A Perfect Fit for Different Needs

Last week you may have read Justin's review of the Dodge Ram
Ram. Need we say more? (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)
3500 Chassis Cab, a commercial grade vehicle that will easily find consumers who need its all-conquering towing and hauling capacities as well as its adaptable layout. However, if you're looking for more modest capacities, a more agreeable ride and something less dedicated strictly to business, you'd be well advised to consider the Ram 1500 Sport with the same Hemi that powers the base version of the 3500 Chassis Cab.

I
So bold, it jumps out of the logo... (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)
recently drove one about town for an entire week, and though I didn't get a chance to pick up any sheets of plywood, move any sofas or haul a load of manure, I can confirm that when the work day is done, the Ram 1500 is still completely capable of getting you downtown to meet the wife for dinner or to take the kids to hockey practice or sailing school--in comfort. Yes, this is one plush ride and compared to some of the '70s Rams I drove in my career as a groundskeeper (hey, don't laugh, it put me through school) it was limousine comfortable. Okay, I know it doesn't measure up to the stillness and composure of a Lexus ES 350 going over choppy streets, but for a truck that can tow 3,856 kilos (8,500 lbs) I'm willing to take my porridge with a couple of lumps. Just having a week at the wheel of a towering pickup was fun, punctuated by megalomaniacal laughter when careening down the highway or looking down at most other cars and SUVs and being eye level with bus drivers.

The particular model that I drove was the Ram 1500 Sport 4x4 Quad
Available in three different body styles, and with a couple of beds. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)
Cab SLT, although I may have mixed up the order of the trim designations. If that doesn't make it all clear, I can translate the Dodge code and tell you that it essentially means that it was packing the 5.7L Hemi with MDS cylinder deactivation, a five-speed automatic transmission, lockable 4-wheel drive with four doors, seating for up to six (keep it five if you drive with a lot of elbow) and enough options that the feature list could reasonably be confused with that of a luxury car if it didn't also include "3.92 Axle Ratio, Hitch - Class IV Receiver and 7-Pin Wiring Harness" that comes as part of the Trailer Tow Group. In fact, if I didn't feel guilty about short changing my editor out of my brilliant powers of paraphrasing and sentence construction, I could easily fill out my word count by copying out the full feature list, but hopefully you'll get an idea of how impressively equipped this truck is by reading the rest of the review... as will my editor.


For 2006, the Ram got a minor facelift, with adjustments to the
Minor exterior upgrades include new headlights, and even a rear bed spoiler.(Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)
front fenders, headlamps and grille to bring the Dodge identity into greater focus. The Ram 1500, in any configuration, is a bold, intimidating machine, and everything a Dodge should be in terms of styling. I guess it's really the origin of the latest generation of Dodge design, as every vehicle since the 2002 Ram debuted has featured the towering crosshair grille, from the long, lean Magnum to the compact and perky Caliber as well as your garden variety Durangos and Dakotas. They've all got it, and they all wear the family snout proudly, but none more so than the Ram trucks, in which it is displayed in full size and in ideal proportion to the big headlights, large diameter wheels and massive ride height. Not surprisingly, the tall ride height made for some adventurous dive-and-crawls into the cab, and some leaps of faith on exiting since one feature lacking was a step bar of some sort--my girlfriend and her friends were not amused, although I found it wildly entertaining. 

Another thing that I found entertaining was a little bit of cowboy bling
White-faced gauges add another touch of sport, to the Sport. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)
in the form of big, chromey wheels. The 20-inch aluminum, chrome-clad wheels that came as part of the Sport package were shinier than necessary, but they matched up nicely with the chrome bumper insert and sparkling headlight assembly. The Sport package also means you get bucket seats, fog lights and body-colour fascia and grille (which is good because it may have been just a bit too much chrome if the wheels and grille were both shinier than a disco ball). Once inside the cabin, things were a little more toned down, and it impressed me with its spaciousness and organization. In terms of space, there's plenty of room for three in the back, and although there is a third seatbelt in the front, the centre position is much better utilized by the armrest/storage compartment, which was able to handle massive quantities of odds and ends and also able to organize said items thanks to dividers that allow you to separate the odds from the ends.

