From the vantage point of a truck manufacturer, building an award winning truck is a pretty challenging affair. Unlike building a luxury sedan, where you primarily need great looks, a nice ride and plenty of creature features, trucks today require all of that plus the ability to haul lots of stuff. These aren’t just ordinary vehicles, trucks are tools that owners use to make a living with.
According to Motortrend, meeting those requirements, better than any competition, are the Ram 2500 and 3500 series of Heavy Duty trucks. Thus, for 2020, Motortrend has bestowed their MotorTrend Truck of the Year award on the Ram 2500 and 3500 series of Heavy Duty trucks. Here’s just a few thoughts on why this award is entirely justified.
External looks
Borrowing from the looks of the popular 1500 Big Horn Quad Cab, the three-quarter (2500) or one-ton (3500) pickup does are snappy looking.
The grille, for instance, is 30 percent larger than before to feed the largest radiator and intercooler ever fit to a heavy-duty Ram but the result is striking. Plus, it is the most aerodynamic in its class, with a 0.40 coefficient of drag. Even the massive Ram 3500HD dually has an elegance that no other full-size rig can match.
Just like with the light-duty 1500, Ram HD buyers are spoiled for choice. Each of its six trim levels features a distinctive grille, wheel options, and trim befitting the character of the truck.
Inside details
Things are even better inside. Ram invested heavily in making the 2500 and 3500’s cabin—a mobile office for many owners—a nice place to work out of. All models get two to four color scheme options, acoustic glass, active noise cancelling, and a variety of standard infotainment options. Most notably are the infotainment screen options which range from a standard 5.0-inch screen to massive 12.0-inch version. The cockpit offers up to five USB and USB-C outlets, wireless charging, an optional auxiliary switch bank, and a new center console.
The folks at Jerry Ulm Dodge Ram Chrysler Jeep suggest we pay particular attention to the Ram Limited models, which play in the rapidly growing luxury truck market. The beautifully finished and exquisitely detailed cabin of the Ram 3500HD Limited—with thick baseball-glove-soft leather and rich wood trim, can teach some premium sedan brands a few things.
Delivering the horsepower
The Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks offer three compelling engine options. The lineup starts with a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 making 410 hp with 429 lb-ft of torque. The big Hemi is fitted with Ram’s latest cylinder deactivation technology to allow the big gas-burning V-8 to run in fuel-saving V-4 mode. Backing up the legacy Hemi is a beefed-up version of the Ram 1500’s quick-shifting eight-speed automatic.
If the Hemi doesn’t satisfy you, a duo Cummins turbodiesels will. The standard Cummins turbodiesel is a 6.7-liter I-6 which makes a healthy 370 hp and 850 lb-ft of torque. Next up is a high-output version making 400 horsepower and a mind blowing 1,000 lb-ft of torque, this new engine is the first in a mainstream heavy-duty truck to crack the four-digit torque mark.
Working hand in hand with the high-output Cummins is an Aisin-sourced six-speed automatic, which, when equipped with the Max Tow package, a regular cab, rear drive, and dual-rear-wheel 3500HD, helps the HD tow up to 35,100 pounds. Maximum payload is an impressive 7,680 pounds, found on Hemi-equipped versions of the same 3500 model.
Excellent ride
Ram also spent a lot of time refining the suspensions on the 2500 and 3500. One of the biggest pain points in heavy-duty trucks—including the previous Ram HD—is a harsh ride quality when unloaded. Ram employed a multifaceted approach to fix this issue.
All the new HDs get Frequency Response Damping shocks, which work with the rear five-link coil springs on the 2500 and traditional leaf springs on the 3500 to give both trucks better ride quality and handling when empty or loaded.
Crash safety
The NHTSA hasn’t crash-tested the new Ram Heavy Duty yet, but the upgraded platform and the active safety technologies made available across the range should make the Ram 2500 and 3500 perform very well.
Value
Rams have traditionally been stronger values than their Ford and GM rivals. The HD is no exception. Prices for the 2500 Tradesman start at just $35,090, undercutting both the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500HDs. At the other end of the pricing spectrum, the Ram 3500 Limited starts at $64,045, coming in less than both the GMC Sierra 3500HD Denali and Ford F-350 while offering one of the most luxurious cabins ever seen on a pickup truck.
