2010 Dodge Ram 3500 HD - First Look

2010 Dodge Ram 3500 HD
We'd had a chance to try out the newest Ram HDs at their pre-launch media event in Texas, but to be honest, driving the Power Wagon through the off-road course seemed a lot more fun than towing a 10,000-pound trailer. So, with a homeward flight looming in the afternoon and limited drive time, we picked the muddy off-road course to spend most of our time. Can you blame us? However, the new Ram's towing capability wasn't far from our thoughts, and when we had a monumental towing task in mind that involved our 'bagged and custom painted '09 Ram, we knew what the perfect tow vehicle would be. There was one slight hitch in our plan, the trailer we planned on towing was a fifth wheel. (Sorry for the pun). It just so happened that there was a Ram in the press fleet that was already equipped with a Mopar accessory fifth wheel, so with a few phone calls we were good to go.

The plan was for Editor Dan Ward, freelance editor Harley Camilleri, and myself, to tow our trailer to the Tex Mex show in Somerville, Texas, 1,500 miles from our office in Irvine, California, to display our '09 Ram project and set up shop to dispense magazines and sell swag. Loading up on Tuesday, it was apparent that our trailer was never intended to fit a vehicle as wide as a fullsize truck. With just an inch to spare on each side between the trailer's inner wheelwells, the Ram was a tight squeeze. Let's just say that Dan had an interesting time climbing out of the Ram and exiting the trailer once the Ram was securely strapped down.

2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty pickup trucks

The Ram 2500's tow rating increased on 2011 models from 20,000 to 22,000 lb, when buyers choose the diesel and 4.1 axle ratio, indicating that the rear springs or axle may have been beefed up to handle the extra load.

In addition, both Ram 2500 and 3500 have new optional power folding tow mirrors on some models (with late - February - availability), three new colors (the same ones added to Ram 1500), a standard EVIC (advanced trip computer), standard tire pressure monitoring, and standard trailer brake control on all but ST models.

2010 Dodge Dakota Crew Cab 4X2

MSRP

$25,305 - $30,180

Invoice

$24,078 - $28,514

The 2010 Dakota Crew Cab 4X2 is a 4-door, up to 6-passenger compact pickup, available in 3 trims, ranging... read more from the ST to the LARAMIE.

Upon introduction, both trims are equipped with a standard 3.7-liter, V6, 210-horsepower engine that achieves 15-mpg in the city and 20-mpg on the highway. A 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.

The 2010 Dakota Crew Cab 4X2 is a carryover from 2009.

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Helps Chrysler Celebrate 85 Years

Usually when an automaker hits a big milestone, it sends out press releases and marks the occasion with various events, but coming off one of the most challenging periods in its history, Chrysler is celebrating its 85th year with an assortment of new products including the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Founded on June 6, 1925, the Chrysler Corporation, currently known as Chrysler Group, LLC, is on the verge of launching the first vehicle that it hopes will help spark a turnaround. Building off the success of the redesigned 2010 Ram Heavy Duty pickup trucks, Chrysler will launch new or updated versions of almost all of its models within the next couple years, including a large number by the end of this year.

In addition to the new Grand Cherokee and Ram Heavy Duty chassis cab trucks, other changes due out by the end of 2010 for Chrysler include major changes to the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 and the Dodge Durango, which is likely to be renamed the Dodge Magnum. The redesigned full-size sedans will not only get a new exterior, but they will receive improved power and fuel economy associated with the new Pentastar V-6 engine. This new 3.6-liter engine will replace the PowerTech 3.7-liter V-6 and produce 290 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque; the biggest benefit will be an improvement of 11 percent in fuel economy. Following the Grand Cherokee and new LX sedans, the Pentastar V-6 will also be used in the Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Journey, Dodge Grand Caravan and the Chrysler Town & Country.

2010 Dodge Dakota Crew Cab 4X2 price

2010 Dodge Dakota Crew Cab 4X2 price

MSRP $25,305 - $30,180

Invoice $24,078 - $28,514

Dodge Ram 1500 2010

In the mid 1990s, Dodge introduced a Ram with spectacular lines that highlighted an enormous front grille. Almost two decades later, the Ram is no less superb...and even more impressive! Last year, Dodge completely remodelled the Ram and took advantage of its recent fall into the financial abyss to rechristen its truck division in Ram’s name. From this point forward, there’s no more Dodge Ram. Now, we buy a Ram or a Ram Dakota. To get a Dodge, you’ll have to get yourself a car or an SUV. Moreover, the Dodge website includes a different section for the Ram models.

