2021 RAM 3500: A Deep Dive
Posted on January 26, 2021
Overview
One of our favourite vehicles on the CarHub North York and Caledon lots is the 2021 RAM 3500. As a Chrysler Dodge Jeep and Ram dealership, we love talking about this doozy of a heavy-duty pickup and thought that we’d lay out some of the reasons that you should love it too.
Some vehicles are made for style, some grace, some for pure power. The 2021 RAM 3500 is the rare unicorn that manages a balancing act of power and luxury in equal measure. The RAM is built for a certain type of magic, specifically hauling hard and getting the job done, no matter what comes its way.
Today, we’re going to give you the straight goods about the biggest beast of the bunch in the RAM trim line, the mighty 3500. This truck is large and in charge: it boasts a massive max towing capacity and engine torque that can pull up to 37,100 pounds. If you opt for it, the world-renowned Cummins diesel allows for 1075lb-ft of torque.
Now that’s power!
Wait, you say power’s great but what’s power without comfort? Well, fair enough. Luckily for you, the RAM 3500 also offers best in class luxury in its interior. It’s as quiet as a sound booth in the cab and the 12’’ infotainment console is unbeatable in terms of size and features. This is the truck for you if you want to add a dash of luxury to your workhorse.
Now, on to the rundown! New year, new you, new 3500. Let’s check out what’s happening under the hood in the 2021 RAM 3500.
What’s Going On Under the Hood?
The standard power in all of the 3500 models is a 410 horsepower 6.4-liter V8 which allows for 429 lb-ft of torque. Each of these engines is paired with a capable, eight-speed automatic transmission.
To kick it up a notch, the 3500 is also available with a 6.7 litre Cummins diesel inline-six-cylinder engine.
The 3500 comes in two versions of the diesel, one that allows for 370 horsepower and 850lb-ft of torque and a high-output version that allows for a whopping 1075 lb-ft of torque.
That’s enough power to haul a house. We’re not saying that you’d ever need to haul a house, but if you want to, you’d know that you could with the RAM 3500. Supposing you don’t need to haul a house, however, the 3500 would take care of everything else that you may need to tow or carry, whether it be work-related or weekend warrior project.
Speaking of towing, let’s talk towing capacity.
Towing Capacity and Payload
Now we’re getting into the real heavy-duty business. The stuff that separates the 3500 from the rest of the pack. Let’s be honest, if you’re buying a 3500, you’re probably going to want to do some heavy lifting with this bad boy. So how much heavy lifting can the 3500 handle, exactly?
If you have the Cummins High Output equipped 3500, you’re looking at 1000 lb-ft of torque, with a towing capacity of 37,000 pounds and a max payload of 7680 pounds.
Heavy-duty stuff!
If you’re talking about the standard V8 in the 3500, you’re still going to get some serious power, with a payload capacity of 3240 pounds and a tow capacity of 14, 370 pounds.
That means whether you’re a weekend warrior or a daily grinder, the 3500 has the brawn to power through any job you can conjure up for it.
Interior Comfort Cargo
One thing’s for sure, the 3500 does not skimp on interior comfort. It’s a choose your own adventure of features as trim levels and cab styles will allow you to customize the interior of your truck extensively.
The regular cab offers seating for two or three with 40.9 inches of legroom. Crew and mega cab variants provide the same amount of front legroom, but rear legroom measures 40.2 and a limo-like 43.1 inches, respectively.
The regular cab offers your passengers 40.9 inches of legroom - more than enough to stretch out and get comfy. If you want to go big in the cab department, you can choose the Crew or Mega Cab option, which will grant you the largest rear seats for a truck in its class and legroom that measures 40.2 and 43.1 inches. Your passengers will thank you, or you can use this added space for your work material, should you need it. Passengers in the rear will also have the option to recline in their seats - a feature that is singular to the RAM 3500 in the heavy-duty pickup truck range.
The RAM is an outlier in its field as a workhorse with luxury-level details thrown into the mix. The top-level of the trim line, the Longhorn offers such quality details as striped wood and gold trim flecked throughout the interior of the cab.
Fuel Economy
The RAM 3500 is such a massive beast that its fuel economy rate is not estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency. That’s because it is classified as a commercial vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of over 8500 pounds. Sure, you may like to pick up your groceries and run your kids to soccer practice in your RAM 3500 but the EPA insists that this is a commercial vehicle first and foremost.
Car and Driver did a real-world fuel economy test in a RAM 3500, however, and they concluded that it did 16 mpg on its test route. It should be noted that the 3500 that Car and Driver tested was a monstrous truck, with a high-output Cummins engine, a mega cab and a dual rear-wheel axle.
Infotainment
No one could talk about interior luxury and desirability without digging into the specs of the infotainment system.
