But not anymore: Inside and out, the new Ram is miles ahead of its predecessor in ride, comfort and innovation. Coolest feature on the marketWhile the Ram always chased the leaders, running third in sales behind the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, it's now setting higher standards instead of trying to reach them. Here's just one example: the seats. They were always a pain in my back, particularly the small of my back. They were as comfortable as plywood covered in cheap fabric and should have been banned by the Geneva Conventions. The new seats are downright comfortable. After two days of driving a variety of Rams, there were no aches or pains. The seats have nice bolsters to hold you in place when driving off-road and are cushy on the highway. The key to a good seat is not so much noticing it, but, rather, not noticing it, and in the new Ram I was quickly oblivious to my own comfort. There is innovation all around the Ram. The interior, which has been the nemesis of many Chrysler LLC products, is well planned and executed. The dash is open and clean. Gone are the white-faced gauges, replaced with a five-gauge instrument cluster that is simple, neat and easy to read. There are lots of nooks and crannies (more than 40) to hold cell phones, gloves, tools, folders and just about anything else. There are even two floor storage bins (on the Quad Cab and Crew Cab models) that include removable containers for easy cleaning. The center stack (which includes a 110-volt socket) juts out away from the dash (making the top of the dash look smaller) and every piece fits together nicely. The entire interior is well crafted. On the top-of-the-line Laramie models, there's stitched material across the front of the dash that makes you feel like you're sitting in a top-end vehicle. The base model interior is less sophisticated but nonetheless nice. Only the emergency brake release feels cheap. Big trucks -- and there's no doubting this truck is big -- should have a man-handle kind of brake release, not something that feels like it will break off and be used to scrape ice from your windshield. Then there is the RamBox. As much as I detest words with more than one capital letter, I'm willing to make the B uppercase for this ingenious device. It is hands-down the coolest feature on any pickup sold today. Dodge created storage bins out of the bed walls. The 5-foot-7 bed remains 49 inches wide (a key for anyone carrying plywood or sheet rock). The short bed allows an owner to still get the Crew Cab Ram in his garage. My only gripe with the RamBox is that Dodge will only offer it on its all-new Crew Cab models, which just seems unfair to me. I want it on all of them. The storage bins are waterproof and come with drain plugs, in case you want to use it as a live well or cooler. There is a total of 7.4 cubic feet of storage, which may not sound like a lot, but more than enough for an ATV helmet, a tool box and power tools. And both storage bins, which have lights inside, lock up to help keep honest men honest. The RamBox is the kind of standout feature that could put a few more people in a Dodge this year. New suspension a slam dunkBut the ride may make a bigger difference. Compared to the competition, the ride is smoother. Instead of sticking with leaf springs in the back, Dodge gambled with a multilink coil spring rear suspension. You need to understand that pickup owners are much like the vending machines at The News: They don't handle change very well. Switching the truck's rear suspension is a monumental shift. Richter scales in India may have picked up the move by Dodge. It was worth the risk. Here's what the new suspension does for the Ram: Makes it comfortable with an empty bed, eliminating that bouncy feeling empty trucks can have on the highway; makes it pleasant with 1,000 pounds in the bed, with little lateral shift through turns; and eliminates axle hops and skips, always a problem with a pickup with a powerful engine such as the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8. Even when I tried to get the new Ram to bounce through a turn, it wouldn't. Oh, and the new Hemi is better than the old one. The new 5.7-liter Hemi offers 13 percent more horsepower and 8 percent more torque. Creating 390 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque, this Hemi also shuts down four of its cylinders when cruising on the highway, allowing it to reach 13 miles per gallon in the city and 19 mpg on the highway (2WD models). The 4.7-liter engine -- the second V-8 offering -- doesn't offer as much bang off the line but still managed to hold its own during testing. My only question is, since it has the same mileage numbers as the larger Hemi, why get it? Dodge will also offer a pickup with the 3.7-liter V-6 that gets 20 mpg on the highway. The 215 horses under the hood may not be as much power, but the truck does provide a significant savings in overall price, so the difference would be evident quickly in the pocketbook. Overall, on all of the variations of the Ram, the ride and handling was exceptional, with the Ram on 17-inch wheels riding better than those with 20-inch wheels. It's smooth on concrete, asphalt and even dusty off-road trails. The big-grip wheel fit well in my hands though the steering felt a little loose on curvy roads when doing more than 50 mph. I expected more feedback from the wheel and better return to center, so I could feel the road. But that was the only complaint on a truck that has a cab as quiet as most cars. When towing various size trailers on a short loop, the Hemi-powered Ram acted as if nothing was attached to the rear. It just chugged along, getting up to 60 mph with ease, even with a 9,000-pound Air Stream attached on a simple hitch. (Note: Four-pin and seven-pin trailer hookups are standard on all models.) Exterior tweaks make senseMaking the Ram better also includes its new exterior, which Dodge cleaned up and streamlined. More important, Dodge added a true crew cab for the first time to its lineup. The front grille is as massive as ever, but there really isn't a hard edge to be found along its face. Dodge uses huge chrome bumpers in the front and back, giving it an old-school look, but with modern flairs. The wheels fit tighter into the wells and Dodge says the new Ram has the best aerodynamics of any pickup. The rear spoiler incorporated on the lift-gate also shows how Dodge melds style with function. The handle to open it is neatly tucked into the fold of the spoiler on the back. From behind, you can barely see it. When you open the gate, it falls gently down with an assist feature that makes the gate feel lighter. The previous tailgate felt like Olympic training every time you opened and closed it. Now it works well and looks good. Another way to make the Ram better was to offer more things for the money. And Dodge offers a bevy of standard features. Some are safety-oriented, such as anti-lock brakes and front and rear side-curtain air bags, knee bolsters and stability control that should be standard on every truck. Then there are nice little details such as the plastic on the edge of the bed that helps protect it from scratches. Customers said the bed is always the first thing damaged, so Dodge made the protectors standard. A host of options include everything from heated and cooled seats to a high-fidelity system that cranks more than 500 watts. Many of the features, such as the heated steering wheel, are unexpected surprises that are certainly welcome. Making a stronger Ram may have pleased a few customers who have genuine needs for a more powerful truck. But most buyers of half-ton pickups don't need all of that power. That's why there is a heavy-duty truck selection already available. Instead, creating a better Ram just makes more sense. Scott Burgess is the auto critic for The Detroit News. He can be reached at (313) 223-3217 or [email protected].