2016 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn – Test Drive, Review, Ratings, Specs

The Truck that Means Business

Behold. It’s the massive aggressive mud-eating full-size pickup truck that intimidates you every time the TV infomercial comes on. The muscular grunt of the front fascia stands 5 ft tall certainly gave me mixed emotions of both excitement and fear.  Was I going to be the road king behind the wheel, or was I going be the one to be the rag doll? It’s kind of like that feeling when you’re about to strap onto a mechanical bull ride for the first time.

Completion of a slight workout climbing in rewards you with an ultra comfy country-themed cabin space. Unique to the Laramie Longhorn edition comes with a highly decorated interior with tanned leather seats, real wood grain panel finishing, and custom Longhorn embroidery stitching. The center console is clean and slick too. It’s conveniently placed upward including the rotary E-Shift knob for switching between gears. The massive 8.4″ UConnect system also really makes the driver/passenger experience a good one with simple and responsive user interface system that’s fast and easy to use. Strictly speaking of quality, the Dodge Ram Laramie Longhorn doesn’t fall short. Its plush leather seats, rugged leather stitching, detailed finishing and wood grain panels not only depict quality, but quality that will last under heavy use for years to come.

There’s more space than you would ever want in the front passenger area, and the rear seating arrangement healthily fits three adults with no complaints. Quality finishing continues throughout the second row passenger seating area with custom rear passenger climate controls. Front driver and passengers; though, enjoy first class amenities with heated and cooled seats.

Menacing Mechanical Performance

Equipped on our test model straps on a menacing 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 engine producing 240 horsepower and 420 lb.ft of torque, and it is the most efficient out of all available engine configuration options that include either a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 and the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 gasoline engine. Gear shift orchestra is directed by the TorqueFlite 8-speed automatic transmission, which Dodge claims is the only 8-speed transmission offered in the half-ton class.

Acceleration is not extraordinary per-se, but the shear 420 ft.lbs of torque made available by the EcoDiesel 3.0L and high gearing ratios do show its presence off the line; especially given its half-tonne curb weight class. But most impressive is its fuel economy. EPA ratings achieved by the EcoDiesel achieves 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway while the V6 Pentastar and V8 HEMI engine configurations achieves 25 MPG and 22 MPG on the highway respectively.  Towing capacity and payload is; however, on par with its competitors (mainly the Nissan Titan) at 9,210 lbs 1,600 lbs respectively.

The Experience

The 3.0L EcoDiesel really does soothe and mellow out the experience of driving a half tonne truck. Torque delivery is not abrupt, and is smooth and consistent across its power band, making driving generally easier and more predictable. There is no hiding behind the fact that it’s simply is a big truck. The good news is that there is excellent visibility all around the truck with massive rear and side-view mirrors, front and rear collision warning detection and a rear view camera. Surprisingly, I even found city driving very manageable and even survived a weeks long test drive with no panic attacks at all as a virgin truck driver. Our test model comes equipped with 4-corner air suspensions that allow the driver to manually adjust the height of the truck. It’s even intelligent enough to automatically lower the truck at highway speeds to improve aero dynamics and fuel economy. On top of that, I still found the Dodge Ram to be well behaved and overall, a very comfortable ride in both city and highway roads while still having plenty of off-road crawling capability.

Price does not come cheap. Our Dodge Ram 1500 Longhorn Crew Cab 4×4 model base price checks in at $62,495. Add in safety tech features, keyless entry, upgraded 3.0L EcoDiesel engine (add $4,700), power sunroof and 4-corner air suspensions, the final price comes in at a whopping $75,280.

I can certainly appreciate the spectacular interior quality and decal. But to me, it’s a bit too excessive for a work truck, and just doesn’t make sense to me. But perhaps, the Laramie Longhorn edition tailors to those of a very specific niche crowd.  And if there was a pet peeve, I’d  have to mention the justification for opting in for the pneumatic air-lift suspension.  Though a slick feature, air just doesn’t perform as well as conventional oil-filled spring dampened suspensions.  And the road-testing did reveal a bit of bounciness in the ride itself. 

Another characteristic that didn’t quite fit my taste was simply the exterior looks. Don’t get be wrong, it’s an awesome looking truck, but a bit country-farm and old-school for my taste. For those that prefer something more sharp, sleek and modern, look across the other side of the ocean. I’m speaking of the imported Nissan Titan, or Toyota Tacoma or Toyota Tundra.

Specifications

• Vehicle : 2016 Ram 1500
• Model : Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4×4
• Vehicle Type : Pickup Truck
• Seating Capacity : 2+3
• Engine : 3.0 V6 EcoDiesel
• Horsepower: 240 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque
• Transmission :  8 speed manual
• Price as tested: $75,280

Pros

• Ultra-spacious interior
• Modern styling despite its mini-van box-like chassis
• Practical and overall easy to drive

Cons

• Large form factor makes the Odyssey a clumsy every-day driver
• Lack of AWD makes the Odyssey susceptible to wet and slippery conditions.
• Fuel Economy is not at today’s expectations due to its naturally aspirated V6