The 2016 Battle For Supremacy Has Begun, Ram Strikes First

When it comes to selling trucks, manufacturers hold onto specific titles. Whether that title is Best In Class Fuel Economy, Best In Class Towing, Best In Class Payload, Best In Class Torque, Best In Class Horsepower and the list goes on and on. These titles drive sales and are contested every year.

2016 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Laramie Limited

2016 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Laramie Limited

Last year, Ford and Ram battled hard for the Best In Class Towing. Ram claimed the title as they bumped their 3500 tow rating all the way up to 30,000 pounds. Then Ram claimed that all others were cheating the system by not using a third parties measuring system. They claimed that other manufacturers were removing key items to lighten the trucks in order to tow the heavier loads, but in reality, you couldn’t purchase a truck at the dealer that could tow that much weight. They laid heavy claim to the SAE J2807 spec.

Ford responded by re-classifying all of their trucks and bumped their F-450 to 31,200 pounds. Ford turned around and pointed to the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration classifications and said that the F-450 meets the class three requirements. There for, a third party is identifying the truck as a class three, and a third party is saying they tow 31,200 pounds. Ford took the crown but Ram wouldn’t accept for the first month or so. During August last year, both manufacturers were advertising Best In Class Towing. (Here is an article that discusses truck classifications.)

We can assume that GM will stay out of this contest as they are getting ready to introduce a new engine next year and there is really no advantage to showing their hand this early in the game by going after a Best In Class title. This means that it really is a contest between Ford and Ram.

Ram laid down the gauntlet Monday with some pretty impressive numbers.

  • 2016 Cummins 6.7-liter calibration hits a best-in-class 900 lb.-ft. of torque. The most torque ever offered in a mass-production vehicle
  • 2016 Ram 3500 crushes the competition with up to 31,210 pounds of SAE J2807-spec. towing capacity, beating the closest competitor by more than two tons
  • 2016 Ram 2500 holds best-in-class ¾-ton towing title with 17,980 pounds of capacity
  • Ram 3500 maintains best-in-class payload of 7,390 pounds with 6.4-liter HEMI V-8
  • Ram 3500 raises its best-in-class Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) to 39,100 pounds
2016 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Laramie Limited

2016 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Laramie Limited

There is no doubt that these are some serious numbers. They are bumping the torque up to 900 lb.-ft. of torque. This amount of torque will still require the Aisin transmission ($2,995 option) but the rest of the truck remains basically the same. The only other change Ram is acknowledging is the addition of four more ring gear bolts (16 now instead of 12).

“Ram has bookended its innovation leadership in the pickup segments and thoughtfully engineered better trucks, including our Ram 1500 with real-world fuel economy approaching  30 mpg and the Ram 3500 with a mind-boggling  31,210 pounds of towing capacity, even on the hottest day,” said Mike Cairns, Director— Ram Truck Engineering, FCA US. “Our 2016 Ram Trucks own pertinent, functional titles while delivering award-winning interiors and exclusive features that entice customers.”

Ram claims they are 2,000lbs of additional towing capacity compared to the closest competitor because they are not acknowledging the F-450. If you look at their new tow rating 31,210lbs you can clearly see they are behind the curtain acknowledging the F-450 because they bumped their capacity to ten pounds more than the F-450.

There is little doubt that Ford will respond to this new bar. The F-450 will probably see another 500 lbs or more to reclaim that title. The big question is can Ford’s Power Stroke backed by their Torqshift transmission handle more torque. Ford’s 6.7 Power Stroke currently produces 860 lb.-ft of torque. The torque curve does plateau, which indicates Ford is holding back some.

Stay tuned as we see what Ford and even GM’s response to the new bar are.

2016 Ram Heavy Duty Laramie Limited interior

2016 Ram Heavy Duty Laramie Limited interior

About the author

Chad Westfall

With diesel running through his veins from childhood, Chad has more than a decade of experience in the automotive industry. From editorial work to wrenching, there isn’t much he hasn't conquered head-on. When he’s not writing and shooting trucks and tech, you’ll find him in the shop working on turning the ideas floating around in his head into reality.
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