The Dodge Ram 3500 Mega Cab offers a striking presence, taking the Big Rig look to another level. From the front, its crosshair grille with big chrome collar remains is recognizable as a Dodge Ram signature. With the front-end restyled for 2008 and a dual-rear wheel option added after introduction, the rear gets attention for 2009 with new taillight styling similar to the Dodge Durango and Dakota.

From the side, the Mega Cab makes an even more dramatic impression. Very long rear doors are unique to the immense Mega Cab, with a very large area of full roll-down window glass. The dark glass, rear doors and wide pillar suggest a limousine. Expansive 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 you'll have to 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

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 what is already a wide cabin, taking second-row spaciousness beyond that of 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 easily shifted around, which is good because 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. With the standard front bench seat, a very wide center console flips up to allow makeshift center seating; it may not be comfortable for the center rider but it works.

The rear seats are spacious. In the Mega Cab, we found a six-foot, three-inch passenger has no problem stretching out completely with the rear seats reclined. A tall rear-seat passenger spent an entire day with us, declining all invitations to move up front.

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, it is a long reach to hand something across the console to a passenger, and there's no hope of leaning across to open the passenger door, or grab something from the opposite door pocket as could be done in the trucks of our forefathers. 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 standard front bench seat offers additional storage under the seat.

The navigation screen, measuring 5.8 inches, is surrounded by buttons and knobs that are on the small side but located high for good viewing.

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.

It takes a while to cool on hot days as the rear AC vents are just above floor level; adding heavier window tint may help in sunny climes.

Getting in a 4WD Mega Cab requires a big step up, but the rear doors swing open almost 90 degrees and there's a convenient grab handle on the door pillar, so access is easier for people or cargo. Behind the rear seats is even more storage, in the form of bins that are designed to accommodate tools or sports equipment.

We found the optional seven-speaker, 384-watt Infinity sound system to be remarkably good for a truck of any kind, and especially a pickup. Our suspicion is that this is at least partly due to superior sound deadening and wind noise control (Mega Cabs have laminated front door glass), providing a better acoustic environment.