Used 2016 Ram Promaster City Minivan Consumer Reviews
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The worst vehicle I have ever owned.
D. R., 06/13/2018
updated 12/28/2020
2016 Ram ProMaster City Wagon SLT 4dr Minivan (2.4L 4cyl 9A)
49 of 53 people found this review helpful
Every time I take it to the shop for repair (2-3 times a year), it’s like buying this piece of junk van all over again. If you like paying way too much for repairs that are needed way too often... needing an alignment as often as an oil change, riding around in seats that are like torture devices, and having a digital transmission that causes whiplash every time it changes gears, then this is the vehicle for you! Thank you RAM, for ramming me into poverty. Repeatedly. Almost any vehicle will now seem luxurious after this one. Update! Had a $2000 fix in May of 2018 to replace the front axel. Don’t know why the axel broke from regular use. Probably just something promasters do. December of same year: the coolant thermostat crapped out and a replacement thermostat cost $500 by itself. May 2019- Air vents started misting coolant in at me. Went to dealership to get the heater core replaced ($900) the car promptly broke down on the interstate and I had to get towed back... coolant drenching everything inside and out. EVEN THE SUPER EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE TERRIBLY BUILT. The dealership re-‘fixed’.... but left the van in such a mess that I couldn't actually tell whether or not it was fixed (Coolant still dripping on my feet and everywhere). I had to take it to a different dealership where they charged me $130 just to tell me whether the heater core was fixed or not. They claim it is... after having serious questions about why the heater core has no support bracket... turns out the answer is that Ram didn’t make these vans with a support bracket for the heater core. Would have been too expensive for them. Quality control need not apply. June - 2020 - the slow death of my vehicle and wallet continue. Sway bar links had to get replaced... somehow one of the replacements even ends up being defective. It's like the pro master city's natural state is to be broken. Dec 2020- Blinker stopped working. In a normal vehicle this would be a twenty dollar fuse box fix (the relay). But the blinker in the promaster has no fuse or relay. It goes through the computer. Which means what is normally a twenty dollar fix you can do yourself, on this van is of course a five hundred dollar part and you’ll need a mechanic so as not to set off the airbag... replacing the blinker relay on a Ram Promaster means having to replace every other switch on the steering column as well. Thanks Ram. Under both the seats is an in explicable hole that you can reach quite a ways back under the floor. I don’t know how, but when I drive through rain they fill with water. And stuff starts to mold. Ram promaster goes above and beyond. It’s not just a mechanical hazard, it’s a biological hazard too. There’s also a new intermittent leak from the dash onto the passenger front seat side floor. Would have assumed it’s to do with the ac, except it’s winter and I haven’t been running the ac. Starting to get the feeling the van is trying to drown itself. Maybe I’ll give it what it wants and drive it into a lake. A Christmas miracle. What will fall off next? When will the money run out to repair this pothole with wheels? Stay tuned for more exciting adventures in pro disaster city... the anti-herbie.
