Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/389791
Oregon's Coast Range. Other tests have shown it gets low- to mid- 12 mpg with trailers weighing more than 5,000 pounds. (The max towing capacity for the model I tested is 7,200 pounds and requires a weight-distributing hitch on towed loads of more than 5,000 pounds.) Good power and excellent fuel economy are the two key points of the VM Motori diesel, which is a two-step upgrade in the Ram 1500s. The standard engine is a gas 3.6-liter V-6 and a 5.7-liter Hemi is the next option be- fore the diesel. The diesel adds $4,000 to the SLT Big Horn's $38,665 base price with the natural- ly-aspirated 305-horsepower V-6, or $2,850 more than it would cost with the Hemi. Getting an EcoDiesel also requires ordering the heavi- er-duty 8-speed automatic, which pumps another $500 into the MSRP. But the costs are worth it if you are a business owner who wants a 1/2-ton Ram that gets signifi- cantly better fuel economy than the 395-horsepower 5.7-liter and brings a higher resale/trade-in value at the end of the pickup's service life. ON THE ROAD Driving the EcoDiesel Crew Cab is really no different than that of any other Ram 1500: The interior is comfortable, driver visibility is good, ride and handling are pleas- ant and overall ergonomics are well thought out. I was pleasantly surprised how well the truck's five-link coil rear suspension controlled the solid axle while trailer towing and hav- ing the bed loaded to its full 1,230-pound capacity. The suspension is smooth under loads, yet it never felt mushy or un- stable, which is one of the reasons the five-link setup is now found under the new Ram 2500HDs. It also nicely absorbs the shock of hitting potholes and crossing broken pave- ment. DIAL-A-SHIFT Driving Ram's new 1500 makes it easy to forget it's a diesel. It did, however, take me a few days to get used to not having a shift lever on the column or center console. Designers, taking advantage of the truck's computer power and drive-by-wire technology, did away with a conventional shift lever and replaced it with a shift dial. Reaching for that big knob on the left edge of the centerstack and rotating it to shift felt odd at first. I got used to the dash to shift, but I didn't like having to take my eyes off the road to do so. I still prefer a column shifter. Doing away with the column (or console-mounted) shift lever also relocated the tow/haul mode button, which is now low in the centerstack, almost out of reach of the driver. The location is inconve- nient for those who use the Ram for towing trailers. CLEVER TOUCHES The buttons for switching between two-wheel-drive and the various four-wheel-drive modes feature in- tuitive placement directly below the shift knob. Four-wheel-drive works well, too. I ventured out onto fist-sized river rock at a fishing/boat-launch access point along Oregon's McKenzie River. The thick layer of loose, roll- ing stones and sand made traction dicey and I was thankful one of the options on the test truck was Ram's 3.55 anti-spin rear diff. I highly recommend the $325 up- grade if you are a contractor and/ or outdoorsman. pro pickup | continued October 2014 | EquipmentWorld.com 62 The Big Horn Crew Cab we tested had a cloth interior with a 10-way power driver's seat and a 60/40-split bench in the rear. The Luxury Group option ($560) included 7-inch view screen while the rear camera and park sensors added another $595 to the package.