Departure Date: August 2011
Current Mileage: 40,848 miles
Months in Fleet: 16 months
Average Fuel Economy: 14 mpg
Average Range: 476 miles
Service: $ 1198
Normal Wear: $ 0
Repair: $ 0

Pickup sales are a popular indicator of housing-market health, but the inhabitants of the house that Walter P. Chrysler built were worrying about other measures of fiscal fitness at the time this heavy-duty Ram was introduced. Between the truck’s first public appearance at the February 2009 Chicago auto show and its launch nine months later, Chrysler filed for and emerged from bankruptcy. During that same time, new housing construction hit its low inflection point.

Fortunately, things are improving: Post-bankruptcy Chrysler is now controlled by Fiat and has rehabbed most of its ailing lineup, and truck sales are rising as the housing market slowly rebounds. Our long-term Ram was a witness to the latter in more ways than one: While the truck was under our care, eight staffers used the heavy-duty hauler to move to a new dwelling, with another handful assisting friends with relocation. We should have stocked the truck’s center console with U.S. Postal Service change-of-address packets.

Quieting the Skeptics with Volume

Before its arrival, some among us wondered whether such a behemoth would be too much vehicle for our needs, especially after having finished a successful 40,000-mile stint in a small-by-comparison 2009 Dodge Ram 1500.Turns out they needn’t have worried: What we ended up with was—to quote ourselves—“one of the baddest-ass off-road executive limos” we’d yet encountered. The spec- and option-sheet highlights: 2010 Ram 2500 Mega Cab, electronic part-time four-wheel drive, the then-top-spec Laramie trim (since eclipsed by the Laramie Longhorn), a Cummins diesel inline-six hooked to a six-speed automatic, monochromatic black paint outside, black leather inside. A full rundown can be found in the truck’s long-term introduction story, but suffice it to say that the thing was loaded. Stocked with nearly every available option, the final bill came to $ 54,650, or the price of a foreclosed home in a nice neighborhood.

Moving On Up

The truck we chose prioritized interior space over bed length, as the extra-huge Mega Cab forces a reduction in box size from 8 feet to 6 feet, 4 inches. The rear legroom was coveted, both for people and as a weatherproof and lockable pseudo trunk in which to store valuables like engine blocks and beer kegs. With the seats folded, the rear compartment was able to house SUV quantities of detritus, as long as items fit through the rear doors. In addition to the aforementioned, whole living-room sets and about half a car’s worth of sheetmetal were transported indoors.

Still, although the interior load floor was nice and flat, some complained that it was too high off the ground, since the Mega Cab’s seats fold forward onto the cabin floor. (In contrast, the seat bottoms in club-cab Rams flip up to the bulkhead onto which they’re mounted.) The bed’s load height came under similar fire for its loftiness.

“The interior décor represents a nice middle ground between the too-subtle GM HD twins and the overwrought Ford Super Duty,” noted one logbook entry. The cabin’s finish work wasn’t uniformly perfect, though, with some pieces not quite lining up with others, including some speaker grilles and dash panels. The dealer fixed a vibrating center-console lid when we got tired of leaning on it or silencing it with folded-paper shims.

The Laramie’s seat coolers (included with our optional bucket seats) turned out to be a safety feature for at least one driver who “found out you can actually make yourself so uncomfortably cold that it is impossible to nod off while driving. I’m joking. A little.” We generally liked the nav system, which exhibited none of the freezing or hiccups of a similar unit in our long-term half-ton Ram. The navigation still managed to frustrate, however; during one run to the Windy City, the system was seemingly confused by a live stream of info on construction and traffic, Chicagoland’s two main ingredients. “It told me to exit the highway in post-Apocalyptic Indiana and couldn’t decide on a route without recalculating again and again,” wrote the driver. And some found it hard to hit the touch screen’s virtual buttons—the screen controls radio tuning, and most other functions—while the truck was bounding along without simply stabbing and praying they hit the right one.

Torque, Traction, Towing

The carry-over Cummins diesel six-cylinder suited our needs, providing 350 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels most of the time or all four with the turn of a knob. To keep pace with its Ford and GM competitors, Ram introduced a high-output version of the engine with 800 lb-ft of torque for 2011.

We easily made do without the extra grunt, and our resident towing aficionados—largely our resident race-car owners—hogged the Ram on most summer weekends. They praised the engine-exhaust brake’s cooperation with the transmission’s Tow/Haul mode, which provided aggressive downshifts. The truck’s cruise control kept pace even when towing on hills, and we observed no tendency to wander on freeway hauls. The integrated brake controller had its fans, while the brake pedal’s initial softness avoided lurching stops with heavy loads, although it required more pressure later to come to a complete halt. (The pedal’s long travel and slop did make for some anxious stops when the truck was unburdened, however.) “An excellent tow rig,” noted technical editor Michael Austin, “but for the price it had better be.” Stability control was only notable by its absence on the spec sheet, not because we missed it; it is now standard for all 2012 HD Rams, however, a change that brings it in line with the rest of the full-size-truck market. Our truck’s only traction aid was its extra-cost limited-slip rear differential.

While its suspension was quite stiff, the Ram’s long, 160.0-inch wheelbase delivered a smoother-than-expected ride both while towing or unladen, with only heavily pocked pavement sending big judders through the cabin. This is the longest truck Ram offers, but the black monster was (relatively) easy to maneuver, even taking into account its rather massive turning circle. Slow but accurate steering helped in this regard—and in delivering the straight-line stability we mentioned earlier—as twitchiness isn’t something you want in the helm of something this large. The truck’s acceleration remained consistent over the test, with 8.4- and 8.5-second 0-to-60-mph times being recorded in initial and final testing, respectively.