As per infotainment, you’ll get Uconnect 4C technology in the 3500, an option for SiriusXM Guardian, Apple CarPlay support and Android Auto integration, Voice Command, Bluetooth streaming ability and an option for SiriusXM.
You’ll also get a 12 inch screen on the dash and a 360 camera in the cargo bed camera so you can get a glimpse at the goods you’re hauling, should you be so inclined.
Add in a standard feature of acoustic glass and active noise cancellation and you’ve got a whisper-quiet ride that will allow you to enjoy the full extent of your infotainment package without being disturbed by the massive rumble of the 3500’s powerful engine.
Mega Cab
Talk about leg room! The RAM 3500 comes with an option for The Mega Cab, which extends the crew cab by 11.1 inches. This adds about 6 inches of storage capacity to the cab, with behind the seat storage getting a big boost.
The Mega Cab also comes equipped with reclining rear seats, so those dog-tired work crews who you’re carting home can get a good rest in at the end of a long day. Work crew or not, your rear passengers are going to love to lounge in The Mega Cab recliners.
In the words of one of CarHub’s friendly Product Advisors, ‘The Mega Cab is big enough to fit a small elephant in it!’ If that’s not big enough for your work and life needs, we don’t know what is.
Cargo Space
Your passengers are important but cargo space is likely the name of the game if you’re opting for a serious beast of a truck like the 3500. You’ll be please to note that you have some options in the bed of your 3500 as well. You can opt for the 6 foot, 4 inch bed or up the ante with a longer 8 foot box. The 6 footer will provide you with 57.5 cubic feet of volume, while the longer bed will measure a solid 74.7 cubic feet. Whether it’s a DIY home project on your work list or a professional job, that’s some no fooling around cargo space.
Safety Considerations
Although you likely have many considerations that you take into account when purchasing a new truck, safety should reasonably be high on the list. The 3500 is a working vehicle, meant to haul serious weight and power through any tough situation that it may find itself in.
The 3500 consistently scores high on safety ratings and there are a number of features that come with the vehicle that will aid in consistent safety performance of your 3500. These include blind spot monitoring, trailer sway control, traction control, adaptive cruise control, front collision warning, electronic roll mitigation, emergency braking and electronic stability control, so you can feel safe in the knowledge that the 3500 will be able to take on whatever the road has to throw at it.
When equipped with a Cummins engine, the 3500 comes with an engine brake system to make sure you have the stopping power you need to bring this beast to a standstill.
Specs Rundown Across Trims
The RAM 3500 comes in five trim levels: the Tradesman, Big Horn, Laramie, Longhorn and Limited. All trim levels have the option of multiple cab configurations, so we’ve dug into some of the specs at your disposal for all of them. Here’s the Coles Notes version:
Tradesman
18 inch styled steel wheels
Class V hitch receiver
Heavy duty vinyl 40/20/40 front bench seat
Uconnect 3 multimedia centre with 5 inch display and 4 speakers
6.4L HemiV8 engine
Big Horn
18 inch chrome clad steel wheels SRW
Black, power, heated 7x11 inch trailer tow mirrors, manual folding with supplemental turn signals and courtesy lamps
Chrome front/rear bumpers with chrome grille and black billets
Cloth 40/20/40 front bench seats
6.4L HemiV8 engine
8 speed automatic transmission
Laramie
18 inch polished aluminum wheels
Chrome, power-folding, heated 7x11 inch trailer tow mirror with memory, supplemental turn signals and courtesy lamps
Leather faced heated 40/20/40 front bench seats
Park sense front and rear assist
6.4L HemiV8 engine
8 speed automatic transmission
For the best mix of capability, space, luxury, and price, we would stick with the most popular model, which is the 2500 4x4 Crew Cab Laramie.
Limited Longhorn
Chrome, power-folding, heated 7x11 inch trailer tow mirror with memory, supplemental turn signals and courtesy lamps, power convex mirrors and trailer spotter light
Premium leather-wrapped steering and shift knob
Premium leather ventilated bucket seats
6.4L HemiV8 engine
8 speed automatic transmission
Limited
20-inch chrome aluminum wheels (SRW)
Blind-spot monitoring with trailer detection and rear cross-path detection
Premium leather front bucket seats
Rambox cargo management system (6’4’’ box, SRW)
6.4L HemiV8 engine
8 speed automatic transmission
Roundup
The RAM 3500 is a no-nonsense, working person’s dream with options for levels of luxury that are unmatched in the heavy-duty pickup truck class. So whether it’s a whisper-quiet, bump-free ride in your brawny diesel-powered behemoth or just the power to get any tough worksite job done, the RAM 3500 is a pickup truck that’s up to the task.
We have a broad selection of RAM 3500’s available on our lots, so you can book an appointment today to speak with one of our friendly and knowledgeable Product Advisors at our CarHub North York or CarHub Caledon locations about how to drive away in a RAM 3500 today.