What’s the biggest difference between the Dodge Challenger and the Dodge Ram? More than 200,000 units of production volume...It’s not hyperbole to say the professional livelihood of almost every Chrysler employee could hang on how well the new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 is received by truck buyers. The Germans knew not to mess with the success of Chrysler’s big Dodge pickups when they owned the company....The biggest risk? The truck team’s decision to emphasize everyday usability over top-end capability. In short, there will be no chest-pounding ads that the Ram can pull the Titanic from the bottom of the Atlantic.

“Competing for the most towing is a battle of diminishing returns,” said Ralph Gilles, Chrysler’s new design chief and the man responsible for leading the Ram’s redesign. “We wanted to make a truck our buyers can live with. One that’s well-rounded.”

“We’ve taken leaf springs as far as they can go [for ride comfort and handling],” said Scott Kunselman, Chrysler’s vice president of truck product development, and Gilles’ engineering counterpart. “Coil springs are the next step. We’ve made them without sacrificing any of the towing or payload [ratings] that we had on the previous Ram. Plus, we save 40 pounds in weight.”

we're still as enthusiastic about the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 as we were when it was first reveled at the Detroit auto show. Most half-ton truck buyers don't need three-quarter-ton towing and hauling capability in their pickups, and we think most people will find the improved ride comfort a more-than-fair tradeoff for trailering and payload ratings that equal what the Ram could do in 2008.