And considering that it could accommodate six, the seats were
Big, clear and easy to use. It's also remarkably wide. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)
plenty comfortable and driver's position benefits from a 6-way power adjustable bucket seat, covered in breathable and refreshing cloth.  I'm probably not going to be writing any letters nominating the interior design for any awards, but all the radio and HVAC controls were easy to decipher and it came with such unexpected amenities as illuminated vanity mirrors, interior lighting, steering wheel controls for the 6-disc, MP3 compatible stereo connected to 7 Infinity speakers (sound quality was just fine for blasting AC/DC, thank you very much), adjustable pedals, power sunroof, auto dim rearview mirror and the most surprising of all, Uconnect Hands-Free communication, meaning you can link your Bluetooth phone and speak through the stereo instead of your phone. Altogether, the Ram 1500, when so equipped, is a practical mobile office, good for getting from job to job and staying touch and organized on the way.


When getting to the next job means navigating quarry sites, the
Sport is just one of the many packages available. Ram is also offered in Power Wagon form, which by the way, totally rocks. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)
deep neck of the woods, or just your average downtown garage, the 1500 can also manage the trick. In town, the quick, light steering puts the truck wherever you want it to go with little hesitation, and despite the truck being tall, the 1,928 mm (76 in.) height means it can get into garages with 2-metre (6 1/2 feet) clearance. But when it's in its element (the muck and the mud), it can get you just about anywhere that needs going thanks to the electric-shift transfer case that can be set to 2-wheel drive, 4WD high and 4WD low simply by turning a knob on the dash, and anti-spin differential rear axle to keep the wheels from wasting energy. When 4WD is engaged, the system reroutes 45 percent of the engine 375 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels, and in low range, adjusts the gearing to deliver more rpms for greater power at low speeds.

Of course, if it's the going that matters (with nowhere in particular to get to) and a standard 4WD system isn't going to be up to your rock-climbing needs, you should consider looking at the Ram Power Wagon, which adds an electronically disconnecting front stabilizer that offers an extra 229 mm (9.0 in) of articulation, locking front and rear diffs, 4.56 axle ratio, skid plates, Bilstein offroad-specific shocks, tubular steel underbody protection, 33-inch mud tires and a 5443-kg (12,000 lb) Warn winch to haul out your buddies' sorry-ass trucks that couldn't make it through the mud puddle. If I ever get hold of one, I'll see if I can get it stuck and let you know how that goes.

The Power Wagon also exemplifies another asset of the Ram lineup:
Ram was never one to play hide and go seek with. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)
no matter your needs (towing, hauling, crawling or speeding), there is a Ram that can get the job done. With engines running from a modest 3.7L V6 all the way up to a 5.9L Cummins turbodiesel making 610 lb.-ft. of torque (not to mention the insane 8.3L Viper V10 in the Ram SRT-10), you can outfit the Ram for as much fuel efficiency or towing capacity as necessary. The Ram 1500 Sport I drove came with the now ubiquitous 5.7L Hemi that makes 325 horsepower and 375 lb-ft of torque in this iteration, to which Dodge added MDS (Multi Displacement System) for the 2006 model year. If you haven't heard about MDS before, it puts four out of eight cylinders to sleep if you're mildly cruising down the highway, which Dodge tells us is good for about 20 percent savings in fuel consumption. Whatever the savings, you won't notice the switchover because it's so smooth, and I managed to return around 17 L/100 km, and that without towing anything.

