Used 2003 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 Regular Cab Consumer Reviews
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Not bad, not great
I agree with anyone that says the V6 is underpowered. If I were to do it over again, and have more money, I'd buy the Hemi version. The 6 is grossly underpowered. All in all, good daily driver, but for an enthusiast, it makes for a pretty boring truck. If only I had gotten the V8, I might be having more fun.
White Dodge
The ride and handling are great. The six cylinder engine does not have enough power for this large a truck. With the motor moved back towards the cab, the rear end has enough weight so that it doesn't fish tail when the roads are wet.
'03 Ram Pickup
Overall a good truck, had the front rotors replaced at 10,000 miles, rear differential replaced at 63,000 miles. Fuel economy in town is HORRIBLE. Highway economy is acceptable but still not great even for a full size pickup with a V8. To do it over again I would probably pick the 5.7 Hemi over this trucks 4.7 standard V8.
Are you serious
I purchased a 2003 RAM 1500 quad cab with the 5.9 and 4wd 5 years ago. Other than my 94 Ford exploder this truck has possibly been the worst automotive purchase I have ever made. Engine problems, heads corroded, leaked, and needed replacing. Wont start when it rains even after replacing the distributer cap. Transmission has lost reverse. Power windows constantly come off the tracks. Heat is minimal. Cruze doesn't work. Air doesn't work. Wheels rusted through which caused over 12 flats in the 5 years and body rust. Power steering died. This truck should be an embarrassment for Dodge more than it is for me.
- Performance
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Should have Waited
My Ram is the finest truck I owned. Goodlooking, quick and rides smooth. The only heartburn I have is with the dealer. Before buying the 4.7 engine, I asked twice about 5.7 availability. That's the engine I wanted. I was told the 5.7 would not be available in the 1500 until the 2004 model year. 45 days later I could have had a V8.....a 5.7 V8 They lied to me to make a sale that day instead of telling me the truth. I would have ordered & waited. They lost me as a customer
Solid Truck
Performance: Given it's hefty 4572 lbs curb weight, the 4.7L (240 hp) V-8 gets the job done. Acceleration off the line is excellent and at around 4000 rpm's you really feel the torque (300 ft lbs) planting you in the seat. Comfort: Unbelievably spacious. Behind the seats is enough room for ten grocery bags. No matter how tall you are, there will be plenty of leg room. Build Quality: Can't tell you, I've only driven the truck for about 300 miles at this point. More to follow. You feel like King of the Road when driving this truck and it looks way better than a Silverado or F-150!
junk
I don't know about the other engine's but 3.7 v6 sucks i have 138,000 on truck when all of a sudden top of engine starts knocking . junk.
- Performance
I love my dodge
So far shes been great to me, good pickup speed in the v-6 and very fun to drive.
Best of the bunch
So far, so good. This beast handles like a car, has a good turning ability, and has no fish-tailing...even with a long bed !
Fun, fun, fun!
I just bought mine last week, used with 10,000 miles on it. I promptly picked it up and headed out on a road trip to Columbus, OH from Watertown, NY. If you havent driven a truck lately, go test drive this thing! The ride was spectacular! I was worried the seats might be too stiff, but after driving for over 7 hours, my fears had no merit. Great cornering, good suspension (its a bit bouncy over some rough highway) and WOW! What an engine! Mine came with the 5.7 Hemi, and its worth every penny as an extra. The exhaust is enough to get your heart pumping! Only negative that I have to say is the transmission. It likes to shift alot.
Ride and Gas millage
I traded a ford pick-up in,and the dodge handle great and the fuel milage much is better with my dodge
the best Truck I have ever own?
Reliable, and worth every penny I spent.
Bad juju
I love the truck. Good power with the 4.7. Has the power and the looks, but its a gasaholic
Great piece of equipment
Hemi is NASTY engine and this truck has enough power to do whatever, whenever
2003 Ram 1500 SXT 2wd Himi......WOW
This is the fastest truck I have ever driven. It tows almost 10,000lbs. Eats up everyother truck on the road except for the Lightning. Best in everything. Man I love it.
The Sharpest Truck on the Road
I have had other makes and models of trucks but none compare to the Dodge Ram 1500 I now own. It is more like a luxury car, (I have the Laramie) but will do the work of a truck. My wife enjoys it as much as I do. It not only rides smooth, runs great, and handles easily but it looks better than the other trucks I have seen on the road. My wife loves the dual control on the air-conditionong and the heat. We both stay comfortable and enjoy the ride. I cannot say enough good about the integrity of this truck. I will never purchase another truck that is not a dodge.
Never thought I'd own anything but GM!
