1994 Dodge Ram Wagon 250 Review, Prices, Photos

1994 Dodge Ram (continued)

Walkaround

As far as any dramatic styling updates on our test Ram Wagon 250, the news was all up front. Front fenders were complemented by wraparound light assemblies and a rounded grille. From the front, anyway, this gave the Ram Wagon 250 a more contemporary, aerodynamic look.

In profile, our Ram Wagon 250 returned to the square-like appearance of its predecessors. All the characteristics of a traditional van were present, including plenty of glass and a high road clearance. The styled steel wheels and chrome/vinyl protective side moldings on our test vehicle nicely punctuated its otherwise slab-sided look.

The Navy Blue Metallic finish on our test vehicle was easy on the eyes and without flaw. As for overall fit and workmanship, we were disappointed to discover that the grille could be moved a full half-inch by reaching behind and pulling on it. Also, the sliding cargo door on the side required a good deal of muscle to open and close, but we attributed that more to the van’s conventional design than to flawed fit or poor workmanship.

From the rear, there was little to distinguish the Ram Wagon 250 from a traditional work or travel van, with the possible exception of curved wraparound taillight assemblies. Traditional double doors and a hefty, vinyl-covered step bumper, though functional, weren’t nearly as exciting as the hydraulic liftgates and curved color-matched rear bumpers found on popular minivans.

Interior Features

It was a big step up for both driver land passengers when entering the Ram Wagon 250, but we were stepping into a truly roomy, high-riding van. A minimum five inches of head room, not to mention proportionate shoulder- and legroom, for everyone was one benefit of its high-roofed design.

Visibility was marred only by an undersized rearview mirror and the center pillars of the rear doors, but the big side-view mirrors helped to remedy that problem.

Seating and overall interior design didn’t bear the slightest resemblance to advanced minivans. Rather, the driver and front-seat passenger enjoyed real comfort in moderately contoured bucket seats. Middle seats could face each other to flank a walnut-grained table, or they could be folded down to sleep three kids or two modest-sized adults.

Gauges were easy to read through the steering wheel, and power window and door lock controls were simple to locate and adjust, as were the stereo and temperature controls. Overhead dome lights for both front-and third-seat occupants completed a conventional but thoughtful interior arrangement.

1994 Dodge Ram Wagon 250 Review, Prices, Photos

1994 Dodge Ram 2500 ST Review, Prices, Photos

1994 Dodge Ram (continued)

Walkaround

The big-rig fender and headlamp treatments on our 1994 Dodge Ram 2500 are only part of the new face that Dodge has put on for the pickup market. The hood angles in gracefully to a distinctive grille set off by touches of honeycomb brass. The massive center-mount chrome front bumper is topped by a black vinyl step pad that integrates with a full width air dam underneath the bumper. Unusual contouring, big chrome side-view mirrors, flush-mounted, vinyl-covered door handles and a surprisingly good fit and finish present themselves in profile. Out back, a chrome step bumper is also protected with black vinyl step pads and has no less than three ball hitch holes in different sizes, each rubber-plugged when not in use.

The rear drop gate is supported by two steel cables and features a quick-release provision for easy removal.

The big, 8-foot cargo box offers two tie-down brackets on each wall and a two-tier loading design. It can be illuminated by twin halogen lamps mounted alongside the third taillight atop the rear cab wall. Taillight lenses are flush-mounted and impact-resistant, and they meld with amber wraparound side markers. We just wish Dodge had wrapped them a little farther around the side for even better visibility.

Interior Features

The interior is another major effort from Dodge to make the new Ram stand out from its full-size competition. Our test Ram 2500 greeted us with smooth instrumental panel contours and sweeping armrests that integrated perfectly with the door and the overall interior design scheme. We see nothing in here that reminds us of the last-generation pickups. While the influence is definitely truck-like, Chrysler designers took their cues from the advanced interior design found in the company’s very successful and stylish LH sedans.

The Ram 2500′s instrument cluster is housed beneath a gracefully curved padded dashtop and features a standard circular speedometer and analog oil pressure, fuel, coolant temperature and battery/voltmeter gauges. These are all easily readable through the steering wheel, which also houses an air bag – the first in any full-size pickup.

There’s room for three really big adults up front with only a lap belt for the middle passenger but belts and shoulder harnesses for the driver and far-side passenger. Door-mounted courtesy lights are complemented by an overhead dome light as well as independently operated map lights.

