That is one ugly interior... 3 shades of brown AND black AND silver AND chrome AND wood... and they wonder why people dont want to buy American.

Maybe they should start by firing all their designers and starting from scratch.

and... cue the domestic bashing...

honestly it looks like a really good improvement. unlike the old one they are starting to give a shit about interior quality... (i see stitched leather on the dash)

and they are starting to offer some interesting features such as the storage on the bed.

it will be very interesting to see what happens with the new ram, especially with a hybrid version coming out soon. the truck will have a lot of competition, but Toyota is having some problems with the new Tundra so hopefully they will have a fighting chance.

At least it's not a full sea of dull dark plastic like the previous generations of Rams. Now you have a sea of multicolored dull plastic!

Hmmm, with all the specs listed I wonder why they didn't include how many miles per gallon it gets? Oh, let me guess. 8 mpg city and 12 mpg highway!

Why does everyone always bash truck fuel mileage? You just can not pull 300+hp, 400+ft/lb of torque, and the ability to tow 6000+lbs out of a 50mpg hybrid or even disel. It takes fuel to make power. Hopefully the people buying full size trucks actually have a reason to buy them. If I was a contractor I'm not sure mpg would the #1 decision making factor on my list when I went to the lot.

RE: Brian
"disel"? first it's spelled diesel, second how is a gasoline engine better than a diesel? Maybe they have it all wrong with the big rig diesel trucks, perhaps they should be using gasoline.

I admit I'm not a truck guy. So it's hard for me to get excited (or dismayed) over any trucks styling.

I do like storage options in any car, and it seems they've done a lot of things here in that regard.

The floor mounted storage bins are nice, though I wonder how accessible they'd be while moving? The text says they have removable liners, which would be a must if you load them with ice. But in the picture they don't look very removable. Have to see that in person.

The fender boxes are a great idea, assuming their lids are engineered tough enough to stand up to long term abuse. If they aren't tough enough, they'll break and become both an eyesore and a nuisance.

I hope they've done their homework, as there are some good ideas there. Fingers crossed.

Blows away the Ford in style and power
Can fight with a Tundra with a better interior, but weaker towing
DrFill

Blows away the Ford in style and power
Can fight with a Tundra with a better interior, but weaker towing
DrFill

Blows away the Ford in style and power
Can fight with a Tundra with a better interior, but weaker towing
DrFill

Blows away the Ford in style and power
Can fight with a Tundra with a better interior, but weaker towing
DrFill

I'm not a truck guy per se, but I did own a Silverado to work on my house. I have to say that the truck interiors are much better, although "luxurious" is not what a truck is about. C'mon people, trucks get dirty. Comparing the interior to a Camry or BMW is not even logical. Would you even put muddy work boots in your Benz? Think before you rant. Considering these facts, truck interiors are great these days. The storage bins are an added bonus.

Having said that, Dodge needs to get that hybrid out ASAP if they want to recapture market share.

fyi - if you have a really dirty job, get a rent-a-truck from Home Depot. the simple plastic interior hoses out nicely :)

I think it looks better than any of the newer trucks.

Dodge's hemi has the same power as Toyota. Thats awesome.

My dad's 1999 5.9 gets about 14mpg average. Short bed- reg cab. Dodges do get bad gas mileage...

At least they are one hp short of Toyota, but still short on Torque (and Toyotas DOHC engine actually produces it in the low range, unlike the HEMI, which sees it over 4000 rpm).

Weight wise it cannot be a lighter truck as its 0-60 is the same.

And I too like all the storage options: I remember my uncles old F-150 and how we used to have to stuff bins under the back seats and how we tore out the center console/armrest thingy in order to put in a mini-file.

At least the utility side of a truck is expanding. But I to agree, why does this thing even have leather and wood when its a truck? Luxury cars are for that.

Really if you have to deliver heavy stuff for a living you are starting to see more Japanese style trucks doing the job, Small flat nosed cab-overs using turbo 4 banger diesels.
The less you spend on fuel the more money you get to keep in your wallet.

Not a truck guy, but it looks fine to me.

Only thing that would annoy me is the silverish outlines around certain areas of the interior. I have this in my Toyota sedan. During a sunny day, the light tends to beam off the silver outlines. It's more for looks, but it really hurts more than helps IMO.

Overall a nice design and I really like the integrated fender boxes and improved utility of the truck. My concern is really if Dodge will be around long enough for warranty work, as Dodge's future is uncertain as best.

I've driven/owned Chevy, Ford and Dodge pickups in the past and this is a truck I'd be proud to own. Face it people, regardless of whether you're a truck snob or not, the pickup has evolved over the past 7-10 years. Used to be a grunt, work vehicle and the doggone thing has evolved to a multi-use vehicle. Good enough to work in, good enough to play in.

People who drive trucks with spiced up interiors drive them with their friends and families, go on trips, go out on the town, get away on the weekends and pull light trailer loads with all kinds of toys. They've just as much right to ask for a comfy, good looking interior as the contractor who will beat the heck out of it and wants vinyl everything. This looks like a great upgrade compared to the crappy plastic insides the Ram has had. Isn't that what you want? Choice? I'm sure that there are other interior choices. These are just PR shots, guys, c'mon.

