Ram Releases Tow Ratings for 2014 Ram 1500 Gas and Diesel V-6
Ram has fired the latest shot in the ongoing trailer tow ratings wars, releasing the latest specs for its new 2014 Pentastar and EcoDiesel V-6 pickup trucks.
The 2014 Ram 1500 equipped with the Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 will now receive a maximum tow rating of 7,450 pounds, thanks in large part to the addition of a stronger parking gear in the standard TorqueFlite eight-speed transmission. Ram claims the Pentastar-equipped 1500 pickup is now best in class for towing capacity. By comparison, the 2014 Chevy Silverado 4.3-liter V-6 can tow 7,200 pounds, and the Ford F-150 3.7-liter V-6 can pull 6,950 pounds.
If you're interested in V-8 grunt with better-than-V-6 fuel economy, you'll want the EcoDiesel 3.0-liter V-6 which, when dropped into the 4×2 long-bed Ram 1500, will be rated to tow 9,200 pounds. Ram says that this approaches the V-8 capabilities of competitor pickups, but will deliver much better than 25 mpg on the highway, beating the current fuel economy champ — Ram's own Pentastar V-6/eight-speed combination.
Of course, tow ratings being what they are with none of half-ton makers fully adhering to the Society of Automotive Engineers' (Toyota being the only exception), expect Ford and GM to come up with magic improvements to bolster their own numbers in the coming months as the game of one-upmanship continues.