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Promaster City Wagon SLT
Lostrminds, 07/11/2016
2016 Ram ProMaster City Wagon SLT 4dr Minivan (2.4L 4cyl 9A)
26 of 28 people found this review helpful
Sitting at home late one night researching minivans on YouTube. Thank goodness I ran across the Ram Promaster City Wagon. The wife wanted stown'go style mini. That was enough to make me throw up but this van was interesting. We had looked at and drove C, D, H, K & T vans, did I miss any? Sure they had the stuff but they carried the average $33k+ price tag. Two weeks later a new Ram City Wagon SLT in our drive. A great bang for the buck. Now owning our Ram Promaster City Wagon SLT for almost 3 weeks now with 2400 miles on the clock. I can say we love it. Ride, handling, gas mileage and interior space is fabulous. Our wagon had a long list of options from heated seats, backup camera w/ rear audible sensors, fog lamps, aluminum wheels, electric windows and doors (child proof lock outs in rear for windows & doors too), adjustable steering wheel, electric adjustable heated mirrors, rear wiper/washer with defroster and the Uconnect radio which is far superior than our Mylink on our GM. The front overhead storage shelf is Awesome, too. For the cup/bottle holder baby crowd: front doors 2, rear doors 1 and center console 2 that's a total of 8. Head room, shoulder, leg room up front and back is great. The front doors offer easy access to the front seats which are equipped with turn knobs to adjust seat recliner with lumbar support. Boohoo no lever. Passenger has recliner knob. The rear sliding doors open to expose rear seats that tumble forward in 60/40 fashion. 60 on drivers side 40 on passenger side but are non-removable. Putting our toddler in his car seat with ease, no issues with banging your head, bending over straining your back and easy access to adjust that car seat. Also each rear seating position (3) has the LATCH System to install a child's car seat. Cabin safety I see front air bags, front bucket seats tagged with airbag equipped and side curtain airbags front and rear, too. I read something about knee protection: not sure if that means airbag or just the design of the lower dash. Other safety items that seem standard on every vehicle I assume need to be stated: antilock brakes, skid control, hill assist. A personal not on safety I've read the professional reviewers complain of "NO" 3rd row seat: thank goodness! I've witnessed a few highway rear ended accidents in my day and everyone I've witnessed are automobiles that get smashed into the back to the rear window. It is in my personal option a tragedy waiting to happen to place your children or loved ones in a far rear seat/3rd row in any minivan or small SUVs. That could result in your child being (the Bumper) compacted in any type of rear end Collision/accident. As the driver I have a cripple zone in front of me with airbags and a steering to attempt to maneuver but you have limited of no control what so ever when hit from behind. With that in mind why would you place a child in the rear crumple zone! Explain that to me? Why! A quick internet search will qualify my option. Purchase a full sized van, Suv or a bus. The rear cargo doors are also 60/40 opening to 90 or 180 degrees they offer easy low height access to the rear cargo area which is carpeted with 4 anchoring points and shallow built-in side shelving on both sides. Rear cargo area is roughly 49" between wheels by 52" with seats up and 67" with seats folded. Stack that firewood, carry mulch, toss in the dog or pickup your groceries with no worries of damaging your interior cargo area, no fancy trim just space. Our gas mileage is averaging 26.8. Nice pickup, great cruising on the highway. Set cruise at allowable speed and the motor and 9 speed automatic handles it nicely. If you want to control your shifts tap the gear selector to manual and take control of that 9 speed gear box. Handling on the winding roads at posted limit to me is sure footed and pleasant. In our area we have many unpaved, washboard, loose gravel roads it performs satisfactorily stays were pointed. I've driven auto cross in my Alfa, motorcycles, snowmobiles and boats. Is it my Alfa Spider no but it's not a barge either. Fun would be the word with manners. Interior noise seems to be a topic of concern. It's a van! Well we both think our Ram interior is as quiet as our 2014 Chevy extended super quiet cab. Nice sounding 6 speaker stereo, free satellite radio for a year, flawless Bluetooth hookup and iTunes no problem. Two 12volt plugs between the seats and one in the rear driver side also near the shifter a usb and audio input for your phone. I personally like the look of the wagon. I've fielded many questions from I suppose similar minded folks at almost every stop: gas station, grocery and even the highway rest area. I'm willing to shown'tell but the wife not so much. Our dealer was superb out of Warren PA. Hats off to Cory and Troy. Best ever experience I've ever had! Out the door with the exterior and interior protection treatments and a Michelin tire swap w/nitrogen came in rig