The Ram truck is tough and hard-working and has strong styling that the others have copied. Why? Cause people like style. That's why people drive 'em all over for their main car. Who cares if HP is one or two ponies short of best in class. Same for torque. If you're in the neighborhood, you're in. Think about the differences, Ride quality...rear coil-spring. Edge: Dodge Ram. HEMI MDS shuts down four cylinders for better gas mileage on the highway. Trusted and proven power. Edge: Dodge Ram. Innovation. Dodge owns innovation/hands down. Look at that new Ford F-150. The front end looks like those bling grilles kids put over their teeth. I want to see the Ford tough guys get behind the wheel of that ugly thing and say look at me in this tough truck. Might as well be the Lincoln version. New side step up do-hickey. Yeah, gotta have it so you don't have to lug a ladder around for that awful, too-high of side bed wall. Makes the eFFy look terrible with that unbalanced cab to bed combination.

Someone already said it. For some, you just gotta have a truck and the deal isn't about fuel economy, but it's getting better. BTW, the 09 eFFy is a weak effort for a major refresh, is that the best you got, Ford? Toyota and Chevy have been eating your lunch over the past couple of years and now here comes Ram to grab even more from you.

I like the front end, its sharper than the last ram that was styled by the same guys that style tylenol.

Whoever said that fuel economy isn't a factor for contractors is so very wrong. I once worked for a maintenance department that had large Doge RAMs but now have switched over to the Dakota because is capable of doing the same job as the larger RAM but was much better on gas.

@Bill: Some contractors are switching to Japanese turbo 4bangers but lets not forget about the Mercedez/Dodge Sprinter. Contractors love this vehicle because it does the job but doesn't burn up a lot of fuel in the process. All it has is a tiny V6.

One thing that does concern me is the use of coil springs over leaf springs. That is the dumbest decision Dodge could make. If I'm looking to buy a truck to do some actual work with, I'll look elsewhere. The trucks got a live rear axle, leaf springs are the obvious choice. You won't see much of a benefit with a coil springs and struts... This is why I get so angry at Chrystler, they don't go all the way with their great ideas. A truck with independant rear suspension would have been awesome but they only went half way.

Anyone wanna tell me how this thing is different then what its replacing. IT looks the same? wut gives...

It doesn't look the exact same. Just as the new F150 looks like a ..... F150?

As for those griping that the interior is too posh for use in a truck? You certainly will be able to buy RAMs that are vinyl instead of carpet and all the fancy interior junk if you so desire and save coin doing it. Why is it everyone thinks this interior is the only option. Heard of fleet sales? Anyone can buy a fleet truck with the most basic of options and their choice of power train.

I like this. I'd like it better if they popped that new diesel in there sooner.

As for the HP and towing capacity compared to Toyota, etc.... Who cares? I buy a truck based around what I need it to do. The towing limit on this new model will fit most every potential buyer's towing needs. If they need more they should probably be looking at the 2500, F250, etc anyway.

I for one will be tempted to hook into one of these once I get a chance to crawl through a few of them.... if I can't wait for the diesel. Which by the way, is what will make this out tow Toyota for those that care.

Better then the last generation, but that's not saying too much. The front looks better then the last generation, but the the 02-05 models looked better. The inside of this truck is the best looking out of any dodge ram generation to date.

Those of you who complain about that the interior color scheme being gay and foreign cars are so much more styles can suck it, take a look at the interior of the new toyota Venza Crossover posted on this site, anything look familiar.......

I thought HEMI meant "more than the rest," not "only equal to the best." Who would have ever thought that a rice burning V8 (Toyo or Nismo) would have more or less the same power as an old tried and trued American made OHV/OHC V8. Heck, cant we kick butt at least in this segment. I mean, its laughable, that Chevy and Dodge are still using puny 4 speed trannys and expect to increase fuel efficiency. I know economies of scale help to increase the bottom line, but just because the 4spd cost you only $100 to manufacturer does not make it a good idea in a 2008/2009 Truck ..enough said!

I thought HEMI meant "more than the rest," not "only equal to the best." Who would have ever thought that a rice burning V8 (Toyo or Nismo) would have more or less the same power as an old tried and trued American made OHV/OHC V8. Heck, cant we kick butt at least in this segment. I mean, its laughable, that Chevy and Dodge are still using puny 4 speed trannys and expect to increase fuel efficiency. I know economies of scale help to increase the bottom line, but just because the 4spd cost you only $100 to manufacturer does not make it a good idea in a 2008/2009 Truck ..enough said!

I think that it is a excellent improvement. The exterior did not change to much, but I still really like the truck. It's better then any Japanese truck.

Interior and bed updates are nice.

No v6 diesel. nice functionality but sales are going to drop fast at 16 mpg and 4 dollar gas. Even with all the great changes.

Since the word "contractor" has been kicked around here recently, I'll share this tidbit:

Recently in my area, I've begun seeing many Chevrolet Colorados, Toyota Tacomas (more and more of those, in fact) and fewer full-size pickups at job sites.

