One-Year Test Update: 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 HD

During our 2003 Truck of the Year competition, one pickup stood above the rest in the looks-and-cojones department: the Dodge Ram Heavy Duty. Giving the HD the Golden Calipers meant we got to take one home for a year. On the order form, we checked off the 4x4 Quad Cab SLT model, with Graphite Metallic paint and Slate Gray interior. Oh, yeah, gotta have the 5.7-liter Hemi. Then we added the Laramie 26H-preferred package (power leather seats, power pedals, electric shift-on-the-fly transfer case, Infinity sound system, skidplates, and a whole lot more) for $4375 and the Sport appearance group (a lot of body-color accents) for $195. Side airbags cost $490, front seat heaters $140, a five-speed 5-45RFE automatic tranny $1170, 4.10:1 axle ratio $50, limited-slip differential $285, bedliner $245, and trailer-tow group for $405. With $795 in destination charges, our out-the-door tab came to $38,815. We've just started breaking in the Hemi, just 167 miles on the odo, but we're already in love with the HD's deep throaty exhaust note, macho image, and commanding view over the subcompacts below. It'll be a favorite honey-do hauler.