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Walk Around

The Dodge Ram 3500 Mega Cab offers a striking presence, taking the Big Rig look to another level. From the front, a more refined crosshair grille with strong, full-chrome collar remains instantly recognizable as a strong Dodge Ram signature. With the front-end restyled last year and a dual-rear wheel option added after introduction, the tail now gets attention with new taillight styling similar to the Dodge Durango and Dakota.

From the side, the Mega Cab makes an even more dramatic impression. Very wide rear doors are unique to the immense Mega Cab, with a very large proportion of window glass to door. The dark glass rear doors and wide pillar suggest a limousine, and interior volume reinforces the impression. Behind this huge cab, the bed looks small, but it remains significantly large: 6 feet, 3 inches in length and 51 inches wide between the wheel wells. There is no factory long-bed Mega Cab so use a sliding hitch for your fifth-wheel.

Long-bed Ram dually models have fender flares that look tacked on but are often cheaper to repair after impact, compared with the more integrated designs from Chevy, GMC, and Ford.

Interior

2008 Dodge Ram HD

All Dodge Ram pickups offer wide, roomy cabs with lots of storage.

Mega Cab and Quad Cab interior space is nearly identical with the exception of rear legroom. The Mega Cab adds some 22 inches of cab length to the already-wide interior, taking second-row spaciousness beyond any previous production pickup. The Mega Cab's rear seats offer 44.2 inches of legroom, compared with 36.7 inches for a Quad Cab. And there is room for the rear seats to recline, tilting up to 37-degrees for added comfort. The rear seats also have their own reading lights and a center armrest with cup holders, plus separate rear air conditioning and heat outlets.

DVD entertainment for rear seat passengers is available, with wireless headsets and integrated game ports. Behind the passengers is a power sliding rear window for flow-through ventilation. Because of the added length of the second-row seating area, the air bag system had to be redesigned with larger side curtain air bags. Each side air bag has its own impact sensor in order to trigger the air bag on the side where impact occurs.

From the driver's seat, the view is of a wide center stack with large knobs and buttons, precisely finished with consistent angles and cut lines throughout. The instrument panel cluster is located under a prominent dash brow to reduce glare and improve visibility of six white-faced gauges, the latter numbered on diesel-engine models. A substantial four-spoke steering wheel houses cruise control buttons and available stereo controls. Rectangular, slat-type air vents close flush.

Interior trim is markedly different among the trim levels. In ST trim, the dash is textured plastic with synthetic-look inserts on the SLT. The Laramie package makes extensive use of woodgrain trim inside, with less plastic, for a more distinctive appearance.

The seats are generously padded and we found them to be comfortable, especially the six-way driver's seat in the Laramie, which can be shifted around as any particular position becomes tiresome on long trips. The leather upholstery adds a rich appearance to the interior of Laramie models. With the optional front bucket seats, a new center console extends from the dashboard. Bench seat models still have a shallow floor console which may not be comfortable for the center rider.

Everything about the Ram is full size. Even those of us used to operating domestic pickups and tow vehicles are aware of the Ram's imposing size and stance. Inside the cabin, it is a long reach to hand something across the console to a passenger, and there would be no hope of leaning across to open the passenger door, or grab something from the opposite door pocket. Interior door handles are large and heavily built, consistent with the large size of the Ram doors.

The cabin is loaded with nicely sized trays, slots and pockets. It seemed there was always a safe place to put something down, yet keep it within easy reach. The armrest opens in two parts and center console is big enough for a laptop, and is designed with fold-down dividers.

The navigation screen, measuring 5.8 inches, is surrounded by buttons and knobs; perhaps a bit on the small side but located up high for good viewing. With the standard front bench seat, a very wide center console flips up to allow makeshift center seating. There is additional storage under the front seat.

Power outlets are provided for the front seats. The dash power outlet is ignition switched, while the cigar lighter is always on, so we used it to charge a cell phone. A third outlet is available in the center console.

Testing the rear seat was a defining moment. One passenger, six-feet, three-inches tall, had no problem stretching out completely with the rear seats reclined. A rear-seat passenger spent an entire day with us, and declined to move up front at the halfway point. It takes a while to cool on hot days as the rear AC vents are just above floor level; adding heavier tint may be wise i

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