Having had only GM cars and trucks in the past, this was quite a leap for me! I have been quite pleased with the Ram so far. The truck drives and looks great. I am impressed with the road manners and braking! The interior is sharp and functional, and the seats are very comfortable.
love it
love it. love it. love it. great truck !!! power when you need it but likes the gas.
It's A Tank
The Truck really shouldn't be used as a paseenger car, or excuse for a small SUV or car. The thing is absolutely massive and for short driving around the city i'm lucky to get 11 MPG.
Dodge Ram '03...Best yet
This '03 Ram handles and drives several fold better than the '98 Ram I traded in. Best vehicle I've owned in years, excepting the '02 Vette, of course.
So Far So Good!!!!!!!!
Love how it drives and handles. Does idle somewhat roughly. The clearance is awesome.Stereo sounds very good and clear. The main reason i liked this truck was the grill!!
Cool ride!!
I love this truck. The gas mileage could be better, but I knew this when I bought it. The V6 is not quite big enough for this truck, but it is acceptable. I don't haul big loads nor pull anything. It handles very well. For a truck this size, the turn pattern is tight. This truck has not given me a minutes problem and I would recommend you get one. I've had mine 2 years and still love driving it. I think I'll run to the store.
Rough & ready
I have put almost 50,000 miles on my truck in just over 3 years. I bought it not only as a commute vehicle, but to use it as a truck also. I haul things in the bed on a regular basis. I have even used it off road. I have never had even one problem with it. It performs well on and offroad. The only negative thing I can say is the mpg is not good. I average about 15 miles per gallon. Although, I knew that going into my purchase. That was going to be a sacrifice in order to get the interior room, the hauling and towing abilities, and the engine performance I needed. Overall, I could not be happier with it.
Yeah, it's got a hemi
My father has a 3.7 liter that he loves. I've driven it on occasion and was impressed with the quality compared with my last '97 Dodge. The local dealer had a Hemi in stock with he options I wanted so I bought it. The truck is very fast(for a truck). 60 mph comes up in a little over 6 seconds. Mine is a regular cab w/ 3.92 gears and limited slip. I paid $19,077.
Great truck
Haven't had long, but so far it's excellent. Love the way it handles, steering is really car-like. Overall, it's extremely capable and a lot of fun to drive.
ram 1500
i have owned mopars since 1974. quality has gone out the window in the last 10 years. toyota will be my next suv
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
windows leak
great truck for the money, purchased a 2003 with auto, bed liner ,split rear window for only 15400
my hemi
this truck is not only good looking it does everything you could ask of a high performing hard towing truck
review of 2003 Hemi
This truck is amazing. Dodge ramped it up this year with an excellent interior design and the almost overpowering hemi engine. Buy it!
my dodge ram
i love my ram. I have owned other pick- ups and by far this one is the best. I can put the car seat in the truck with lots of room still.
best truck on market for price
i drive lots of trucks ,,gm ford ..at work ,this is my first dodge ,,nice looking truck,,and had a great price almost $7000, off sticker ...slt package longbed ..4.7 V8 ...
Happy with my Ram
I just want to start by saying, some of the 'negative' reviews here say more about the people who bought the truck than the truck itself. Most of what people criticized, they should have noticed that when test driving the truck. Anyway, the new Ram is the best thing since sliced bread. I've pounded on this truck since day 1 and boy can the Dodge take it. Very Rugged yet quite refined. We are going to be trading in the family car and buying a second ram (quad cab) shortly.
great truck
great truck, bought at a great price & looks great, mileage isnt great but its a truck. would buy another in a minute !
Great Ram
No problems-so far so good.
Ram Tough
I found the ground clearance to be the best part of my 2003 Ram. The suspension is smooth and the turning radius is unbelievable for a pick up. In making u-turns, I never need to back up to clear the corners--something that happens to most Fords and Chevy pick- ups. The truck idles a little rough, but otherwise I enjoy the ride.
My Truck
I simply loved the styling of this vehicle. I'm 41 years old and buy new vehicles every couple of years. This is the first Dodge/Chrysler product I ever bought. But the bold styling captivated me immediately. I asked lots of other Previous Dodge owners their opinions before I made a final decision. Their comments were mostly positive with most thinking their previous model were a little clunky inside quality wise. I disagreed with this model after careful inspection,however would like to have a change holder and would like storage available in the center console.
Best Buy
I'm in love with this truck. My dealer experience was great but the truck in general is just the best. It rides like a car and works like a semi. Much better than the last generation of Rams. My Silverado 2500 edges it out capability wise but then again this is a 1500 and can't be compared. In another year or two when I go to trade the Silverado in, I think I'm going to go with the Heavy Duty Ram.
wont last if you live in the rust belt!!!!!!
