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Don't buy anymore at this point. Wait for 2012?

11K views 37 replies 29 participants last post by  dodgebruce 
#1 ·
At this point in the year, I think it's smarter to wait 2 months and order a 2012 than it is to get a 2011, am I right? It seems stupid with the possible 8 speed or whatever ZF and whatever other 2012 changes.
 
#5 ·
Mother Nature has tossed a monkey wrench into buying 2011 cars & trucks

almost all the Pigments for automotive paint comes from a factory 30 miles away from the NUCLEAR power plant in Northern Japan
Chrysler & Ford can't get the best black paints already, Chrysler won't even take orders for 10 colors
Because of a "potential" pigment shortage while Japan is recovering from the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters, Chrysler told dealers the company will restrict ordering vehicles in these colors: brilliant black, blackberry, deep cherry red, redline, inferno, bronze star, rugged brown, hunter green, ivory and billet metallic.

the damaged plant will be closed for 4 to 8 weeks, AFTER the employees are allowed back into the plant

General Motors get their paints through DUPONT, they get most of their pigments through China
 
#8 ·
I wonder if this will temporarily lead in the direction of years gone by.

Henry Ford was once quoted as saying (in reference to the Model A I believe).... "You can have it in any color you want, as long as it's black.)

:4-dontknow: So....for the next few months.....
"You can have it any color you want you want, as long as it's White!"
 
#14 ·
I have been thinking about the ZF 8 speed myself, 10% savings on fuel is very appealing
I have started saving up a good down payment

MY next Ram will NOT be purchased from dealership stock
IF the FLEET/INTERNET sales person at my dealership can take special orders, i will deal with them, not the regular sales people

When Chrysler does start taking Special Orders for the vehicles that will have the ZF transmission, i may have enough $$ built up to make a sizable down payment & if the time for special orders to be built & delivered holds true, i will be able to save up for the special mods that i need for my business

My 2009 is still running good so i am not in a real big hurry, time is on my side
 
#15 ·
Anyone have a pic of the 2012? Much difference or will it be like the 2005 to 2006 and only minor cosmetics on the outside. With the exception of the transmission, your best deal is going to be on a 2011...who's to say what the 2012 will bring as much discounts, right now $10k off is a big number...it's why I didn't buy a 2011 last August and waited until February...the deals just weren't there. And if there is going to be short supply because of high gas and production issues, you can bet the deals won't be as good.

My 2 cents
 
#16 · (Edited)
I have not yet seen any SPY photos of the 2012 Ram truck
I have not lately been on California Interstate 5 where they test drive almost all the new vehicles, between Los Angeles & the San Francisco & Sacramento turn offs
they camouflage the vehicles & they drive in packs of 3 to 5 with chase vehicles

16 more days 2012 JEEPS to be unveiled!!!
MOAB Easter Safari runs from April 16 through the 24

last year they also mentioned the 2011 RAMRUNNER, that you can buy body & suspension parts for right now. is it possible that they may have got the rest of the Ramrunner parts Certified by NHTSA ?? if they did, it might be announced at this desert off road event

http://www.moab-utah.com/jeep/index.html
 
#21 ·
Finally someone else that has done some research on this. You fellas won't be getting an 8 speed anytime soon, sorry. Go ahead buy you a Ram while the buying is good! This is from allpar....
ZF and Chrysler worked together on a tough and sophisticated eight speed automatic transmission,*with a torque rating of a rumored 650 (or higher) pound-feet. It uses several planetary gearsets, each of which costs about as much as a whole light duty transmission. This will be used with the Pentastar V6 in Chrysler 300, as well as on SRT8 and other cars. (Indeed, oh2o revealed that, on the rear-drive cars, the eight-speed would first be used with the V6 —*when model year 2012 starts, the V8s will still all be five-speeds, including SRTs).
 
#19 · (Edited)
when i was ordering my 2011 sport (every option available) on 3/8 this was a big question of mine i do not need a new truck now mine is perfect and is a 08 sport wit 32k miles. i didnt wana order a new one and in 2012 they change the style so my dealership as im good friends with the sales manager contacted the dodge rep. the only thing that may change is the tranny options... and maybe a twin turbo option available to compete with fords ecoboost..... hope this helps i ordered mine with no fear in them changing the style in 12. i do not understand how reading other members build times but they checked on mine and it was ordered on 3/8 and has been completed on 3/22 its in i think kc is wat it was if i remember ill look at the paper. seems unrealistic to me tho.... should be here any day they told me!
 
