|
2002 Dodge Ram 1500
|
| Stretching a Point |
|
| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 21:59:43 |
| Rating |
 348 ( -39 -11.2% ) | | Author | Dan Lyons |
|
|
Description:
2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport
Stretching a Point
Writer's Notes
Test Vehicle
Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Sport
$25,305 as tested
Showroom appeal:
Aero Big Rig looks and a comfortable cabin
Can be spec'd for work or play
Asphalt Rating:
Upgraded 3.7 liter six and 4.7 liter eight
Cool Factor:
Still distinctive looks, now a bit more slippery
Hauling:
Max towing is 8,660 lb (regular cab), 8,350 (Quad Cab)
Safety:
4 wheel ABS is optional. Side curtain air bags are too - a first in full size pickups
In designing the 2002 Dodge Ram, no part of the truck was left untouched, from its signature exterior design to its best-in-class interior packaging or power train.
Comments or suggestions about this review? Send an e-mail to: editor@autobytel.com
Autobytel Inc. operates the popular automotive websites Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, Carsmart.com, and Autosite.com.
xxx
The last time that a new Dodge Ram pickup hit the streets (1994), it got noticed. Its big rig styling made the truck immediately recognizable on the road. Fast forward eight years to the launching of the next generation Ram. Style-wise, the '02 plants on the ground already plowed: eighteen wheeler looks, dominated by a massive, horse collar grille. The new Dodge's lines are still bold, but sleeker. As if the last generation Ram butted heads with a wind tunnel, aerodynamics are now a visible part of the picture. The hood/fender line is much more fluid, the windshield has a pronounced rake.
For years, pickup buyers who wanted a two door truck's sleeker style paid for it with no room behind the seats. This year, Dodge stretched the cabin 3.7" over previous models. The up-sizing yielded enough added space to allow reclining seats to recline, and provides a little room between seat backs and cab back for storage. An optional, full-length floor bin is available to organize the available floor space.
The interior boasts a new design dash - a full array of highly legible gauges, done in white. The center "business" console/armrest/ backrest combo - first seen in the last generation Rams - is still is big enough to hold a laptop. With console flipped back it doubles as a backrest and there is room enough to slip in a third passenger up front. However, on my stick shift Sport model, that person would be straddling a gearshift, with feet in the floor mounted cup holders.
Of course, for real passenger room, nothing beats four doors and a back seat. That's why we've seen successive generations of pickups grow successively larger inside. 2002 Ram Quad Cab models are now three inches bigger than before, with a commensurate boost in leg and hip room and four full-size doors. Vehicle length stayed essentially the same, however, as the bed was trimmed by a corresponding amount (it's now 6'3" long). Optional are split, folding rear seats that allow for a combination of people and cargo in back.
Well known for its wide range of powerful Magnum engines, the 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 gets two new, more powerful and efficient engines and an all-new transmission.
A pickup's suspension must do double duty. It has to be able to ride passengers in reasonable comfort when the box is empty, yet still handle securely when loaded down with a full bed. It's a tough balance. Over the road, the new Ram rides smoothly when roads are likewise. Rough terrain generates a good deal of bounce, especially when carrying light loads. Ram has new brakes this year, and the four wheel disc setup feels meatier than before. Four wheel ABS is optional and recommended.
Two new engine choices have been added under hood. A 3.7 liter V-6 replaces the former 3.9 six, offering 35 more horsepower and better mileage to boot. On the Magnum V-8 side, Dodge swaps the former 5.2 for a 235 hp, 4.7 liter plant. Like the six swap, the latter Magnum motor shades the former in both horsepower and mileage. The lone carryover is Dodge's 245 hp, 5.9 liter V-8.
All engines can be matched to a five speed stick or Dodge's new 45RFE automatic transmission. My test driver was a 4.7 Magnum with stick, and the combination moved the Ram Sport 1500 easily down the road, with good power over a wide rpm range.
Towing and payload capacity are both up over last year. Maximum towing capacity on Regular cab models is now 8,660 lb., 8,350 lb for Quad Cabs. Quad Cab payload increases to 1,750 lb.
The 1500 series Ram is offered in Regular and Quad Cab, in 2 or 4WD. Base models are known as ST's, with Sport, SLT and SLT Plus packages available. The Ram rollout will be phased. The new 2002 1500's will be followed by the debut of 2500 and 3500 series trucks in 2003.
The new Ram makes subtle improvements in all areas over the model it replaces. The Sport model is a particularly slick looking package, with body color grille on its big rig cab, and beefy five spoke, 20" rims at the corners. If you liked the old Rams, you'll find that the new models do it all a little bit better, while looking a little bit badder.
---Story and photos by Dan Lyons
photos © Dan Lyons 2002 |
| Similar news: | - Daewoo: GM's Hot New Engine - Remember Daewoo Motor Co.? It's the Korean auto maker that hired college kids to hawk its cars, built factories in unlikely locales such as Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Ukraine, and once tried to woo British buyers with an offer of a free trade-in for a new m
- How Arroyo Is Dodging Impeachment - Talk about bad timing. Just a few hours before Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President of the Philippines, was to deliver her annual State of the Nation address on July 25, opposition parties delivered an impeachment petition to Congress. They charged that she
- Search engine defies critics - Google defied its critics yesterday when the company's shares raced to a 21% premium on their Nasdaq debut.
| | Find all news similar on 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 |
|
