2014 Ram 3500 Laramie on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2013 Ram Heavy Duty seeks to obliterate rivals with claimed 30,000-pound max tow rating

No one can accuse Ram of backing away from the full-size truck arms race. Chrysler has officially dropped the payload details on its 2013 Ram Heavy Duty, and the 3500 now packs a maximum trailer weight of 30,000 pounds. Chew on that number for a moment. That's 15 tons, or the equivalent of a dozen Mazda MX-5 Miata convertibles stacked on a trailer, and it's also a whopping 6,900 pounds more than the closest competitor to the Ram 3500, the Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD. Ram engineers have cranked the truck's 6.7-liter Cummins turbo-diesel engine to a ludicrous 850 pound-feet of torque, up 50 lb-ft over the 2012 model. "Shock the world" figures, all.
Throw in a stiffer frame, stouter transfer case, beefed-up transmission and brawnier U-joints in the driveline, and you have what Ram is calling "the most capable trucks we've ever built." That includes the Ram 2500, which has seen its towing capacity swell to 18,350 lbs and its Gross Combined Weight Rating jump to 25,000 lbs. Look for the 2013 Ram 3500 HD to bow at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, and be sure to check out the full press release below for more information.

Ram 1500 TRX fuel economy figures are out — and economy isn't the right word

Ram published many statistics when it introduced the 1500 TRX, but one part of the puzzle was missing: fuel economy. It finally released those figures, and they confirm that supercar-like power brings supercar-like thirst. Driven with a light right foot, the TRX returns 10 mpg in the city, 14 mpg on the highway, and 12 mpg combined. It's the least efficient Hellcat-powered model; Jeep's Grand Cherokee Trackhawk scores 13 mpg combined, while Dodge's Charger and Challenger post 15. Figures for the Durango haven't been published yet, but there's no reason to think it will use more gas than the TRX. At 12 combined, the truck is about on par with the Lamborghini Aventador S. On the surface, that's not great. Keep in mind the mighty TRX was developed for off-road performance, however, and we doubt fuel economy entered the equation at all. It's a body-on-frame truck powered by a 6.2-liter V8 supercharged to 702 horsepower, it has mammoth 35-inch all-terrain tires to push around, and it weighs 6,350 pounds. Viewed in this light, 12 mpg is actually shockingly decent. Conversely, the folks who designed the Toyota Prius weren't concerned about its water fording ability, its approach angle, or its zero-to-60-mph time. Motorists who place fuel efficiency at the very top of their priorities list have a growing list of excellent options to choose from, even if they're in the market for a pickup. At the other end of the Ram spectrum, the rear-wheel drive 1500 posts figures of 23, 33, and 26, respectively, when it's equipped with the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6. The TRX starts at $71,690 including destination, and it will arrive in showrooms later in 2020. Related Video:

Ram 1500 Classic rolls into 2021, celebrates becoming a teenager

CarsDirect crossed paths with a Ram dealer order guide revealing a 2021 Ram 1500 Classic. That news nugget means the fourth-generation Ram truck will get a third year on the market sold alongside the fifth-generation Ram 1500 that entered production for 2019. FCA didn't need more help being the undisputed king of successfully milking a platform (Challenger or Grand Caravan, anyone?), but a 13th year of what's now the Ram 1500 Classic puts local competition out of reach. This truck greeted the world for 2009, when Chrysler — then an unalloyed automaker owned by Cerberus — marched 115 head of cattle down a Detroit street in January to create a spectacle for what was to be the brand-new 2009 Dodge Ram. The order guide showed a $250 bump over the 2020MY pickup, for a total of $30,145 after a $1,695 destination charge to get into a Tradesman regular cab 4x2 powered by the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. That's the only change CarsDirect mentioned for the new year. The fifth-generation Ram 1500 in its base trim, a Tradesman Quad Cab 4x2, is $3,800 more expensive. However, it's important to note that there's a full line-up of Ram Classics. It's not just the stripper Tradesman model. You can't get the high-dollar Longhorn or Limited, but there's still the mid-grade Big Horn, leather-lined Laramie and the above-pictured Warlock, which is a sort of Rebel-lite model.  Some take the Classic's undying existence as a way for Ram to lure mid-size pickup buyers with the most inexpensive full-size pickup. It's possible, yet midsize buyers often don't want to deal with the size and bills that come with full-size trucks, never mind the higher MSRP. One size down, the 2021 Ram Classic costs roughly $1,500 more than a base Tacoma, $4,000 more than a Ford Ranger, and $7,000 more than a Chevrolet Canyon. Incentives this month can take as much as $6,250 off the Ram's price, but Ram isn't alone in putting money on the hood. Besides, the Ram Classic isn't a runaway price champ compared to other full-sizers. A 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 regular cab 4x2 starts at $30,095, and next year's Ford F-150 will start at $30,635 after destination. The Ram Classic makes more sense as a base-truck competitor for full-size competition, one that pays a lot more profit to FCA. And having the old guard on duty did help Ram outsell the Chevrolet Silverado last year. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.