1999 Dodge Ram Van 2500 Review (continued)
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Walkaround

The Dodge Ram is available in three load ratings: 1500, 2500, and 3500. Five engines are offered: the standard 3.9-liter V6, 5.2-liter V8, 5.9-liter V8, 8.0-liter V10 and a new Cummins 5.9-liter diesel inline-6. Every engine comes with a choice of 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. Rams come with either two- or four-wheel drive. Short and long beds are available.

Both of the popular V8 engines were upgraded last year. The 5.2-liter V8 produces 230 horsepower, the 5.9-liter V8 generates 245 horsepower and an impressive 335 pounds-feet of torque.

For 1999, buyers will be able to get either a V10 gasoline engine or the Cummins turbo diesel in a 2500 or a 3500 series truck.

The new 24-valve Cummins 6-cylinder diesel engine produces more power, gets better fuel economy and requires less maintenance. Fuel economy is up five percent and service intervals are down to 15,000 miles. Power was raised from 215 horsepower to 235 horsepower on 5-speed models, with 460 pounds-feet of torque versus 440 last year. Automatics now have 215 horsepower, up from 180 last year, with 420 pounds-feet of torque.

Standard, Club Cab and Quad Cab bodies are available in LT, Laramie SLT, and SST trim levels. Regular-length beds are 6 1/2 feet long, optional long beds are 8 feet long. Improvements include a new keyless remote entry system, an upgraded base sound system, a new cassette and CD sound system option. Leather seats are available on SLT versions. A new Sport Plus package comes with 17-inch wheels and tires, suspension upgrades and a 5.9-liter V8 with sport exhausts.

A number of under-the-skin upgrades have been made, including electrocoated frame paint, and new exterior and new interior colors are available. The Sport package comes with a body-colored grille and front and rear bumpers, decals, fog lamps, outline white letter tires, and cast aluminum wheels. This year there is an even bolder front end with a new grille design and clear-lens lamps on the Ram Sport, and a new color, Solar Yellow, is added to the palette.

The new Quad Cab design is alleged to be as strong as a conventional pickup body shell even though it does not have a pillar between the doors. To improve structural rigidity, Dodge engineers designed a beam that runs laterally under the truck, and reinforced both the A and C pillars. Side door guard beams were also added to improve protection from side impacts.

Interior Features

The Ram Quad Cab is about cavernous space. It offers buyers a roomy interior with conventional front doors and rear-hinged rear doors. The absence of a B-pillar makes it much easier to get in or out of the rear seat; it also makes it much easier to stick something behind the front seats. The door handles for the rear doors are integrated into the front interior face of the door, providing a more secure dual locking system for all four doors when the rear door is locked.

The Dodge Ram's big, wide instrument panel has a more modern layout than the original design. This includes a new steering wheel design, a big storage compartment, an extra power point, and new cupholders designed to handle any commercially available drink container. For 1999, the Ram comes with reduced-force air bags with a lockout for the passenger side.

In the wide-open Quad Cab doorway, the designers have integrated the front seat belts into the seats themselves. Among other things, this gets rid of a lot of messy hanging belts. The console has also been redesigned. Other interior features for 1999 include heated power mirrors, illuminated power door locks and window switches, and an optional security alarm system.

The front seat in all Rams is divided 40/20/40, with a huge fold-down center section that doubles as armrest and writing table. The cloth-covered seats in our test truck were nicely upholstered, plush, supportive and comfortable. When no one is sitting in it, the center position provides a large storage box, with divided spaces for coins, cassettes, maps or a laptop computer.

The Quad Cab rear seat is the same one used in other extended cab versions. It's handy for children, pets and petite adults, but it is not comfortable for adults on long trips. The rear seat is fitted with two shoulder belts and one lap belt. The bench portion of the seat flips up out of the way effortlessly from either side for hauling tools or cargo.

For 1999, the power window option comes with an express-down switch on the driver's side. Steering wheel mounted radio controls are optional. There are two new overhead console designs, one with and one without trip computer. On all models, a new rotary headlamp switch replaces the former pull switch design on the left side of the dash. The instrument pod features a new vacuum-fluorescent odometer and trip odometer that are tamperproof, and there are new driver-programmable keyless entry key fobs.