Full Description: The 2020 Ram 1500 is the best truck in the full-size segment todayand the competition's not really all that close. No automaker has taken this modern market reality to heart more than Ram. While it hasnt yet mustered the nerve to charge six figures for a pickup like Ford has, Ram has been on the forefront of luxury truck interiors and features. Years before High Country Chevys, back when Denali GMCs were leather, grilles, and an optional engine, Ford rolled the dice on a Platinum F-150. Ram, though, took the idea and ran with it, launching the Laramie Long Hornreplete with southwest-inspired embroidery and embossing and even seat back pockets styled after saddle bags, with chrome buckles and all. Ram made the even bolder decision to introduce active grille shutters to reduce drag, and optional four-corner air suspension so the Ram hunkers down automatically to slice through the wind at speed, for better fuel economy. Coil-spring models get a deployable front air dam to do the same. Altogether, its paid off with several years of increased market share. With results like that, theres only one way to go. For the latest edition, Ram has doubled down on comfort, convenience, and style. After all, you ride a winning streak. But whats impressive is Ram hasnt traded capability for all that pizzazz. This is a truck that has been designed from the wheels -- now beefier, with six lugs -- and the frame -- 100 pounds lighter than its predecessor -- on up to accommodate the truck-buying publics dual mandate: to haul stuff, yes, but also to haul the family in comfort and style. Ram didnt switch to aluminum, but it shed 225 pounds it could do without. Using high-strength steels that require less metal to do the same job, clever applications of aluminum in the engine and transmission cross members, and even composite upper control arms for the front suspension all contribute. Partly as a result, max payload is up to 2,300 pounds while trailering is up to 12,750 pounds maxboth competitive with Fords and Chevys offerings. Its still a predominantly steel body (the remote-droppable aluminum tailgate is an exception) on a predominantly steel frame. The V8 isnt going anywhere. But the niceties that have been creeping into pickup cabins over the past decade dont feel tacked on. They feel, for maybe the first time ever in this corner of the market, fully baked in from the start. Every trim level gets at least two interior options: one all-black and another light-colored option unique to each trim level. All models get an electronic parking brake. Everything but the base Tradesman gets more soft-touch materials inside. Every model save the specialty Rebel off-roader gets passive two-mode shocks for a better ride. All of them get a flat rear floor and bigger storage bins. Every Crew Cab is stretched 4 inches for more interior space, especially in the rear. The Ram Crew Cabs four-inch stretch carves out the roomiest cab in the pickup game, including a ridiculous 45.1 inches of rear legroom that tops every full-size luxury sedan, including the BMW 7 Series and its 44.4 inches. Most interestingly, every model features Rams Active Tuned Mass Modules that vibrate at the exact opposite frequency of the engine to cancel vibrations to allow more operation in four-cylinder mode and when lugging in higher gears to improve fuel economy. Combined with standard noise-canceling technology, they make even the low-spec interiors surprisingly carlike in their quietness and smoothness. The cab is a shockingly quiet and comfortable place by pickup truck standards, and it even puts some cars and SUVs to shame. It doesnt matter if you bought the $33,000 truck or the $59,000 version. The ride over rough roads is surprisingly isolated and smooth for a 5,000-plus-pound vehicle. Combined with a naturally weighted and refreshingly direct steering rack, the new Ram is as easy and pleasant to drive as a car-based crossover. The old Rams truck-stoppin, big-rig grille was its design signature, but it was time for a change, and the new Ram looks great: modern, still plenty manly, but less over-the-top macho. Its stronger, lighter, and more aerodynamic, too and shed about 225 pounds, though its still a heavyweight at up to 5,200 pounds in V-8 Crew Cab guise. The Rams steel ladder frame actually gets sturdier and thicker where required, despite the frames 100-pound weight reduction, with 98-percent high-strength steel construction and class-unique splayed front rails that better protect passengers in front-end collisions. Getting the work done is the 395-hp, 410-lb-ft V-8 you know, but thanks to the frame shakers, it can run in four-cylinder mode twice as often. An electric radiator fan reduces load on the engine, and improved aerodynamics (including an automatically