2010 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 Sport Trim Level Overview

2010 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 Sport SWB 4WD

Combining four-wheel drive with an obscenely powerful Hemi engine, the Ram Sport SWB 4WD will take you anywhere - in a hurry. Offered with only the short, 6-foot-4-inch bed, the Sport trades cargo hauling capability for drag-race bragging rights.

The exterior features an aggressive body-color grille and 20-inch chrome wheels. Breathing through a sport-tuned dual exhaust, the Hemi V8 proves this truck is about both show and go; it churns out 390 hp and 407 lb/ft of tire-shredding torque. Mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, the Ram Sport 4WD positively leaps off the line, even with a slightly taller 3.55 axle ratio (rear-wheel-drive Sport trims come with 4.10 gears).

Inside the Ram Sport 4WD gets a pair of grippy, power bucket seats in lieu of the traditional split bench. A sporty floor shifter replaces the column-mounted unit, and Sport-specific badges abound. Equipment is similar to that of the SLT trim level, with power accessories and an AM/FM/CD stereo (now with steering-wheel controls) all standard.

2010 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 Sport SWB

The Ram Sport SWB challenges the notion that pickup trucks are for work and not play. Catering to buyers for whom performance trumps utility, the Ram Sport offers aggressive styling and truly impressive performance. The rugged exterior of more traditional Ram trucks is jazzed up with 20-inch chrome wheels and a color-matched grille.

Sport trims feature the fire-breathing Hemi V8 and a limited-slip rear end as standard equipment. Offering 390 hp and a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) configuration with 4.10 gearing, the Ram Sport will gladly smoke its tires at the mere suggestion of full throttle.

The performance theme is carried over to the interior, where bucket seats and a floor shifter replace the traditional 3-person bench. Those seats offer standard power adjustment with lumbar and have a firm, sporty feel. Power accessories and keyless entry are standard, and the excellent CD stereo gains steering-wheel controls.

2010 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 Sport Quad Cab 4WD

Offering sporty looks with performance to match, the Ram Sport Quad Cab 4WD combines a powerhouse Hemi motor with electronic four-wheel drive and the medium-size four-door cab. Fans of the dearly departed Ram SRT-10 model (powered by a ludicrous, 500-hp Dodge Viper engine) have found a spiritual successor, this time available with 4WD.

Outside, the body-color trim and 20-inch chrome-clad alloy wheels set a racy tone. Inside, front-seat passengers are treated to firm bucket seats and unique Sport badges, while rear-seat occupants make do with the standard, rather cramped, Quad Cab bench. The truck still has a 6-foot-4-inch cargo bed, and with the 4WD it can tackle any number of big jobs.

The 390-hp Hemi is standard, of course, and the only transmission available is the five-speed automatic overdrive (a manual gearbox, formerly offered in the SRT-10, would really make this truck stand out). Options include leather seats, an upgraded stereo with navigation, and a shorter final-drive ratio of 3.92, which should put an exclamation point on its performance, if not its already dismal fuel mileage.

2010 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 Sport Quad Cab

Built more for speed than for hauling gear, the Ram Sport Quad Cab features a pot-walloping 5.7-liter Hemi engine as standard equipment. With 390 hp and 407 lb/ft of torque on tap, this truck will redefine your notions of what a performance vehicle can be.

Riding on a long, 140-inch wheelbase, the Sport Quad Cab has a 6-foot-4-inch cargo bed and seats five. 20-inch chrome wheels and a body-color grille impart an aggressive look to the exterior. The performance theme is continued inside with a pair of sporty bucket seats and a floor-mounted shifter.

A five-speed automatic is the only transmission choice; it drives the rear wheels through a 3.21 limited-slip differential. Shorter gears (3.55 or 3.92) are available for those who want to maximize performance. Fuel economy is understandably poor; with the 3.92 rear end, owners are unlikely to match even the EPA's estimate of 14 city/20 highway mpg.

2010 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 Sport Crew Cab

The Ram Sport Crew Cab is a high-style, high-performance rear-wheel-drive (RWD) truck. Although not set up for serious towing (which is what you'd usually use a long-wheelbase, two-wheel-drive truck for), this trim level does offer the option of performing a smoky burnout on the way out of the lumberyard. That's because tire-shredding torque (407 lb/ft of it) flows like a river out of its standard 5.7-liter Hemi V8.

Sporty exterior trim, a body-color grille, and flashy 20-inch chrome wheels differentiate the Sport Crew Cab from more pedestrian Ram styles. The go-fast look carries over to the interior, with bucket seats up front and a floor-mounted shifter. The rear bench offers generous legroom.

Its small, 5-foot-6-inch bed hampers the truck's cargo utility, and the lack of four-wheel drive means that an intemperate press of the accelerator will induce instant over-steer on snowy or even slick roads. That begs the question, was the Ram Sport Crew Cab designed with truckers or drifters in mind?

2010 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 Sport Crew Cab 4WD

More showoff truck than mud-splattered work truck, the Ram Sport Crew Cab 4WD does manage to blend a bit of utility into its intoxicating performance cocktail. With electronic, shift-on-the-fly 4WD and a 6,000-pound towing capacity, this truck can do at least its fair share of the work. But the small, 5-foot-7-inch cargo bed and glittering chrome wheels hint that this truck has other tricks up its sleeve.

Packing a 390-hp punch from its 5.7-liter Hemi V8 and available with 3.92 rear axle gears, the Ram Sport Crew Cab 4WD accelerates with authority. The coil-spring suspension provides a car-like ride, and the racy interior could have you thinking that this is a sports car (albeit an exceedingly tall, heavy one).

Standard equipment includes a body-color grille and front fascia, six-passenger interior with cloth bucket seats (leather is optional), and all the usual power accessories. Optional navigation and rear-seat DVD system would make the Sport Crew Cab 4WD a great long-distance cruiser, provided you can stomach its fuel consumption.