2006 Truck of the Year Test and Review

2005 Dodge Ram Mega Cab
More Evidence That Bigger Is Better

While it's not often the common truck buyer needs one vehicle to tow nearly 16,000 pounds, pamper rear-seat passengers with more legroom than in a Maybach, or rumble from 0 to 60 in under 10 seconds, it doesn't hurt that Dodge now offers just such a hauler. With the Ram Mega Cab--available in the regular 1500 as well as the 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty configurations, with either a 5.7-liter Hemi or a 5.9-liter Cummins diesel (2500 and 3500 only)--Dodge has invented a new category, one that's ideal for big families with big needs or Shaq and four of his teammates. Compared with the Ram 1500 Quad Cab 4x4 in this competition, our Mega Cab 2500 4x4 tester overshadowed its little brother by 20 inches in length and nearly three inches in height. Most of that 20-inch spread goes to the rear-seat legroom, a remarkable 44.2 inches, four more inches than in a Maybach 62 limo. Dodge doesn't distinguish between its regular-duty Rams and its bigger, tougher, industrial-strength models as Ford does.

The Ram 2500s and 3500s might look just like Ram 1500s, but they're different trucks under the skin. So perhaps more impressive than the Mega Cab's prom potential is the ability of the biggest Ram to quickly and adeptly gobble asphalt. With 325 horses on tap, not to mention a staggering 610 pound-feet of torque, from its 5.9-liter Cummins turbodiesel, the Mega Cab 2500 hit 60 in 9.7 seconds on the way to a quarter-mile time of 17.3 at 79.3 mph. Not too shabby for a rig that dents the scales with nearly four tons. Despite its size and weight, a wheelbase that spans over 13 feet, and relatively small 265 tires, the Mega Cab surprisingly pulled 0.71 g on the skidpad (matching the Ram 1500 with 20-inch rubber) and a 29.9-second time on the figure-eight course, just a tenth behind the 1500. Granted, the Mega Cab required an additional 21 feet to stop from 60 compared with the 1500, but otherwise, there's not much of a performance trade-off, especially in light of the 2500 model's towing (12,300 pounds) and payload (1500 pounds) prowess. Unfortunately, our Mega Cab also packed a mega hit to the wallet--$54,250--which was just too mega to take the trophy.