Drove 2 BEASTS this weekend (car review)...

[Bavarian]

Beast 01 was a 2004 Dodge RAM Quad-Cab SLT HEMI 5.7L Pickup
The truck had leather and the Infinity Sound System (6 speaker). This was a rented Budget car with 32000km on her. I was extremely dissappointed by this truck - which so many people are buying and boasting about.

The HEMI V8 didn't have pickup anywhere NEAR the 4.4L in my X5. It felt severely underpowered in this Dodge - it shifted roughly up and down. The tranny had a mind of its own. It never shifted down unless I actually floored it. The steering was terribly disconnected, and waaaaay too light. The truck exhibited some of the worst body roll I've seen in years. You move the steering wheel an inch, and the whole body heaves like she's gonna turn over. The exhaust was loud and monotenous. The HEMI didn't rev freely at all. You could get it to about 3500RPM. Past that point, it's like someone put a cork in the exhaust pipe. This particular truck had 20" chrome wheels with 275/60/20 tires. The truck DID brake surprisngly quick for its size however. The sound system was god-awful - no treble at all, and the bass was booming in midrange. The doors, although with empty interior pockets rattled from somewhere within, even in low bass. If this is America's best buy truck, hand me the barf bag.

Beast 02 was a U-Haul 17-foot truck based on a Ford Econoline Van
This was a BEAST indeed. The U-Haul was powered by a 1998 Ford Econoline van front. It had a Triton V10 engine rated at 300hp or something like that. First of all, let me say that the top speed was 156km/h (98MPH). She wouldn't go faster, even downhill. Second of all, this truck does NOT stop. The brakes were next to useless (drum). The truck had an excellent 4-speed auto, which shifted smoother than the one in the Dodge pickup. I estimate 0-60MPG to be around 20 seconds. The V10 provided surprisingly decent passing power below 60MPH. It was enough to scare away several Pontiac Sunfires and a few 1990s Civics. The truck had one functional headlight, which at high beam, was as useful as 5 conventional flashlights. However, due to its great weight (my estimate 9000lb), the truck cornered EXCELLENTLY. You could throw her into any turn which the X5 could take, and the U-Haul plowed through. The suspension absorbed all imperfections in the road, plus the truck exhibited very little body roll, if any. The truck came with a 2-speaker stereo sound system with an in-dash tape plater. Ironically, while this didn't beat the Dodge's 6-speaker Infinity audio, it certainly sounded clearer.

City MPG observed on Dodge: 10
City MPG observed on U-Haul: 8
Highway MPG observed on Dodge: 14
Highway MPG observed on U-Haul: 9

Thanks for reading!

[Juanted]

So, what you're telling us is that IF you were in the market for a "beast," you'd rather buy the U-Haul Econoline over the Ram???

Juan

[Bavarian]

Originally Posted by Kaefer

So, what you're telling us is that IF you were in the market for a "beast," you'd rather buy the U-Haul Econoline over the Ram???

Juan

Yes I would. It's got much more cargo room (17-footer), and it's a closed box.

People always go and drive these supercars, and then write reviews. But nobody really buys those kinds of cars (i.e. Lambos).

So I figured doing a review on realistic vehicles would tailor better to the general crowd.

By the way, the U-Haul truck has a great intimidation factor; greater than a BMW's.

[Kewl X5]

Yeah, especially when driven by a Canadian! (just kidding!) :p

Originally Posted by Bavarian

By the way, the U-Haul truck has a great intimidation factor; greater than a BMW's.

[SANguru]

LOL.. we got 2 board members with Lambos... get a clue...

Originally Posted by Bavarian

Yes I would. It's got much more cargo room (17-footer), and it's a closed box.

People always go and drive these supercars, and then write reviews. But nobody really buys those kinds of cars (i.e. Lambos).

So I figured doing a review on realistic vehicles would tailor better to the general crowd.

By the way, the U-Haul truck has a great intimidation factor; greater than a BMW's.

[R8DX5]

Originally Posted by SANguru

LOL.. we got 2 board members with Lambos... get a clue...

Who are they and when is the meet???