2011 Ram 2500 SLT Reviews

• Body Style: Crew Cab
• Vehicle Size: Full Size
• MSRP: $35815.00
• Mileage: 0
• Fuel Type: Regular unleaded
• Fuel Capacity: 35.00
• Horsepower:
• Seating Capacity:6
• Build Location: Saltillo, Mexico

• Model Lineup
• Exterior Features
• Interior Features
• Driving Impressions
• Summary

At minimum a Ram Heavy Duty is more than 19 feet long, six-and-a-half feet wide, six feet tall, needs nearly 3.5 12-foot traffic lanes to execute a U-turn and is 5800 pounds of sink-in-hot-pavement truck. If you haven't got a lot of weight to carry or pull a 1500 will probably serve better. If you need to tow or haul, however, you've come to the right place. 

Once accustomed to the outside dimensions, the Ram HD is not hard to drive. You need to allow a bit more space for stopping distance than the average car but that's easy given the visibility from the higher driving position. The steering is reasonably quick, and the 4WD's steering feels almost as good as that on the independently sprung 2WD. You'll be twisting the wheel more than a car to make the same turn, and the Ram changes direction easily and we couldn't overwhelm the steering pump (making it sluggish and heavy) in parking lot maneuvering or threading a 4WD through mud, trees and rock. 

There are good reasons why many enthusiast magazines don't do handling tests on HD pickups because handling is a relative term. The Ram changes directions admirably and has predictable characteristics, but start horseplay in a vehicle where the rear axle alone weighs as much as a big Harley and you'll learn the hard way what those strange terms on NASCAR broadcasts mean. 

Given the engines, transmissions, brakes and basic suspension architecture are little changed from 2009, what stands out the most on the 2011 Ram is the quiet and ride smoothness. We found all three cabs quiet and solid, but the Crew Cabs and Mega Cabs were superior and nearly shudder free. Part of this solid feel is suspension tuning and part of the smoothness is the advanced body mounting system. 

There is now no single aspect of the truck that will wear you out. At 75 mph on moderately good pavement we floored the pedal on a diesel and the engine wasn't heard over the road noise and wind noise wasn't heard above either. We could still converse in regular tones, even with riders in the rear seat. Since it revs higher, the Hemi comes across no quieter than the diesel except at cold idle. 

The 5.7-liter Hemi V8 is standard and available only on 2500 and with an automatic transmission. The Hemi, redesigned for 2009, develops 383 horsepower at 5600 rpm and, like any good truck engine, it makes more torque than horsepower, with 400 pound-feet at 4000 rpm. We could cruise along at moderate rpm doing Texas highway speeds and although the Hemi has cylinder deactivation for improved mileage it won't happen much in a 4WD pickup that weighs more than three tons. On our drive the trip computer showed an average 12.2 mpg which was frankly a bit better than we thought it would be. The Hemi is a realistic choice for those not towing severe loads, or heavy loads for long distances, where purchase price is a more important consideration than towing performance, fuel economy or maximum engine life. 

The Cummins Turbo Diesel option is a proven option, compliant with 2010-emissions rules three years early. Both Ford and GM have new diesel engines for that standard, and both of them require the use of diesel exhaust fluid (aka urea or trade names such as AdBlue) at regular maintenance intervals. Only the cab-and-chassis diesel Rams require the additive. Ram's diesel option costs about $7,500 total. Since the engine is essentially the same as last year's and does not require the added costs associated with urea, it should remain the best buy in diesel options. Ford's and GM's 2011 diesels both offer more rated power than the Ram and should be quicker; truck bragging rights are a never-ending war. 

Diesel buyers get a choice of manual or automatic transmissions, both 6-speed. However, note the manual is rated at 610 lb-ft of torque at 1400 rpm vs 650 lb-ft at 1500 for the automatic, and the automatic is available with shorter axle ratios and higher tow ratings. Either transmission gets the job done, the manual providing maximum control and minimum prices, the automatic more convenient. The exhaust brake makes grades and slowing stress free by delivering up to 190 braking horsepower (bhp) to control descent speed, thereby leaving the service brakes cool and free for more immediate stopping. 

The Cummins inline six-cylinder is built like a tractor-trailer engine, with exceptional robustness, longevity and low-rpm grunt, and frequently used in fire apparatus and motorhomes that carry 2-10 times what a Ram pickup will. Torque is what gets a load in motion, and with the Cummins making nearly as much torque when you let the clutch out as the Hemi does at 4,000 rpm, it is the obvious choice for heavy towing. Many RVers report better fuel mileage towing with their Cummins than a Hemi gets in an empty truck. On essentially the same drive that saw 12.2 mpg in a Hemi 2500, we recorded about 16.5 mpg in a 1000-pounds-heavier, dual-rear-wheel Cummins automatic. 

For 2011, Ram has made the integrated trailer brake controller standard on all but ST. In our trailer drives, the system worked as it should, as smooth or smoother than the most expensive aftermarket controllers. Like most such systems it does not work with all electric-over-hydraulic trailer brakes becoming more common on upper-end and heavier RV's. A fifth-wheel plug arrangement is available from Mopar and will maintain the warranty when properly installed. 

The Power Wagon needs to be considered a separate model based not only on equipment but also performance. It comes only with the 383-hp 5.7 gas engine and five-speed automatic. Locking differentials and a front antisway bar disconnect give low-speed off-highway performance no full-size pickup can match. It's also quite good at speed across a gravel road or dry wash, though not a direct match for Ford's F-150 Raptor, which costs about the same with the 411-hp 6.2-liter engine, has a regular or crew cab, but at best offers roughly 80 percent of the payload and towing capacity of a Power Wagon. 

Tow ratings with the Hemi range from 8,100-12,100 pounds and for the diesel from 9,000-17,600 pounds, maximum gross combined (truck, trailer, cargo, occupants, fuel) is 24,500 pounds on diesel and 18,000 pounds on gasoline. Adding a larger cab, more lux or 4WD will lower the tow rating. Maximum payload varies by similar parameters although sometimes the 4WD version carries more. Load capacity for gasoline trucks ranges from 2,610-3,120 because the Hemi is not offered on dual-rear-wheel trucks, and diesels carry from 1,850-5,130 pounds of cargo. Note that virtually all pickup truck tow ratings apply to a truck with a driver and only the mechanical options required; any cargo, people, or aftermarket equipment on board (winch, tool box, fifth-wheel hitch, etc.) will have to be subtracted from the max ratings. Note also that industry guidelines on tow rating standards were recently adopted and some truck ratings may therefore go down. 

We tested a Ram 3500 Laramie Crew Cab by towing our 20-foot enclosed test trailer, a bumper pull car trailer loaded to about 6,000 pounds total, from Los Angeles to San Diego and back. We found it comfortable, smooth and supremely stable. It was completely unaffected by crosswinds or passing semi-trailers. We had no trouble stopping, and the integrated brake controller made life easy and worked flawlessly. The Cummins supplied easy power. We hardly knew a trailer was behind us. In short, we think this is a wonderful tow vehicle ready for big, cross country pulls.