There's no doubt that the Ram is strong enough in many areas to stealsales away from Ford and Chevrolet. Dodge has an excellent overall package
here, and in the three years it has been on the market, the engineers and
designers have added significant upgrades each year to make it even more
competitive in the blazing-hot full-size truck market.
The only omissions are the lack of a passenger-side airbag and the absence
of a third-door option, a la Ford and GM.
The Ram SLT Lariat 4x4 base price--about $25,000--is competitive, a
tad more than an equivalent Chevrolet K2500 4x4 and quite a bit less than
the Ford 2500 4x4 XLT, but as you can see from the price box, a truck like
this one can reach $30,000 quite easily with all the options checked.
While we enjoyed the big-time torque of the V10, and recognize that
some buyers need it, our pick for a family street truck would be a 1500
4x4 with the 5.9-liter V8 as a much less expensive alternative. Not to
mention a truck that leaves no doubt about what it is and what it can do.
Broad shoulders indeed.