The popular 4.7-liter V8 delivers responsive performance as well, though it doesn't offer the trailer-towing torque of the 5.7-liter. With the 4.7, the Ram feels eager around town and on winding roads. It accelerates quickly onto freeways and has no trouble powering up grades. It's a smooth, sophisticated engine that always feels ready to go. The 4.7-liter V8 and 3.7-liter V6 are overhead-cam designs, smaller and more efficient than the overhead-valve engines they replace. The 4.7-liter V8 achieves good fuel efficiency (13/17 mpg City/Highway for a 4WD automatic). It revs higher than an overhead valve engine and generates 240 hp and 295 lbs.-ft. of torque. The 4.7-liter V8 feels smooth and refined, emitting a pleasant American burble while underway. We really liked it. An optional five-speed automatic improves the responsiveness of the 4.7-liter engine.

The 3.7-liter V6 is smooth and works well with the manual five-speed gearbox. If you don't live in the mountains where long grades and high altitudes conspire against you, then it may offer enough power as a light-duty truck. It's not the best choice for pulling trailers or heavy loads, however.

The Ram has a pleasant ride quality, important on long days. It's much smoother than the previous-generation Ram. A rigid new chassis reduced vibration dramatically. Dodge uses hydroforming to fashion the frame. Instead of having to weld a bunch of straight pieces together, hydroforming uses ultra-high water pressure to force the metal into any shape needed. This highly rigid frame is a key component to the ride and handling of the Ram. It allowed Dodge engineers to redesign the Ram suspension and to tune it precisely, without having to work around a lot of chassis flex. A new rack-and-pinion steering gear sharpens handling, though we've noticed some on-center vagueness. Big 17-inch wheels are standard. The result overall is that the Ram offers responsive handling, a comfortable ride, and a general feeling of tightness.

The Ram is a big truck and on narrow roads it feels like one. It feels big and tall, and its fenders seem to fill small country roads. The ride height of the Ram adds to this sensation. It's sometimes difficult to be sure exactly where your fenders are, so it's not the best vehicle for the timid. In this regard, the Ram is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Toyota Tundra, which feels smaller and nimbler by comparison. The Ram handles reasonably well and powers through or over just about anything, even when the tires aren't always precisely where you intended to place them.

All Rams come standard with big four-wheel disc brakes that are smooth and easy to modulate.

Trailer towing capacities range from just 3050 pounds for a 3.7-liter V6 Quad Cab with 2WD and manual transmission to 9,300 pounds for a 5.7-liter V8 Quad Cab 2WD automatic. A 4WD Ram with the 4.7-liter and automatic transmission is rated to pull a 7,450-pound trailer with the 3.92 rear axle ratio. The available 20-inch wheels reduce towing capacity by about 1,000 pounds. Payloads range from about 1300 pounds to 1850 pounds for a 2WD regular cab with the 3.7-liter V6. A new Tow/Haul transmission mode provides crisper shifts and reduces gear searching when towing.

Four-wheel-drive models ride on a torsion-bar independent front suspension, and use a part-time transfer case that can be shifted from two-wheel drive on the fly. Shifting into four-wheel-drive high locks the center differential. A low-range set of gears provides superior traction in extreme conditions. A limited-slip rear differential is available and we recommend it for drivers who intend to go off road. A Protection Group ($90) includes skid plates for the front suspension and transfer case. Rear axles are available in a standard 3.55 ratio or a numerically higher 3.92 ratio, which is better for towing and off-road driving.

A new full-time four-wheel-drive system and electric transfer case is also available. Under normal driving conditions, the full-time system delivers 48 percent of the torque to the front wheels and 52 percent to the rear wheels. The system includes a locking transfer case that features four-wheel-drive High and Low modes.