2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab SLT

The 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty trucks are "new from grille to tailgate" for 2003. If you have liked the macho, square-shouldered "Big Rig" look of Dodge pickups since 1994, you'll love this new one even more. "The massive horse-collar grille is bigger and bolder," says Design vice president and Ram Design Team leader Rick Aneiros, "and still the most recognizable Dodge Ram feature. This truck makes the type of statement a heavy-duty truck needs to make. It says Ram."


When one of these incredible hulks looms large in your mirror, you'll be uncomfortably reminded of those "crazed-trucker-terrorizes-tourists" movies. It looks as if it might consume you and your normal-size vehicle in one big bite if you don't move quickly out of its way.

The all-new 5.7-liter, 345-hp "HEMI Magnum" V-8 comes standard in both the Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks and will soon be an option in the 1500.

And this new Hemi does perform! We tried a 0-60 run on a slightly damp road. It just spun the rear tires until we eased up on the pedal. We tried again later on a dry surface, and the thing launched with a touch of wheelspin and leapt to 60 mph in about 7.5 sec. Not bad for a truck weighing nearly three tons in well-equipped Quad Cab 2WD form. Our only powertrain complaints: the throttle seemed overly sensitive at low speeds, and the transmission downshifted too readily with slight increases in pedal pressure or grade.


As expected, the big Ram's ride (unloaded) was typical for a modern heavy-duty pickup: reasonably quiet on smooth roads, bouncy and jiggly on bumps and rough surfaces. When you design a truck's rear suspension for hauling heavy loads, there's not much you can do to keep it nice and smooth without one.


The brakes felt strong and powerful, the steering surprisingly crisp and precise (thanks to a new rack-and-pinion unit standard in 2WD models) while handling was a bit, well, truck-like through tight and medium-speed turns- but no better or worse than the competition. Four-wheel-drive versions get a new recirculating ball steering gear.