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By Matt NaumanTheMercuryNews.com
December 16, 2005
Those nights were good preparation for my week with the 2006 Dodge Mega Cab. No, it wasn't a real monster truck with huge tires and a cool name like Grave Digger or Big Foot, but it certainly qualified as monstrous. "Abnormally or prodigiously large; huge; enormous,'' according to my well-worn Webster's. In fact, that's the whole purpose of this six-passenger, 7,500-pound, 20-foot-long pickup. Dodge gets right to the point in its press materials. The Ram Mega Cab has the largest and longest cab, the most interior volume, the largest cargo area behind the rear seat, the most second-row legroom -- the list goes on and on. The Mega Cab is a perfect fit in our world of big portions, big TVs, big airplanes. Here's what's nice: It's amazingly spacious on the inside, offering plentiful room for six large adults. And Dodge stuffed our test model with all sorts of niceties, including a navigation system, a fancy seven-speaker stereo with satellite radio and a sunroof. I can sit in the rear seat and my knees and shoulders and hips and head have plenty of space. The back seats recline, 22 to 37 degrees, Dodge says, which makes the Mega Cab feel like a $300,000 sedan from its sibling Maybach division. To get the extra space, Dodge engineers removed the 8-foot cargo bed from the Ram 2500 and replaced it with one that measures 6 feet, 3 inches. The result is a cab that measures 111 inches, or a foot longer than Ford's F-250 Crew Cab. It's sold in SLT or Laramie trim levels and in 1500 (half-ton), 2500 (three-quarter ton) and 3500 (one ton) variants. A 345-horsepower, 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 is standard on 1500 and 2500 models, while a Cummins turbo-diesel is standard on the 3500 and optional on the 2500. The diesel engine is rated at 325 horsepower and 610 pound-feet of torque. That's great power for towing, but acceleration is less than stellar from a stop light, and the diesel makes quite a racket. Too bad the not-so-nice list is almost as big as the truck itself. Let's start with price, which was nearly $51,000 on our test model. Then there's the ride, which is bumpy, and the diesel engine, which is loud and slow. Finally, this vehicle's size makes it a tight fit on many roads and nearly impossible to maneuver easily in parking lots. (And forget about most garages, both the ones at home and the ones at shopping centers and such.) Worse, though, is that this vehicle's size and height make it nearly impossible for many people to use. I had to use the grab handle to pull myself into the vehicle. Then I had to jump back down and help both of my sons scamper in and help my wife take that big first step. Also, the Ram Mega Cab is too heavy to require its manufacturer to list fuel-mileage numbers on its window sticker. That means mileage is very, very poor. Of course, Chrysler could volunteer that information, but the company doesn't. The smaller, lighter Rams (with gas engines) get 9 to 16 mpg in city driving and 12 to 21 mpg on the highway, according to www.fueleconomy.gov. If money is no object, then this vehicle's 34-gallon fuel tank does make for a long cruising range. Built in Coahuila, Mexico, the Ram Mega Cab joins a growing list of extraordinary pickups from Dodge. That includes the very fast Ram SRT10 and the very strong Ram Power Wagon. The look, highlighted by the shiny cross-hair grille with the ram's head logo now in the center, is familiar. Our test model was painted bright red. That color just accented the bulk of this vehicle. The interior is modern and comfortable, from leather seats to white-face gauges to metal trim surrounding the climate and stereo/navigation controls. The rear seats split and fold. Behind them you'll find hooks and a long storage bin. Sales of crew cab pickups have grown sixfold since 1999, so there's certainly a market for the Mega Cab. And it gives Dodge the bragging rights it so obviously wants. But, to me, this is a truck designed for those with very specific needs -- or with very big driveways. - - - Contact Matt Nauman at mnauman@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5701.
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