2019 Ram ProMaster City Cargo Pros vs Cons. Should You Buy?

If you are looking for a cargo van to add to your fleet this year, you have probably already given the 2019 Ram ProMaster City Cargo van some consideration. But how familiar are you with this vehicle? While this van does offer a good amount of space, it is not a van you can stand up in, unlike its full-size variant, the Ram ProMaster. Still, for its specific class, the ProMaster City Cargo van offers a good amount of cargo space and an outstanding payload capacity.

What's New for 2019?

The 2019 Ram ProMaster City Cargo van does not have a ton of obvious changes that were made for this model year. The biggest alteration is to the front fascia, which has been totally redesigned, giving the vehicle a more contemporary look. Other than that, most everything from the 2018 line-up carries over to this year's ProMaster City Cargo van.

 

Top 10 Reasons to Buy a 2019 Ram ProMaster City Cargo – The Pros

1. A Massive Cargo Area

As you should reasonably expect from this type of vehicle, there is a good amount of cargo space available. In fact, the 2019 Ram ProMaster City Cargo van has 131.7 cubic feet of cargo space, which is only bested by the Mercedes-Benz Metris. While you cannot stand up in the rear because the roof is too low, you will still have plenty of space to store cargo and move around.

2. A High Payload Capacity

Another reason to love the Ram ProMaster City Cargo is that it has a high payload capacity of 1,885 pounds. That is one of the best ratings that you can get on a vehicle in this class, so if you require the big payload rating, this van is fully capable of meeting that need.

3. A Powerful Engine

The 2019 Ram ProMaster City Cargo van receives its power from a solidly-built 2.4-L 4-cylinder engine. This engine has no problem with generating 178 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. This is certainly ample power to get the van up and moving. Since this is a small 4-cylinder engine, you can expect to receive a good return on fuel.

4. Good Fuel Economy

The fuel economy on the Ram ProMaster City Cargo van is remarkably good for a vehicle in its class. This van's small engine and standard front-wheel drive help it get 21 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. Overall, this is a pretty efficient cargo van and can help save you some money at the pump.

5. Swift Acceleration

Driving a van like this in the city usually does not feel too terribly exciting. However, the Ram ProMaster City Cargo van has no problem getting up-to-speed on city roads. Its performance is pretty peppy, although it does lose a little bit of steam when you take it on the highway. Still, while driving along on slower-speed roads, the ProMaster City has a fluid feel to it.

6. Plenty of Stand-Alone Options are Available

While standard features feel a bit bare (especially on the base trim), there are plenty of stand-alone options that are available. These options include a defrost for the rear window, roof rails, remote start, a built-in navigation system that accompanies the 5-inch touchscreen display, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, a vehicle tracking feature, and window grates. This allows you a good degree of customization.

7. The SLT Trim's Upgrades

If there is one trim level you must consider, it is the line-topping SLT trim. It brings an air of luxury with its standard privacy glass, a steering wheel that is wrapped in leather, power-adjustable side mirrors that are heated, an automatically-dimming rearview mirror, cruise control, and lumbar and height adjustment settings for the driver's seat. Oh, and the cabin also gets upgraded cloth upholstery. For a work van, it will seem pretty plush.

8. Good Outward Visibility

From the driver's seat, you get great frontal visibility. The roof pillars are slender enough, and the windshield glass is nice and wide. Optional rear parking sensors and the rearview camera help to improve rear visibility, which can really help out when you need to back the van into and out of a tight parking spot in the city.

9. The Easy-to-Use Uconnect Infotainment System

The brand-new Ram ProMaster City Cargo van hosts the Uconnect infotainment system. This system is known to be one of the most user-friendly ones out there. Even the least tech-savvy driver will likely have a short learning curve on the Uconnect. The digital buttons are all easy to read on the 5-inch touchscreen display and are intuitively placed. Also, there are still enough physical controls for the driver to feel comfortable with using the van's technology.

10. An Affordable Price

This van is not going to cost you an arm and a leg to add to your already-existing fleet. With a starting MSRP of just over $24,000, this is one of the most affordable vans in its class. And, if you have a few extra thousand dollars that you can use, go ahead and splurge on the line-topping SLT trim level.

 

Reasons Not to Buy a 2019 Ram ProMaster City Cargo – The Cons

1. Not a Lot of Safety Features

One of the biggest letdowns you get with this year's Ram ProMaster City Cargo van is that it lacks some of the safety features that you will find on other vehicles. Safety features that you typically find, such as lane keep assist and blind spot monitoring, are conspicuously absent on this cargo van. Other vans in this class have some of those features, so it is perplexing that Ram does not even include them as options.

2. The Cabin Gets Loud

The ProMaster City Cargo van's cabin is not particularly well-insulated. In fact, you can count on a lot of road and wind noise seeping into the cabin, especially as you scoot about on the highway. You will have to crank your music up to hear it better. There are vans in this class that do a better job keeping their cabins hushed and relaxing.

3. Difficulty Making Turns

The new Ram ProMaster City Cargo van is not especially adept at making turns. This is due to its height and width being a bit too tall and narrow. The amount of body roll that gets generated while cornering might not make the driver feel too confident in the van's handling capabilities. While it will not topple over, the lean feels a bit too excessive for comfort.

4. A Sluggish Transmission

The standard 9-speed automatic transmission brings the van's performance down. It just does not shift that smoothly when you drive at slow speeds. This kind of defeats the purpose of having this be a city-based cargo van since you will likely be driving quite a bit on city and suburban roads. A better transmission is something that Ram should consider adding in the future, as it would greatly enhance the 2.0-L engine's capabilities.

How It Stacks Up to the Competition:

2019 Ram ProMaster City Cargo vs. 2019 Ford Transit Connect

A major competitor for this model year's ProMaster City Cargo van is the 2019 Ford Transit Connect. The Transit Connect is a sharp-looking van on the outside and offers a competitive price tag. It has a ton of driver aids that come standard and is far more maneuverable than the ProMaster City Cargo. However, the Transit Connect has a bit too firm of a ride quality and offers engine options that tend to feel rather underpowered.

2019 Ram ProMaster City Cargo vs. 2019 Nissan NV200

Another top contender for this model year is the 2019 Nissan NV200. This cargo van is even more affordably priced than the ProMaster City Cargo and the Transit Connect, and it offers up a pretty respectable fuel economy. Unfortunately, the engine options are not high-powered enough to make this van feel exciting to drive. Also, it has less in the way of cargo space than its competitors. The materials used throughout the cabin also feel and look a lot cheaper, which creates an overall sense of the vehicle just being cheaply made.

Conclusion

The new Ram ProMaster City Cargo van might not have as many standard safety features as it should or a transmission that makes smooth shifts between gears while driving at slower speeds, but it does have a few good things going for it. The fuel economy is pretty impressive for a vehicle in this class, and the array of optional features helps create a more customized vehicle. With its high payload capacity and a powerful standard engine, the ProMaster City Cargo can be a solid addition to any fleet.