Dodge's all-new 5.7-liter overhead-valve Hemi Magnum V-8. Its 345 horsepower comes at 5400 rpm; peak torque (375 lb-ft) is available at 4200.



Test Behavior

If you're used to driving big, torque-tuned pickups, you'd probably never guess just how quick a full-sizer can be. From zero to 60 mph, these two 2.5-ton beasts run like Pat Buchanan at an Eminem concert. The Chevy, its added weight apparently offset by its superior four-wheel-drive traction, has a slight edge, clicking off the run to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds, versus 6.8 for the Ram. Farther down the track, the small gap narrows. Our SS tripped the quarter-mile lights in 14.99 seconds at 89.05 mph; the Ram posted a nearly identical run of 15.11 seconds at 89.06. Such swiftness in a pickup truck is not only invigorating, it can be beneficial. The next time a buddy asks you to transport his couch, you can opt out simply by saying, "You ever seen what g forces do to Naugahyde?"