First Drive Review
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“HD” doesn’t stand for “Highly Dubious.”
While half-ton pickups often lead lives of suburban leisure, three-quarter and one-ton class trucks are seldom extended the luxury. Often put to work within minutes of taking delivery, big dogs like Ram’s 2500 and 3500 HD models are built to flex their muscles on a daily basis, and live in a world where a soiled bed is something to be proud of. So when Ram announced the 2013 3500 HD would be capable of towing a 30,000-pound trailer, we were intrigued, but not surprised. The Detroit Three have been drawing lines in the sand for years, turning the practice of one-upping each other’s tow capacities into nearly an annual ritual. With its closest competitor currently at the 23,100-pound mark, it was only a matter of time until someone rounded the number up to an even 30,000.
Both the 2500 and 3500 have been reworked for the 2013 model year, the details of which we got a jump on last September. And although the external cosmetics and interior appointments are nice, it’s the husky 6.7-liter Cummins turbo-diesel powerplants that buyers count on for turning payloads into paydays. These include a 350-hp, 660 lb-ft unit that only comes paired with the six-speed manual; a 370-hp, 800 lb-ft version teamed with the six-speed automatic; and a 3500-only version that produces 385 horsepower and 850 lb-ft of raw power.
To get our heads around what it feels like to tug 30,000 pounds down the road, we hooked up with Ram at a private location, as most states require a commercial driver’s license for rigs with a gross combined weight rating of 26,000 pounds or more. What we learned is that although modern technology has largely eliminated fear from the equation, pulling an obnoxiously heavy trailer is still an exercise best executed with equal parts strength and finesse. Ram tells us the reciprocating-ball steering gear, steering knuckles, ball joints, and linkages have been redesigned for 2013, but once underway, typical fanboy fixations like steering feel and pedal feedback take a backseat to more urgent concerns such as navigating corners without the trailer hopping the curb, and stopping the 18-ton express with as little drama as possible. Once you plug your senses into the Ram’s unique tactile feel, or lack thereof, the process becomes almost predictable.
No banging, clanging, or surging during acceleration or deceleration was experienced, all 30,000 pounds remaining on their best behavior. Sissies with lighter loads like, say, a pallet of anvils or a boat constructed entirely of lead will have nothing to worry about. A new Aisin–sourced six-speed auto with twin dedicated coolers—mated to a Borg Warner transfer case in 4×4 models—makes short work of smoothing out and distributing the mountains of torque. There is a selectable tow mode that modifies shift points slightly, and you can still call out gears manually on the shift lever (the 2500 and 3500 retain a column-mounted shifter, whereas the Ram 1500 has gone to a dash-mounted shift dial), although Ram engineers say they’ve put in enough time writing the transmission maps that the button is effectively irrelevant. And our experience confirms this.
The trailer brakes are easily configurable from the helm, and we found a balanced setting in no time. Of course, you can lessen the load on the binders by making full use of the exhaust brake, which Ram claims helps reduce service costs via fewer brake overhauls. For 2013, it includes an automatic mode to help maintain speed when the cruise is set. After using it extensively with and without a trailer, we can’t imagine running a rig this big without it.
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 2- or 4-wheel-drive, 2- or 4-door truck
BASE PRICE: 2500, $30,315; 3500, $30,900
ENGINES: turbocharged and intercooled, pushrod 24-valve diesel 6.7-liter inline-6, 350 hp, 660 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled, pushrod 24-valve diesel 6.7-liter inline-6, 370 hp, 800 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled, pushrod 24-valve inline-6 385 hp, 850 lb-ft; naturally aspirated, pushrod 16-valve 5.7-liter gasoline V-8, 383 hp, 400 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS: 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 140.0169.4 in
Length: 231.0259.4 in
Width: 78.979.1 in Height: 73.374.1 in
Curb weight: 55008000 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 8.18.7 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 16.216.7 sec
Top speed: 100 mph
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: not available
C/D est: 1114 mpg
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