Configured with double wheels at the rear and the Crew Cab body style, Limited features such as Harman Kardon premium audio, and the 6.7-liter Cummins turbo diesel inline-six engine, the Ram 3500 HD is a capable pickup. This example of the breed is close to $88,000 including destination, a lot of green dollar bills considering that pricing starts at $36,540 for the Tradesman.
The 1,000-lb.ft. Cummins adds $11,795 to the price on its own, but that torque makes it worth it. TFL Truck used this workhorse to tow a 29,000-pound trailer for 98 miles, and the average fuel consumption was 8.7 miles to the gallon. Given the 50-foot gooseneck horse trailer and two occupants in the Ram, the 3500 isn’t half bad.
But the improvements over the previous generation of the heavy-duty line go further than that. While towing, TFL Truck recorded 62.8 decibels in the cabin of the 3500 HD, and that seriously impressive considering the Ram is nothing more than a pickup truck.
All new from the ground up for the 2019 model year, the Ram HD can tow as much as 35,100 pounds. Payload capacity is up to 7,680 pounds, but the real treats are the luxury and technology. Active-Level rear air suspension is available on both the 2500 and 3500, and the system also includes a bed-lowering mode.
More than 100 safety and security features are available, including automatic emergency braking. Other highlights come in the guise of 360-degree camera display, selectable tire pressure, back-up sensors that cover the added width of the dual rear wheels, and a lot of high-strength steels in the frame, body panels, and core structure.
As far as infotainment is concerned, the 12-inch touchscreen can be divided in half to operate two applications at once. Across all trim levels and even on the HEMI V8, the Ram HD features push-button start. The e-shift dial is exclusive to the gasoline engine while the Cummins gets a column shifter.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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