This ain?t no sippin? truck

Does styling sell something as utilitarian as a full size pickup? You know your response to that question better than we do, but the short answer seems to be a resounding "yes."

By way of proof, consider the Dodge Ram pickup. For almost two decades, the Ram toiled along virtually unchanged - and unnoticed - behind the Ford F-Series and the GM C/K series trucks, a distant third in the sales race.

But the 1994 model year brought an all-new, knock-your-socks-off Ram to Dodge showrooms - bigger inside than its rivals from Ford and General Motors, with an exterior design that said truck in capital letters.

Reaction to the Ram?s bold styling was, and still is, polar. There are those who even employ the word ugly to describe its appearance. But there are just as many who seem to think that this is how pickup trucks ought to look - enough people, in fact, to swamp dealers with orders.

For ?95, Dodge has added the Club Cab, an extended cab, to the mix, and now the Ram is in the thick of the fight for full-size pickup leadership. The only thing that might hold it back is the factory?s inability to meet the rising tide of demand.

Walkaround

Aside from quality, styling is really the only significant differentiator between American full-size pickups. Dodge, Ford and GM trucks all offer a broad variety of engines, drivetrains, trim levels, cab configurations, cargo boxes and load ratings.

With its bull nose and big, bright grille, the Ram looks more aggressive than its competitors, conjuring up a bygone era when "trucks was trucks, buddy," and the notion of lifestyle vehicles lay somewhere in the murky future.

This retro-styling approach seems to have struck a strongly responsive chord. Perhaps it?s because those attracted by the ?50s exterior quickly learn that the look is only skin deep. Inside, there?s none of the cramped, back-breaking discomfort that went with gold ol? American pickups; the Ram is as modern as any in this respect. But more on that later.

As noted, Rams, like all full-size pickups, come in a bewildering variety of models. It?s important to have a solid fix on what you expect your truck to do for you - hard work? Light work? All-around driving? A little of each? - before you visit a showroom

Our choice here was a top-of-the-line Ram 2500 Laramie SLT with the new Club Cab, an 8-ft. cargo box and Dodge?s massive 8.0-liter V10 engine. This is a lot of truck. At more than 20 ft. long with a gross vehicle-weight rating of 8800 lb., it?s probably more than most of us will ever need.

But it?s also a combination that?s unique among pickups. Although Ford and GM both offer big gasoline V8 engines of substantial power, the Dodge V10 is the guru of grunt among full-size pickups. You just can?t get more low-rpm power - the commodity we know as torque - than this big growler offers. It starts almost from the moment you insert the key and wake it up, building to a peak of 450 pound-feet at only 2400 rpm.

Torque is what you want for hauling or towing heavy loads, and this baby?s got more of it than the other guys.

Interior Features

The big news inside the ?95 Ram Club Cab ST and Laramie SLT is that there?s a folding rear bench seat behind the front seat. This is something that wasn?t available when the Ram lineup was introduced. And since the Ram already started with the roomiest standard cab in the business, the addition of the Club Cab creates an interior that feels vast.

However, even though Dodge rates the Ram Club Cab as a 6-passenger vehicle, rar-seat legroom is tight compared with midsize and full-size passenger cars, something that can be said for most extended cab trucks.

On the other hand, if what you?re planning to stow is stuff rather than people, the Club Cab?s extra space will obviously come in handy. It?s also worth noting that extended cabs are hot sellers, which could pay dividends at resale time.

Although front-passenger seating in the Ram LT and stripped-down Work Special models is a basic bench, our Laramie SLT had a 40/20/40 split bench up front, with seatback recliners for the outboard seating positions and a better grade of upholstery.

Our test truck included a number of convenience features that are extra-cost options in other models, including air conditioning, power windows and locks, cruise control, and an AM/FM stereo with cassette. It also had extra storage features, although storage is a strong point on all of the Rams. And like all the Ram pickups, it included a driver?s airbag and side-impact door beams.

Roominess adds up to comfort in any vehicle, and the Rams edge their competitors on this point. We also liked the high seating position that gives the driver and front-seat passengers a good view of what?s going on in traffic. However, shorter drivers may find that the Ram?s high hoodline makes it a little difficult to see immediately in front of the vehicle.

Driving Impressions

The Ram 2500 is a heavy-duty pickup designed to tow and haul heavy loads. As a result, its ride quality isn?t as comfortable as a Ram 1500, which has lower load limits. The difference lies largely in spring rates. Springs designed to accommodate heavier loads will produce a stiffer ride when the truck is empty, and the rear wheels are more likely to hop going over sharp bumps.

The ride smooths out once you?ve got a few hundred pounds of cargo in the truck bed. In our test vehicle, that load could be as much as 3285 lb.

Still, even though all-around ride quality has improved in the new Ram truck lineup, we think the Chevrolet/GMC pickup is still tops among full-size trucks in ride comfort.

Like all full-size workhorse trucks, our Ram?s handling was competent but deliberate. It takes almost four turns of the steering wheel to get the front wheels from extreme left to extreme right, and its turning circle is more than 51 ft. It?s not designed for rapid maneuvering and it refuses to be hurried. We were pleased with the performance of its 4-wheel anti-lock brakes, an option on all Ram models.

An aspect of this truck?s performance that was thoroughly impressive was its muscle. Closely related to the Dodge Viper sports car V10, the Ram?s V10 engine feels as though it would be well-suited to transporting entire buildings or towing battle tanks. It hardly seemed to notice the 5000-lb. trailer we hooked on behind.

This is the elemental force in pickup engines today. Although it doesn?t make the kind of gratifying grumble we associate with big American V8s, the Ram V10 is the new king of pickup power.

Lineup

Final Word

Potent as it may be, a Ram pickup with a V10 engine doesn?t make sense unless you?ve got a lot of heavy-duty work for it to do. It?s available only in the Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks, which aren?t as well-suited to all-around use as Dodge?s basic 1500 series.

However, Dodge also offers two very good V8 engines, as well as a 5.9-liter 60cylinder turbodiesel and the standard 3.9-liter V6 - plenty of engine choices and plenty of power.

One cautionary note: Response to the new Ram trucks has been exceptionally strong, and factory output lags demand by many thousands of units. If you special-order your truck, be prepared to wait several months. A better bet is to see what local dealers have in stock and find the Ram that most closely suits your needs.

Even if you have to compromise a bit, we bet you?ll love it.