2017 Ram 2500 HD 6.4L Gasoline V-8 Crew Cab 4x4

Heavy-duty models account for a significant portion of all full-size pickup sales. Even in a robust truck market, these big boys are more than a little overqualified for daily use. So-called lifestyle buyers may have played a significant role in growing the pickup market, but it’s hard to perceive the heavy-duty variety as suitable for all-around family duty.

On the other hand, the HD of today isn’t the brawny, no-frills work truck of yesteryear. Luxury has filtered up to these big bruisers, and if their massive capabilities mitigate against enlisting one as the primary family vehicle for those who don’t frequently haul marble slabs or loads of cast-iron lawn statuary, there’s that intangible: image. Since the demise of the civilian Hummer, no vehicle exudes machismo like a big ol’ all-American pickup truck.

The Ram 2500 HD is an excellent example. With dimensions rivaling a World War II landing craft, a towering bluff bow, lofty climb-in height, and king-size Ram logos, this 2500 HD has massive street presence. If casting shadows over the neighbor’s house doesn’t suffice to intimidate, add the potent baritone throb of a big Hemi V-8 engine. Big in this context means a pushrod 6.4-liter V-8 rated for 410 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque. This is the middle engine in Ram’s HD inventory; the standard powerplant is the 383-hp 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, but upgrading the Laramie trim level to this larger-displacement Hemi is free (and it brings a stronger alternator). The maximum-capability flagship sails behind a potent 6.7-liter Cummins turbo-diesel inline-six, whomping up enough torque to pull the planet’s skin a little tighter: 800 lb-ft at 1600 rpm. (That’s with the automatic transmission; it makes only 660 lb-ft with a six-speed manual.)

Manners Versus Muscle

Formidable though it may be, the Cummins six doesn’t score as well as some turbo-diesels on the civilization scale. It has big-job muscle but is too much like a semi-truck powerplant for commuting or grocery runs. The gasoline-fueled V-8 is more pleasant to live with and more likely to provoke envy rather than a neighborhood protest when you fire it up at 5:30 a.m. (Getting an early start is likely SOP for the contractors and skilled-trades workers most likely to buy something this rugged.)

The Hemi-powered 2500 HD’s work ethic is a long way from wimpy. Its claimed payload is 3300 pounds, and with a 4.10:1 rear axle (our test truck was so equipped; add $570, which includes a limited-slip rear differential) and the crew-cab body and the short bed, it’s rated to tow up to 15,630 pounds.

We don’t know just how vigorously the 6.4-liter Hemi performs with max loads—all of our data for this test was logged with the cargo bed empty and nothing attached to the trailer hitch. We do know that the Hemi will propel three and a half tons of truck to 60 mph in less than eight seconds and through the quarter-mile in less than 16. There are a good many cars that can’t match those sprint results.

Top speed is governor limited to a modest 104 mph, but would you want to go faster in something this size?

MPG Factor

Vehicle mass and barn-door frontal area are the enemies of speed and efficiency, which is not an HD strong suit. The EPA doesn’t require fuel-economy ratings for vehicles in this class, but we logged 12 mpg in our test. We’ve done worse in gasoline HD trucks, but keep in mind that we put the Ram through its paces with no load. At a steady 75 mph on the highway, we recorded a more tolerable 14-mpg average over 200 miles.

Assessed as a conveyance for around-town errands, the Ram HD rates mixed reviews. As noted, it holds its own in urban traffic, and the music of the big Hemi lays down a macho backbeat that tickles eardrums wherever it goes, urban speeds or freeway. The crew cab’s interior provides ample room for five, and with the rear seats folded, there’s plenty of space for the stuff you don’t want to expose to weather out in the bed.

Our test truck was equipped with Fiat Chrysler’s Uconnect infotainment suite, including an 8.4-inch touchscreen and navigation ($745), enhancing all-around usefulness. The same can be said for the power-adjustable foot pedals with memory ($195), remote starting ($245), and the spray-in bedliner ($495).

There’s a 7.0-inch color info display tucked between the major instruments, a respectable nine-speaker Alpine audio system, leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, and heated/ventilated front seats, all standard on this Laramie model.

Other optional goodies include front bucket seats ($545) and a Sport Appearance Group (20-inch black aluminum wheels, 265/60R-20 Firestone Transforce AT tires, black power foldaway mirrors, black projector-beam headlights, darkened taillamps, body-color grille and door handles, $1795). This last item was the biggest ticket within the $6455 worth of options on this truck. Holding the bottom line under $60K is actually pretty good for this class, where a $70,000 sticker is commonplace. But so, too, are large dealer discounts.

Just as with light-duty Ram 1500 pickups, the 2500 HD offers an almost bewildering range of choices: three engines, automatic or manual transmissions, three cab options, four wheelbases, long or short beds, multiple trim levels, and myriad optional features. When buyers feel they need heavy-duty capacity, they no longer want to surrender the comforts they’ve grown accustomed to in standard pickups, so there’s hardly any sacrifice to be made on the equipment front.

Dynamic Debits

The penalty is all in the driving experience. While the HD’s Laramie interior is semi-ritzy, the truck’s dynamic scorecard is so-so. As you’d expect of something with a 43.9-foot turning circle, it’s not a good choice for parking lots at malls and/or supermarkets. Might the steering be more accurate? Sure, although sports-car steering isn’t something you’d expect in this kind of vehicle.

And if you expect a compliant ride, you’re likely to be disappointed. Even with a little extra ground clearance (and thus suspension travel) to enhance possible off-road use in the four-by-four version we tested, spring rates prescribed to accommodate a payload of more than 1.5 tons tend to be stiff when the bed is empty. We’ve discovered in previous tests that the available auto-leveling air-spring rear suspension is worth every penny of its $1595 price, but that’s one extra this example lacked.

The Ram’s tubular running boards ($445) are useful for the climb up into the cabin, but they’re almost guaranteed to leave mud on pant legs when occupants return to earth. When those are your work pants or you’re on the job site, no one really cares, but this can get annoying when your work truck doubles as family transport or daily commuter.

The takeaway here is that, image notwithstanding, unless you’re towing a big boat or regularly schlepping horses around, the HD Ram isn’t a very good choice as an all-use pickup. And that comment isn’t limited to the Ram; it’s true of the HDs from Ford and General Motors, too. Also, it’s fair to say that the distinctions among the Big Three heavies are subtle. Distinctions in work ratings are essentially academic, and style is a key factor. The increments here are tiny. If the duty is truly heavy, the Ram 2500 with the big Hemi V-8 is as good a choice as any.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear/4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup

PRICE AS TESTED: $58,695 (base price: $52,240)

ENGINE TYPE: pushrod 16-valve V-8, iron block and aluminum heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 392 cu in, 6417 cc
Power: 410 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque: 429 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 149.5 in
Length: 237.4 in
Width: 79.1 in Height: 77.7 in
Passenger volume: 125 cu ft
Curb weight: 7020 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 7.7 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 21.9 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 8.2 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 4.0 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 5.6 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.9 sec @ 89 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 104 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 196 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.74 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
C/D observed: 12 mpg
C/D observed 75-mph highway driving: 14 mpg
C/D observed highway range: 430 mi


*stability-control-inhibited