About the only thing that isn’t truly big about this new Ram 2500 is the glove compartment. But that’s offset by a huge fold-down center console big enough to store and/or support a laptop computer or fax machine -a real convenience for workers who take the office on the road. There’s also a second power receptacle next to the cigarette lighter to power or charge all that exotic equipment. Behind-the-seat storage is adequate and neatly compartmentalized and contains tire-changing equipment.

The standard seats on our test Ram 2500 were adequately contoured and offered a driver-side adjustable lumbar support that improved comfort some. We recommend one of Dodge’s step-up seating options for a truck this nice, however.

1994 Dodge Ram 2500 ST Review, Prices, Photos

1994 Dodge Intrepid Review, Prices, Photos

1994 Dodge Intrepid (continued)

Walkaround

The most immediate and arresting feature of the exterior design is its cab-forward styling. From top to bottom, the windshield slopes out at least 40 inches, meeting the hood about midpoint over the front wheel housings. The headlights and wraparound amber sidelights are set in an elongated half-moon opening that mirrors the shape of the car itself. It’s all stylish and pleasing to the eye.

The bodyside is divided by a 2-inch protective molding finished in matching body color, which in this case was an appealing Emerald Green. Aerodynamic black side-view mirrors are heated, activated when the rear-window defroster is turned on. Door handles are recessed and match the car’s color. Black plastic covers the steel surrounding the side windows. It also covers roof support pillars. The rear window complements the windshield and slopes gently to the deck lid, which conceals 16.7 cubic feet of usable carrying space.

The taillights span the rear of the vehicle and wrap around, with two 1-inch bands at the corners. The center of the taillight band is decorated with “Intrepid” in a stylized logo. Backup lighting is centered as well.

Overall, Chrysler stylists thought this car’s exterior design through to the last detail.

Interior Features

We were pleased to note the especially large doors that made entry and exit simple. Intrepid can carry as many as six passengers comfortably, depending on seat configuration. An optional built-in child seat is available. Our test model included an eight-way power driver’s seat, which was most comfortable. The front bucket seats are separated by the gear selector, a roomy storage bin for tapes or CDs and a handy coin holder.

The instrument panel was easily accessible through the two-spoke steering wheel, which contained the speed control buttons. The panel display with analog gauges for speed, tachometer, fuel and temperature- shows black figures on a white background that reverses with night illumination. Dash instrumentation was easily viewed and uncomplicated. The driver-side door has the power window, door lock and side-view mirror controls. The driver’s power window controls have a lock setting that overrides the passenger controls. It could, for example, prevent a child from opening a window. All controls are easy to reach and understand, and all are nicely illuminated for night driving. In addition, a ring of light surrounds the ignition switch.

Other bonuses include neatly designed pop-out cupholders; driver-side double sun visors that cover the side window and windshield; and standard three-point seat belts that allow for height adjustment.

To serve the back seat, two adjustable air and heating vents are at the rear of the center console. Handy hanger holders and recessed reading lights are over the rear side windows.

Our dominant impression of the interior was that there seemed to be a lot of extra space. That is, after all, the professed idea behind the cab-forward design. Moving the wheels out to the corners of the car results in more room in the back seat, giving passengers the feeling of being in a much larger car. Another result of the cab-forward design is the increased visibility; we felt as if we were surrounded by miles of glass.

1994 Dodge Intrepid Review, Prices, Photos

1994 Dodge Dakota Club Cab Review, Prices, Photos

1994 Dodge Dakota (continued)

Walkaround

Your first impression is that this 2 looks more like a full-size truck, It’s big. The cab is extended, with a back seat. And behind the extended cab is a 6.5-foot pickup box. All of this is mounted on a chassis with a 130.9-inch wheelbase. While it lacks the pizzazz of the new Chevy S-Series and Ford Ranger pickups, the Dakota possesses a certain solid, serious dignity.

A heavy-duty black composite bodyside molding runs along the flanks between the similarly clad wheel openings. This is serious parking lot protection and adds to the overall “big truck” look. The look is brightened by stylish wraparound headlights and taillights and a bold, chrome grille. A chrome front bumper and rear step bumper also add cheer. Fit-and-finish is quite good-much better than any earlier model pickups famous for their orange-peel paint and ill-fitting body panels. Our truck was finished in Emerald Green Metallic with a Quartz interior and styled steel chrome wheels.