#20 ·
I bought my 2011 1 week ago and the rebates along with the dealer discount was the best I have seen within the past year. I got a truck that was more than I could afford and perhaps the nicest truck I have driven in my life

Keep up the good work RAM
 
#22 ·
in March of this year, the NEW ZF transmission factory broke ground, they will make the ZF 8 speeds

“The new eight-speed automatic transmission will offer our customers refinement and comfort while achieving greater fuel economy and performance,” said Paolo Ferrero, senior vice president of Chrysler's powertrain division. “We look forward to integrating the new transmission into future Chrysler Group products and welcome its contribution to a corporate fuel economy improvement of more than 25 percent by 2014.”

Chrysler will initially import 8HP transmissions from Europe until it finishes a $300 million revamp of its existing transmission manufacturing and casting facilities in Kokomo, Ind. to produce the 8HP there, starting in 2013.

Indiana Transmission Plant 1 currently makes the 545RFE "Orion" five-speed automatic transmission for Dodge Dakota and 5.7-liter Hemi-powered Ram full-size pickups and the 68RFE six-speed auto for Heavy Duty pickups with the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine (which produces more torque than the 8HP can currently manage).

Most of the transmissions used by Chrysler will be made at the automaker’s Kokomo, Indiana, Transmission Plant but some will be built by ZF itself at a new transmission plant in Greenville, South Carolina. Chrysler is investing $300 million in the Kokomo plant. The new ZF facility, the first ZF plant to make car transmissions in the USA, will also make the 9-speed automatic transmission for transverse-mounted engine applications that was presented at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Groundbreaking for the new plant is scheduled for February.

The ZF eight-speed automatic is made in several different forms, including an AWD version and a version with a built in DynaStart electric motor, with 20 horsepower (15 kW) of power, making it into a parallel-hybrid transmission. The key advantages of the transmission are not so much the eight speeds (which help to keep the engine in its optimal range, and reduces the number of tradeoffs required in tuning), but the high efficiency — a claimed 98% efficiency in any gear, with an extremely rapid locking torque converter — and high speed, with shifting taking place faster than a person can perceive it.

http://www.allpar.com/mopar/transmissions/ZF8.html

ZF 9 speed transverse transmission
What ZF is doing with the 9HP for transverse mount applications (which accounts for 80% of current car production) is leapfrogging the six speed competition with three extra speeds. And ZF isn’t saying how they’ve managed to do that. The first thought is that it will be limited to pretty small engines, that don’t have a lot of torque. Say, four, three, and probably even two cylinder units. Since the first user of the 9HP is supposedly Chrysler, that would make some sense. Chrysler could use all the extra fuel economy they can find what with the prominence of ’Hemi’ in their sales pitches. And Fiat has a two cylinder ‘multiair’ engine that could plug into a small Chrysler.

However, the 9HP’s torque limit is said to be 295 lb-ft, per an article by K. C. Colwell in Carlovers Magazine. That’s plenty of capacity to handle a good turbo four. That’s just a bit more torque than Nissan’s CVT has to deal with in the V6 Maxima. And ZF makes a CVT also, so there has to be a good reason to build a nine speed automatic rather than utilize the existing CVT, right? Well CVT’s haven’t been accepted by US consumers and the 9HP may also better fuel economy than a CVT to boot.

http://www.insideline.com/chrysler/zf-9-speed-box-in-future-chryslers.html

company that is building the factory(s)
http://www.midlandsbiz.com/articles/7253/
 
#23 ·
2012 with slight improvements

You will not be seeing much improvement for the 2012 RAM. The major difference will be the New Penstar V6 engine to replace the under powered V6 currently available for the 2011 RAM.

There will not be an 6-7-8 speed transmission for 2012, most likely you will not see these transmissions until 2013-2014 models role out.

