Dodge Mega Cab not difficult to pick out of a crowded room
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Dodge has created the 2006 Mega Cab pickup for people who need to get a big job done. This is the 2500 equipped with the optional Cummins turbo diesel.
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The Dodge Mega Cab is no shrinking violet when it comes to literally standing out in a crowd.
As the pickup truck with the largest cab on the market today, it's impossible to miss.
The Ram trucks we know today debuted at the Detroit auto show in 1994 when Chrysler dropped it from the ceiling onto the show floor where it hit like an atomic bomb, sending shock waves out through the pickup truck segment. With its big rig looks and the huge crosshair grille, the Ram punched its way back into the consciousness of pickup buyers that has never abated since.
At the introduction of the Mega Cab, DaimlerChrysler officials admitted that before the 1994 Ram, Dodge had slipped to the level of a bit player.
"We had nothing to lose," said Russ Ruedisueli, the chief engineer of the Mega Cab. In hindsight it was a gamble that hit the jackpot.
There is nothing dainty or cute about it. The Mega Cab is all about work and getting the job done. An example is the simulated wood trim used in the cabin. Designers were split down the middle on whether to use it or not, because some potential buyers thought it something of a frill in a work truck while others thought a touch of class as apropos. In the end, the designers went with the wood trim.
Of course the raison d'etre for the Mega Cab is interior space that is truly "mega" no matter how you look at it. Dodge took its longest wheelbase Ram with its eight-foot box and grafted on a six-foot, three-inch box taking the remained 20-inches to create a back seat area that makes airline first-class seating looking coach-class.
About a foot longer than a Ford Crew Cab, the interior boasts no less than 2,044 litres (72,2 cu ft) of volume that is close to a regular wheelbase minivan. Stretch your feet out and you still won't be able to touch the front seat. In fact the legroom in the back is 1,123 mm or 44.2 inches, long enough for even Shacq. The seats are so far back from the fronts, you can't even reach the B-pillar mounted grab handle. The split/fold back seats recline from 22 to 37 degrees. And with doors that open 85 degrees, Dodge showed how two, giant screen TVs could fit crosswise across the back seat cushion.
I drove both the Cummins Diesel and Hemi versions of the Mega Cab and I can tell you it's a hefty hike up and into the front seat. Once aboard, there is simply acres of space. A mammoth armrest and storage compartment between the front seats turns out to the backrest for a centre seat up front, should you need it. Even with three up across the front, there's still no crowding.
The controls and their placement are done for ease of recognition and deployment. It's obvious Dodge held many clinics on this truck with a lot of working people and listened to what they wanted in a truck.
As you would expect, there are scores and scores of ways to fit engines, drivetrains and options/accessories to meet specific needs. Basically the Mega Cab comes in 1500/2500/3500 work rated versions, in two trim levels (SLT and Laramie) and with a choice of two engine options. First up is the 5.7-litre Hemi OHC V8 with 345 hp and 375 ft/lb of torque. Lastly is the Cummins, 5.9-litre inline six-cylinder turbo diesel with 325 hp and, get this, 610 ft/lb of torque. The Cummins is so strong and reliable it will outlive anyone on this planet and has enough grunt to pull a house off its foundations in one go. The Hemi is standard on the 1500 and 2500, the Cummins standard on the 3500 and optional on the 2500.
Because of the many ways a buyer can customize the Mega Cab, pricing covers a wide range. But basically it starts, at $35,740/$39,630 for the 1500 SLT 4X2/4X4. At the upper end, the Cummins-equipped SLT/Laramie 4X4 is $50,495/$54,920. My tester, a Cummins 2500 Laramie 4X4 was $47,520.
Driving a big rig like the Cummins Mega Cab is a big job. You don't want to let your concentration drift. With a width of 2,019 mm (79.5 in), it fills most of your lane. And because the wheelbase is 4,072 mm (160.3 in), that means there is a whole lot of metal trailing along behind you. Turning corners too fast, or too soom, means clipping the curb, or worse, a wrongly place telephone pole.
Even when on your toes, the Cummins Mega Cab makes its weight felt when cornering or stopping. Once you understand what you are driving, the Mega Cab proves surprisingly easy to drive despite its height and heft (8,800 lb GVWR). The road manners are primarily due to the decision to drop Dodge's long reliance on torsion bars for coil over MacPherson struts. The rear, however, is still a massive solid axle with leaf springs. With an empty box, the rear will hop over ruts, but anyone buying a truck like this knows that going in.
Later in the day it was time to drive the Mega Cab with the Hemi. Instead of leather throughout, climate controls and Mercedes-Benz sourced sound system, the Hemi was not austerely fitted out, but it was simply done without ostentation. The interior was done in a checked-pattern cloth and the radio was just that, with an MP3/CD players thrown in. Oh yes, the wood trim was also included.
The Hemi, with its naturally quicker acceleration was more spritely on the highway, but one constantly had to keep in mind this was one big truck so braking is something you always plan for in advance-- leaving lots of space between you and the next guy.
Out on the near deserted two-lane blacktops west of Kananaskis, you could lope along at 80 km/h and relax enough to gaze at the scenery rolling out for miles on either side. With the big Cummins rumbling away, it was akin to a ship gliding across a calm sea-- quite enjoyable.
And I guess the above puts into perspective where the big truck market is going. Like SUVs, concentrating on utility comes first, but now it's more than a painted sheet metal interior with sticky vinyl seats.
Big may be better, but adding a touch of posh gives the Dodge Mega Cab a b***er step up in the full-size pickup segment.
DODGE MEGA CAB PICKUP
BODY STYLE: full-size pickup.
DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, four-/rear-wheel drive;
ENGINE: 5.8-litre, OHV V8 (345 hp, 375 lb/ft); 5.9-liter Cummins turbo diesel (325 hp, 610 lb/ft_
FUEL ECONOMY: NA (go figure)
PRICE: 1500 SLT 4X2/4X4, $35,740/$39,630; 3500 Cummins-equipped SLT/Laramie 4X4 $50,495/$54,920. Cummins 2500 Laramie 4X4 as tested $47,520
Source: Northpeel.com
-Matt-
Dodge Mega Cab not difficult to pick out of a crowded room
