Yes, I still have my beloved B5.5 Variant, but I needed to sell my 200K mile Jeep and get a new utility type vehicle. So in case anyone is in the market for a new full size truck, here's what I got:
2004 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab in Laramie trim with a HEMI, of coarse:
I looked at a number of other four door trucks, and there are some that are a little more refined inside or offer more creature comforts, but I decided on this one for the combination of performance, capacity and price! I also think it looks much better from the outside than the others, especially the Nissan Titan, though it is a bit more modern inside (albeit plastic!).
I would have really liked a diesel, but that would have required the purchase of a Super Duty and the extra size and price are simply not worth it. I also thought about a more compact truck like the new GM Canyon/Colorado, but they are such junk I didn't even bother to drive them. Besides I need a wider bed that can fit at least two motorcycles.
This truck rides
great for a beast this size. It's very quiet and smooth on the highway and has good acceleration... even when loaded.
Brakes are pretty good and it actually corners quite well... I was surprised. The 20" wheels with 275's help that. The 20's are chrome covered aluminum. They are heavy... you can feel it.
Curb weight is right around 4,800lbs, which is actually lighter than a lot of the others in this class. The engine is the 5.7L (345cu.in.) small block HEMI with 345hp and 375lb-ft torque. Tranny is a 5 speed automatic and the rear end is a 3.92 (3.55 standard and 4.10 optional). With the tall 20" wheels it could use the 4.10.
It does suck a lot of gas if you dive it aggressively, but if you take it easy you can get fairly good mpg out of it. I sit in traffic a lot, so my average of 14.8mpg might be a little lower than it should be. On consistant highway cruising it gets over 18mpg.
A diesel would be better, but this is where the price comes in. This truck had a MSRP of a bit over $36,500. After wheeling and dealing and getting assorted rebates, I paid closer to $25,000 for the truck. That's pretty damn good, and the best price I was able to get on a similarly equipped diesel was a bit under $40,000. To recover $15K in fuel economy would probably take longer than I will own this truck!!
This truck has been great so far (2,000 miles). I just did the 1st oil change: 7 quarts of 10W-30 and a filter. Very easy.
Everything works well. Nothing rattles.
Very happy with it.
Did I mention, the HEMI sounds pretty good
:lol:
And HELL NO! It does not fit in the garage! :weirdo:
JK man, feel better now?