The pickup bed is of the now-standard double-wall construction. Notches in the bed sides provide support for wood spacers in two-tier loading. The tailgate, with a new center-mounted stoplight, is removable.

Interior Features

Open the door and climb in and you really climb. The step up into the cab furthers the impression that this is a big midsize truck. Our Dakota had the Sport SLT trim package with the premium cloth reclining 60/40 split bench seat. It included a fold-down center armrest, adjustable headrests and a driver-side lumbar adjustment. For a bench seat in a pickup truck, it was exceedingly comfortable. Behind this was a mini-bench seat for rear passengers. Dodge says the Dakota offers a six-passenger configuration, but reality told us this was a truck for two, sometimes three, front seat passengers and maybe one or two passengers in the rear.

Controls and gauges are within easy reach with two exceptions. The power window and door lock controls are in a box mounted on the door panel somewhat out of sight. Until you get used to the touch and feel, you tend to grope for the controls and often open a window when you want to lock the doors.

We thought Chrysler designers and engineers had an excellent idea to locate the cruise control on the steering wheel. (Also present in the steering wheel is the standard driver-side air bag.) We found the joystick control for the sideview mirrors, though, wobbly and somewhat fragile.

Our 6-foot test driver had no problem with room, and the fore/aft front seat adjustment accommodated him easily. One note here: Put the front seat all the way back and there is no knee room for rear seat passengers. This appears to be the case in all extended cab configurations.

Dakota “bigness” shows up in the rear seat area. No side-facing jump seats here. This is a bench seat-the bottom of which is split and hinged to provide access to a hidden storage area behind the driver. There is also storage for the tire-changing tools behind the passenger. Storage area in the front seat was on the skimpy side. There were door pockets, but the glove box was very small.

Visibility was excellent. The hinged rear side windows in the cab and a sliding rear window provided a lot of ventilation combinations.

1994 Dodge Dakota Club Cab Review, Prices, Photos

1995 Dodge Viper Review, Prices, Photos

1995 Dodge Viper (continued)

Walkaround

You can’t exactly say that the Viper has a no-nonsense look about it. Every one of its plastic panels has been formed to catch the eyes of customers and passersby alike. It’s curvaceous and exciting, from a giant front-air inlet to side exhausts (which will burn legs that wander too close) to a wide, flat tail.

Swoopy looks, though, don’t translate into aerodynamic efficiency; with a 0.55 drag coefficient, the Viper is about as slick as a brick wall on wheels.

Ordinarily, that would lead to a discussion about wind noise and fuel economy. There’s plenty of the former (the Viper is an open car, after all), and more of the latter than you might expect, though it’s the big, lazy engine and long gear ratios that make the Viper surprisingly fuel efficient on the highway.

Lift that monolithic slab of molded composite material between the nose and windshield and the Viper’s huge 8.0-liter V10 engine dominates the view. With 400 hp on tap, the aluminum powerhouse moves the 3500-lb. Viper down the road as quickly as conditions – and the local authorities – will allow.

Interior Features

In contrast to the gee-whiz exterior, the Viper’s passenger bay is businesslike to the edge of starkness.

All basic instruments are supplied in an array facing the driver, basic heater/vent controls and an entry-level radio are situated in the center console, and a stubby shift lever sprouts from the center of the transmission tunnel. The rest of the inside is all seat and leg space.

Door-mounted passive seat belts take the place of airbags. Though inconvenient when left buckled during entry and exit (as passive belts are supposed to be), they are excellent otherwise, holding both driver and passenger snugly in place.

The spartan interior of the Viper may not be to everyone’s liking. There are no extraneous toys to play with, and little to look at except that expanse of gray plastic sweeping across the car from door to door.

Sighting over the wide fenders can be difficult for shorter drivers, too, and rearward vision makes backing up a chancy proposition.

Worse, perhaps, are some errors and omissions that detract from the driver’s pleasure. There’s no place for the left foot to rest except on the clutch pedal, the instruments’ red lighting makes them difficult to read at night and taller drivers will wish a little more room had been provided for seatback adjustment.

Also, everyone will find the constant wind buffeting in the cockpit tiresome during long trips.

Do any of these little complaints detract from the fun of owning or driving a Viper in any serious way? Not at all.

1995 Dodge Viper Review, Prices, Photos