Loud and Proud: The 2017 Ram 1500 Night Edition Crew Cab 4X4

The 2017 Ram 1500 Night Edition Crew Cab.

There is very little to prepare you for the sound that comes when you push the "START" button in the 2017 Ram 1500 Night Edition.  The best written approximation is:

BAROOOOOMMMMMBURBLEBURBLEBURBLEBURBLEBURBLEBURBLEBURBLE

And after you've eased it out of your driveway and you give it....oh, let's say 1/16th throttle to start down your street:

BBBBBWWWWAAAAAHHHHHHHRROOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Yes, that thing's got a Hemi.



Think I'm exaggerating?

The roar is one of the selling points of the 2017 Ram 1500 Night Edition.  Clever lines like "The night is dark.  Make sure you're heard" are part of the marketing.

At its heart is a cat-back exhaust.  I'm not an engineer.  And while I can generally get the facts and lay them out in an easy-to-understand manner, I've found, while getting the facts, someone that I should just allow to tell it to you...this friendly fella at Engineering Explained:

2017 Ram 1500 Night Edition Crew Cab.

I mean, look at those exhaust pipes.  They look like cannons.

Anyway, for $43,995 you get a Ram 1500 Sport Crew Cab.  The fun takes off from that base.

2017 Ram 1500 Night Edition cold air induction.

FiatChrysler's being circumspect about specific numbers when the Night Edition is equipped with the optional ($795) cold air induction system.  Let's just revert to the old Rolls-Royce method and say "adequate".  You know, "adequate" for almost causing sonic booms.

Our tester came with the usual standard equipment for that $43,995 base price (electric shift-on-demand transfer case, remote keyless entry, locking tailgate, remote start system, anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes, backup camera, speed control, a theft-deterrent system, auto-dimming rearview mirror, dual-zone climate control, a six-speaker audio system, heated seats and steering wheel, power-adjustable pedals, sun visors with illuminated vanity mirrors, a rear power sliding window, a power 10-way driver's seat with power lumbar adjust, second-row in-floor storage bins and LED bed lighting.

But there's a lot more.  The truck we drove had almost ten grand worth of options:

• Night Edition Package (black painted honeycomb grille, black RAM tailgate nameplate, 20-inch painted black aluminum wheels, dual rear exhaust with bright tips and a flat black "Ram 1500" badge) $395
• Convenience Group (automatic high beams, Keyless Enter n Go, rain-sensitive wipers) $545
• An upgraded nine-speaker Alpine premium audio system with subwoofer $345
• Tri-fold tonneau cover $545
• 8-speed automatic transmission $500
• 3.92 rear axle ratio $95
• Anti-spin differential rear axle $435
• 5.7-liter Hemi V8 $1,250
• Rear window defroster $195
• Sport performance hood $775
• 32-gallon fuel tank (upgrade from standard 26 gallons) $355
• Navigation with SiriusXM TravelLink and Traffic $795
• Four-corner air suspension $1,715
• Front and rear park assist system $445
• Ram Box cargo management system $1,295
• Trailer brake control $295
• Locking lug nuts $60
• Spray-in bedliner $495

Total that up with $1,320 in destination charges and you get a bottom line of $55,850.

5.7-liter Hemi V8, 8-speed automatic transmission.  EPA fuel economy estimate 15 city/21 highway. Good luck with that.  We wound up at 14.5 in a pretty even mix of city streets and urban freeways. But no one buys a truck like this for fuel economy.  This is all about being big and bad, loud and proud.  And I can't remember a vehicle that succeeded at its mission more than the Ram 1500 Night Edition.