I always liked dodge ram trucks mine is an 03 ram 1500 4x4 single cab short bed with a hemi.I bought it because it looks great and i'm not a fan of 4 door trucks.however this past year I noticed the frame has 4 rot holes in it due to the salting of the roads here in new england during the winter time.Dodge uses a cheap box frame that is made thinner than a piece of paper.I have owned 3 dodge trucks and this one is my last because of the cheap frame they use.So if you live where it snow's during winters I would avoid buying this truck because it wont last besides the frame the truck is starting to rot over the back wheels also.To bad really I really like the way it rides but its falling apart.So don't buy this truck if you want it to last because it wont.also the dash is cracking another issue that dodge ram have.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
IMPRESSED!!!
I have been nothing but overly impressed with my RAM. It is extremely safe and I have not yet been able to make it go sideways because of the sensitivity of the 2WD and limited slip differential. I drive vehicles hard and harder when I test drive them. 20,000 miles in one year. The ONLY complaint I have is that there is no undercarriage protection, meaning if you go through a puddle, that water is coming up inside the engine.
Extremely Pleased
So far I am extremely impressed with the truck. The regular cab has a LOT of room behind the seats (enough to put a bunch of groceries, or luggage for the wife and I for a trip), very comfortable and supportive seats, and the dash design is simple but attractive. The ride is somewhat stiff, but it's a 4x4. The gas mileage isn't the greatest, but what do you expect for a full size truck like this? Engine power is a tad lower than the basic V8s from the competition, but I will gladly take a 15 or 20 hit in HP to save about $1K, and then get an exhaust system and an intake to compensate. All in all I highly recommend it.
Dodge has got it Down Right
The Dodge Boys have out done themselves this Time ! Dash is straight forward no bells & whistles you do not need. Straight Forward TRUCK ,4.7 provides plenty of power teamed with the 5 speed automatic you wont be sorry you bought this one.
Good truck
This is a nice truck. The interior is well planned, and it has decent storage behind the seats (unlike Chevy or Ford). The ride is smooth, and the power is good. No mechanical problems at all so far. Mileage is averaging about 17mph combo. Not great, but not as bad as some I've heard about. This is my first truck, and I plan on driving it for several years.
Great Truck So Far
Bought this truck used with 39,000 miles on it. Own a small horse farm in North Carolina. I use it for that and driving to work. So far, a very reliable truck. It drives much smoother than you would expect from a full size pickup. The cab room is great for a regular cab and is very comfortable. Engine is smooth and I love the "growl" the exhaust puts out. Power and mileage could be better, but are not that bad. It does what I need it to do when I need it. Overall, I'm very pleased with it so far. I plan on driving it until the wheels fall off, which should be quite a long time!
Great truck!
I was a Ford man but couldn't pass this truck up. Built solid with a good design. Gas milage isn't great but it's average for a big truck. I love it and I'm glad I bought it!
GOOD TRUCK
I HAVE REG. CAB WITH THE V-8 AND IT RUNS GREAT. I HAVE HAD THE TRUCK FOR ABOUT 7 MONTHS NOW AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS SO FAR. BY THE WAY, THIS IS MY FIRST TRUCK AND MY FIRST DODGE.
Good Old Blue
I bought my truck about a year ago and I love it! I have not really had any problems from my truck. My wife tells me it is my grandpa truck. Its got the complete chrome package. I love it!
Best Yet...
This is the 4th P/U truck I've owned...three Dodges, and one Ford. It is by far the most comfortable and fun to drive one yet. I really like the 5- speed manual...it's the first standard transmission I've had in years. Of course, I added dual exhaust and a Magnaflow muffler...the 4.7 sounds great, but not over-bearing, and 325 50/20 Toyo tires. This gives it a "mean" stance. The Dodge, in my opinion, is the best looking P/U of all.
3.7 v-6 no power......
love everything about it except the engine 3.7 v-6 [wouldnt pull a greasy string out of a cats rump)put in a k&n air filter ,flowmaster 50 series catback exhaust,nothing helps mine, has a 5sp manual trans,figured it might get more faster on acceleration with a few more miles on it but no chance
Very functional
I've had my Ram for over a month now. I am very happy with this truck. Much better than anything Dodge has done before and after driving the Chevy and Toyota, I'd definitely stick with the Dodge. Smooth, quiet, comfortable ride. The 4.7 provides enough power for normal duty. If you need more power, wait for the 5.7 Hemi to be available in the 1500 early next year. The 5.9, while reliable, doesn't offer much more power and the mileage sucks. I've pulled a trailer with the 4.7 a few times, very nimble. Handling is super too. Interior design is great! In comparison to Toyota or Ford, the interior is amazing and is not cheap. See for yourself.
BESTES
DODGE IS THE BEST!! if you cant dodge it, ram it