truck capability, efficiency and safety to new heights. Here's our look at the best features for 2009.
No. 10: Real-Time Traffic, Weather and Fuel Prices
The Ford F-150, Dodge Ram 1500, GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado offer real-time traffic alerts with their GPS systems.
Five years ago, it was novel simply to have GPS in a truck. New for 2009 on the Ford F-150, Dodge Ram 1500, GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado is an advanced navigation system that includes real-time traffic to help you avoid accidents and plot alternate routes.
The F-150 extends its navigation features even further by adding real-time fuel prices to make filling the truck a bit less painful, plus real-time weather radar so you can see if there's bad conditions ahead on the road.
Too bad you can't get real-time updates for your spouse's mood (but they're probably working on that, too).
No. 9: Flat Load Floor in Crew Cabs
On the Ford F-150, you can fold the rear seats upward against the back of the cab.
Ever tried to quickly load something into the backseat of a crew cab pickup, only to be stopped by the driveline hump running to the rear wheels? Ford has completely flattened the second row's floor to make loading and storing items in the back of the cab a cinch. Simply fold up the rear seats and stow away!
No. 8: Integrated Trailer-Brake Controllers
Both GM and Ford offer optional integrated trailer-brake controllers.
GM and Ford both offer optional integrated trailer-brake controllers that couple a truck's braking system with a trailer's electric brakes. When you apply the truck's brakes, they also activate the trailer's brakes. With this option, you can just check a box on the order form rather than reaching up under the dash to sift through a nest of wires and sharp plastic to manually install an aftermarket kit — saving both the hassle and your hands.
No. 7: Trailer-Sway Control
Given the ever-increasing trailer-towing capabilities of half-ton pickups, new safety features help ensure that both driver and load arrive safely. Both Dodge and Ford are offering trailer-sway control technology for the first time.
In the case of the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500, its stability control system has been enhanced to counteract unintended trailer motion. It does so by using the truck's antilock braking and traction control systems to apply individual wheel brakes and/or reduce engine power.
The Ford F-150 uses a more sophisticated trailer-sway control system: By taking advantage of its integrated trailer-brake controller, the F-150 can apply both its and a trailer's brakes to stop sway, making the road safer for other drivers, too.
No. 6: Fuel Economy Models
The GMC Sierra XFE gets mileage estimates of 15/21 mpg city/highway.
Regardless of any innovative new features truck-makers are inventing in order to separate their pickups from the rest of the herd, all are trying to offer better fuel economy. By using some of the numerically smallest rear axles we've seen in years, plus low-rolling-resistance tires and deeper front chin spoilers, Ford and GM quickly responded to high prices at the pump with new FE (fuel economy) models. The Ford F-150 SFE and Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra XFE pickups get identical mileage estimates of 15/21 mpg city/highway, an improvement of around 5 to 7 percent compared to non-FE pickups. Simple, smart and cheap.
Look for a similar Dodge Ram 1500 fuel economy model to debut some time next year.
No. 5: Rear Backup Cameras
Five of the six half-ton pickups on the market offer rear backup cameras mounted in the tailgate.
Five of the six 2009 half-ton pickups on the market offer wide-angle rear backup cameras mounted on the tailgate to improve safety when backing up and to help reduce guesswork when lining up a truck and trailer without a human spotter. Some of these backup displays are mounted in the rearview mirror, while others display in the navigation screen. Kudos to Ford for displaying helpful markings in its Reverse view to show distance even in a fisheye view of the world.
No. 4: Coil-Spring Rear Suspension
The 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 is the only pickup to offer a coil-spring rear suspension instead of leaf springs.
Leaf springs and pickups go together like trampolines and acrobats. Leaf springs are simple suspension components that enable trucks to perform amazing load-carrying feats. But leafs trade ride comfort and lateral rear axle control for their simplicity. Dodge thinks it has a better idea. The 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 is the first pickup in more than 30 years to offer a multilink coil-spring rear suspension instead of leaf springs. The result? Excellent ride and handling, particularly when the truck is unloaded, and the same load-carrying capability as last year's Ram, plus a bonus weight savings of 40 pounds.
No. 3: Two-Mode Hybrid System
The 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid was able to tow 5,000 pounds up to 15 mph using electricity only.
Can a full-size pickup be considered a green vehicle? If any truck can, it's GM's twin Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra half-tons. GM's two-mode gas-electric hybrid system gets 40 percent better fuel economy in city driving than its conventional 6.0-liter V-8 gas engine. Perhaps even more remarkable is that, in our experience driving it, GM's hybrid pickup was able to tow 5,000 pounds up to 15 mph using electricity only. How's that for fuel savings?
No. 2: RamBox
Dodge's RamBox may be a pricey option for some tight budgets.
Truck owners have been improvising or purchasing aftermarket storage solutions for pickup beds since the inception of the truck, from roped-down milk crates and drop-in cargo boxes to Hide-and-Side storage. It was only recently that truck manufacturers began to get in on the act.
The Chevrolet Avalanche debuted in 2002 with two small, weatherproof, secure cargo pouches built into the bed rails that could hold up to 3.5 cubic feet of cargo. The 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 offers the slickest solution yet, called RamBox. The RamBox has 8.6 cubic feet worth of dry, lockable side-saddle storage space, with room to squeeze a 4x8 sheet of plywood between the bed walls. The only drawback? Price. At $1,895, the cost has a good chance of making this feature a non-starter for truck shoppers on tight budgets.
No. 1: Ford Work Solutions
Ford's Work Solutions in-dash computer with high-speed wireless internet and a printer is a great feature for busy commercial customers.
For most of the past decade, new features in half-ton pickups were aimed primarily at casual truck buyers. Now those buyers are fleeing big trucks for smaller vehicles. Core truck buyers are making up ever larger percentages of half-ton purchases. Ford hasn't forgotten commercial customers' needs. The company is introducing a game-changing suite of work productivity applications that includes an in-dash computer with high-speed wireless internet and a printer; "Crew Chief," which monitors and helps route fleets of trucks in real time; and "Tool Link," which uses radio frequency tag readers in the truck to keep track of tools so they aren't left behind at home or a jobsite.
