Honda Accord Or Nissan Altima: Which One Does V-6 Better?
A decade ago, both the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima were offered in base four-cylinder versions... Read More
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The Ram's five-speed automatic falls one cog short of the competition, but we really didn't want for an extra gear.
Without a load, this truck is one of the smoothest riding vehicles in its class.
In performance testing, a 4WD 5.7-liter V8-powered crew cab model went from zero to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds.
The Ram's coil-spring rear suspension improves ride quality and reduces rear-end freeway hop when driving around with an unloaded bed, making the Ram perhaps the best truck on the market when it comes to hauling nothing but air.
Even when hitched to a 7000-pound enclosed car hauler, the truck tracks impressively straight.
PERFORMANCE | 8 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
The Ram's five-speed automatic falls one cog short of the competition, but we really didn't want for an extra gear.
Autoblog
Without a load, this truck is one of the smoothest riding vehicles in its class.
Automobile Magazine
In performance testing, a 4WD 5.7-liter V8-powered crew cab model went from zero to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds.
Edmunds
The Ram's coil-spring rear suspension improves ride quality and reduces rear-end freeway hop when driving around with an unloaded bed, making the Ram perhaps the best truck on the market when it comes to hauling nothing but air.
Motor Trend
Even when hitched to a 7000-pound enclosed car hauler, the truck tracks impressively straight.
Popular Mechanics
The Ram 1500 may come with a choice of three different drivetrains, but if price isn't as much of an object, throw out the base and mid-line versions and Chrysler's HEMI engine will never let you down.
The base V-6 is a 3.7-liter, an old design, wheezy on the go, and not very fuel-efficient. It's coarse enough to relegate itself to stripped-down workhorse duty, leaving Chrysler's solid 4.7-liter V-8 to take its place as the Ram's real base engine. Standard on Outdoorsman and SLT trucks, it's a familiar powerplant that's pegged at 310 horsepower, and acceleration is strong enough to justify its existence.
It's just that, on any given day, we'd prefer and pay for Chrysler's splendid 5.7-liter HEMI V-8. Good for 390 horsepower, the HEMI not only is standard in Sport, Laramie, and Laramie Longhorn models, it's the top fuel-economy choice in the lineup, since its cylinder-deactivation technology boosts gas mileage to the top of the lineup at 14/20 mpg (or 13/18 mpg with four-wheel drive), and its HEMI charm ripples through every time you goose the accelerator pedal. Coupled to the same transmission as last year--but recalibrated to select a previously available but unused gear when downshifting in manual-shift mode--the HEMI trucks can reach 60 mph from a dead stop in 6.1 seconds, Chrysler says.
It's not just HEMI grunt that makes the Ram a joy to drive. Hauling and driving are more strong suits of the Ram. Its stiff chassis and rear coil suspension provide a better, more controlled ride than its competitors--and better than any previous Dodge truck. Steering is quick, but numb and devoid of feedback--to be expected in a full-size pickup, but somehow less than the chassis deserves.
A 11,500-pound tow rating puts the Ram Tradesman right near the front of the class, though new models from Ford and Chevy have taken things slightly farther.
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HEMI power makes the Ram 1500 our favorite full-size truck to drive, and its ride quality is tops.
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