I think most contractors understand that only a few trucks will ever actually need full-size payload and towing capacity: if you are looking at throwing 30 2x4's in the bed of a truck, a light-duty pickup can handle that just fine.

And with gas being the way it is, and smaller pickups usually requiring less maintenance, I think we've come to the conclusion as to why many new full-size pickups are coming out with wood and leather:

They simply are not used for work anymore, except in some places. More often than not, however, they are used as large luxury cars, by suburbanites and otherwise.

Allen is absolutely right. I drive around town and young girls are driving half the big, jacked-up trucks I see, while their hubby is slaving away to pay off that $50K loan.

I don't really have a problem with people spending their money in whatever way they see fit, but it would be nice to see a little more concern for the environment / foreign relations. You can't really fault a manufacturer for giving people what they want.

I work for an excavation company, and fuel economy is a huge issue these days. If we burned one gallon less fuel in each of the vehicles / equipment that we own per day, we would save well over 200K per year. That's not chump change. That could be a new excavator, or a couple of backhoes, or anything else, saving us more money on downtime from repairs and maintenance to older equipment.

For that reason, we've taken away work trucks from several employees, and are phasing in smaller, more fuel efficient trucks for everyone else. Of course, we still have the big Pete's for hauling equipment that generate 600 horsepower and over 2000 ft-lob of torque, but for smaller jobs and backhoes we have a couple of big dually Dodges as pull trucks. They just sit in the yard until we need to move equipment. We can't afford to let people drive them otherwise.

As on-site jobs trucks, we are considering small Isuzu cab over diesels. They aren't nearly as "cool" as a big pickup, but coolness doesn't matter much to our bottom line.

On a personal note, I don't like the styling. It looks like a Charger crossbred with a Mustang.

Allen is absolutely right. I drive around town and young girls are driving half the big, jacked-up trucks I see, while their hubby is slaving away to pay off that $50K loan.

I don't really have a problem with people spending their money in whatever way they see fit, but it would be nice to see a little more concern for the environment / foreign relations. You can't really fault a manufacturer for giving people what they want.

I work for an excavation company, and fuel economy is a huge issue these days. If we burned one gallon less fuel in each of the vehicles / equipment that we own per day, we would save well over 200K per year. That's not chump change. That could be a new excavator, or a couple of backhoes, or anything else, saving us more money on downtime from repairs and maintenance to older equipment.

For that reason, we've taken away work trucks from several employees, and are phasing in smaller, more fuel efficient trucks for everyone else. Of course, we still have the big Pete's for hauling equipment that generate 600 horsepower and over 2000 ft-lob of torque, but for smaller jobs and backhoes we have a couple of big dually Dodges as pull trucks. They just sit in the yard until we need to move equipment. We can't afford to let people drive them otherwise.

As on-site jobs trucks, we are considering small Isuzu cab over diesels. They aren't nearly as "cool" as a big pickup, but coolness doesn't matter much to our bottom line.

On a personal note, I don't like the styling. It looks like a Charger crossbred with a Mustang.

Nice improvement. Always been a Chev. PU owner, Not anymore! The new Chev. design is awful. Very happy with the new Dodge design and will be ordering one with the diesel.

Very nice truck. The front end is aggressive and has the "charge ahead" look. I, for one, love trucks. Sure, if I lived in a big city, I'd seriously consider a more economical vehicle. But, I only "commute" 6 miles to work every day. I do I have a problem with these smaller cars however, as they are meant for smaller people. I'm 6'6" tall and weigh 300lbs. It's a very tight fit for me in small and medium sized cars/trucks. Go Dodge!

I also noticed that the truck is a true four door, not the useless extended cab, or the goofy mega-cab. It looks really sweet. That said, I won't be buying one, because I never buy vehicles new.

I've worked in both forestry and mining and seriously folks you would never find a Toyota or Nissan in the bush. When it comes to work, neither of the imports can hold a candle to the slightly more industrious domestics. If your up to your axles in mud and need to be pulled by a piece of heavy equipment I'm sure you would be really sorry if you owned an import. The first thing you would loose is the way too low bumper trim and do damage to the rocker panels on the imports. But if you're strictly a pavement pounder then by all means maybe an import is for you. Can you imagine a 100 gallon tank of fuel in the pickup box of a Tundra I really can't. I've seen domestic trucks last 20 years of heavey use such as hauling firewood and essentials for the running of heavy equipment, and after checking out a Tundra I really don't believe it is up to that type of task. The Tundra has a nice interior for the city folk though.

Total crap. If it had a fender vent, it would look just like the crappy F250. Yawn!

"Blows away the Ford in style" <<<???

look carefully Dr. Fill..... this truck's interior is mapped out almost identically to the interior in a Ford F-150... and yes, i agree that this interior does look better than the Ford F-150's but..... you know what's funny?? It took Dodge until 2009 to catch up to Ford's 2004 design. And it took Chevrolet until 2007... Again, the Dodge design is SLIGHTLY better looking but it is 5 years newer!

Chet

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