2019 RAM Promaster City Cargo Van

Could you really ask for any more at an unbelievable starting price of $23,495? With an all-American Chrysler 2.4L I-4 under the hood, power is delivered to the front wheels through a 9-speed automatic. The SLT trim at $25,192, improves upon the interior, the infotainment as well as exterior.

The base level trim of the ProMaster Tradesman has a bare-bones interior, but offers a great value-for-money minivan. The higher SLT trim includes a few more optional features at a premium of about $2000. Apart from the Tradesman cargo version, the ProMaster City is also offered in a Wagon and Wagon SLT trim as a 7-seater..

Trim	Ram ProMaster City Tradesman	Ram ProMaster City Tradesman SLT
MSRP	$26,045	$28,192
Key Features	60/40 split rear doors.	Body colored front fascia and side mirrors
	Low-Load floor height	5.0" touchscreen infotainment
		Leather-wrapped steering

We Recommend

The SLT trim is the best bang for your buck, adding much needed features to your van if you're planning to spend your whole day at the driver's seat. The premium touch of leather seats and the 5-inch infotainment is highly recommended in the otherwise barebones minivan.

"The engine has reasonable pep around town and on the highway, but it hesitates to downshift and seems even more confused at highway speeds." - Car Connection

Engine and Transmission

Equipped with Chrysler's 2.4L inline-4 engine powering the front wheels, the minivan revs like a small hatchback. In the city, the 178 hp engine feels punchy and responsive, but it feels underpowered once you reach the highway. Unlike the Ford, there is no turbo diesel engine available for the hauler.

Models	Ram Promaster City Tradesman cargo minivan	Ford Transit Connect cargo van XL	Nissan NV200 Compact cargo S minivan	Mercedes Metris Cargo van	Chevrolet City Express LS minivan
MSRP	$25,740	$25,295	$23,245	$26,570	$23,850
Engine	2.4L i4	2.0L i4	2.0L i4	2.0L i4	2.0L i4
Transmission	9 Speed automatic	8 Speed automatic	Continuously variable-speed automatic	7 Speed automatic	Continuously variable-speed automatic
Horsepower	178 [email protected] 6400rpm	162 [email protected] 6500rpm	131 [email protected] 5600rpm	208 [email protected] 5500rpm	131 [email protected] 5200rpm
Torque	174 [email protected] 3800rpm	144 [email protected] 4500rpm	139 [email protected] 4800rpm	258 [email protected] 1250rpm	139 [email protected] 4900rpm

The 9-speed automatic transmission is nothing out of ordinary, it's functional and gets the job done. The Mercedes Metris is a powerful alternative to the Ram, while all other minivans have much lower horsepower than the Ram like the Nissan NV200 and the Chevrolet City Express.

Acceleration

High speed acceleration is not really a minivan's forte, the only time you'd feel the dearth thereof is when you pull away from a stop light. Getting to a 60 mph is quite a task for the fuel economy focused minivan. Loading up the cargo bay would, you guessed it, make it even slower. However, the engine will get you going even if you put a 2000 lb trailer in the back.

Models	Ram Promaster City Tradesman cargo minivan	Ford Transit Connect cargo van XL	Nissan NV200 S minivan	Mercedes Metris Cargo van	Chevrolet City Express LS minivan
0-60 MPH	N/A	10.1	10	N/A	N/A
Quarter mile	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Engine	2.4L i4	2.0L i4	2.0L i4	2.0L i4	2.0L i4
Emission (Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year)	N/A	N/A	N/A	8.4	N/A

Ride and Handling

Along with a hatchback-like engine, the driving dynamics of the minivan also mimic one. The nimble and swift handling in the city makes the ProMaster City Tradesman a sensible choice as a fleet vehicle, and a better alternative to the hefty Mercedes-Benz Metris is competes with.

However, if you try taking a corner at speeds higher than 20 you will definitely notice the body roll which follows. The tall, narrow minivan is not designed to handle high speed corners and nor does the soft suspension support it. Aside from that, the minivan rides smooth in city and absorbs most of the bumps and jerks from rough roads, thanks to the bi-link coil suspension in the rear.

Braking

The Ram ProMaster still hasn't upgraded the rear drum brakes, but it really doesn't need to. For a minivan they work perfectly and you won't experience any brake fade up on continuous usage. However, the suspensions have a hard time keeping up with sudden braking and loading up the cargo bay makes the disc brakes feel like a necessary upgrade.

Model	Ram Promaster City Tradesman cargo minivan	Ford Transit Connect cargo van XL	Nissan NV200 S minivan	Mercedes Metris Cargo van	Chevrolet City Express LS minivan
Brake Front (in.)	12	12.1	N/A	11.8	N/A
Brake Rear (in.)	10	12.1	N/A	11	N/A
Curb Weight (lbs.)	3509	3650	3273	4222	3260
60-0 MPH (ft.)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

In terms of efficiency, the Ram ProMaster is not the sharpest tool in the shed. Chrysler has sacrificed a few mpgs to keep the engine powerful and ahead of other minivans. In the city the Ram manages 21 miles to the gallon while the highway mileage is much better at 28 miles to the gallon.

Model	Mercedes Metris Cargo van	Ford Transit Connect cargo van XL	Nissan NV200 S minivan	Ram Promaster City Tradesman cargo minivan	Chevrolet City Express LS minivan
MPG (city)	21	24	24	21	24
MPG (highway)	24	27	26	28	26
MPG (combined)	22	25	25	24	25
Range (miles) (city/highway)	N/A	379/427	348/377	336/448	348/377

In comparison, almost every minivan apart from the Merc manages a mileage of 24 in the city and about 26 mpg on highways. The Metris with the extra power has similar economy to the Ram ProMaster.

