Overview:
This week I needed another pickup truck for the ranch, so I’m reviewing the results of the week with the 2005 Dodge Power Wagon with a Hemi Magnum V8. Not juice (V8) but it has plenty of that anyway. It’s a regular cab model and built for work.
My friend Lev is a high desert cowboy and hard work and hard working trucks impress guys like him. And yes they still exist outside of Hollywood movies like Lonesome Dove and Open Range.
Well Lev, I liked it a lot too because it was a great help. Off to Home Depot and Lowe’s for a load of brick and redi-mix cement. As the forklift lowered a pallet of used brick the bed went down like an elevator. Ground floor! Time to leave so I could return for a ton of cement. Boy, it sure did steer easy cruising down the highway. Lev was also impressed with the built in Winch with a half-inch metal cable and a “sky hook” that would pull a house. The remote control allows you to operate the winch from inside as well as outside the vehicle. It sure empowers you knowing that in addition to the 4-wheel drive you could pull yourself out of any other trouble off road. I could have used one on the Hummer H1 that I tested and managed to get stuck in the mud. It was an old Chevy Blazer with a “Winch” to the rescue that day to pull a $100,000 Hum Vee out of the mud. How embarrassing that was.
Anyway, this Power Wagon was also a big help picking up downed fencing around the ranch, but I made a slight modification to this beauty by mistake. Loading boards was going great right up till the load went high enough to reach the rear window. You got it! I’m sure you can picture that last board sliding smoothly as I watched it shatter the rear window into a million pieces. My fault, not the trucks. But it did lead me to wonder if there weren’t a way to provide for such operator stupidity.
Handling & Performance:
Actually pretty wonderful. Men can take hard work a lot easier and even enjoy it when they have a powerful helpmate like this truck.
Styling:
No one does it better than Dodge. They just have that look of capable, strong, powerful and better looking than it should be. That massive grill makes the statement complete.
Fit and Finish:
Very good and once again better than a truck needs to be. For a real ranch application they could also lose the rug. It doesn’t take long to destroy it with normal work use.
Cost:
A lot but it’s a lot of truck too.
Conveniences:
I really liked the winch, but I would have liked to have 110 Power outlets in this Power Wagon.
Consumer Recommendation:
GM, Chrysler and Ford have a long history of making the toughest trucks. You might want to take a look at Toyota and Nissan as well.
The Competition:
Dodge Power Wagon $25-40,000, Ford F250 $23-37,000, Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD $24-41,000.
Good News:
Power and strength to haul a real load.
Bad News:
Gas guzzler (35 gal. Std. Equip fuel tank says it all), under rail bed liner looks good but is not as functional as one that covers the rear rail paint.
Standard Equipment:
5.7 liter Hemi Magnum V8 Engine, 5-speed automatic trans, leather trimmed 40/20/40 bench seat, power drivers seat, airbags with passenger On/Off switch, 4-wheel ABS disc brakes, manual shift on the fly 4-wheel drive transfer case, power steering, stabilizer bar, 35 gallon fuel tank, intermittent wipers, trailer tow wiring 4 pin connector, air conditioning, cruise control, power windows and locks, remote keyless entry, overhead console with trip computer, stereo with CD player, cab back storage bin, heated front seats. Optional Equipment: leather wrapped steering wheel, center seat cushion storage, dual zone air controls, deluxe power driver seat, Tru Lok front and rear differentials, aluminum wheels, front electric winch, GVW 8510 lbs rated, clearance lights, tow hooks, fog lights, skid plate shield on transfer case and fuel tank, auto dim rearview mirror, security alarm and theft deterrent system, side air bags, in-dash 6-disc CD changer with 4 additional speakers, rear window defroster, GPS navigation system and under rail bed liner.
Gas Stats:
City and Highway MPG
Pricing:
MSRP $29,750, with options $43,260
Your comments are welcomed. My e-mail is joe@atthewheel.com
Copyright © 2005 – An Automotive Love Affair
