Fuel Infection
Automotive Reviews
2003 Dodge Ram 3500HD
Jul 21st
No way was Dodge going to stay out of the heavy-duty pickup truck market. When the all-new Ram pickup debuted last year, it was only as a half-ton truck. Dodge chose to wait a year before unveiling its updated and upgraded heavy-duty truck. Now it’s time to go toe-to-toe with Ford’s Super Duty and General Motors’ HD Sierra and Silverado pickups.
Heavy-duty trucks are the body-builders of the automotive world. Style doesn’t matter much with them. Smoothness doesn’t either. These trucks are born to tow and haul huge loads, and anything else they manage to do in the meantime is just icing. With available gross combined vehicle weight ratings (GCWR) of 20,000 pounds from Ford and 22,000 from Chevy indicating massive trailer-towing capability, it’s certainly not a ring to jump into unprepared. That’s why Dodge is introducing the Ram 3500 with two new engines in addition to the updated body and frame that graced the Ram 1500 last year.
The styling hasn’t been changed, as it was plenty tough enough. Last year’s redesign took the Dodge Ram’s big-rig resemblance and amplified it, with larger proportions all around, a taller grille, and larger headlamps. The new Ram stands tall and proud, but the design remains relatively clean and simple. Subtle car-like touches like a deeply sloped windshield and bubble-style headlights make the Ram the most modern-looking of the heavy-duty full-size pickups compared to the boxy Ford Super Duty and Chevrolet-GMC twins. The Ram 3500 is available in regular two-door and Quad Cab cab configurations, with a choice of six-foot three-inch or eight-foot beds on Quad Cab models. Dodge is notable for not including a four-door “extended cab” model with reverse-opening doors like Ford and Chevrolet do; all Quad Cab Rams have proper full-size doors all around.
The interior is spacious, and designed for work. The upright dashboard keeps well away from work-tired knees and elbows. The black-on-white gauges aren’t as straightforward as Ford or Chevy, with a bit too much Intrepid in them, but at least the Ram 3500 is fully instrumented. On manual transmission-equipped trucks, the baseball bat-sized shifter leaves no doubt as to what you’re driving. You might need the reminder, as the Ram is impressively quiet inside. That sloped windshield and aerodynamic design do wonders for reducing wind noise. The tall cab offers generous headroom, and the rear seats fold up and out of the way to reveal a carpet-free storage shelf for tools or other gear. Adjustable pedals? Got ‘em. Center shoulder belt in two-door models? Got it. The Ram 3500 is also the first heavy-duty pickup to offer side-curtain airbags.
The heart of the new Ram 3500 is its choice of new powerplants. Lift the hood and you’ll find Dodge’s tried and true 8.0 liter V-10, the all-new 5.7 liter HEMI V8, or a 5.9 liter Cummins turbodiesel. We drove both the HEMI and the Cummins High Output Turbo Diesel, and were impressed with both, for different reasons. The 345-horsepower HEMI is a massively powerful motor, and it wants to lay rubber like a muscle car. Thanks to the Ram 3500′s weight and trucky suspension, it’s not the equal of Ford’s hot-rod pickup the Lightning, but the HEMI’s distinctive roar is definitely a reason to tromp on the gas. It’s not much of a work engine, however; even with 365 ft-lb of torque on tap, it’s more suited to impressing onlookers than with hauling. When it comes to serious work, the 5.9-liter Cummins High Output Turbo Diesel is the better choice. 305 horsepower may not sound like much, but 555 ft-lb of torque will not be argued with–and it’s available at only 1400 rpm, which is practically idle speed. “Unstoppable” is the first word that pops to mind when driving a Cummins-equipped Ram. The Cummins is a common rail fuel-injected diesel with a pilot injection system. A smaller preliminary fuel charge begins the combustion early, which helps to keep the familiar diesel “clatter” to a minimum. This also improves cold starts. The big diesel can tow to the tune of 23,000 pounds GCWR. If you’re not towing anything and you’ve got the standard six-speed manual transmission, you can amuse yourself by putting it in fourth gear and letting it idle up to speed, without any throttle.
The Ram 3500 isn’t rough or violent over the road, but the ride is definitively trucky. We drove the biggest Ram 3500 available–a Quad Cab four-wheel drive with dual rear wheels. Unladen, the rear end will wiggle around a bit on wet or uneven pavement, even with the additional weight of the dual rear wheels. The ride isn’t harsh, though, and a quick recirculating ball steering rack (4×4 only) makes even the biggest version of the Ram 3500 easy to pilot around town–although it doesn’t reduce the turning circle by much. The four-wheel drive Ram 3500 features live axles front and rear, with helper springs at the rear. Two-wheel drive Rams get independent front suspensions and more carlike rack and pinion steering.