"Offered in two-seat cargo and five-seat passenger versions. The maximum payload of the cargo variant is 1,885 lbs (855 kg), while the cargo volume is rated at 131.7 cubic feet." - Motor1

Seating and Comfort

The high seating position aids the excellent visibility, essential for navigating and parking. The interior is bare-bones but spacious and well-laid out. Ram has prioritized functionality over luxury. For long journeys, the seating may not be the most comfortable place to be in. The plastic-clad interior is far from premium, but you can't expect premium at the price point. Getting the SLT variant adds cloth-bucket seats, leather-wrapped steering to your interior.

Model	Ram Promaster City Tradesman cargo minivan	Ford Transit Connect cargo van XL	Nissan NV200 S minivan	Mercedes Metris Cargo van	Chevrolet City Express LS minivan
Passenger capacity	2	2	2	2	2
Front (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	46.0/59.3/40.8	46.9/57.7/41.5	41.7/54.1/42.6	39.6/NA/35.8	41.7/54.1/42.6
Second (Head/Shoulder/Leg (In.)	-	-	-	-	-

Infotainment System

The ProMaster minivan, surprisingly, has a quite a responsive and crisp 5.0-inch touchscreen, in the SLT trim, available with Uconnect and integrated voice command, although navigation system is an optional extra. The 4-speaker setup is mediocre at best.

Cargo Capacity

Contrary to what you might think, the smaller footprint of the ProMaster does not translate to a smaller cargo bay. After the Metris, the ProMaster boasts the biggest cargo storage in its class. The low loading floor and 60/40 split rear door make it easy to load and unload. With the smaller door on the curb-side, 180-degree door can swing open even in cramped spaces. The cargo bay includes six tie-down anchors to prevent your stuff from moving around.

Model	Ram Promaster City Tradesman cargo minivan	Ford Transit Connect cargo van XL	Nissan NV200 S minivan	Mercedes Metris Cargo van	Chevrolet City Express LS minivan
Cargo Volume (ft.3)	131.7	103.9	122.7	183	`122.7

"ProMaster City gets a grille more in line with the rest of the Ram brand. A "RAM" badge is emblazoned across the small van's face instead of the Dodge-esque crosshair grille." - Car Connection

Design and Dimensions

For 2019 Ram has revised the front grille replacing the cross with huge letters RAM, making the awkward minivan slightly more bearable to look at. The bulging headlights on a duck-like snout followed a boxy compact minivan is a departure from the aggressive styling on the Ram pickup trucks.

Model	Ram Promaster City Tradesman cargo minivan	Ford Transit Connect cargo van XL	Nissan NV200 S minivan	Mercedes Metris Cargo van	Chevrolet City Express LS minivan
Curb weight (lbs.)	3509	3650	3273	4222	3260
Length(in)	187.1	173.9	186.3	202.4	186.3
Width(in)	72.1	72.2	68.1	75.9	68.1
Height(in)	74.2	72.6	73.7	75.2	73.7
Ground clearance (in)	5.2	6.0	6.1	4.4	6.1
Wheelbase (in)	122.4	104.8	115.2	126	115.2
Track width (in) F/R	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

The longer, wider and heavier Metris carries the inherent bulkiness of a large van, which the ProMaster has decidedly tried to avoid. The minivans from Nissan and Ford follow suit with a small footprint rather than the orthodox approach.

There are plenty of features in the RAM and a few of them are listed below:

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC) And Roll Stability Control...
• ABS And Driveline Traction Control
• Side Impact Beams
• Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Seat-Mounted Side Airbags
• Low Tire Pressure Warning
• Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Front Airbags
• Airbag Occupancy Sensor
• Driver Knee Airbag
• Rear Child Safety Locks
• Outboard Front Lap And Shoulder Safety Belts -inc: Height...
• Back-Up Camera

Ram ProMaster City Tradesman vs Mercedes-Benz Metris

The Mercedes Metris is larger than a common minivan but not up to full size van standards. Compared to the Ram ProMaster City Tradesman, the Metris is a much more expensive option, but for that price, you get a better drivetrain, bigger cargo bay and more facilities in the cabin. At a tighter budget the Ram is a perfectly viable alternative with a smaller hauling capacity.

Ram ProMaster City Tradesman vs Ford Transit Connect

The Ram ProMaster is the toughest rival the Ford Transit Connect faces, it comes with more power and a larger cargo bay the basic necessities of an effective hauler. However, the Ford makes up for that with a better cabin and a high-tech infotainment. Ram also lacks a diesel engine which Ford introduced for 2019. The turbodiesel adds punchy torque to the lower rvs and increases the payload capacity significantly, making it a better choice for you.

Ram ProMaster City Tradesman vs Nissan NV200

The Nissan NV200 is essentially a Chevrolet City Express with the front grille replaced with a Nissan badge. As underpowered as the Chevy, the NV200 with the 131 hp engine stays true to its name, it works well in the city but fails to deliver on highways. The interiors are much better in the Ram ProMaster City Tradesman and the infotainments feel from different decades. The Ram is the obvious choice between the two.

The Ram ProMaster City Tradesman is a dependable minivan with comfortable interiors and a tech-rich cabin. However, in terms of practicality i.e. cargo capacity, the Ram lags behind the rival minivans. Apart from that, the Ram is a very modern and powerful minivan which can handle any obstacle you throw at it. The prime highlight of the ProMaster is the amazing ride quality and handling in the city.