or long cargo box and engine choice, there are 68 possible iterations of the Dodge Ram

pickup--and that doesn't include your choice of four trim levels, manual or

automatic transmission, options and colors.

There are three "duty" levels; 1500 for lighter duty, 2500 for medium duty, 3500 for

heavy duty. For this review we had a 1500 Club Cab in Sport trim; ours was powered by

the 5.2-liter V8, had a 5-speed manual transmission and 2wd, and the short cargo bed

(6.5 ft.). Its curb weight was 4529 lb. and its rated towing capacity was 4600 lbs.

While there are versions of the Ram that are of a more heavy duty nature (depending

upon engine and chassis, maximum towing capacity can go as high as 13,300 lb!), our

test vehicle represented the kind of truck a lot of people will buy.

Ours had a base price of $17,851, but was outfitted with options that brought the

bottom line to $23,798. The Laramie SLT Advantage Package #23G includes premium decor,

air conditioning, power windows and door locks, cruise control, tilt wheel,

AM/FM/cassette stereo, tachometer, larger tires, chrome wheels and other convenience

features.

The Sport Appearance Package adds body color front bumper and grille, raised white

letter tires and fog lamps. The trailer package features a travel convenience group,

antilock brakes (at $500, a worthwhile option), limited-slip differential (another

worthwhile choice, for only $257), CD player with Premium Infinity sound system, and

other little touches and other luxury items. All in all, a pretty nice truck, even if

it did include some extra-cost options many buyers can do without.

Output of the 5.2-liter V8 is 220 hp at 4400 rpm and an ample 300 lb.-ft. of torque at

3200 rpm, so there's plenty of punch for whatever load or trailer might be in this

truck's future. Fuel economy, as rated by the EPA, was 14 city, 19 highway, but it

would probably beat those figures in a steady highway cruise under light load.

Driveability around town or at highway speeds was predictable, with the generous

torque providing good, smooth acceleration.

The Dodge Ram has independent front suspension on 2wd models, but the 4wd versions

have a solid, live front axle. We think the ride quality is better with 2wd and the

independent suspension, so if you'll be driving mostly on pavement and don't need 4wd

we'd recommend saving the additional expense and weight and giving yourself a better

ride in the bargain.