In the Chrysler booth at SEMA last November sat an unassuming Deep Water Blue Ram 2500 Quad Cab, one that we thought would make for one heck of a nice daily driver. After perusing the spec sheet, we found out that this Ram was built as an exercise to show off Mopar accessories that are available from the very dealership where you would purchase your new Ram. These products are reasonably priced and are developed to last the life of the vehicle.
Featuring a much stronger stance than stock, this Ram has been upgraded with Toyo Open Country M/T 35x12.50R17 rolling stock, mounted on factory chrome wheels, made possible by Mopar's 2-inch spacer-style leveling kit. This extra altitude is enough to necessitate the addition of Mopar's 5-inch chromed oval sidesteps to make for easier entry into the cab. The bed is protected by a color-matched tonneau cover, which features an easy-opening hinge system and tailgate lock for weather resistant security.
The Mopar/Katzkin leather...
The Mopar/Katzkin leather seats are made from creamy leather with exterior color-matched suede-like inserts.
Inside the new-to-Ram HD Crew Cab are a bevy of upscale touches, most notably the Mopar-developed Katzkin leather seat covers. These covers are beautifully crafted in dark slate with blue inserts that match the exterior paint color. Mopar offers a variety of color combinations with your choice of accent stitching and piping colors. Mounted in the front headrests, rear passengers can enjoy their own 7-inch DVD player that includes a remote control and headsets for those long drives.
Other Mopar chrome styling touches include door sill guards, tailgate bezel, fuel door, B-pillar appliqués, and an exhaust tip to add a little more upscale flair to the already luxurious pickup.
Rear seat passengers can enjoy...
Rear seat passengers can enjoy DVD entertainment systems mounted in the front seat headrests.
We spent two weeks living with "Big Blue," including a family trip to San Diego. In our travels, we noticed more than a few turned heads from our fellow motorists. On the highway, ride quality did not suffer, and the gentle hum from the Toyo tires was no louder than the Cummins at work. Even with all of the upgrades, the cab remained peaceful, and with our two-year-old tester in the back watching her DVDs, everyone enjoyed the drive.
Doing exactly what Mopar is aiming for, all of these genuine accessories worked well together and added style and function to an already great-looking package. Although we did take it on some fire roads, obviously the intention of this truck is not for trail duty, but it does make for one helluva nice family tow rig. Hey Mopar, think you can spare the keys again?
| Total Package Cost (MSRP) |
| 35x12.5R17 Toyo M/T tires (street price per tire) |
$350.00 |
| Katzkin Leather seat covers |
$1,199.00 |
| Rear Seat Entertainment DVD system |
$1,625.00 |
| Bright B-pillar trim kit |
$119.00 |
| Chromed door sill guards (set of four) |
$178.00 |
| Chromed tailgate bezel |
$39.00 |
| Chrome fuel door |
$132.00 |
| Chrome exhaust tip |
$99.30 |
| Chromed 5-inch Side Steps |
$614.00 |
| Color-matched hard tonneau cover |
$1,290.00 |
| Total |
$6,695.30 |