Test Drive: 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 HD Mega Cab Laramie 4×4 Diesel

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Photo Gallery: 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 HD Mega Cab Laramie 4×4 Diesel

Sudbury, Ontario – Remember the sound Tim “The Toolman” Taylor used to make when he saw or heard something he liked? I wish I knew how to make that sound, because I’ve been driving Dodge’s Ram 2500 HD Mega Cab Laramie 4×4 Diesel, and there’s nothing more manly. Not Steven Segal, not Chuck Norris’s beard, and not even eating nachos and beer for breakfast.

Visually, most will agree that Dodge has both Ford and GM cornered with their Heavy Duty. The tremendous grille, chrome accents, and proud, capable stance communicate a ruggedness unseen since Paul Bunyan.

The size is positively massive and the tall ride requires a step up into one of the most commanding driving positions on this side of a Freightliner. The Mega Cab offers a gargantuan back seat with huge doors fitted that open completely out of the way, allowing access to a cabin which you could play football inside of. The seats fold up and down as needed to accommodate various combinations of passengers and gear, and I’d imagine you could sleep one or two people in back in a pinch.

2007 Dodge Ram 2500 HD Mega Cab Laramie 4×4 Diesel. Click image to enlarge

There’s plenty of room in every direction for anyone, and it all adds up to an experience less like being in a vehicle and more like being in a living room – a nice one too, as the interior on the Laramie model was trimmed with leather and featured such options as a navigation system, sunroof, power seats, Infinity stereo and DVD entertainment system with remote and wireless headsets. The latter allows the kids to watch and listen to Spongebob while mom and dad tune into their favourite radio station or CD.

Great stuff, though I certainly think that both Ford and GM’s comparable interiors look more modern and cutting edge. The Ram is comfortable and well put together, though the materials used to trim the cockpit could be upgraded. Super-fake wood trim and some buttons and switches from a decade ago are nostalgic, but don’t quite add to the feeling of sitting aboard a nearly $70,000 machine.

Let’s break that down. The 2500 Laramie 4×4 Mega Cab starts at $48,520 plus destination and A/C tax of $1,450.

2007 Dodge Ram 2500 HD Mega Cab Laramie 4×4 Diesel. Click image to enlarge

Add the 6.7-litre Cummins diesel engine $9,245; six-speed automatic transmission $400; AM/FM Stereo with Cassette, CD, 6-Disc Changer & MP3 $1,380; sunroof $1,150; navigation system $3,980; Sirius satellite radio $225; U-Connect hands-free wireless phone hook-up $295; and rear-seat video display $1,190, and the total price comes to $67,835.

Of all the Mega Cab’s features and hardware, by far the best is the Jake Brake. Press it, and the new Cummins 6.7-litre diesel engine uses heavy engine braking to help decelerate without wearing the pads. It also allows the massive cabin to heat up more quickly in the wintertime, and makes neato sound effects that usually only come from tractor-trailers. Use the automatic transmission’s manu-matic mode to call for downshifts while the Jake-Brake is engaged, and you’ll be wearing a grin ear to ear, while adding miles between brake jobs.

The 6.7-litre Cummins diesel’s 617 lb-ft of torque seems enough to alter the earth’s rotation, while the diesel exhaust particulate filter (bottom photo) minimize this truck’s environmental impact on the planet. Click image to enlarge

The six-speed transmission also employs a tow-haul setting which adjusts gearshift patterns to reduce hunting and harshness while towing a heavy trailer. There’s a 4×4 transfer case with two and four- wheel drive settings, and a low-range.

The new powerplant is remarkable, with output rated at 325 horsepower at 2900 r.p.m. and 610 lb-ft of torque at 1600 r.p.m. Press the accelerator with that much power and the truck doesn’t move, but rather shifts the planet beneath its wheels. Towing capacity is a hefty 3742 kg (8250 lbs).

The mill is quiet while cruising around town yet sounds authoritative when pushed. It’s only a tick louder than a gas powered family sedan when idling. Chrysler has the capability to eliminate nearly all of the noise that comes from a diesel engine, though the Ram sounds like they’ve chosen to keep a certain element of it present. After all, diesel engines are a way of life to some, and loyal buyers might feel a little lost without some hint of that familiar noise, though this one needn’t be shut down in a drive-thru while ordering your morning coffee.

The noisy rattle-clatter is gone. There’s no smoke or soot either- thanks to a particulate filter that traps and periodically vaporizes engine emissions which would otherwise be cast off into the ozone layer. As far as an engine with this sort of power goes, you couldn’t really ask for cleaner.

2007 Dodge Ram 2500 HD Mega Cab Laramie 4×4 Diesel. Click image to enlarge

Modern technology has made it relatively eco-friendly to own a machine that can pull a 500 year-old Oak tree out of the Earth’s crust. Chrysler says that the increase in displacement over the previous engine wasn’t necessarily for more power or torque, but rather to make the engine more efficient and gentle. A larger engine making the same power just doesn’t have to try as hard to do it, so it’s more relaxed about its work.

Indeed, for all the machismo packed into this beast, I was expecting it to be a lot less friendly. Big wide mirrors and quick steering make it reasonably easy to park, though you’ll probably need to use the nosebleed section of your favourite lot nonetheless. The ride on the highway is remarkably solid, quiet and well planted. The steering feel is decent, the view is excellent and all in all, it’s a pleasure to drive. The cabin is no noisier at, say, 140 km/h, than a mid-sized car.

2007 Dodge Ram 2500 HD Mega Cab Laramie 4×4 Diesel. Click image to enlarge

The only concern noted was the brakes: although powerful enough, they lack much meaningful feel. This makes it somewhat hard to gauge odds of survival for the car ahead of you in a panic stop situation.

With all its capability and enormity, the Ram 2500HD caters to a fairly specific buyer with a fairly specific lifestyle. It’s not an everyday truck for most of us, but if you’ve frequently got something very heavy to tow and need to frequently bring three or four adults with you while towing it, this might just be your most comfortable and well advised bet. Ram 2500 has some stiff competition, though for pure visual testosterone powered by a world leader in diesel engines, this is it.

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