AmSnow.com is now SnoWest.com
The truck is as comfortable as any we’ve been in the past several years. We like the big front bench seat so you can spread out a bit, or haul a third person up front. Or there’s a giant fold down armrest and storage box big enough for a laptop if you need to tote one along on a trip or job.
The test truck had black leather seats with white stitching and shiny chrome trim on the doors and center stack. But I like the matte look on the wheels’ hub to avoid too much glare in the driver’s eyes on sunny days. Dodge continues with fake wood trim on the dash and doors too, but it’s tastefully done. Also like that the seats are power here for easy adjustment up front.
Other goodies here include automatic lights, trip computer and other adjustments on the steering wheel hub, a trailer brake setting on the lower left of the dash, two-speed heated seats and a super hot heated steering wheel. That’s a great feature in winter when your hands are already cold from working in the trailer or on the sleds, but you’ll probably want to turn it off shortly after you get rolling. It heats up fast and is extremely hot.
Other electrical pluses include two 12-volt outlets and a 115-volt 150-watt plug in in the dash.
Adjusting the 4-wheel drive is easy with a knob on the dash to switch back to 2-wheel-drive or Low, if needed. It takes the system a few seconds to recycle, which is not a problem unless parking the truck. Then press the button and wait about 2 seconds and you’ll be able to turn the steering wheel much easier with 4WD turned off.
Most everything else works quite well here, but I have to call out the defroster and the driver’s door. The door frequently did not latch well, unless you hold it firmly and push it shut. Don’t think about just swinging the door shut with a sweep of the arm.
And the defroster was, well, pretty bad. It would not clear ice that was beyond 2/3 of the way up the windshield. So you were always fighting visibility woes if it was below 10 degrees and moist at all, like when there’s snow! The truck, despite about $9,000 of optional equipment, did not have a rear window defroster either, which made rear viewing pretty tough at times too. These are rare problems in a pickup and Dodge needs to address this.
Out back is a big full-size pickup bed, plus a bright bed light. Plus the tailgate is easier to lower here than in GM’s pickups, which sometimes feel a bit clunky. Back seat folks also will appreciate all the room, plus two giant cup holders and air ducts, a benefit in winter.
The heavy-duty truck doesn’t come cheap, but you wouldn’t expect it to. This Crew Cab version starts at $42,450 and with options exploded to $52,400. You have to pay extra for a heavy-duty pickup, but choose your options wisely to keep your costs