The
2500 Laramie 4x4 seats six and has storage to spare.
Our Dodge Mega Cab had 20 extra inches of space in the rear
seat area, making this one of the roomiest truck cabs around.
Not only could this beast fit six large people in the cab, but
when the rear seat was lowered to the floor, we could carry
a complete show booth, many cartons of magazines, plus baggage
for three full-size adults (or, if you prefer, a few large bales
of hay). This gave us a total of 72.2 cubic feet of lockable,
inside storage space. When the seat was up, there was still
room behind it for 7.7 cubic feet of storage.
The rear doors opened 85 degrees to make it simpler to enter
or exit, but the truck could benefit from optional, tubular,
step bars to make it easier for people to climb into the cab.
Mike Accavitti, VP of Marketing for Daimler Chrysler Canada,
told us this is the only truck that can comfortably seat six
adults, and yet have enough interior storage space to bring
along plenty of gear.
Not only is this vehicle spacious, it’s comfortable. It’s
the first truck we’ve tested that includes a rear seat,
which can recline from 22 to 37 degrees, giving passengers a
relaxing ride.
We drove the Mega Cab to Louisville’s National RV Trade
Show in Kentucky, and also used it to haul a Glendale Titanium
fifth wheel around the countryside in the mountains of Kananaskis
and at the Rafter Six Ranch in Alberta.
Our 2006 test truck was equipped with: heated leather seats;
a 60/40 rear bench seat; plus a 40/20/40 front bench seat with
a console between the driver and passenger. When you want to
carry a third passenger in front, the console (which has its
own power outlet for a laptop) flips up for additional seating
room.
With the 5.9L high-output Cummins turbocharged, inter-cooled
diesel engine (optional on the 2500 and 3500 series trucks),
we ran solo with a fuel economy of 14.8 miles per US gallon
when fully loaded (15.79L/100km, for our metric RVers). This
engine can put out 610 pounds-feet of torque and 325 horsepower.
If you go for the 5.7L HEMI V-8 gasoline power plant, you can
expect to generate 375 pounds-feet of torque and 345 horsepower.
The HEMI engine also benefits from MDS (Multi Displacement System)
that runs on eight cylinders when you need power to start up
a steep hill while towing a big trailer. Then, to save fuel,
you could cut back to four cylinders once you’re up to
speed.
This 2500 series truck with a 4.10 rear axle can tow an amazing
12,400 pounds (5,636 kilograms) of trailer, or carry a payload
of 2,650 pounds (1,202 kilograms) in the bed if you’re
just out gathering firewood. If you need more grunt, the 3500
series, which can tow 15,450 pounds, is for you. (Page
Top)
Dodge leadership is proven in the smaller trucks with a HEMI-powered
1500 series, which is the mightiest of the light-duty pickups
on the market. In Austin,Texas, I was shown the fastest production
pickup with the SRT-10. It has a Viper engine capable of 500
horsepower, and puts out 500 pounds-feet of torque. This year,
the legendary Dodge Power Wagon made a comeback. It was known
to do yeoman’s duty in the Second World War.
Our test model had 13.9-inch brake rotors with a standard, anti-lock
braking system. The Electronic Variable Brake Proportioning
System balanced the front-to-rear braking efforts determined
by the amount of load in the bed. The re-circulating ball steering
system on this four-wheel-drive truck provided the quickest
steering ratio I’ve witnessed. The front of our truck
had a rigid-beam, solid axle with a five-link coil spring suspension.
The rear was supported by heavy duty, longitudinal leaf springs
and tuned, monotube shock absorbers.
Standard equipment on the Laramie Mega Cab includes a: power-sliding
rear window; six-way, power driver’s seat; security alarm;
Sentry Key engine immobilizer, auto-dimming mirror; a mini-trip
computer; plus an AM/FM stereo with a six-disc CD changer and
Infinity speaker system. Also included is: dual-zone climate-control;
speed control; leather upholstery; four-wheel disc brakes with
four-wheel ABS; steering-wheel-mounted audio controls; heated
front seats; 17-inch, chrome-clad wheels; and power windows.
For long drives, back-seat passengers are entertained by the
optional DVD video system. And for those of you who will be
travelling across the country, you can order the Sirius satellite
radio, which allows your favourite programming to follow with
you, all the way. We found the in-dash navigation system to
be a great help while commuting through unfamiliar territory.
It even saved our bacon a few times when we drove through downtown
Louisville with its multiple, one-way streets.
Our 4x4 2500 series truck came with a base price of $47,665,
but by the time we added some whistles and bells, that cost
rose. Big-ticket items included a: six-CD/full-map, GPS navigation
system; diesel engine; power sunroof; and rear-seat video player.
Rounding out the final fee were items such as: power, trailer-towing
mirrors; supplemental side air bags; an anti-spin, differential
rear axle; under-rail bed liner; plus, of course, Uconnect,
hands-free communication.
(We’d like to thank Woody’s RV World for supplying
our trailer.) (Page Top) |
