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The 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 received a major facelift, as well as a more powerful engine lineup, and Dodge has claimed their spot atop the half ton truck in the market.  Their key foreign competitor in the market is the 2008 Toyota Tundra, last year's Motor Trend Truck of the Year.  We tested the 2008 Toyota because they had not released their 2009 model in time for testing.  However, it has been stated that there will be only minor aesthetic changes to last year's champion.


Powertrain
The 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 and 2008 Toyota Tundra offer the most powerful standard engine lineups  in the standard full-size truck class lineups, along with both offering a six cylinder option.   The 2009 Ram has a revamped engine lineup, beginning with a 3.7L V6 making 210 horsepower, followed by a 310 horsepower 4.7L V8, and the premium engine is the 390 horsepower Hemi.    The 2008 Toyota Tundra begins with a 235 horsepower 4.0L V6, followed by a 276 horsepower 4.7L V8, and their premium engine is the 5.7L i-Force V8 making 381 horsepower.  

This year brought about a complete redesign for the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500, and Dodge has staked their claim as the top half ton truck in the market.  One key competitor in that market is the 2009 Chevy Silverado 1500.  There is little change from the 2008 model, but where Dodge has taken an approach of being the most powerful trucks on the road, General Motors has keyed the Silverado in on being the most efficient truck in the class.

Powertrain
The 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 and 2009 Chevy Silverado 1500 offer the most powerful engine lineups in the full-size truck class, along with offering a base model V6.  The 2009 Ram has an improved engine lineup, beginning with a 3.7L V6 making 210 horsepower, followed by a 310 horsepower 4.7L V8, and the premium engine is the 390 horsepower Hemi.    The 2009 Silverado returns the VORTEC engine lineup from the 2008 model year, starting with a 4.3L V6 making 195, followed by a pair of V8s; one measuring 4.8L and making 295 horsepower, the other being a 5.3L offering 315 horsepower.  Chevy also offers two premium engine choices, although they do not come standard in any of the trimlines.  The first is a 6.0L making 367 horsepower, and the top option is the 403 horsepower 6.2L V8.

This year brought about complete redesigns for both the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 and the 2009 Ford F150.  The Dodge Ram and the Ford F150 were improved in almost every way, and they each staked their claim as the best new truck on the market thanks to positive reviews.  We traveled to the Ford Proving Grounds to put the new Dodge Ram and Ford F150 head to head to see which is truly the best truck of 2009.

Powertrain
The 2009 Dodge Ram and 2009 Ford F150 both have improved engine lineups, but even with the changes to the F150, the Ram still has a definite advantage in power.  The Dodge Ram options begin with a 3.7L V6 making 210 horsepower, followed by a 310 horsepower 4.7L V8, and the premium engine is the 390 horsepower Hemi.  The 2009 F150 boasts an entry level 4.6L V8 engine that offers 248 horsepower but still gets over 20mpg, and the next level is another 4.6L V8, this one making 292 horsepower.  The Ford F150's premium engine option is their Triton 5.4L. While the 310 horsepower is an increase over the previous models, it falls short of the Hemi.  

The new Dodge Challenger has allowed Dodge enthusiasts a chance to buy a new "muscle car", with the definition of rear wheel drive, front engine, V8s.  However, models like the Charger SRT-8 and Dodge Viper SRT-10 have filled the gap in Dodge performance, although in other segments, and both have proven to be very successful.

In speaking with a handful of performance enthusiasts (both Dodge, other domestic, and import enthusiasts), I found that the following models were the most commonly mentioned in the question of "what is the best Dodge muscle car of all time?  There is no right answer, so here are the 8 models that were mentioned when I was asking people the same question, so I present to DodgeForum a tail of the tape for each of the following 8 cars for your consideration in what you would pick as the greatest Dodge muscle car.