2007 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport 4x4We've had a lot of experience with Dodge trucks in the past year. The 1500 Mega Cab SLT won our Truck of the Year for 2006 and we've just written the last of our yearlong coverage of that vehicle. We also are currently driving a Cummins 2500 Mega Cab Laramie for a long-term evaluation. Therefore, in some ways, we felt right at home driving the 1500 Sport. One of the benefits, or curses, of driving this version was that we realized how spoiled, maybe even preoccupied, we had become with the Mega Cab's huge interior.
Sitting in the driver seat of the 1500 Sport, we couldn't tell much of a difference between it and its cousins. Here's why: That aggressive front-end design still screams "Ram;" we still appreciated the 5.7L Hemi-enabled ability to pull hard when the truck was full of people or towing; center console storage spaces were still huge; and it had the same no-nonsense overall interior design with cloth seats wrapped now in stain- and dirt-resistant material.
What distinguishes the 1500 Sport is its five-speed automatic transmission; body-color fascia and grille (in this case, painted a Brilliant Black glittered with metallic); 20-inch chrome-clad aluminum wheels; and fog lamps. Available options are the same as the SLT trim level.The Ram got 14.03 mpg, which tracks with what we got from the Mega Cab 1500. This fuel economy is close to the Sierra with its larger engine, and the F-150's smaller one.
The downsides include the two-wheel, rather than four-wheel, ABS; front IFS that's not as smooth as GM's; a rear that still likes to bounce on the freeway; and second-row seats that are not as roomy as you would expect from a crew cab configuration.
One thing about this truck that became clear to us: It's like a hot-rod work truck. It has power and performance; it did great off-road (as one staffer put it, "If you can't Dodge it, Ram it"); and carries people and cargo confidently. But, when it comes to creature comforts, Rams lag a bit behind GM brands and to some degree Ford brands. It's a well-rounded competitor that really only stands out as having an aggressive aura. As another staffer put it, "It knows it's a truck." If you use it as nothing more than a truck, you'll like it even more