Dodge Ram 3500 reviews

2006 Dodge Ram 3500 Driving Impressions

The Dodge Ram has a pleasant ride quality, even when empty. Like all full-size pickups, it rides better with a some weight in the bed. New shear-type body mounts on 2006 models isolate the passenger compartment from vibrations that reach the frame. (These mounts consist of two concentric tubes: one bolted to the frame, the other bolted to the body structure, with internal steel reinforcements and rubber bonded in between. Dodge claims they provide direction-specific response, as well as a quiet cabin and comfortable ride.) Also new for '06 are laminated front-door glass, improved door seals, and extensive use of Polymer Constraint Layer (PCL) sound insulation. Dodge says this all results in a significant 5 decibel reduction in sound level in the cabin. Our impressions of a 2006 Sport model support this claim.

Ram's rigid chassis minimizes road vibration. The new frame on 2006 models is fully boxed and, like the old one, is hydroformed. (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, and a new steering rack for '06 provides more precise steering feel. 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 big and tall, with broad fenders that 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 because you can't see them, so it's not the best vehicle for the timid. In this regard, the Ram is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the 2006 Toyota Tundra, which feels small and nimble by comparison. Quad Cab models add 20 inches to the wheelbase and a long bed adds another 20 inches, so a Quad Cab long bed is a long truck, riding on a 160.5-inch wheelbase. It's long on roominess and utility, but not the easiest to turn around.

That said, the Ram handles reasonably well and powers through or over just about anything, even when the tires aren't always precisely where you intended to place them. Springs, jounce bumpers, and bushings are all re-tuned to provide better handling for '06, and all models now feature monotube shocks for more precise control of body motions. Additionally, 4WD Rams now ride on a new coil-over-shock front suspension, replacing last year's torsion bars. (In general, torsion bars absorb hard impacts better than coil springs, but are harder to tune for smooth, progressive action.)

All Rams come standard with big four-wheel disc brakes that are smooth and easy to modulate.

As mentioned, a choice of engines is available for the Ram. The 4.7-liter V8 was until recently the most popular choice among Ram customers, but in 2005 it was surpassed in sales by the 5.7-liter Hemi V8, which is now ordered in nearly half the Rams that Dodge makes. In the three years since its debut, Chrysler has produced more than 1 million Hemi-powered vehicles and it's no wonder that the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 has become the Ram's most popular engine choice. Fire up the Hemi, let it idle, and it burbles like the good old American V8 it is, recollecting the sound of a mid-'60s muscle car. Yet in spite of the Hemi name's long heritage, there's nothing old or outdated about this engine. The first Chrysler Hemi was decades ahead of its time in 1951; half a century later, most state-of-the-art, multi-valve, multi-camshaft engines use some variation on its hemispherical combustion chamber. Chrysler totally reengineered the Hemi in 1964, stretched it to 7.0 liters, and saw its legend soar