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J.D. Power conducts some of the most well-respected surveys concerning new cars and trucks. Two of the most important have been released in the last month and 2024 Ram 1500 has plenty of reasons to celebrate. The most recently released survey is the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study. Ram ranks second among Mass-market brands. As I wrote in June, the 2024 Ram 1500 came in first place, in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study.
What is the J.D. Power U.S. APEAL Study
According to J.D. Power, “The APEAL Study asks owners to consider 37 attributes, ranging from the sense of comfort they feel when climbing into the driver's seat to their exhilaration when they step on the accelerator. Vehicle owners' responses to queries about these attributes are aggregated to compute an overall APEAL Index score.”
The APEAL Study is a huge survey. The rankings for 2024 are based on responses from 99,144 owners of new 2024 model-year vehicles. The buyers were questioned after 90 days of ownership, so the owners had time to really drive the vehicles and find out what they liked or disliked.
Ram’s Strong Performance
Ram marks its fifth consecutive year as the second-ranked mass-market brand. The Ram 1500 came in second among large light-duty pickups. The Ram 2500/3500 was also rated high. The Ram 2500/3500 tied for second among heavy-duty pickups. The individual performances were enough to push the entire Ram brand into second place overall.
“If you consider the broad range of vehicles that contributed to these results, it’s clear that creativity is baked into our existence as a company,” said Bill Kendell, senior vice-president of North America customer experience at Stellantis. “We know how to design and build engaging vehicles, so we’re going to continue developing that knowledge in pursuit of products that are even more inspired.”
“We’re grateful to J.D. Power for designing a study that recognizes attributes that enhance vehicle ownership from a personal perspective,” Kendell added.
This has been a year of transition for the 2024 Ram 1500. Ram announced it was phasing out its powerful HEMI engines and replacing them with more fuel-efficient engines. Ram debuted its new 2025 Ram 1500 RHO truck with an emphasis on value. The new 2025 Ram RHO offers the all-new, more powerful and more efficient 3.0-liter Hurricane High Output (H/O) Straight-Six Turbo (SST) engine. The truck is rated at 540 horsepower and 521 lb.-ft. of torque. It will do 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds. It will also do 0-100 mph in 11.7 seconds. It has a top speed of 118 mph.
The Ram 1500 is also available with the less powerful SST 3.0L Hurricane Engine. The SST stands for straight six turbo. It is also called a straight six. The engine uses six cylinders all in a straight line. The SST in the 2024 Ram 1500 has 420-horsepower and 469 lb.-ft. of torque. It has a maximum towing capacity of 11,550 pounds. Very few drivers will ever come close to needing that much towing power. It is more than enough horsepower and torque to handle most everyday tasks.
The J.D. Power Initial Quality Study
As I mentioned previously, Ram ranked first in the 2024 annual quality study. J.D. Power sends surveys to people who buy or lease new cars. The survey ranks the number of problems that buyers report in the first ninety days. Nearly 100,000 people responded to this year’s questions. The industry average this year was 195 problems per 100 vehicles. The lower the number, the fewer problems per vehicle. The Ram 1500 placed much better than the average with 149 problems per 100 vehicles. Chevrolet came in second with 160 problems per 100 vehicles. Hyundai placed third with 162.
Ram is the only truck-exclusive brand to ever to top the benchmarking study. The Initial Quality Study is highly respected because it is based on actual responses. Consumers report the issues they have had and whether or not they are pleased with the vehicle. It is very unusual for a truck to place #1 overall, but Ram has managed to achieve it twice. This is the fourth time in five years Ram among top three in industry.
Ram Photo
Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.
Follow Mary Conway at @MaryConwayMedia and send her car news tips for future stories.
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