What's more, the new Cummins develops its peak torque earlier than either Ford's PowerStroke or Chevrolet's Duramax diesels, with an impressive 80 lb-ft torque and 25 horsepower advantage when compared to Chevy's Duramax.
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| Even when loaded down with 1,588 kilos (3,500 lbs) of weight in the bed, the truck drove and performed like virtually no load was there. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada) |
Of course, there's more to making a heavy duty truck good than a powerful engine. On that note my experience behind the wheel taught me why industry trades people prefer Dodge. We ran for the better part of an afternoon throughout the winding highways that span California's mountainous coastline, fully loaded with 1,588 kilos (3,500 lbs) of iron strapped to the center of the bed - the equivalent of a midsize car. The truck was so stable at highway speeds my biggest concerns came after I forgot I was carrying a load at all and suddenly needed to get on the brakes. In comparison, the Chevy 3500 was hardly drivable with the same weight fixed to the identical center position of the box, while the Ford F-350 was better than the Chevy but still not good enough to compete with the Dodge. It was an eye-opener and now should be even better.
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| Eric Ridenour, Executive Vice President Product Development, commented, "This is also the quietest Ram diesel ever and the first High Output Cummins Turbo Diesel that meets 50-state emissions requirements." (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada) |
On the subject Eric Ridenour, Executive Vice President Product Development, recently stated, "The Ram Heavy Duty has the most sophisticated chassis in the segment, the biggest brakes, excellent handling and class-exclusive safety features such as side curtain airbags." He added, "It is only fitting that it now has the most powerful diesel engine. This is also the quietest Ram diesel ever and the first High Output Cummins Turbo Diesel that meets 50-state emissions requirements."
I can hardly wait to drive it! I'm sure it will continue to handle just as well, as Dodge carries forward with the Ram's independent front suspension and brawny rack-and-pinion steering system in 2WD versions, or heavy-duty beam front axle and recirculating ball steering system in 4WD models. Both front- and four-wheel drive Rams get longitudinal leaf springs in the rear.