2005 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie / Slt / St Review
Route test: 2005 Contrivance Ram 1500 Sport Quad Cab 4x4
Dodge Ram, one time a truck line, has get a truck nation. The familiar Ram trim-level progression of ST, SLT and Laramie (rhymes, sort of, with luxury) expands for 2006 to comprehend the Sport and off-road TRX4. The Regular and Quad Cabs brand room for the Mega Cab.
Dodge Ram, once a truck line, has become a truck nation.
The familiar Ram trim-level progression of ST, SLT and Laramie (rhymes, sort of, with luxury) expands for 2006 to encompass the Sport and off-road TRX4. The Regular and Quad Cabs make room for the Mega Cab.
Withal two cargo box sizes and three engine choices, but at present the biggest powerplant can switch from thirsty V-8 to frugal four-cylinder. Just to list towing capacities, which vary by model, axle ratio and engine and tire size, requires xx pages of the Ram product catalogue.
And we're talking only the 1500, the light-duty branch of the family unit Ram. The larger 2500s and 3500s have their ain multi-page configuration menus, and even the Viper-engined Ram SRT10 hot rod pickup comes in Regular and Quad Cab flavours.
Yet fifty-fifty with this population growth, the DaimlerChrysler brand just approaches the vast pickup offerings from truck superpowers Ford and General Motors. Nissan and Toyota are other countries increasingly heard from as they look for larger pieces of this pop segment.
For manufacturers, pickups are profitable, no less so for being easier than cars to stretch, raise, beef-upwards or otherwise adjust to appeal to buyers' enormously varied needs.
This mass/niche marketing means you should be able to find the truck you want. Information technology as well makes for a snowflake-like selection in which no two private trucks seem alike.
Which brings united states to our test example, a Ram 1500 Sport Quad Cab iv×four that arrived snowflake-white in colour, and Ottawa-snowbank-immense in size. With iv doors, part-time four-wheel-bulldoze and a brusque cargo box that all the same is larger than some competitors' brusque boxes, this $42,560 truck is congenital for serious cartage.
But with fog lamps, trunk-coloured front fascia and rear bumper and hip hop video-worthy 20-inch rims (standard on the Sport, optional on others), it'southward likewise meant to prove some way.
And with the optional 5.vii-litre Five-8 — yes, the ballyhooed, son-of-Firedome Hemi, but now with the Multiple Displacement Organisation that debuted in the Chrysler 300C sedan and Contrivance Magnum wagon — it'southward intended to deliver power and economy (though not, unfortunately, in equal measures).
Unique, we suspect, in its specific features and options, our Ram nonetheless displayed ane characteristic with which Contrivance has sought to imbue its full line — a much tamed ride over earlier Rams.
Ride and reliability take been the two large knocks against the Ram, keeping Dodge a distant 3rd in N American pickup sales. Simply quality has been improving for years, with the Ram now tied with the Chevy Silverado in Consumer Reports' ratings and two pegs above the Ford F-150.
For the Ram'due south 2006 mid-series makeover, the rocky ride is addressed. Further hydroforming has produced a stiffer frame, allowing more interruption tuning.
Door seals are beefed up and new trunk mounts and a "polymer constraint layer" in the dash area help to reduce vibration and cabin resonance. Iv-wheel-drive models trade their front torsion confined for the curlicue springs of the 2WD model.
The result is a gentler Ram, with light, authentic steering and a tranquility-every bit-a-lamb highway ride. There's nevertheless more body movement over ruts and bumps than in the ultra-smooth F-150, though it's hardly bothersome. Maybe Dodge wanted to retain a hint of truck ride character, then as not to completely conflict with the Ram's lusty image.
Certainly, it did nothing to dilute the work-machine exterior persona, calculation even larger headlamps and moving the signature Ram'due south head logo from the tiptop of the tall grille to the eye.
Inside, the designers made many subtle changes, aiming for a clean, minimalist look that reminds u.s.a. of the Chrysler 300's interior — but one that seems more fitting here. Angles throughout take been made more consistent, and the instrument console's gauges and switchgear are reordered (though the wiper stalk remains on the right and still lacks a sweep function). A new biconvex forehead over the centre stack adds some interest.
Front and rear, there's plenty of storage, with heavy-duty fold-out cupholders in the lower dash, deep door pockets and hideaway-space under the separate-fold back seat.
For maximum rear seat space, the limo-like Mega Cab is the ticket, merely the Quad in this section is no slouch (non that the upright backrest allows slouching, but that's the example in most trucks).