No matter how you look at it, the Ram 3500 is not a truck to be trifled with. Our test truck, a Quad Cab, four-wheel drive Ram 3500 dually with the powerful High Output Cummins Turbo Diesel, stickered for $44,635. Ram 3500 pricing starts at $31,970. Oh, and be sure you bring something for it to haul: a boat, a 35′ fifth wheel trailer, a ton of bricks…
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2003 Ram 3500 HD, which we tested.
Length: 249.7 in.
Width: 96.0 in.
Height: 79.0 in.
Wheelbase: 160.5 in.
Towing capacity: 23,000 lb (GCWR)
Base price: $31,970
Price as tested: $44,635
Engine: 5.9 liter inline six cylinder turbo diesel
Drivetrain: six-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Horsepower: 305 @ 2900
Torque: 555 @ 1400
Fuel capacity: 35 gal
2002 Dodge Durango
Jul 21st
As the mid-sized sport-utes from Ford and Chevrolet drift farther away from the small pickup trucks that originally spawned them and provided their underpinnings, one truck remains boldly loyal to its pickup counterpart. The Dodge Durango’s long nose is shared with the Dakota pickup truck, and the relationship doesn’t end there. While the others are playing up their carlike attributes, the Durango remains first and foremost a truck.
For 2002, Dodge is boosting the Durango’s value with an entry-level SXT package. Similar to the EX package available on the Caravan, the Durango SXT makes several popular options standard equipment, and adds a low base price to the mix. A CD player, bucket seats, 16″ wheels and a roof rack are all standard equipment on the SXT, whose base price is under $25,000. Considering the Durango’s size and workhorse abilities, it looks like quite a good deal indeed.
The Dakota is a mid-sized pickup truck, so the Durango didn’t need to be upsized to be suitable for families. The shared sheetmetal gives the Dodge a long-nosed look compared to other SUVs, and a bold Dodge crosshair grille rides up front. The SXT features aggressive fender flares that emphasize 16″ wheels. Running boards are also available. From the rear, the Durango is somewhat more subdued, with a rounded tail that seems almost cut off compared to the generous hood up front.
The Durango’s biggest shortcoming is its interior, which is unfortunately also similar to that of the Dakota. In a word, it’s archaic. The flat, grainy plastic surfaces and black switchgear are a page from the mid-1990s Dodge stylebook, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. The seats are lower than is comfortable for some taller drivers. Controls are laid out in a straightforward way, but a new Durango looks a bit too much like a used truck inside. On the plus side, side-curtain airbags are available. As mentioned before, the SXT model makes a CD player standard equipment, and a DVD system is available to keep back-seat passengers entertained as well. Rear-seat space is decent thanks to theater seating, which incorporates a raised roof to improve headroom for passengers, and a third-row seat is optional on the SXT. Dual-zone climate control and rear seat climate controls are family-friendly, minivan-like features.
With Dodge’s emphasis on “Ram-tough” trucks, the Durango is of course only available with a choice of V8 engines. Standard equipment is a 235-horsepower 4.7 liter unit. Stepping up to the 5.9 liter V8 requires a move into an SLT model, and improves the power by ten horses. It drops fuel economy into the basement, too. Both engines are adequate to haul the Durango’s two-ton bulk. A five-speed automatic transmission is standard. Dodge’s five-speed automatic has a dual-range second gear, which improves smoothness when towing or passing. The Durango SXT can tow up to 7,550 pounds. The power-hungry can opt for the Durango R/T, which features the big motor, a performance rear axle ratio, a limited-slip rear end, and a growly exhaust note.
Just like a pickup, the Durango is mounted on a ladder-type frame. An independent front suspension and a solid axle in the rear are also pointers to this SUV’s pickup-truck heritage. The ride isn’t as bad as that suggests, however, as the Dakota pickup is a rather nice-riding truck in its own right. The Durango’s rear leaf springs have been reshaped to take some of the harshness and tendency to hop out of the rear end.
Although the SXT is the value-model Durango, it can be optioned up just like the luxury models. Optional equipment includes anti-lock brakes, side airbags, fog lamps and running boards, and an upgraded sound system. A Class IV trailer hitch is also available. On top of all that, a host of dealer-installed accessories are also available.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2002 Dodge Durango SXT.
Length: 193.5 in.
Width: 71.3 in.
