2019 RAM 2500 Heavy Duty is Redesigned to be the Best

The term Cowboy Cadillac is sometimes used to describe a fancy high-end American-made pickup truck that a farmer or rancher would buy to replace a high-end luxury sedan. It might likely be used on the farm or ranch by day and used for church or the symphony by night. It must have 4 doors, chrome or high-polished metal, a roomy and comfy interior with lots of leather and some type of wood finish.

My press loan for this week is the redesigned RAM 2500 Laramie Longhorn Mega Cab 4x4, and I would consider it to be in the running for a modern version of the Cowboy Cadillac. There are some that would suggest the term 'Cowboy Cadillac' is a derogatory redneck term for any truck that has more 'fancy' than 'substance', kind of like a show car being called a 'trailer queen'. That might have been the case a decade or so ago; but in today's world where pickup trucks are now competing with high-end luxury sedans for market share, that 'soft' trailer queen moniker just doesn't fit anymore.

The Redesigned, Reengineered RAM 2500

The all-new RAM heavy-duty line of trucks has set a new bar in the competitive truck segment for performance, capability, technology, and luxury. It has been refreshed from bumper to bumper to keep pace with the ever-changing and competitive truck market. The new 2019 heavy-duty line will introduces 35 all-new features and 21 class-exclusive features. RAM's goal is to capture the title of the most powerful, most capable pickup truck ever. It already had the best towing capacity of 35,100 lbs, had the best payload capacity of 7,680 lbs, and has been voted the past three years as Luxury Pickup Truck of Texas by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA); so this new goal RAM has set will surely change the meaning of what a Cowboy Cadillac looks like and can do.

Performance

There are two engine options for the 2500. One is the 6.4-liter HEMI® V-8, and the other is the newly-designed Cummins 6.7-liter I-6 Turbo. My loaner came with the Cummins inline engine package that is capable of producing 370 horsepower at 2,800 rpm and 850 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,700 rpm. The Cummins turbo diesel has been remanufactured to weigh 60 lbs. lighter but deliver more power and torque. The transmission paired with this Cummins engine is a new upgraded version of the current 68RFE six-speed automatic transmission already in use. The upgrades to the transmission were designed to greatly improve the shift quality.

It's nice that RAM gives you the option of the gas or the diesel, but I am glad I received the new Cummins diesel to try out because I'm assuming most people who will be doing any amount of towing will purchase the 2500 with the diesel. I was impressed with the way the new Cummins engine performed. It didn't have any turbo or diesel lag. If I had not read the spec sheet before driving the truck I would not have known I was driving a diesel. It is an inline-6 Cummins, so the torque band will be great for towing and it should last an extended amount of time like most of Cummins other engines.

Capability

Speaking of torque band, it doesn't matter how much torque you have if all it is going to do is twist your frame into a nice bow. The engineers at RAM have redesigned an all-new frame with 98.5-percent high-strength steel, six separate crossmembers, hydroformed main rails, and fully-boxed rear rails for optimal strength and mass efficiency. There is also newly-designed front and rear axles to handle the larger payloads and towing capabilities which will also minimize routine noise, vibrations, and harshness (NVH) producing an overall quieter cabin ride.

Towing Convenience

Standard on the 2019 2500, to improve its ride from last year, is new suspension tuning that includes frequency response damping (FRD) shocks, progressive springs, and re-engineered bushings. There is also an exclusive driver-activated rear air suspension feature that allows the driver to set the ride quality depending on what the payload weight is. The setting options are 'normal' or 'payload' mode and 'trailer-tow' mode.

Why You Buy a RAM 2500

One of the biggest reasons someone buys a heavy-duty truck is for either the payload potential or trailer hauling capabilities. I was not able to check out the upgrades for hooking up or pulling a trailer, but it looks like the engineers have developed some things that will have great potential to make pulling any type of trailer a snap.

A new 360-degree surround-view camera with trailer reverse guidance view provides a single display-screen view of both sides of a trailer to assist drivers in maneuvering towing setups. A new auxiliary exterior camera improves visibility with custom positioning in and behind trailers. Advanced trailer Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) accommodate up to six pickup tires and 12 trailer tires with up to four trailer profiles. Source: RAM

Laramie Longhorn Mega Cab Interior

When you open the driver door of the RAM 2500 Laramie Longhorn and get your first glimpse of the interior, you'll notice its styling, comfort, and space, It is hard to take in all the different premium materials the engineers have used for this truck. All of the Laramie's wood, metal and leather elements are all authentic. The first thing you probably notice is the dark wood and leather used on the steering wheel. You might then see the dashboard that is 100 percent full-grain leather. You then see the center console, which is best in class and big enough to store a 15" laptop in it, covered with embossed alligator skin as is the instrument panel, seats and door-panel inserts. The wood that is used throughout the cabin is real barn-wood. Both the driver and passenger seats are class-exclusive 100% Filiagree leather that moves 8-ways for both driver and passenger. They are also ventilated & heated for summer and winter climates. Even the second row seats are heated for those passengers that are coming in from the cold.

The RAM 2500 Laramie Longhorn takes Cowboy Cadillac to another level. Many of the styling and design cues of the truck come from items that are painstakingly handcrafted. Items like a pocket watch, or handmade cowboy boots or even a ranchers personal horse saddle. The final thing you will notice about the cabin is the size of it. It's hard to believe how much room is available inside the Mega Cab. It has best-in-class interior storage with 43 inches of rear-seat legroom and, 8 inches of storage space behind the rear seat. There is so much room, the rear seat rider has the ability to recline up to 15 degrees.

RAM Truck Safety Features

RAM provides one of the safest trucks on the road today. Currently they have stated there are well over 100 different safety and security elements that are included with RAM trucks. I'm not going to list them all here, but I have included a link that you can click on. It will take you to the RAM truck website where you can go over most of the safety features. There is one safety feature that RAM is the only truck manufacturer to offer. It is the forward collision warning with active breaking. The system will initially warn a driver when danger is imminent. If the driver takes no action, the system will automatically apply the brakes to come to a complete stop, even when a trailer is attached. This technology is not new. There are a number of vehicles out there today that offer this safety feature, but RAM trucks is the first truck to currently offer it.

I covered only some of the high points of what I experienced in my time with the truck. There is also a whole Christmas list full of new options and class exclusives. What I can tell you is that the RAM HD truck line has surely redefined what a Cowboy Cadillac looks like and does; so if you are looking for a heavy duty truck that is as big as Texas and a towing capability that is even bigger and you want a Southwestern Cowboy theme, I would suggest taking the time to head to a dealership and put some poor sales person through their paces going over all 35 of the new features and the 21 class-exclusive features.

For more information about the 2019 RAM 2500, visit online at:

RAM | 2500