Truck Of The Year Part I: 2015 Ram 1500 Outdoorsman Is Colorado’s Top Pick

Everybody loves a good ram anywhere they can get one.

And who can blame them when the 2015 Ram 1500 is considered the best truck of the year just about everywhere you go. Near and dear to my heart, my local Rocky Mountain Automotive Press named it Truck of the Year. “Ram 1500, the most recognizable pickup on the road, delivers best-in-class fuel economy of 29 mpg with a truckload of pioneering, fuel-saving systems and first-in-segment technologies,” my colleagues here in Colorado wrote in their official press release.

2014 Ram 1500 EcoDieselWhat else is worthwhile on this year’s Ram? Heck, I’ll just take words directly from someone else: “The 2015 Ram 1500 delivers a best-in-class ride, superior cabin materials, smooth transmission and class-exclusive diesel engine option, which win over auto critics.” That was U.S. News and World Report, always a trusted source.

“The Ram 1500 has the nicest interior of any full-size pickup. Its upgraded touch-screen interface is impressively easy to use and offers substantial technology capabilities.” That was Edmunds.com.

“The Ram 1500 also offers a wide choice of trim levels, from workhorse, to street cruiser, to luxury liner. Even if you’re a die-hard loyalist to another brand, you still owe it to yourself to check out these outstanding trucks.” And that was Consumer Guide.

The Chevy Silverado and the Ford F-150 have always been able competitors, long thought of as ‘America’s Trucks’. And indeed they are, but for at least the last two years running, the Ram 1500 has been attracting buyers near and wide, whether they want a dependable truck that is stylish or a stylish truck that really is dependable. Like FarmersOnly.com, city folk just don’t get it and you too really shouldn’t get it (a Ram) either unless you have plenty of room to park it and let it roam where it will. For all you urban groovy types, this truck is indeed for you but only if you have a space that is very, very ‘off’ street.

2015 Ram 2500 Outdoorsman Crew Cab 4x4 Heavy Duty with 6.4-literThink of anything you want in a full-sized pickup and Ram (formerly known as Dodge Ram) has it. If you are really an offbeat off-road type, your big truck for going off-script is the Ram Outdoorsman. This trim surprisingly starts at just under $40K, and it’s a Crew Cab 4×4 to boot. Well, that (cheap) price doesn’t get you the Outdoorsman package, it just gets you the SLT trim. (Easy to confuse with SLuT, I agree.) To get the full Outdoorsman experience (not to be confused with the dentist who killed Cecil the Lion), the price goes up the $50K but you get things like “folding flat load floor storage”, power folding mirrors, rubber floor mats (makes clean up after a romantic moment so easy), heated steering wheel, front and rear park assist – you know, those things that you might as well get if you are going to spend that kind of money.

My friend and fellow auto-man Andre Smirnov really likes to Ram 1500 Outdoorsman – here he is singing its praises with just a (big) hint of his native Russian roots in his voice. Honestly, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t like this truck. Gosh, even Olivia Newton John in Grease 1 couldn’t pull that off.

Mopar is gearing up to hit the Strip in full force at the 2014 SAs we slide into the 2016 model year, now is the time to start trolling the new car lots for deals on the 2015 Ram 1500. Again, if you want to take your truck off-road, the Outdoorsman trim is perfect for all you SLTs.

Next, I will tell you more about the Laramie, the three Michelin-star truck of the Ram herd. Willie Nelson sang “If you’ve got the money, honey, I got the time”…. As I drove the Laramie, that song was always playing in my mind …. Because for Willie Nelson fans, (you were) Always on My Mind…

Yeah, yeah, I won’t be quitting my day job in Public Health anytime soon….