1997 Dodge Ram 2500 4×4 Review, Prices, Photos

1997 Dodge Ram 2500 4×4 Review, Prices, Photos

1997 Dodge Ram 2500 4×4 Review, Prices, Photos

1997 Dodge Ram (continued)

Walkaround

Like all of the domestic full-size pickups, the Ram is available in three load ratings–the 1500, 2500 and 3500 series. Engine offerings are also multiple, starting with a basic 3.9-liter V6. There are two V8 options–5.2 and 5.9 liters, plus the monster 8.0-liter V10 and the fine Cummins 5.9-liter inline six-cylinder turbodiesel.

The Ram comes with either two- or four-wheel drive, in standard and Club Cab body styles, in Work Special, LT and Laramie SLT trim levels. The regular bed is 6.5 feet long, the optional long bed is eight feet. Again, this pretty much parallels the range of offerings from Ford, Chevy and GMC.

Improvements for 1997 include a new keyless remote entry system, an upgraded base sound system, a new cassette and CD option, leather seat availability on SLT versions, a new Sport Plus package with 17-inch wheels, suspension upgrades, a 5.9-liter V8 engine with sport exhausts, and a number of appearance and quality upgrades: electrocoated frame paint, new colors, and new interior colors.

The attention to quality shows. Paint quality, trim and body panel fits on our test truck were very good, and door closures were excellent. The bed liner that comes with the truck is well made, with only a few tiny apertures where dirt and moisture can gather.

Interior Features

Though most customers are initially attracted to the Ram for its bold exterior design, there is a great deal more good stuff to be discovered on the inside. Tops in the good stuff category is roominess. The interior design guys figured out a way to do the instrument panel and the seats in such a way as to provide more room in a standard cab layout and a whole bunch more room in a Club Cab layout than anybody else, although Ford's new F-Series trucks have since largely matched the Ram's roominess.

The instrument panel looks distantly related to that of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, and, of course, it is, with the same radio equipment and similar switchgear, instrument graphics and placements. Is this bad? No way. It's a good layout, with a few dollops of color to keep it visually interesting, and very few customers cross-shop Grand Cherokees and Rams anyway.

The leather-covered seats in our test truck were unique in our truck experience, built with an enormous amount of cushiness, so that your body sinks down into the seat and is well supported from backside to shoulders. The SLT six-way power seat with manual recline is divided 40/20/40, with a huge fold-down center section that doubles as an armrest and writing table, with a substantial storage box inside that incorporates divided spaces for coins, cassettes, maps and the other odds and ends we all carry.

While the new leather seating option is very spiffy, some other elements of this truck's interior decor are not. We think Ford and GM truck interiors are a bit closer to design unity than the Ram. The tan leather interior gets a black instrument panel, which is a normal combination, but there is a lot of hard plastic of varying tan tones and grains that brings down the impression of quality. There are only two exposed screws in the Ram interior, a big improvement, but still two too many.

One of the slickest things about the interior is the optional storage rack system fitted to the back wall of the cab that allows an owner to get the absolute most out of the space behind the seat in a standard cab Ram. We love this storage rack, and wish other truck makers would get with the program.

The storage system has a deep, full-width tray at floor level, divided 75/25, a cargo net behind the right seat, and two stacked trays behind the left seat. The trays are heavy duty plastic, permanently installed and designed to carry real loads. Each door also has a generous set of storage bins arrayed along the bottom edge.

1997 Dodge Ram 2500 4×4 Review, Prices, Photos