Dodge Ram 2500 has power to spare

Push this power through a new six-speed automatic and you get a truck that turns 1,750 RPM at 100 km/h and can come off the line like "Jack the Bear."

The single largest problem you will have with this truck is once the rear wheels start to spin, it is real tough to get the wheel spin under control because of the turbo. The first couple of times I tried hard launches, I got the 6.7 up on boost and the tires came loose. I tried to back out of it gently, but I fell off boost and the truck bogged. Then it came back up on boost and off I went!

I never tried using four-wheel drive for launches, but I suppose I could have. I was told the electronic 4X4 control can go in and out of four-wheel and two-wheel high at speeds up to 100 km/h. My best starts were accomplished by modulating the throttle until the tranny went into second gear and then standing on it.

Just to give you an idea of the torque this motor can put out, I witnessed a test where there was a flat bed trailer loaded with a tractor so that the trailer gross was a touch over 2,268 kg. (5,000 lbs). From idle, up to about 100 km/h, the truck was pretty quick. The first indication of how little difference the trailer made was on the pavement. As expected, from the start, there were a couple of black streaks where the tires were laying down rubber, but not making any noise. My understanding is that this occurs at about eight per cent slippage and is just before the tire breaks loose. The big surprise came a bit farther down. There was about a three-metre gap and then another three metres of black marks. You guessed it! The gap was from the one, two shift.

Dodge still uses a very distinctive design that people love or hate. That huge front grille, gigantic bumper, flared out fenders and front hood, can be quite intimidating, especially in a truck the size of the Ram 2500. Add on the new MEGA cab and a short box with a locking tailgate and the total effect is of a truck built for business.

Inside, the work truck theme is carried into every last component, from switches to seats and from carpet to headliner; there is never a doubt that this truck is meant for work. The centre console can act as a business centre with enough room for a tally board or a laptop, a cell phone, change and a rather large open storage compartment that can hold a purse or clip board (both if the purse is small enough). On base models (without the full console), the armrest can be lifted so that the centre can be used as a third seat.

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