8.4" screen vs 12" in Ram

Not much inventory. Found this Ram with sunroof, air suspension, but only 8.4" screen. I wanted the larger screen but in the past I heard they were VERY problematic with no fix.

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/new/s...d2110&endYear=2021#listing=287190669

Are all the trucks coming with that ETORQUE thing? Man that is just something else to go bad. I'd pass on that GIMMICK if possible.

Link to the window sticker, which states it has the 12" screen

www.chrysler.com/hostd/windowsticker/getWindowStickerPdf.do?vin=1C6SRFRT4MN570100

Thanks

Put my son, a Cheby new car sales guy (I know) on it to see what he can do;

My first HOUSE was $70,000 with $10,000 down. Now thats a TRUCK!!!!!

Have the truck guys figured out how to swap to the bigger screen yet? For chargers it's plug and play you just need to get the different parts including the radio unit. The first change I did on my charger was go from the crappy base radio to 8.4" screen with navigation and with used parts it was under $400.

Ya know, it's a tough thing drawing the line on how much electronic gizmo-ology.

My girl recently got a 2020 Renegade (where's the smiley in a toaster emoticon?) and I'll admit to finding the android / apple car play on the 8.5 very useful and the steering wheel button control LED dash both easy to navigate and worth while. We've rode tripped it and I like it better behind the wheel - passenger side feels way twitchy. Back up cam is great. At maybe a 1000 miles when it started getting cold, the trans started acting up. On a cold start it won't shift out of fist until something gets up to temperature. I'm sure it just one of who knows how many temp sensors on the thing and please, throw a code if yer that smart. Maybe a msg in the spiffy digital dash menu and stop bugging me about the washer fluid.

Ok, my RH levels are up and I'm going on a tangent but this dumb thing actually displays an animation of a washer jug emptying every time ya start the car. Film at 11.

I mention that to mention this: while wondering around the showroom waiting for ink to dry I sat in a 2020 Ram. 4 door short bed, hemi, air ride, 4wd, leather, 12 inch, automatic electric running boards. Is a remote controlled electric tail gate release really called for?? With the back up cam and the air ride, would make hooking a 5th wheel one step easier. This wasn't a dually but it was the plushest thing I've sat it since an Imperial. I recall thinking ya could really set sail in a rig like that and no, I didn't look at the sticker.

Maybe I just put the number out of my mind. The number I do recall is about $30k clearance price on the other one. 2020 Ram Classic, 2 dr, 6 ft bed, 2wd, v6. Manual windows / locks, basic radio, manual cloth seats. I almost bought it on principal but it was grey. If it was red and a hemi, It might have been tough not to low ball them and fortunately wasn't driving my LRE. My line is drawn much lower and my money is currently going in my 79 RC.

Her toaster doesn't have the etorque but it does have the auto shut off. That one at least has a convenient push button to turn off every time ya start it. Also has the electric parking brake and don't quote me on this but I think I've heard it apply itself. That could fun at speed.

Lets go off on your tangent. This electronic stuff is nuts. And I'm an electronics NERD. I just bought 2 Nest IQ cameras between posts. The electric tailgate is ridiculous. That ETORQUE I know I have read about problems and recalls. The 12" screen on the previous 2 years I heard was their biggest complaint. I even called a guy I know at a Ram dealer and he confirmed it was PROBLEMATIC.

And its not like you can fix or service hardly anything anymore. Maybe brakes and oil change. Hell I couldnt even FIND the plugs on my wifes Exploder a few years back.

Maybe I should just find a high end resto on a 77 Power Wagon (I remember seeing a spectacular one about 7 years ago at the Mopar Nationals for $17k!) and daily drive it

You like the air ride?

I love the 8.4" screen in my Dart. I know it's getting up there in age and maybe the new ones are different, but I have close to 100K miles on the 6 year old car and never have had any problems with my 8.4" other than the screen locking in phone mode a few times when I try to make a call not noticing I was in an area where I was getting no bars (can't get back to the regular screen until turning phone off, or shutting car off or some combination of messing around).
I want to get a Ram and have been looking at the options. I can't imagine a need for the 12" screen, it's like having a big screen TV on the dash!

Weve got the 8.4 screen in our blacked out 2019 hemi ram.This screen works great!Not sure about the 12" screen,and we dont have Etorq but i did hear people were having trouble with it.

