The 2019 Ram 2500 and 3500 Deliver a 1000-LB-FT Warhead to the Front Lines of the Truck War
This review has been updated with test results for both 2500 HD and 3500 HD models.
Forget the muscle-car wars. A higher-stakes arms race is happening in the heavy-duty truck segment, and Ram just drew a 1000-lb-ft line in the sand. The latest iteration of its venerated Cummins turbo-diesel inline-six, with its impressively round four-figure torque rating, establishes the front line. But Ram was also wise enough to update the HD lineup with plush interiors and new technology to appeal to modern truck customers, many of whom missed the memo about not mixing work with pleasure.
Ram restacked its HD powertrains for 2019. The 5.7-liter V-8 is gone, leaving the 6.4-liter V-8 (410 horsepower, 429 lb-ft of torque) mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic as the only gasoline option. Two versions of the 6.7-liter Cummins are on offer: The base unit is rated at 370 horsepower and 850 lb-ft and gets bolted to an upgraded version of last year's six-speed automatic, and the headline-stealing 400-hp, 1000-lb-ft engine gets an Aisin six-speed automatic prepped for battle with a larger thrust bearing and additional heat treating for specific components. BorgWarner supplies the transfer cases, including an all-new part-time unit hefty enough to harness the mountain of torque from the high-output Cummins.
Essentially new from the ground up, the frame makes extensive use of high-strength steel-98.5 percent of it is formed from the stuff, according to Ram. Numerous improvements to the front and rear axles enhance capability and durability. The 3500 has rear leaf springs while the 2500 retains the coil setup of the light-duty 1500 and offers optional air springs. And the aluminum hood weighs about 25 pounds less than the old steel one.
Acceleration in the 3500 is brisk for a heavy-duty truck, let alone a nearly 22-foot-long crew-cab ICBM-delivery rig with dual rear wheels. Even with a 17,540-pound trailer lashed to its gooseneck hitch, the Ram pulls like an M1 Abrams, picking up speed on any incline we could find during our test drive in Gorman, California. An integrated exhaust brake helps with the stopping, with an additional smart mode that lets the driver select his desired downhill speed by tapping the brake; it maintains the set speed until the driver resumes control by legging the accelerator again. It sounds a little gimmicky, but it works naturally in the real world.
While there's a tendency to group all HD trucks under a universal banner, professionals who work their rigs realize that simple changes can have a nuanced effect on performance and capability. This became abundantly clear when we strapped our test gear to a pair of four-wheel-drive Ram HDs: a three-quarter-ton Ram HD 2500 with a regular cab and single rear wheels and a one-ton Ram HD 3500 mega cab with dual rear wheels. Both display leviathan proportions and move through traffic about as elegantly as a bowling ball through a miniature golf course. Yet, measured on their own terms, their braking, steering, throttle responses, and reduced levels of noise and vibration are dramatically improved over those of heavy-duty trucks from just a decade ago. Interior noise levels at a steady 70-mph cruise measured 70 decibels for the 2500 and 71 decibels for the 3500-impressive, even before you consider the hard-working diesel engines under their hoods.
At the test track, the 7480-pound Ram 2500 reached 60 mph in a respectable 7.2 seconds and cleared the quarter-mile in 15.6 seconds with a trap speed of 89 mph. Weighing in at a full 1640 pounds more than the 2500, including an optional 169-pound fifth-wheel hitch in its bed, the 9120-pound 3500 dually gave good chase, eclipsing 60 mph in 8.1 seconds and completing the quarter-mile in 16.3 seconds at 86 mph. That the nearly five-ton 3500, which benefits from the 1000 lb-ft of torque and 400 horsepower produced by the Cummins turbo-diesel in its most potent iteration, can keep pace with most compact crossovers is a solid effort. But it's worth noting that we've recorded quicker, sub-7.0-second zero-to-60-mph times for the big Ram's competitors from both Ford and General Motors.
Fuel economy has never been a strongpoint in this segment-because heavy-duty pickups have massive gross vehicle weight ratings, it means the EPA doesn't even give estimates for them-but our 2500 HD posted a 15-mpg average in combined driving, and the much heavier 3500 managed 12 mpg. HD buyers for the most part know what they are getting into, and these figures are fairly average for these types of heavy haulers.
While Ram may be winning the torque battle for now, the waging of the war continues. GM has already rolled out its latest salvo in the form of the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD and the 2020 GMC Sierra HD, and Ford is surely moving its troops into place as well.
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