deployed air dam) mean the engine doesnt have to work as hard at higher speeds. All told, the cylinder-deactivation system is undetectable save for a tiny grumble from the exhaust when you lift off the throttle. With all that torque on tap, the Ram gets up to speed briskly and smoothly with a pleasant little growl from the exhaust. The updated eight-speed automatic is better than ever, swapping gears like a seasoned card dealerseemingly always in the right cog. For 2020, the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 returns, and it's an improved version that generates more power and torque and can support substantially higher tow ratings. At first glance, not much has changed: The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel is still a turbocharged V6 diesel engine that will come paired with a proven eight-speed automatic transmission. But nearly every component of the engine has been rethought, and the transmission has been recalibrated to match. The result is 260 horsepower and a class-leading 480 lb-ft of torque. These represent significant gains over the replaced engine, which made 240 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. Torque hasn't only increased by 14%, it also occurs 400 rpm lower in the rev range, where its effects will be even more useful when towing or hauling. These significant gains in engine output add up to a big increase in the EcoDiesel's maximum tow rating. Last time around, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel couldn't manage even 10,000 pounds. But the new 2020 engine will be rated to pull as much as 12,560 pounds, the highest diesel tow rating in the class. As for the Rebel, its extra ground height and reshaped front bumper give it more clearance in tight places. The standard coil spring rear suspension articulates more freely than a leaf spring suspension might. But we're not sure we can say the same about a Rebel with the optional air suspension after watching one have difficulty with certain obstacles that our truck cleared easily. The diesel's torque certainly comes on dependably when climbing steep hills, and the hill descent control works much smoother than most. Equipped with optional towing mirrors, visibility around the truck and trailer is excellent, and the lines overlaid on the reverse camera screen make lining up the hitch a breeze. Likewise, the ability to extend the optional blind-spot monitor to cover a trailer up to 35 feet long is an appreciated safety net, as are the larger, stronger front brakes. And you get all that on the nearly base model Big Horn, with its cloth seats and optional 8.4-inch touchscreen (5.0 inches is standard). On the other end, theres the lifted luxury of the Limited trim. Ram claims that version has more leather and real wood and metal trim than any competitor, and I see no reason to doubt that. Theres a panoramic sunroof and a 19-speaker optional stereo. Theres an air suspension that makes it ride even better and levels the truck when loaded. To make life easier, theres active cruise control with lane keeping assistance, a 360-degree camera, and semi-automatic parallel and perpendicular parking systems. Back-seat passengers wont miss out, either, with the optional heated and cooled rear seats, which also recline. The real party trick, though, is the 12.0-inch touchscreen. Running the latest, greatest version of Fiat Chryslers Uconnect software and exclusively available with SiriusXM 360L on-demand satellite radio, its the closest thing you can get to a Tesla screen in a gas-powered vehicle at any price. Like Teslas, it can run a full screen or two smaller screens split horizontally. Unlike Teslas, it has lots of redundant buttons and knobs if you prefer. I do wish it were as configurable and intuitive as the Tesla screen, but its pretty close, especially after you dig through the menus a bit and get to know it. If you want a base model with bench seats and AM/FM radio and CD player, Ram will gladly sell you oneand itll tow and haul more than last years truck. But if youre like a lot of todays truck buyers and want to replace one or more of your vehicles with a do-everything full-size truck thatll be as comfortable and spacious as your luxury sedan, Ram has ticked every box on your wish list. The Rebel off-road package looks tougher inside because of its black tones and red accents, but as with the Laramie, none of it looks or feels cheap up close. Even here the designers have managed the trick of conveying a tough-truck theme without hitting you over the head with it or compromising everyday comfort and livability. There's also a multifunction tailgate that lowers normally or can be opened barn-door style with a 60/40 split. You can even pair the RamBox with the multifunction tailgate if you're so inclined.