1996 Dodge Ram Wagon 3500 Review (continued)
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Walkaround

If you sort it out by 2-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive, regular cab or Club Cab, short or long cargo box and engine choice, there are 68 possible iterations of the Dodge Ram pickup--and that doesn't include your choice of four trim levels, manual or automatic transmission, options and colors.

There are three duty" levels; 1500 for lighter duty, 2500 for medium duty, 3500 for heavy duty. For this review we had a 1500 Club Cab in Sport trim; ours was powered by the 5.2-liter V8, had a 5-speed manual transmission and 2wd, and the short cargo bed (6.5 ft.). Its curb weight was 4529 lb. and its rated towing capacity was 4600 lbs.

While there are versions of the Ram that are of a more heavy duty nature (depending upon engine and chassis, maximum towing capacity can go as high as 13,300 lb!), our test vehicle represented the kind of truck a lot of people will buy.

Ours had a base price of $17,851, but was outfitted with options that brought the bottom line to $23,798. The Laramie SLT Advantage Package #23G includes premium decor, air conditioning, power windows and door locks, cruise control, tilt wheel, AM/FM/cassette stereo, tachometer, larger tires, chrome wheels and other convenience features.

The Sport Appearance Package adds body color front bumper and grille, raised white letter tires and fog lamps. The trailer package features a travel convenience group, antilock brakes (at $500, a worthwhile option), limited-slip differential (another worthwhile choice, for only $257), CD player with Premium Infinity sound system, and other little touches and other luxury items. All in all, a pretty nice truck, even if it did include some extra-cost options many buyers can do without.

Output of the 5.2-liter V8 is 220 hp at 4400 rpm and an ample 300 lb.-ft. of torque at 3200 rpm, so there's plenty of punch for whatever load or trailer might be in this truck's future. Fuel economy, as rated by the EPA, was 14 city, 19 highway, but it would probably beat those figures in a steady highway cruise under light load. Driveability around town or at highway speeds was predictable, with the generous torque providing good, smooth acceleration.

The Dodge Ram has independent front suspension on 2wd models, but the 4wd versions have a solid, live front axle. We think the ride quality is better with 2wd and the independent suspension, so if you'll be driving mostly on pavement and don't need 4wd we'd recommend saving the additional expense and weight and giving yourself a better ride in the bargain."

Interior Features

One place the Ram really shines is inside. From its introduction over two years ago the Ram brought features to the truck market that were simply unavailable previously.

The interior is exceptionally roomy, with lots of head and legroom, and particularly generous shoulder and hip room. There are storage spaces almost everywhere, with big map pockets in the doors, a recessed tray in the top of the instrument panel, a handy shelf in front of the passenger and a large glove box with an additional shelf inside. Especially noteworthy is the innovative center armrest. Folded up, it's a seat back for the center passenger. Down, it forms a writing surface on the lid, or lift the lid to reveal compartmented storage for pencils, a clipboard, tape cassettes, coins, sunglasses--you name it. It's one of the singularly great features available on any truck in the market.

In the rear of the Club Cab is more good news. Even though the back seat won't be as comfortable as in a full-size 6-passenger sedan, it's better than in other extended cab pickups. The seatback isn't quite so close to vertical as in some of the competition, and both upper and lower cushions are larger; the result is a seat upon which three people can actually consider riding for more than just a trip around the corner. For additional utility the seat bottom cushion folds up and out of the way. But, unfortunately, the floor under the rear seat isn't flat or level, so it's not as convenient for loading toolboxes, an ice chest, or big, rectangular luggage. A flat floor in the rear would have been nice.

An important consideration with any interior is how well it contributes to the ease of the driving task, and the Dodge Ram scores well on this point. The instrument panel layout is logical and modern, controls are easy to reach and operate and instruments and other information sources are clearly visible. And, another thing people will like; typical for Chrysler products, the Ram has great cupholders.