Dodge Ram Quad Cab
Oh, boy, if ever there was a vehicle to replace the weekly Viagra ingest-fest, it was the Quad Cab. From its macho 5.9L Cummins turbodiesel engine, NV4500 tranny, and NP241 transfer case to its muy macho Dana 60 front and Dana 80 rear axles, this was the truck to make the chest hairs curly.
For the first few days of our testing, you'd have been hard-pressed to find someone who didn't think Dodge might swing a win. The pickup was surprisingly comfortable and stable on the highway, and it had a plush, roomy interior. Its lower-than-low First gear, extreme ground clearance, and taut limited slip had it grunting over every rock, no sweat--it landed one point behind the Jeep in crawl scores. The Quad Cab shortbed concept as well as the factory bedliner with cupholders were called flat-out cool, while the durable five-speed transmission was well suited to the diesel. But then the Dodge broke.
As the torque monster pulled itself up the same hillclimb as the competition, the mighty strengths quickly pointed out the surprising weakness as the ears snapped off the output yoke on the front of the transfer case, immediately making it difficult to name a two-wheel-drive truck 4x4 of the Year. But this wasn't the only dimmer of its shining light--before its fateful climb, there was miserable nosediving and fishtailing on the bouncy fire roads. The very compliant suspension soaked up those bumps well, but damping was something it struggled with on pavement. In addition, having the heaviest engine known to mankind did not exactly let it glide, landing it in a tie with the Ford F-350 and a pinch ahead of the Mercedes on sand.
The $4,625 diesel forced the four-door to second-from-the-bottom braking and quarter-mile acceleration, and while it was greatly improved over the previous 16-valver and really quiet for a diesel, it was still a diesel, which hurt the Dodge in the noise-level section. Other ouches included its size, which, while fine on the highway, was cumbersome while weaving through street traffic. Yet the Dodge Ram pulled like a tractor and screamed up the onramps. We could start out in Second gear, and it never puttered out hitting highway hills in Fifth gear.
General
Manufacturer: Dodge
Model: Ram 2500HD Quad Cab Sport
Base Price: $24,950
Price as Tested: $36,775
Options as Tested: Customer Preferred Package 26G (SLT Decor Group; tilt steering column; speed control; power windows and locks; air conditioning; Light Group; carpet floor covering; front floormats; instrument cluster with tach; 16x61/2 chrome wheels; and passenger-heated, foldaway mirrors); Sport Appearance Group (front and rear body-colored bumpers; body-colored grille; halogen lamps; foglamps; and LT245/75-R16E tires); Leather Interior Group (40/20/40 front seat; eight-way power seat; illuminated vanity visor; and overhead console with trip computer); four-wheel ABS; anti-spin differential; 5.9L Cummins 24-valve diesel (136-amp alternator; 750-amp battery; heavy-duty engine cooling; transfer case skidplate; and engine-block heater); sliding rear window; remote keyless entry; clearance lamps; Infinity AM/FM/cassette/CD; and under-rail bedliner.
Engine
Type: Inline-six diesel
Displacement (liters/cubic inches): 5.9/359
Bore & Stroke (inches): 4.02x4.72
Compression Ratio: 17.5:1
Induction Type: High-pressure direct injection
Fuel Requirement/Capacity (gallons): Diesel/34
SAE Peak Horsepower: 230 @ 2,700 rpm
SAE Peak Torque (lb-ft): 450 @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission
Type: Five-speed manual
Model: NV4500HD
Ratios: First: 5.61:1; Second: 3.04:1; Third: 1.67:1; Fourth: 1.00:1; Fifth: 0.75:1; Reverse: 5.06:1
Transfer Case
Type: Part-time two-speed
Model: NV241HD
Low-Range Ratio: 2.72:1
Axles
Front Type: Dana 60
Rear Type: Dana 80
Hubs: Automatic
Ratio: 4.10:1
Suspension
Front: Quadra-Link leading arms, track bar
Rear: Longitudinal 60-inch leaf springs
Steering
Type: Variable power-assist
Turns Lock-to-Lock/Ratio: 3.7/17.5:1
Turning Radius (feet): 47.5-52.3
Wheels
Size (inches): 16x6 ½
Material: Chrome
Tires
Size: LT245/75R16
Brand: Michelin LTX M/S
Brake System
Front: 12-inch vented discs
Rear: 13-inch drums
Weight
Advertised GVWR (pounds): 8,800
Mileage
As Tested (mpg): 16.57
Acceleration
Standing ¼-mile (seconds @ mph): 19.02 @ 74.94
Braking
60-0 mph (feet): 140.06
Dimensions (inches)
Wheelbase: 138.75
Overall Length: 226.5
Overall Width: 91.5
Overall Height: 75.5
Front/Rear Track: 70.25/68
Front/Rear Overhang: 25.25/30
Minimum Front Ground Clearance: 7 .75
Likes
*Phenomenal amount of torque at any rpm
*Great limited slip
*Beefy drivetrain and powertrain
Dislikes
*Weak driveshaft flange
*Diesel noise
*Front-bumper appearance and cheesy Sport decals
Bottom line
A heavy-duty pickup with loads of torque, good gearing, and a comfortable cab.