The seats are the correct mix of soft and sturdy, though we'd similar a headrest for the rear centre passenger. At least that position gets a shoulder belt; the forepart heart occupant must make do with only a lap chugalug. Yes, this position is meant for simply occasional use (and is normally concealed by a broad, fold-down armrest/panel), only would still seem to require a total lap-and-shoulder belt.
Without accompaniment running boards, the Ram is a tall climb in — its door sills were higher than my knees). Seated, you'll find yourself eye-to-eye with OC Transpo passengers. The view downwards the road is terrific; up close, less so.
Optional adjustable pedals and power seat should help shorter drivers detect a comfortable position and meet over the hood. For all, convex exterior mirrors help to reduce rear blind spots.
Tall every bit it is, the Ram notwithstanding has lower cargo bed sides than Ford's towering half-ton, and is easier to load from the side.
With the five-speed automatic transmission that is the necessary partner to the Hemi, our unloaded tester murmured along at merely i,800 r.p.m. at 100 km/h, and rarely topped 2,000 r.p.thou. even in metropolis driving. At that place's a bit of a dragging, fish-nibble sensation when the V-8 switches to four-cylinder fashion, but we stopped noticing it after a few days. An occasional stumble at stoplights we attributed not to multiple displacement (which doesn't kick in at idle), but to the tendency for modern engines to run leaner than an Ethiopian marathoner.
The Hemi'south 345 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque allowed plenty of reserve for hauling big loads or towing a trailer of up to 3,360 kilograms (smaller, 17-inch wheels would increase the limit by 500 kg). But with a big engine in a big truck, don't expect small gas bills.
Fifty-fifty with MDS, which Dodge says can cut fuel consumption by 20 per cent in certain atmospheric condition — read light-footed highway driving — the Hemi Ram is rated at 16.6 50/100 km in the city, eleven.3 50/100 km on the highway. We know we used more that our by and large stop-and-get driving.
Still, it's worth noting that the cylinder-deactivated Hemi records better government ratings than the Ram Quad's base, 4.7-litre V-viii (17.ix/12.9). (The most efficient Ram is the ii-bike-drive regular cab with 3.vii-litre V-6, rated at xiii.five/10.3. The least is the SRT10 automatic, at 26.i/17.half-dozen. That's xi thousand.p.k. city, sixteen m.p.g. highway.)
While GM's high-end trucks have full-time all-bike-drive, the Ram sticks with a part-time organisation with electronic transfer case. Nosotros prefer this, not only because it'due south more economical and easier to maintain, only considering it allows the operator to choose which style — rear-drive, four-wheel-loftier, bull-low — is right for the circumstances.
And option is what pickups stand for. For those who value way, this large-rimmed Ram Sport should look good. For buyers with other priorities — price, payload, passenger infinite — Dodge now offers a bounding main-to-ocean selection of other choices, all with a surprisingly civilized ride.
2005 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport Quad Cab 4×4
Blazon: Full-size iv-door pickup truck, short bed, 4-bicycle-drive
Seats: Five/6
Cost as tested: $42,560 plus $ane,225 destination (base Quad Cab 4X4: $36,325)
Engine: 5.7-litre V-8, overhead valves, Multi-deportation System; 345 h.p. at 5,400 r.p.m., 375 lb.-ft. of torque at four,200 r.p.m.
Transmission: 5-speed automatic with dual second-gear ratios
Tires: P275/60R20 all-season (optional)
Brakes: Disc/disc with antilock (rear)
Suspension: Upper and lower "A" arms (forepart); multileaf springs with live axle (rear)
Wheelbase: 3,569 mm (140.v in.)
Curb weight: ii,374 kg (5,233 lb.)
Towing chapters, as tested: 3,357 kg (7,400 lb.)
Payload: 567 kg (1,250 lb.)
Bed length: 1,900 mm (74.eight in.)
Notable standard features: Ac, remote entry, electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer example
Options as tested: 5.7-litre Hemi V-8, 5-speed automatic transmission, Infinity premium audio with six-disc changer, power-adaptable pedals, premium equipment group (includes overhead console with trip computer, auto-dim mirror, steering wheel sound controls), "L" package (includes twenty-inch wheels, fog lamps, body-colour fascia, grille and rear bumper, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power driver's seat) Consumer Reports predicted reliability: Average
Fuel consumption, L/100 km (g.p.g.): Urban center 16.half-dozen (17), Hwy. xi.3 (25)
Fuel grade: Midrange (recommended)
Warranty, yrs./km: Bones 3/60,000, powertrain and roadside assistance 5/100,000
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Source: https://driving.ca/dodge/reviews/road-test/road-test-2005-dodge-ram-1500-sport-quad-cab-4x4-2
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