2013 Truck of the Year: Ram 1500
Star Tech: Ram Charges Toward 1500 Superiority
By Michael Febbo From the February 2013 issue of Motor Trend |
For several years, it seemed all we ever talked about with trucks was torque and tow ratings. Things have changed, with truck buyers' expectations reaching a long way off the farm or job site. There's no single magic bullet that will meet every truck owner's needs, so even an entry payload model range like the Ram 1500 has to have far more breadth and depth than its forebears of a decade ago did. To demonstrate its half-ton's ability to cover the entire market, Ram delivered a V-6-powered SLT on the efficient and luxurious side and a V-8 powered Sport leaning toward power and performance.While Ford may be using smaller forced-induction engines for the sake of efficiency, Ram is refining its powertrain options by offering more efficient engines bolted to a new, optional eight-speed transmission. Replacing the old 3.7-liter V-6 is the much-celebrated Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6, which offers 42 percent more horsepower and 13 percent more torque. A new eight-speed transmission is standard on V-6 models and will be optional on the V-8. At launch, V-8s will be available only with the current six-speed automatic, with the new transmission coming at a later date.
At the end of our testing, the decision was unanimous. Hands down, the Ram ran away with this Truck of the Year award. The V-6 fills the void where the Dakota once existed. The V-8 is as much if not more truck than we expect to find in a 1500. The variety of trim levels offered by Ram can give you everything from a very basic work truck to a near-luxury vehicle with performance and off-road models falling somewhere in between. It ticks all six boxes in judging criteria. With loyalty higher in this segment than just about any other, we do wonder how many truck buyers are willing to switch brands. Until the rest of the industry can catch up with Ram trucks in the half-ton segment, it would be a shame to pass this one up.
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