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a27634301/2019-ram-1500-reliability-maintenance/

At 40,000 mile review Car & driver confirms DONT get the ETORQUE, DONT get the 12" screen and they preferred the shorter bed for mor "city" use especially parking.

I would imagine, or at least hope, that after two model years FCA would have sorted things out. My work truck is a four door long bed 2500 and yes, parking is a pain in the city.

Nope. Sounds like the EXACT same issues that the internet is flooded with saying the 12" locks up for hours and nothing "resets it". Nice, $2100 option that doesn't work. I would be so pissed.

My son, the car sales guy, said I'll just have order a loaded up a Laramie to get it with the 8.4" (that actually works) and no ETORQUE. I'll get the air suspension and I leave off the electric tailgate (rolling eyes). Might even pass on the leather (I'm TOUGH on seats - I dont wear suits to work). Wife definitely wants the sunroof.

Car and Driver, on their 40,000 mile review, complained about the 12" and ETORQUE and said they would not order a truck with those but still gave it 10 out of 10.

We special ordered our new company truck last year (2019 Ram Classic) partly because we needed the 8' bed/standard cab & partly because we wanted something without the trouble plagued u-connect infotainment system that was a constant hassle in both our previous truck and still is in my wife's Jeep Patriot.

Radio 1.0 works just fine thanks much.

It looks like the 12 inch screen has been a mess since the system launched and that there is still no correct fix for it:

https://5thgenrams.com/community/threads/12-inch-screen-blackouts-after-going-in-reverse.9425/

Interesting, the last post in that thread. from April of this year, states

"OTA update to version 19 fixes the screen blackout issue (and others). "

Seems there is a fix.

The Ram mentioned above is really nice. One other thing that is cool is the larger gas tank since these things are not exactly gas misers. I picked up a similar one but 2020 Laramie Longhorn build it June this year. All of the bells and whistles and it rides better than the wife's Lexus. I've never seen another one like it. Has the side tool boxes, air suspension and t2-way tailgate which is also cool.

Works for me. My girl has a couple of newer vehicles and I do admit to getting sucked in to some of the tech and some of the fuel economy. That generally lasts until I have to do something to one of them. Stupid snap together stuff that just about falls apart except for the $^@#$ electrical connectors which each have their own hidden release. Take a fender apart to change a head light. Take the A/C out to swap the alternator.

There is a company out there that's doing 6 digit custom WWII power wagons. It's ground up, every nut and bolt and any way you want it. CTD, LS, they don't care as long as the money is green. Jay Leno's Garage did a commercial for them.

Myself, I'm waiting for the 24 inch screen so I can read the "DO NOT USE WHILE DRIVING" warning more clearly while driving

I have a 2020 with the 12" screen. People freak out when they see it for the first time, it is kinda cool. It's way easier to read than the 8" screen my 2017 had, but it also has way more features than I will ever use.

I am on my 2nd screen/unit. First one died after a software update to prevent the b/u camera from turning itself on while driving. The update locked out my Sirius radio, and the only fix was a new unit.

I have the Etorque too. I am not overly impressed with it, but so far no issues.

My truck has the small screen and I hate it. I can't imagine how awful it would be to have an even bigger one. If I could get a truck without any screen at all, that's what I do. What good is the stupid thing? You have to take your eyes off the road to operate the heater or the radio. Why not just have some easy to use controls like they had on the cars in the 60s?. You could find them and operate them with just your fingers, never taken an eye off of the road. Besides that the big screen is really expensive, and they blind you at night.

That was one of the things I had to have on my 2018. Found a 2wd Longhorn with a small screen. Love it. Heater radio volume all controlled by a simple turn of a knob. Would have been even happier if it had no touch screen at all but that wasn't available. Don't see the need for a tv size screen in the middle of my dash.

with both of you |
And while we're at it, Volume, balance, bass and treble worked just fine for me. Wish the idiots would just take a early 80 to 90's vehicle, upgrade the suspension, brakes, engine (maybe), airbags etc and dump the unnecessary garbage. Wonder what impact that might have on the sticker price ?

If nothing else, I like the screen for the backup camera. 8 inches is fine for that, 12 is overkill, but the standard 3 inch would be semi useless.

Backup camera screen is in the rear view mirror on our '19 classic Ram. Perfect place for it in my opinion.