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2016 Ram ProMaster City for sale near you
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Not a fan
Mark, 01/30/2018
2016 Ram ProMaster City Tradesman Cargo 4dr Minivan (2.4L 4cyl 9A)
20 of 22 people found this review helpful
My first review was on 11/1/16 shortly after purchasing this vehicle. I was unsure of my feelings about it but now I can honestly say I do not like this van. one of my complaints early on was the acceleration. It's a peppy vehicle but the gas petal is way to sensitive and acceleration from a stand still is inconsistent. I've had the vehicle long enough to have gotten used to driving it but sometimes I step on the gas and the van accelerates normally. Other times it moves too quickly and there are times when it seems like it doesn't respond at all. Not a good feeling in busy traffic. Then there is the brake issue I mentioned in my first review. The issue still exists and RAM has no plans to do anything about it. I guess it's not an expensive enough vehicle for them to care about. Every morning when I leave for work my brakes screech like crazy due to the cheap metal they used on the drums and they rust overnight. Either that or the pads have a high metal content and the metal in them rusts. The screeching does go away after driving the vehicle and making a number of stops to "grind" the rust away. On a rainy day I can get thru the screeching period, drive for a while until I reach my destination, get back in the van a few hours later and the brakes screech all over again. This is unacceptable! Since my last review I have realized that this van handles bumps horribly. I have a 12 year old pickup that rides better than this thing. Now I am having electrical/transmission issues and am actually waiting for the local RAM service tech to call me back to arrange to have the van towed for them to evaluate/repair the issue. Maybe it's just my vehicle as I do see positive reviews but I am not happy with it.
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What can't my Promaster City Wagon do?
Wendy F, 09/15/2016
updated 09/16/2019
2016 Ram ProMaster City Wagon SLT 4dr Minivan (2.4L 4cyl 9A)
41 of 47 people found this review helpful
I love my Promaster City Wagon. In bright yellow, I might add. It looks like a little bread truck/caution sign driving down the road but I am so happy inside. I have to say that I am trading in two cars for this one PMC wagon: a 1998 Toyota Tacoma with camper shell, and a 1995 Chevy Lumina minivan. I like a car with great utility and a car that I can sleep in on road trips. My old truck and van were each really good in their own way. But my new PMC Wagon tops them both--as a hybrid truck/van monster. Obviously my review is being written by someone that drove a Tacoma and an old van--not a Lexus so my needs for comfort and luxury may be somewhat less than yours, but here is what I think. This car is so fun to drive and so comfortable that I have no idea that I am in a cargo van -- except for the fact that it holds boat loads of stuff. It accelerates quickly -- too quickly if you want to watch your gas mileage, it handles and turns very well. It stays on the road. I can pass ANYONE on the highway, and often do. No trouble getting up to speed to merge onto the highway either. The seats are comfortable in the SLT with the extra lumbar support. It is true, you do have to crank the recliner knob and it is a bit slow, my old Lumina van was the same way. The front seats go so far back that you can sleep in them just fine. I am 6'2" and find so much leg room up front that I don't have to put the seat all the way back (never happens in other cars). If you don't want to sleep in the front seat then tumble half the back seat forward and sleep diagonal on the floor (if you're under 6' tall you don't have to sleep diagonal). It can come with satellite radio and has a great entertainment/computer console with buttons integrated into the steering wheel, built-in hands-free phone calls with bluetooth. Someone complained about not having a CD player. Well any smart phone or mp3 device will hook right up to the radio console with USB or bluetooth. Tons of head room, you can put your arms straight up and wave them around. Way cool overhead storage and clever bottle holders in the door pockets. Good, solid construction. Sliding doors are light and very slidey with very clever handles. I love the simplicity and design of the door handles and latches and the combination door handle/lock button in the front seats. Cavernous front seating area with wide angle view. I want to drive this thing to Alaska to see the wide open scenery. I think it is quiet. I know it is quiet compared to my Tacoma (which is a noisy little truck) and even compared to the Lumina. Even during a wind storm, I did not feel that the van was too tall or got too much wind noise or battering around. Note that it is wider than your