Height: 70.5 in. (2wd)
Wheelbase: 116 in.
Curb weight: 4379- lb.
Cargo space: 88.0 cu.ft (all seats folded)
Towing capacity: 7550 lb.
Engine: 4.7 liter SOHC V8
Drivetrain: five-speed automatic, rear- or four-wheel drive
Horsepower: 235 @ 4800
Torque: 295 @ 3200
Fuel capacity: 25 gal.
Est. mileage: 14/19
2002 Dodge Dakota Club Cab
Jul 21st
The Dodge Dakota enjoys a comfortable spot in the competitive light-duty pickup truck market. Considerably larger than the compact pickups that it’s considered to be in competition, yet smaller than the full-sizes, it’s got next to no direct competition. The Dakota doesn’t need competition to be a decent truck, however, and it’s earned its particular catbird seat by combining the strengths of large and small pickups into a “just right” package.
The Dakota is available as a regular cab, an extended two-door Club Cab, and a Quad Cab with four full-size doors and a shortened bed. Naturally, the Club Cab version is the most versatile of the group. Although it only has two doors, the full-length bed makes up for the complicated access to its somewhat spacious back seat.
Once inside, up to four passengers can get comfortable in the Dakota. Five can get in, but they won’t be comfortable. Part of the advantage it enjoys among compact pickups is a comparatively spacious interior. The dashboard looks like the six-year old design that it is, but everything works well. The optional center console is cavernous, and the rear bench seat has additional secure storage underneath. The high-backed front seats are comfortable for longish trips.
Dakotas have looked the same since 1997, but the aggressive styling has yet to become overly dated. When it was first introduced, the bold Dakota brought big-rig styling to the compact pickup market. Generously sculpted fenders and hood cradle a big, bold Dodge “crosshair” grille. The fenders are flared aggressively, and even two-wheel drive Dakotas look like they’re ready to tackle any terrain. The exterior can be livened up with a variety of exterior options and accessories, too; personalization is half of the game when it comes to personal-use pickups. Molded running boards, caps, tonneau covers and bed are all available from Dodge dealers to dress up the Dakota. The Dakota looks particularly good in two-tone paint, too.
The other half is, of course, the ability to work. Dodge equips the Dakota Club Cab with power to spare in its V6 and V8 powerplants. The standard 3.9 liter V6 has 175 horsepower and 225 lb.-ft. of torque. Optional 4.7 liter V8 power boosts the grunt to 230 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. torque, although fuel economy suffers mightily. The Dakota is one of the few compact trucks that can work like one of the big boys, however. Properly equipped, the “compact” Dakota can tow up to 6150 pounds, and it’s got a payload of 1760 pounds. That’s greater than some full-size SUVs and pickups. We drove the 4.7 V8, and when it’s not loaded down, the Dakota offers somewhat urgent performance from a standstill. And if that’s not enough, a 250 horsepower 5.9-liter “Magnum” V8 is available in the hot-rod Dakota R/T (but only with two-wheel drive). The four-wheel drive system is a full-time system which doesn’t need to be switched on or off.
The suspension is standard pickup fare. If there’s a part of the Dakota that’s showing its age, it’s the leaf-sprung rear end. Four-wheel drive Dakotas use gas shocks and torsion bars up front, but it’s still undeniably a truck when driving around town. A ride in the new full-size Dodge Ram gives us high hopes that the next version of the Dakota will drive as smoothly as its big brother. For now, Dakota buyers will have to be content with handling that is unabashedly trucklike. Front disc and rear drum brakes are standard, as are rear anti-lock brakes (ABS). Four-wheel ABS is optional.
The Dakota is blessed with compact-truck pricing. The value-driven SXT model starts at $17,000, and includes a number of popular options such as cast aluminum wheels and a CD player. Farther up the scale are Sport and SLT models which pile on the options just like the big trucks do. And why not? The Dakota can work like the big trucks, so it might as well have optional overhead consoles, Class IV receiver hitches and leather interiors just like the big trucks do too. It may be considered a compact, but the Dodge Dakota has the heart of a full-size pickup truck.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2002 Dodge Dakota Club Cab 4×4.
Length: 215.0 in.
Width: 71.6 in.
Height: 67.4 in.
Wheelbase: 131.1 in.
Cargo space: 46.0 cu.ft. (6.5 foot box length)
Towing capacity: 6150 lb.
Payload: 1760 lb.
Base price: N/A
Engine: 4.7 liter SOHC V8
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Horsepower: 230 @ 4800
Torque: 295 @ 3200
Fuel capacity: 22 gal.