The big diesel did match our previous 1500 in one surprising way: fuel economy. Burning diesel rather than the smaller truck’s gas, the much heavier 2500 (7260 pounds versus 5680) averaged the same 14 mpg. We saw as high as 17 mpg in highway driving with nothing hooked to the back, and between 12 and 15 with a trailer. We averaged 476 miles between fill-ups, and saw a high of 516. When we did need to stop, the nav setup’s listing of gas stations with diesel proved handy.

Lots of Oil, Let There Be Light

Service costs were about on par with those of the previous long-term Ram. The difference was accounted for by the quantity of oil the diesel requires: 12 quarts. Each of seven oil changes, performed at the onboard computer’s request, ran about $ 110. Otherwise, this Ram got by with simple maintenance: two fuel filters, two air filters, and several tire rotations and inspections. Between mileage-interval-based services and oil changes (some of which thankfully overlapped), the Ram went in 11 times for regular maintenance. Two unscheduled service appointments were required—the first to replace a key-fob transmitter gone haywire and the second to replace an O2 sensor—both of which were covered under warranty. While the truck was in for another service, the dealer replaced the power-steering-reservoir cap as a result of a recall; the power-steering pump provides the pressure for brake boost, and the cap might vent improperly and cause a slow return of the brake pedal. The truck’s original tires lasted the duration of the test, and, for once, we didn’t break anything.

We did make an improvement to the truck, one we wish we’d thought of earlier in its stay. Like those of our 1500, this Ram’s headlights demonstrated inadequate illumination abilities. We solved the problem with a set of Sylvania SilverStar Ultra bulbs for the high and low beams (about $ 100 for all four) and recommend the modest investment to anyone buying a new Ram.

Was it too much truck for day-to-day driving? Opinions were mixed, although the Ram had full support as an occasional-use vehicle. A smaller truck or even one with fewer amenities would accomplish most tasks, as would a rental, but for someone with frequent needs, a loaded 2500 like ours has its place in the market. Technical editor K.C. Colwell may have put it best: “I’m not sure why anyone this side of a cattle rancher would buy a truck like this—but God bless ’Murika.” What’s the market like for ranches these days, anyway?

 Continued…

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In recent years, high-end auctions, smaller car shows and driving events have joined the calendar, making it a week-long automotive festival. It’s a must-see event for automobile enthusiasts of any stripe, with sounds, smells and sights to dazzle the senses.

Photo Editor Kurt Niebuhr and I roamed the Motorsports Reunion paddock, Concorso Italiano, Pebble Beach Concours and a few auctions last August, camera in hand, and returned with an artful collection of photos.

 
Despite all of the weathered surfaces and aching linkages, this 1927 Bugatti Type 39 still raced well at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Photo by Kurt Niebuhr

 
Special effects studios would take days to duplicate this kind of weathering. This 1927 Bugatti Type 39 took 83 years. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
We were enamored by the 1927 Bugatti Type 39, trying to capture its essence and personality as best we could. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
A heavy coat of morning dew covered everything in the Laguna Seca paddock, including this 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 MM. Photo by Kurt Niebuhr

 
Could you hand me a towel please? This 1960 Alfa Giulietta SZ Zagato is one sexy beast. Photo by Kurt Niebuhr

 
The 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ Zagato is also pretty on the inside. Photo by Kurt Niebuhr

 
You gotta have big nuts to race a 1965 Shelby GT350. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
A 1926 Bugatti Type 39, waiting patiently for its turn around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
Ed Archer and his 1915 Ford Model T. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
Raw metal for a raw car. This 1958 Lister Knobbly racecar is a handful to drive. Photo by Kurt Niebuhr

 
Dan Gurney and Stirling Moss piloted this very 1960 Maserati Tipo 61″Birdcage” to victory at the Nurburgring. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
An “All-American Racers” badge, proudly displayed on a 1966 Gurney Eagle Climax once driven by Dan Gurney. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
Besides Formula One, Dan Gurney also ran this 1966 Eagle at Indianapolis. Photo by Mark Takahashi 

 
Ferraris are just as beautiful under their Scaglietti skins. These Weber 48IDA carbs are proof. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
When it comes to great color combinations, British Racing Green and Yellow Stripes are hard to beat, as seen on this 1963 Lotus 27. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
Ah, Italia. These tricolore stripes adorn a 1965 Alfa Romeo GTA in the Monterey Motorsports Reunion Paddock. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
Mechanics check fuel levels in this 1966 Maserati 300S the old fashioned way — with a bamboo dipstick. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
Complexity, power and beauty all come together in the engine bay of a 1966 Maserati 300S.
Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
Who says racers are too serious? This 1966 Alfa Romeo GTA proves otherwise. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
Hood pins are cool. Hood pins on a 1967 Mustang are even cooler. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
Running the standard pop-up headlights causes too much wind resistance. These plexi coverings solve that and make this 1969 Corvette look incredible, to boot. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
Straight-cut gears and dog rings. That can only mean one thing: racecars. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
The piping, wiring and plumbing of a 1971 Ferrari 312 B2 could be considered art. Photo by Mark Takahashi

 
Mario Andretti once drove this 1978 Lotus 79. Today, it’s as iconic and beautiful as it ever was. Photo by Mark Takahashi