A Truck to be Reckoned With
I get a lot of cars, SUVs, and more recently, crossovers to test, but not too many trucks. It's not that pickups are dropping in popularity, but just that there aren't as many manufacturers that produce them.
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| Dodge has been a long time player in the full-size truck market, with first-rate styling, powertrains, suspension, and build quality. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
This becomes even more apparent in the full-size segment of the market. While Nissan is just coming onto the scene with its large Titan and Toyota has been competitive with the 7/8ths Tundra, Ford, GM and Dodge, in that order, have been the long term big players.
But just because Dodge maintains third place in sales doesn't mean it builds a truck unworthy of the top podium position. Its styling, powertrains, suspension and build quality are first rate, up there with all 2003 models and besting some.
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| Opinions on the styling of the Ram, with its bold grille and bulging fenders, are split. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
I'm not going to spend much time talking about styling, as truck people tend to have strong opinions regarding what looks good and what doesn't. Suffice it to say that the Ram stirs up strong sentiments in all camps, with a large portion in favor of its bold grille and bulging fenders and others vehemently opposed. Either way the Ram brand has managed to carve out a larger niche of the lucrative light truck market than it enjoyed before debuting its previous generation highway truck curves.
Base V8 power comes from Chrysler Group's single overhead cam 4.7-L. With 235-hp on tap and a healthy 295 lb-ft of torque, it pulls well and delivers reasonable fuel economy. Personally I like the 4.7-L engine better than the old-tech 245-hp 5.9-L OHV V8 that was recently discontinued. While it delivered 335 lb-ft of torque, benefiting towing and hauling, the more sophisticated SOHC engine is more tractable around town and on the highway.