Interior
reviewed by
The interior is another major effort from Dodge to make the new Ram stand out from its full-size competition. Our test Ram 2500 greeted us with smooth instrumental panel contours and sweeping armrests that integrated perfectly with the door and the overall interior design scheme. We see nothing in here that reminds us of the last-generation pickups. While the influence is definitely truck-like, Chrysler designers took their cues from the advanced interior design found in the company's very successful and stylish LH sedans.
The Ram 2500's instrument cluster is housed beneath a gracefully curved padded dashtop and features a standard circular speedometer and analog oil pressure, fuel, coolant temperature and battery/voltmeter gauges. These are all easily readable through the steering wheel, which also houses an air bag - the first in any full-size pickup.
There's room for three really big adults up front with only a lap belt for the middle passenger but belts and shoulder harnesses for the driver and far-side passenger. Door-mounted courtesy lights are complemented by an overhead dome light as well as independently operated map lights.
About the only thing that isn't truly big about this new Ram 2500 is the glove compartment. But that's offset by a huge fold-down center console big enough to store and/or support a laptop computer or fax machine -a real convenience for workers who take the office on the road. There's also a second power receptacle next to the cigarette lighter to power or charge all that exotic equipment. Behind-the-seat storage is adequate and neatly compartmentalized and contains tire-changing equipment.
The standard seats on our test Ram 2500 were adequately contoured and offered a driver-side adjustable lumbar support that improved comfort some. We recommend one of Dodge's step-up seating options for a truck this nice, however.
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