Dodge Ram Pickup 3500 Review

2008 Dodge Ram Pickup 3500 Laramie Mega Cab Dually Crew Cab Shown

Plenty of people want pickup trucks; they're cool regardless of whether you actually use one. But people need duallys. In the rough-and-tumble world of pickups, behemoths like the Dodge Ram 3500 with its dual rear wheels on both sides (hence the term dually) are kings of the hill: the go-to vehicles for towing and hauling huge loads up said hill. Whether you're pulling a Bayliner, a racecar, that new fifth-wheel Coachmen or a few relatives of Secretariat, you need a dually.

Simply wanting a Dodge Ram 3500 dually without a heavy-duty use for it is a sure sign of an inferiority complex or a masochistic desire for tortuous parking situations. Sure enough, the 3500 and its beefed-up suspension is available with a single-wheel axle on the Quad Cab with short bed, but the rest of these big boys get the dually treatment.

The Dodge Ram is now in its third generation, the second gen's (1994) styling rebirth that showed that a full-size pickup could be made to resemble something other than a cinder block. Like its smaller brothers, the heavy-duty 1-ton Ram 3500 boasted a muscular, rugged look that took heavy inspiration from big rigs -- specifically their "shouldered" fender design and prominent grille. And why not, when the 3500 is about the closest thing you can get to a Freightliner.

For those hard-core hauling and towing duties, the Dodge Ram 3500 comes standard with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8, while an available Cummins turbodiesel is capable of more than 600 pound-feet of torque. Ram 3500 frames are noticeably more robust than their half-ton and 3/4-ton siblings, with extensive use of hydroforming technology that offers outstanding frame stiffness. Dodge says this improves ride and handling characteristics as well as payload ratings.

Although newer and more visually interesting heavy-duty pickups from GM and Ford are slightly more appealing, this big-hauling Dodge still has a sizable, loyal following addicted to that classic, muscular styling. And with names likes "Hemi" and "Cummins" emblazoned under the hood, there's plenty of actual muscle to back it up for those who really need a dually.

Current Dodge Ram 3500

The current Dodge Ram 3500 heavy-duty pickup is available in a variety of body style and trim configurations. A regular cab, a Quad Cab (crew cab) and Mega Cab (really big crew cab) comprise the body styles, while trim levels consist of the very basic ST, the volume-selling SLT (known as the SXT with the Mega Cab) and the luxurious Laramie.

The Mega Cab is only available with the short bed (76 inches), while the regular cab is only equipped with the long bed (98 inches). The Quad Cab is offered with either, and unlike the past generation, features forward-hinged rear doors. The Quad Cab with a short bed is the only 3500 model available with a single rear axle; the rest have a dual-wheel rear axle. All models are available with two-wheel or four-wheel drive.

Standard on all Ram 3500 trucks is a 5.7-liter V8 that makes 345 horsepower and 375 lb-ft of torque. This hefty power plant can be ordered with a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission. For enhanced towing capability, there's a 5.9-liter Cummins turbodiesel producing 325 horses and 610 lb-ft of torque. It's paired to a four-speed automatic.

For the current truck, Dodge has promised to introduce a much-improved and cleaner-burning 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel inline-6 to replace the 5.9-liter engine. It's rated at 350 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque and comes with a six-speed automatic transmission.

In a recent comparison test we conducted, a Dodge Ram 3500 placed last against its heavy-duty Chevrolet and Ford competitors. Though we liked the truck's wide range of body styles and compliant highway ride, we were mostly put off by the lack of competitive power from the test truck's 5.9-liter diesel. The Ram was hardly embarrassed by the competition -- it simply fell a little short.

Past Dodge Ram 3500 models

The current-generation Ram 3500 debuted for the 2003 model year. Compared to the previous-generation Ram, it has more power, increased towing capacity, better handling and updated styling. This model has received a number of important upgrades in the past few years.

Only the regular and Quad Cab body styles were available initially, with the Mega Cab squeezed into the lineup in 2006. This was also the year that Dodge restyled the heavy-duty Ram's interior, added higher-end convenience features and freshened the front-end styling.

The 5.7-liter Hemi V8 was the standard engine, although it made slightly less torque. A 305-hp, 8.0-liter V10 was optional in 2003 only. Originally, the diesel engine option was a 5.9-liter Cummins. The switch to the updated 6.7-liter Cummins was promised for 2007.

The previous-generation Dodge Ram 3500 was produced from 1994-2002. The base engine was a 5.2-liter V8 engine, with an 8.0-liter V10 and 5.9-liter Cummins turbodiesel optional. Unlike the current generation, the 3500 was only available with a dual rear axle. In 1998, the Quad Cab was introduced with twin rear-hinged doors and a larger backseat. The interior was also redesigned that year, including the addition of a standard passenger side airbag with a cutoff switch. In 2000, improvements were made to the steering and suspension, while a high-output Cummins turbodiesel joined the lesser oil-burner in 2001.

At the time, we commented favorably about the truck's user-friendly cab, competent handling and powerful V10 and diesel engines. One downside of the Ram was that rear-seat room in the Quad Cab was cramped when compared to the room available in competing pickup trucks.

The original generation of the 1-ton Ram was actually known as the Ram 350 and was produced from 1981-'93.

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* Edmunds.com maintains vehicle data as far back as 1990.