Ram HD pickups: now you’re torquing
ANN ARBOR, MICH. — For some people, work begins before the sun comes up. Perhaps the mare is in labour or the fire is out of control or some other issue needs an immediate set of hardened human hands. For these people, work is life.
These are also the people who often need a serious truck, not the Silverado 1500s and F-150s that are ubiquitous in our cities, but the diesel Rams, F-350s and 3500 GMCs that define themselves in the field by how much of the mountain they can move.
It’s as though the more work a man or woman must do, the more truck he or she must own to keep life running smoothly. To them, a pickup is not just a means of family transportation, it’s a tool.
So Ram is updating its Heavy Duty truck for this unique buyer. And the engine that has the most tails wagging is the 6.7L Cummins common-rail turbodiesel in the Ram 3500, mated to a six-speed Aisin automatic, a transmission built for commercial use. While the horsepower figure in this engine may not sound spectacular at 385, the torque figure requires us to caution those with weak hearts: 850 pound-feet — enough grunt not just to tow the space shuttle, but restrain it from lifting off into space. That’s enough torque and capability to tow 30,000 lb., Ram officials say, the equivalent of a Ford F-350 plus its maximum load of 23,200 lb. If you need more towing muscle than that, it’s time for a Kenworth.
Towing that much weight, the 3500 feels remarkably calm. There’s some jerkiness, obviously, but the 3500 does not feel stressed by the task, and it even stops with confidence.
The 6.7 turbodiesel comes in two other versions; one is uniquely paired with a manual transmission with a compact shift pattern and a combination of 350 horsepower and 660 lb.ft. of torque; the other is paired to a six-speed automatic transmission producing 370 hp and 800 lb.-ft. of torque.
On a drive through the scenic Michigan countryside, the 370 hp diesel pulled the 2500 along with such ease and smoothness — even with an 800-lb bale of hay in the back — it’s a wonder why anyone would choose anything but the Cummins.
Within 15 minutes, this diesel in a 2500 Laramie Crew Cab 4x4 became my new favourite pickup. If I had brand loyalties to another make before, they’ve been seduced away for the sheer delight that comes from driving the Cummins 2500. We even returned 14 L/100 km after numerous full-throttle starts. Stomp on the gas and the truck pulls with eager force and little vibration. Ease up on the throttle and the smoothness and quiet almost make you forget there’s a house-hauling diesel under the big hood.
Of course it’s not hard to be smitten by a truck that rides almost as well as an E-Class Mercedes while at the same time being capable of towing a Mercedes race car. Sure, part of the allure of the 2500 is the confident ride and powerful engine, but the other attraction is the interior.
Here, bar none, is the best cabin of any truck on the market — the 8.4-inch Uconnect system the most superior infotainment system available today, so easy is it to learn and use for functions that range from navigation to phone, displaying clear, large graphics, letters and numbers. The Alpine audio system is so good it makes Eric Church sound like he’s strumming his guitar in the passenger seat. The instrument cluster is excellent, with another optional seveninch screen with more information, plus its own gauge for diesel exhaust fluid. For anyone whose truck is also the office, this is better than any corner suite in a highrise tower.
Of course, the diesel engines come at a significant price, even if the cost of ownership has been lowered with oil changes required at every 24,000 km. Still, their longevity is superior to a gas engine and most owners will hang on to these trucks for 10 years. And if diesel isn’t desired, the 5.7-L Hemi V-8 is now standard equipment in the Ram 3500 and 2500. The Hemi engine produces 383 hp and 400 lb.-ft. of torque mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
For 2013, the HD trucks also adopt many of the technologies recently brought to the Ram 1500, including halogen projector lamps, LED turn signals and brake lamps, and lockable cargo boxes in the bed. The tailgate still falls with a bang and there’s no rear step, but the side rails do extend all the way to the rear wheels. Unfortunately, all Ram trucks continue to use a column shifter and don’t yet have the compact rotary dial seen in some 1500 models. But keyless entry has been added, and HD models can be optioned with a camera in the high mounted stop lamp above the cab to make hooking up a fifth wheel or gooseneck a simple task. (3500 models also gain a factory-installed fifth wheel/gooseneck setup.)
More significantly for HD buyers, all Ram Heavy Duty diesels get a new cooling system that includes dual radiators, dual transmission coolers, better heat-rejection and an “active air” intake that will selectively draw cool air from the front or side whenever it’s needed. (It also works at high altitudes for better throttle response.)
A new conventional trailer hitch system is upgraded to Class 5 with a 17,000-lb. load capability and 1,800 lb. of tongue weight for use with two-inch or 2.5-inch receiver hitches. The 3500 models get a tougher frame, new front and rear suspension and a new smart exhaust brake system.
Built in Coahuila, Mexico, the 2013 Ram 2500 and 3500 HD pickups are in dealerships now. I’ll take mine in black.