Another variable in the needs category is seating, which Ram
You could lose (or organize) your life in that centre console. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)
has abundantly covered from simple two-seater fleet type trucks all the way up to the Mega Cab rancher-limo, which can accommodate six Clydesdale-sized humans in leg-stretching, fingers-intertwined-behind-the-head [elbow-swinging] luxury, at least according to the press materials. Considering how big the standard Quad Cab is, I have no trouble believing it. Further options in the Ram lineup include box size, towing compatibility, over a dozen wheel options and interior trim packages from basic cloth and radio to leather, wood and satellite navigation.


One thing all models get across the 1500 lineup is Dodge's
Though it wasn't a Mega Cab, the Quad Cab has ample legroom. Seats also fold up for hiding things. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)
new, re-engineered hydroformed frame, the stiffest frame ever on a Ram, which allows for better calibration of the suspension for better tow ratings and more accommodating rides across the range. The suspension itself consists of new coil-over-shock absorbers and double wishbones at the front and Hotchkiss-designed leaf springs with monotube shocks at the rear. It's still a pickup, and when riding light, as I was, there was a fair bit of bounce because of the necessary stiffness (necessary in order to accommodate massive loads), but road holding was superb and it was never so stiff that I regretted asking for a pick-up.

In fact, I was more than pleased to be back in a pick-up again, because large parts of my formative driving years were spent in a fleet of pickup trucks, ranging from a decrepit old dump truck whose third gear required you to twist and shake to get into the gate, a few Ram beaters (one of which dropped its front axle pin in the middle of an intersection), and a couple of brand new colossal F-350s. I don't remember the numbers, but I'm guessing that the Ram 1500 with a Hemi puts those old F-350s to shame, an example of how quickly the standards change (10 years just doesn't seem that long ago now that I've hit 30). One thing I'm sure of is how much better this Ram was in terms of ride and drivability, although it still gives up a bit of ride stability to today's F-Series trucks, which are so flat through corners and stable at high speeds that it's almost eerie.

Nonetheless, you give up nothing to nobody in terms of power with
Refreshed Ram has the muscle and the might to stand up to anything. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)
a Hemi-equipped Ram. It is quick and sure off the line, and there is never any shortage of power in town, up hills or on the highway for passing with ease. Once again, I didn't have any trailers to tow, so you'll have to go by manufacturer numbers to gauge which would fit your lifestyle, but the big three (as well as Toyota and Nissan getting in the game with the growing Tundra and already massive Titan) all provide a variety of engines for different needs, but none come to market with as much power and efficiency as the Hemi. Add to that a grille that could tip cows just by staring them down, an endless variety of configurations guaranteeing that you can find the perfect Ram, and that when you do you'll have a package that's easily as good as anything out there.

Specifications (Ram Quad Cab 1500 Sport 4x4)
  • Price Range (1500 Sport MSRP): $36,185
  • Price as tested: $47,300 (includes $1,225 destination charge)
  • Body Type: 2 or 4-door pick-up truck
  • Layout: front engine, part-time 4WD
  • Engine: 345 hp, 375 lb-ft of torque, 5.7L, 16-valve, OHV, HEMI V8
  • Transmission: 5-spd auto
  • Brakes (front/rear): disc / disc, 4-wheel ABS
  • Dimensions (L/W/H/WB): 5,784 / 2,022 / 1,928 / 3,571mm (227.7 / 79.6 / 75.9 / 140.6 in)
  • Curb Weight: 2,434 kg (5,366 lbs)
  • Axle Ratio: 3.92:1
  • Tow Rating: 3,856 kg (8,500 lbs)
  • Payload: 603 kg (1,330 lbs)
  • GCWR: 6,350 kg (14,000 lbs)
  • Fuel Economy (estimated city/hwy): 21.4 / 14.7 L/100 km
  • Observed Fuel Economy: 17.0 L/100 km
  • Warranty (mo/km): 36/60,000 comprehensive - 60/100,000 powertrain
  • Direct Competitors (4x4 capable): Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ford F-150, GMC Sierra 1500, Nissan Titan, Toyota Tundra
  • Web Site: www.dodge.ca