Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
You’d think by merely swapping Limited for Longhorn there wouldn’t be much difference in the way these two trucks look, but the former is focused much more on urbanites whereas as the latter is pure country. Think rich rancher instead of a simple ranch hand, mind you, the 2016 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Crew Cab Laramie Longhorn 4×4 starting at a cool $58,495 plus freight and fees compared to $31,095 for the base 1500 ST. The Laramie Limited? It’s priced even higher at $62,495.
In
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Personally I gravitate toward the Laramie Limited, at least from a style perspective. My fondness for western themed items has waned since my early teens, although there was a time the only place I didn’t wear my cowboy hat was in the shower. There was also a time I didn’t like avocados, spinach and sashimi. Our tastes change as we age and augment to our new surroundings, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the quality and refinement of finer things that don’t happen to fit my personal wardrobe.
The
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
On the steering wheel spokes and centre stack where satin silver trim might otherwise glitz up the look, that gold theme continues along with plenty of chrome, while Ram even details much of the cabin in genuine open-pore hardwood. The Laramie Longhorn’s Canyon Brown leather is adorned with traditional
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
The Laramie Longhorn also gets remote start, bright metal doorsill scuff plates, front- and rear-door accent lighting, premium door panels, some of the richest looking
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
My tester was also equipped with an optional powered sunroof, front and rear parking
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
I should also mention you can get the Longhorn with monotone paint and conventional satin silver painted wheel pockets for a more contemporary look, plus you don’t have to go with all the western themed stitching/etching inside either.
The gorgeous primary gauges can’t be exchanged, however, but who would want to?
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
All of the Laramie Longhorn’s switchgear is excellent, personal favourites being the space-saving rotating dial gear selector and its pushbutton part-time four-wheel drive interface, while the large buttons for the audio and HVAC system feature chromed rims and grippy rubber surrounds. All buttons, knobs and toggles fit
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
The seats in back are spacious with ample legroom, while a large flip-down centre armrest filled with cupholders separates rear passengers if three’s a crowd. Even better, the 60/40-split seat bottoms flip upward against the back wall, exposing a completely flat foldout load floor. Ram even fits tiny LED lamps to the bottom side of the seats so you can see what’s there at night.
My
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
You can’t find a more comfortable, nicer riding, better driving pickup truck on today’s market than this Ram 1500 in near top-line trim, especially when upgraded with the air suspension. It’s the only truck in its class with rear coil springs, which benefit both ride comfort and handling in a big way. They don’t seem to negate the 1500’s payload or towing capacities either, with my EcoDiesel 4×4 Crew Cab tester capable of 603 kilos (1,330 lbs) of what-have-you in the bed and 3,905 kg (8,610 lbs) of trailer weight. Other trims can tow up to 4,178 kg (9,210 lbs),
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
You can get the Laramie Longhorn with a 395 horsepower 5.7-litre Hemi V8 or Chryco’s award-winning 305 horsepower 3.6-litre V6 in lower trims, but my loaner’s 3.0-litre EcoDiesel V6 has become a personal favourite as it not only puts in a day’s labour like big gasoline-powered V8s and more, it’s also quick off the line and plenty powerful for highway passing manoeuvres. The Laramie Longhorn is a dream on the freeway, while it manages corners better than most half-ton pickups, the eight-speed automatic always finding the ideal gear to make the most of the engine’s 240 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. That it also achieves best-in-class
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Ram pickup popularity has grown tremendously over the past decade, with calendar year 2005 only finding 37,483 Canadian buyers and 2016 looking like it’ll come close to the 91,195 sold last year. Ram pickup sales regularly beat both Chevy’s Silverado and GMC’s Sierra individually and get pretty close to these GM twins when their formidable forces are combined. That level of growth can only come if you’re doing things right, and the Ram 1500 is well designed in almost every way.
The
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Other than that the Ram 1500 is a superb way to haul yourself, your family and your gear around town or country. Choose this dressed up Laramie Longhorn if you live in the latter or hanker to western ways, or opt for any number of other trims if you’re an urban trucker. It’s all good. Different strokes for different folks as they say, but all should be satisfied with a truck that’s a cut above most rivals.
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