1997 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 Broad shoulders and a big work ethic. By Jim McCraw, New Car Test Drive .com

If Chicago is the city of broad shoulders,

here's its pickup truck equivalent. When Dodge introduced the all-new Ram

family in 1994, it was the company's first ground-up redesign in 22 years,

and an instant success. From also-ran status, the Ram has created huge

waves in the marketplace, vaulting to a record 382,000 sales in 1996.

This chrome-grilled, big-rig-wannabe is not only the most bodacious

looking truck on the market, it also boasts the biggest engine, the highest

power ratings, the biggest payload ratings, and the highest towing capacity

of any pickup truck you can buy. It's also collected several J.D. Power

trophies for quality and for overall appeal.