Okay, enough with the marketing mumbo-jumbo. Let’s get to the test drive! For starters, our black and grey Ram Laramie 4x4 Quad Cab was a real looker. Its massive tires (P275/60R20) will probably cost the equivalent of an annual mortgage when the time comes to change them, but they sure do add some punch visually. The Sport 4x2 model even comes with P285/45R22 tires! Our Ram didn’t have running-boards, which is excellent news for people who have to take on trails or construction sites in poor condition. Indeed, this accessory improves the look and makes getting into the cab much easier, but it reduces the breakover angle, which is so handy in a 4x4.

Luxurious passenger compartment
In the passenger compartment, the Ram, just like its sworn enemies the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra, puts a lot of importance on luxury. Our vehicle even came with a heated steering wheel as well as heated AND ventilated comfortable leather seats. Moreover, the quality of the finish in the passenger compartment is excellent. It’s not yet perfect, but it’s miles ahead of what Chrysler had us sitting in. Even the quality of the materials has been improved over time. While the front seats received high marks, the back seats did not fare so well. The Ram has three cabins: regular, Quad and Crew. The first has only two doors and, behind the front seats, there’s only a small storage space.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Crew Cab offers enough space to seat five people very comfortably. Our Ram was a Quad version, which means a three-seat bench that is tough to get to and not terribly comfortable, mostly because of a seatback that is too straight. The bottom part of the seats can be lifted, a little like the Honda Fit, to be able put cumbersome items like a bike or a television in its box. However, we’d be remiss not to mention the fact that this bench seats three people but there are only two headrests. There’s a law for everything, so I don’t understand why there isn’t one governing the number of headrests. My cat, sleeping peacefully near my computer, just lifted his head, yawned, and fell back to sleep. Two or three headrests, he couldn’t care less...

With respect to the passenger compartment, I would have but two negative and relatively minor comments. Firstly, the buckle of the seatbelt on the front passenger side, when it’s not in use, constantly banged against the B-Pillar every time I turned the steering wheel to the left. Secondly, the pedal for the hand (or should I say foot) brake is very high and it’s hard to push it wearing large work boots without getting caught on the dashboard.

Small, medium, large
A pick-up is now and always will be about its engine, and the Ram offers three. The first, a 4.7-litre V6 with 210 hp and 235 lbs-ft of torque, is for small jobs. The other two are a 4.7-litre V8 (310 hp and 330 lbs-ft) or a 5.7-litre V8 that features no less than 390 hp and 407 lbs-ft of torque. We suspect that the latter of the two will be the apple of buyers’ eyes. In addition to being able to tow up to 9,100 pounds (4,128 kg) depending on the version, it offers very respectable performance. It goes 0-100 km/hr in 7.4 seconds and the sound of this engine in full acceleration is worth every penny spent on it. While the V6 comes only with a four-speed automatic transmission, the two V8 engines have a five speed transmission with well-selected gear ratios that help the 5.7 rev at only 1,700 rpm at 100 km/hr and at 2,050 rpm at 120 km/hr. However, a six-speed transmission would seem to me even better adapted and would help save on gas while taking better advantage of the higher torque when towing. During our test drive, we maintained an average of 15.4 litres/100 km, which isn’t bad considering the vehicle type.

2009 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Crew Cab 4x4 - Long-Term Road Test

To that we added power-adjustable, leather-trimmed bucket front seats ($1875); a Sport package (115-volt power outlet, leather-wrapped steering wheel with auxiliary audio controls, heated power side mirrors with turn-signal repeaters, fog lamps, an electric shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive selector, and various trim elements, for $3840); remote start ($335); a Sport Premium package (rear park assist, dual-zone climate control, and Alpine audio upgrade, for $750); a nav system with Sirius satellite audio ($1745); power-adjustable pedals ($125); a 32-gallon fuel tank ($75); a Class IV trailer-hitch receiver and seven-pin connector ($335); the exterior RamBox bins for small-cargo storage ($1895); and, of course, the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 ($1310).

Including the $900 destination charge, it added up to a $48,285 truck. Dodge has whittled almost a grand off Ram pricing for 2010, and our example was still some distance from the top of the price charts. But no one could call it inexpensive.

Nor was it inexpensive to feed. EPA-rated at 13 mpg in the city and 18 on the highway, our Ram’s fuel economy over 40,000 miles averaged 14 mpg. We didn’t have to burn premium—Dodge recommends mid-grade for this version of the Hemi, but 2857 gallons of any fuel tends to add up to a hefty sum: $7631, for mid-grade in our case. You may have noticed this phenomenon yourself.

Generally speaking, the Ram went about its duties without any big problems. All but one of its service visits was routine, consisting primarily of oil changes, tire rotations, and a variety of inspections. But there were quite a few of these maintenance stops—six in 36,000 miles—and not all of them were cheap. The one that stands out in this regard is the 30,000-mile service, which ran $483, and that included new spark plugs (16 of them). The plugs cost $84. But getting the old ones out and the new ones in took 2.9 hours at $96 per, adding $278 in labor to the tab.