The biggest difference for the 2012's is the new Tradesman edition designed for individuals who really intend to take and use their truck for work. Also the new model series will be the 2012 RAM Express (formerly known as the Adventurer). The Express based on specs seems very similar to the Sport.
"The Dodge Ram 1500 Express is fitted with a standard 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine delivers 390 horsepower and That 407 lb-ft of torque (552 Nm) and posts an average fuel economy rating of 20 mpg (11.76 l/100km). exterior that looks increasingly fierce and muscular. Available as a regular cab short-bed model, with either a 4×2 or 4×4 drivetrain, the 1500 Express comes in a monochromatic paint scheme, with body-colored grille, front fascia and rear fascia and a total of eight body colors available. "

I saw the 2012's at the Chicago autoshow and there is not much change.
If you can/need a new car get a 2011 for a discount or wait for the 2012's which start to roll off the assembly line around July 4th.
 
#24 ·
The 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 will likely go on sale during September 2011
With its last major makeover coming in model-year 2009, the Dodge Ram 1500 will likely receive a “re-engineering” for model year 2013

Styling: The 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 isn’t expected to see any alterations to its basic appearance, which means it will retain its trademark cross-hairs chrome grille and broad-shouldered fenders that give it an aggressive overall character.
The 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 will continue in a wide assortment of configurations. Expect three cab styles: the two-door regular cab, the extended Quad Cab with small clamshell-opening rear access doors, and the Crew Cab with four conventional doors and a full back seat that’s large enough to hold three adults in comfort.
Mechanical: Short of swapping its current V-6 for the worthier 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 being phased into other Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep models, the 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 will likely carry over mechanically intact.
This means the line will still start with a dated 3.7-liter V-6 that generates a lackluster 215 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque. That’s barely enough to get this large a vehicle up to speed and sufficient for a meek 3,600-pound towing capacity. Its availability will likely continue limited to Ram 1500s with two-wheel drive (2wd) and a mediocre four-speed automatic transmission. The Pentastar V-6, by contrast, is rated at 280 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, minimum.
Features: The 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 should continue to offer an impressive array of standard and optional amenities, including a few exclusive offerings that help set it apart from the competition. For example, Crew Cab versions will likely still offer the RamBox, an optional set of storage bins built into the sides of the cargo bed that are lined, drainable, and lockable
EPA gas-mileage ratings for the 2012 models had not been released in time for this review, but 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 fuel-economy shouldn’t change – as long as powertrains repeat.
This means the base 2wd 2012 Ram 1500 with the 3.7-liter V-6 would rate 14/20 mpg city/highway. For 2wd V-8 Ram 1500s, expect a 14/19-mpg rating with the 4.7-liter V-8 and 14/20 with the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8. With 4wd, the 4.7-liter V-8 would again carry a rating of 13/18 mpg and the 5.7-liter a rating of 13/19.
 
#25 ·
All I have to say on this enitre thread, and I read it from start to finish, is that I have seen countless maybes, and speculations on upcoming parts changes, styling changes, and power upgrades over the years.

I myself have have held out for what I thought should be the next big thing only to be dissappointed when it arrived, and kicking myself for passing up the best deal a year previous.

IT DOESN"T MATTER WHAT YOU BUY TODAY, SOMETHING WILL BE BETTER NEXT YEAR!!!!

I sell the product for a living, and until I see something sitting on my showroom floor, I won't believe it until I see it.
 
#26 ·
You'll wait more than 2 months. 12's won't start production untill late july or early aug. Plant change-over & scheduled shutdown for vacations typically happen in Jul. The 2012's won't be released to dealerships untill late Aug. As far as I've heard there won't be any major styling changes to the 12's since they just changed the entire vehicle in 2010. Most likley will be some new colors due to the problems in Japan.
 
#27 ·
Exactly.. I won't be able to order any 2012 trucks until the beginning of June, which in turn will put arrival of trucks at least 2.5 months down the road. At that time, the 2012 rebates will be next to zilch on release, and you will be upset because now the selection of 2011's isn't as plentiful and you'll either buy something you didn't want in a 2011, or spend too much on the 2012, so you'll wait until march 2012 to get the best deal, and well.. that's a year from now.

Just buy what you want now. In about a month or two, there will be so many trucks to choose from you wont be able to keep yourhead on straight. June is the best time to buy. Waiting until Dec only gets you another 1000 off or so, and that's "remaining stock".
 
#30 ·
Got my order in before the cut off. Brilliant Black Pearl. Now I watch and wait for it to get on the bus in Detroit, to come home. It's built, and waiting for transport. This is so painful. Checking each day for he update to see if it has moved to an in transit status.
 
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