Dodge Ram 3500 reviews

2005 Dodge Ram 3500 Driving Impressions

The new 5.7-liter Hemi V8 gives the Dodge Ram responsive performance. Fire up the Hemi, let it idle, and it burbles like a good old American V8, sounding like an engine in a cabin cruiser or a '60s muscle car. In spite of the hot-rod term "Hemi," there's nothing old or outdated about this engine. It does, indeed, have hemispherical combustion chambers, but this is a thoroughly modern engine. Apparently, Dodge was researching ways to gain power and fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, objectives that often run counter to one another. While studying some of the older powertrain designs, Dodge engineers rediscovered that swirling the fuel-air mixture around a hemispherical combustion chamber achieves a clean, efficient burn. Though it's an overhead-valve design, the Hemi features twin spark plugs, direct ignition, and electronic throttle control. It achieves the holy grail of engine improvement, increasing power while improving fuel economy at the same time. The Hemi generates 345 horsepower at 5400 rpm and 375 pound-feet of torque at 4200 rpm. It comes with a newly developed five-speed automatic that adds to its responsiveness and flexibility. Punch it and you know you've got a Hemi under the hood. A properly equipped Hemi increases the Ram's towing capacity to 9200 pounds and payload by an additional 500 pounds. It gets an impressive 14/18 mpg with 2WD.

The popular 4.7-liter V8 delivers responsive performance as well, though it doesn't offer the trailer-towing torque of the 5.7-liter. Equipped with the 4.7-liter, the Ram feels eager around town and on winding roads. It accelerates quickly onto freeways and has no trouble powering up grades. It's a smooth, sophisticated engine that always feels ready to go. The 4.7-liter V8 uses an overhead-cam design, smaller and more efficient than the overhead-valve engine it replaced. It also achieves good fuel efficiency (14/19 mpg with 2WD). It revs higher than an overhead valve engine and generates 240 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The 4.7-liter V8 feels smooth and refined, emitting a pleasant American burble while underway. We really liked it. The optional five-speed automatic improves the responsiveness of the 4.7-liter engine and is more responsive than four-speed automatics.

The 3.7-liter V6 is smooth and works well with the manual six-speed gearbox. If you don't live in the mountains where long grades and high altitudes conspire against you, then it may offer enough power as a light-duty truck. It's not the best choice for pulling trailers or heavy loads, however. The overhead-cam 3.7-liter V6 has been upgraded for 2005 for a smoother idle, improved fuel efficiency and more low-end torque. It delivers 215 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque and 16/21 mpg with the manual.

The Ram has a pleasant ride quality, important on long days. It's much smoother than the previous-generation Ram. Its rigid chassis minimizes road vibration. Dodge uses hydroforming to fashion the frame. Instead of having to weld a bunch of straight pieces together, hydroforming uses ultra-high water pressure to force the metal into shape. This highly rigid frame is a key component to the ride and handling of the Ram. It allowed Dodge engineers to redesign the Ram suspension and tune it precisely, without having to work around a lot of chassis flex. Rack-and-pinion steering sharpens handling, though we've noticed some on-center vagueness. Big 17-inch wheels are standard. The result overall is that the Ram offers responsive handling, a comfortable ride, and a general feeling of tightness.

The Ram is a big truck and on narrow roads it feels like one. It feels big and tall, and its fenders seem to fill small country roads. The ride height of the Ram adds to this sensation. It's sometimes difficult to be sure exactly where your fenders are, so it's not the best vehicle for the timid. In this regard, the Ram is at the opposite end of the spec