average minivan. A wider track like a jeep might be helping to avoid that too-tall feeling. It corners like a car, not like a van. I have almost 5,000 miles on it so far and no mechanical problems yet (knock on wood). I am getting about 24 mpg in town and more like 26 on the highway. Best mileage in 9th gear (85mph and 30 mpg). I have not tried it in the snow yet. As a front wheel drive I expect it will do OK, but we'll see. It has a quick disconnect battery! Seriously, you just pull up a big pin. I have been waiting for that for years. My first car was a Studebaker (no I am not that old...the car was older than me) and I loved my Studebaker because of the simple, functional design. I feel like I have finally bought another Studebaker. You can't beat the combination of price and utility (and I suspect, but we don't know yet because it is a new model...reliability). Driver fatigue is very low in this car due to comfort. The speedometer is oddly off to the left of the dashboard (not centered) and I don't think the trip computer allows you to show a digital speed which would be handy. What you see in front of you is the date and some other trip info. I think this is funny because the date doesn't change--all day long. But maybe if you're using this as a work van and have to sit in that front seat and do paperwork, you'll appreciate knowing where to find the date? I had wanted to buy a car with automatic climate control, but this car did not have that option. I must say I really don't spend much time fiddling with the temperature controls in this truck anyway. There is an unfortunate blind spot where the panels are in the back/sides that prevents you from seeing, in parking lots, if someone is approaching the back of your car from the side. But a backup camera, and audible object detection system help with that. So my complaints are way fewer than the things that I love about the car. I get compliments often about its looks and potential versatility. My old parents find it easy to get in and out of both the front and back seats, it has a low step-in height than most trucks and a higher seat height than most cars. I consider it a FWD SUV, for on-road adventure; a mini, dry camper; a daily driver; and a cargo hauler.
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Renting to see if worth it
G.Brown, 09/23/2016
2016 Ram ProMaster City Tradesman Cargo 4dr Minivan (2.4L 4cyl 9A)
21 of 24 people found this review helpful
I've rented this van 3 times now and until this current time, I noticed some comfort features lacking. First off, I'm a repair guy, own a Avalanche truck, can pack all my tools and pull a trailer no problem, MPG is my problem. So, first time I rented one was December of 2015, right after they came out. I also have a catering company and my truck was in the shop. It handled my equipment well and I was pleased. Second time, I had to pack my daughter for college and drive about 500 miles, I got about 27mpg, and that was mostly freeway. This last time, I noticed things that I hadn't before; lack of 2 arm rest. Seems like that should be common place, especially for a cargo van. The ability to rest your arms on the door arm rest area, it's just a bit too far away, your forearm is on it but your elbow is off, and if you shift towards the door, your "rear" is riding on the high part of the seat. The gear shifter positioning doesn't allow for your phone to be stored close by. Yes there's a flat area on the dashboard but a middle consule area would be great. The two cup holders between the front seats, the one in the rear is really a pain for either driver or passenger, not convenient. You definitely have to get a suction cup phone holder if using your phone for GPS, no place to see it otherwise. Overhead storage bin is great, I'm able to put my "classic construction clipboard ", wallet, bag of chips, etc up there no problem. Side doors open easily, rear doors are great. If you're packing / moving, which I did for my daughter, I suggest similar size boxes, that way everything fits nice and tight. Setting the tripometer is kinda a pain until you get use to it, it's on the wiper or blinker handle at the end, so you have to push it in and cycle to your option. The lumbar/ recline knob is really a pain in the.. .Seriously, you have to wrap your left hand down and around while rotating the knob. It is a bit loud when not loaded. I've only rented the cargo version, no second row seats. 12vdc plug in cargo area nice feature. Oh, the 2 plugs in the front are not "live" unless key is on, so you can't charge phones/ tablets/ ,etc unless van is on, kinda bummer. Standard rims and tires are weak. I've been on the search for a van like this for the past year, but unless the Tradesman SLT have more comfort features, I'm not completely sold. I do like the towing feature, which the Chevy and Nissan are not compatible but the Transit is. I'm on the road all day with a co worker, so these minor details are actually major for me.
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