2002 Dodge Ram

You might have noticed this column has become something of a pickup truck series lately. After months of not seeing a single one, I have had four pickups back to back. In this particular case, however, the truck represents big news. GREAT BIG NEWS. I’m talking about the Dodge Ram, which gets a major 2002 overhaul. This is the first significant renovation since 1994 when Dodge introduced the revolutionary Ram with its ultra-tough look and Magnum engine. Its attitude was so radical and so popular, bestsellers Ford and Chevy scrambled to inject more in-your-face macho into their humdrum designs.

Having set such a precedent with so much success, Dodge now finds itself in a Chevy/Ford quandry: How to introduce a suitably edgy next generation Ram that doesn’t offend its current legion of fans.

Their answer lies not so much in what you see as what you get.

The Good News
The Ram I tested was a 1500 Quad Cab 4X4 SLT. Those who liked the previous Ram’s bold, semi-truck-looking front end will certainly recognize this one. In fact, unless you put them side by side, I’m hard-pressed to tell the difference.

The difference is actually a larger grille, clear-lens headlamps, a more steeply raked windshield and an overall exaggerated style, but not in a garish way. The Quad Cab’s four doors are now all full doors and front-hinged, the previous rear demi-doors having been rear-hinged.

The bigger differences lie in dimensions and engineering. The Quad Cab has been extended 3.0 inches (hence the full doors), as well as expanding in width and height. This makes a more comfortable interior with a real back seat for three adults.

The wheelbase is also stretched a little more than an inch, but the cargo bed has lost three inches down to 75 inches in an effort to keep the overall length in check.

Mine was dressed out with a 4.7-liter V-8, which is standard on the Quad Cab. This is the new Magnum engine in the Ram lineup, producing 235 horses and 295 foot pounds of torque. Mine was mated to an optional four-speed automatic. Plenty of punch, as needed.

An all-new ladder chassis heralded as much stiffer than the previous frame, independent front suspension, power rack and pinion steering and humongous four-wheel disc brakes are all part of the “what you get” beneath this new Ram’s sheetmetal. And curtain-side airbags are introduced as an option, a first for pickups.

All of these updates equate to a better riding, better handling, better performing pickup no doubt. But what I liked best about this Ram is its interior. The wide, flat, fold-down center console holds a laptop and now includes a plug for same. The top surface makes a great desk-on-the-go (pull over first, please).

There is thoughtful storage everywhere and even power-adjustable pedals for the height-challenged. With seats covered in optional leather (an extra $1,380) like mine, this cabin is as nice as a sedan and far more accommodating for the working man/woman.

The Bad News
I could really have used some side rails, but got considerable exercise alternately hoisting myself in and leaping out of this 4X4 Ram. I don’t recommend it on a full-time basis, however.

I would also like to see Dodge make a stand for pickup safety and institute the side-curtain airbags and especially four-wheel antilock brakes as standard equipment on this Ram. Rear ABS is standard, but four-wheel is an almost $500 option.

Gas mileage
EPA rated at 13 mpg city/17 highway

Price
Manufacturer’s base, $25,350;
Price as tested, $32,240

Is it worth it?
Because of all the touted improvements to this new Dodge Ram, I expected a very different pickup experience. I expected it to be more agile and responsive, quicker and generally easier than its former incarnations and comparable full-sized pickups.

But what I found was an extremely capable and attractive truck, but a big ol’ truck nonetheless.

To many, that’s not a bad thing; to me, that’s a pain in the neck in the average parking lot. And to the Dodge folks trying to sell this new Ram’s significantly refined ride and handling, that isn’t what they want to hear.

Granted, this Ram may have improved light years on many fronts, but like my reaction to its new style, without side-by-side comparisons I just can’t see it.

Beth Stein is a life-long car buff and free-lance journalist living in Nashville. She has reviewed new vehicles in print for 12 years as a weekly columnist for Nashville’s daily newspapers and on television for Road Test Magazine and Motor Trend Television. Currently, her reviews appear nationally on Car And Driver Television.