Dodge Ram 1500 4x4The Dodge boys introduced their '94-model Ram pickup in late 1993. With this new truck, Dodge revitalized not only interest in its trucks but also an interest in pickup trucks in general. Some people talk about how trucks are getting more car-like. But you can bet those people are not really truck owners. The Dodge Ram is a truck built for work, but comfort has not been forgotten in the process. If building in comfort makes a vehicle car-like, then one could also say that a 747 is car-like. The truth is, comfort is not an attribute of cars alone. However, the ability to work hard and last long is the sole province of trucks. The Dodge Ram does work hard and is durable enough that many people own them for longer than average.
Last year, we tested the Dodge Ram Quad Cab 4x4 truck, equipped with the 24-valve Cummins diesel and a six-speed manual transmission. In all configurations, the Dodge Ram is a true workhorse. While the extra cab, 1/2-ton, 5.2L V-8 gas five-speed we tested this year didn't have the brute power of the diesel, it did pull respectably. The 5.2L V-8 produces 230 hp at 4,400 rpm and 300 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm, which is fine for most light-to-medium towing jobs. (5.9L V-8 and 8.0L V-10 gas engines are available for those with more serious towing needs.)
The Dodge Ram manual transmission offers smooth shifting and is well geared. With the gas engine, the transmission always has the correct gear to get the job done. When combined with the 5.2L V-8 package, it feels powerful but not brutish. Our tests on the way to Moab proved that our Dodge Ram 1500 could pull a Jeep and a trailer up the mountains along I-15 and I-70. In the steepest sections, we had some difficulty keeping the Ram truck and trailer close to the legal limit. The gas rig settled in at a comfortable pace, and while it's not as fast as last year's diesel, it did not struggle to make it up the grade.
Last year, our test truck came to us with trailer brakes installed. This year, we had to install a controller, but thanks to factory forethought, it was easy. A pre-wired connector plug is attached using a factory plug that was included in the glovebox. After connecting four wires to the controller, we had electric trailer brakes. For our tow tests, hooking up the trailer was simply a plug-and-play situation. The Suburban we tested offered the same ease of installation. Hopefully this is a trend among the truck makers.
In towing tests just south of Moab, we found that from a dead stop, the Dodge Ram with the small gas engine was at a disadvantage towing uphill. We were unable to reach 60 mph in the truck, although we could maintain it if we hit the bottom of the hill at speed. Fuel economy while towing was fair for a gas engine considering how hard we were working this light-duty truck. We averaged 8.3 mpg while towing our Wrangler on a trailer to Moab and back.
Pros & Cons - PickupUsing a fullsize truck rather than an SUV offered a variety of advantages and disadvantages. Foremost, we were able to get a lot more in the back of the truck than we were in the Suburban, particularly things such as tools, tires, and extra gasoline. However, at night we were forced to pull everything out of the bed so that nothing disappeared. With the Suburban, security was less of an issue. With the standard-cab Dodge Ram, there was only seating for three, and it was a tight squeeze at that. The Suburban, of course, beat it hands down with room for eight. The heavily sprung suspension on the Ram, coupled with its greater ground clearance, made it more stable under tow than the Suburban. With the tongue weight, the Dodge settled right in and tracked straight, with the trailer following like a boxcar on rails. The Suburban, which came with a tow package but not the self-leveling rear suspension that Chevy has talked so much about, sagged badly with the tongue weight and required much more care when positioning the load - not to mention hurdling driveways, which was a slow, scraping experience.